Trent Williams Not Being Ejected From Thursday Night Football Defended By NFL

The NFL has defended the decision made by the refs during Thursday Night Football not to eject Niners tackle Trent Williams. "We ended up looking at the video we had available to us. And we just didn't see anything that rose to the level of flagrant, which is the standard that we have to apply to disqualify the player. We couldn't confirm that 100 percent from the standpoint of was it truly a closed fist with a strike. We just couldn't determine that."

The incident in question came as the Niners burned clock in the final seconds of the first half. A scuffle broke out between Williams and Giants defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson. Williams appeared to hit Robinson's facemask with a closed-fist punch, which would typically warrant an ejection. "Just mixing it up. A lot of tempers flaring out there, it's a competitive game and sometimes things boil over a little bit," Williams said of the incident. Furthermore, Williams also called it a "love tap". The Niners went on to earn a convincing 30-12 win.

Lil Durk Takes In Niners Win

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: Trent Williams #71 of the San Francisco 49ers lines up during an NFL divisional round playoff football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Away from the halftime unpleasantness, there were several famous faces in the crowd. Rapper Lil Durk came away from the win with a game-worn jersey from wideout Deebo Samuel. The Chicago rapper hit up the talented wide receiver after the game, posing for pictures on the field with Samuel before hugging it out and leaving with the jersey. Durk's partner India Royale also joined the pair for a couple of photos. The game took place at the Niners' home ground of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Furthermore, the game served as the Niners' home opener.

Samuel had 129 yards and a touchdown on six catches. The win took the team to 3-0, their first three-game perfect start since Samuel's rookie year in 2019. Brock Purdy continued to prove that he is him for the Niners, putting up 310 passing yards and two touchdowns. As for the Giants, they fall to 1-2 as their 2022 breakout continues to look like more and more of a fluke season. Daniel Jones only managed 137 yards through the air. The Niners next face the Cardinals.

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