- Injury to Jeff Rice in the Sunday night game in Denver initially looked serious
- Rice was knocked hard onto his back when Reilly rolled into his legs from behind
- The veteran umpire was carted off the field but appeared to be in good spirits
Nation Football League umpire Jeff Rice was taken off the field on a cart on Sunday night after he appeared to hit his head on the turf following a punt.
The injury occurred late in the third quarter of the New England Patriot’s Sunday night game at the Denver Broncos in Mile High Stadium.
Denver’s Jamal Carter was blocking New England’s Trevor Reilly, when Reilly rolled into Rice’s legs from behind him, knocking the official hard on his back.
Rice stayed down for several moments before walking to the cart.
New England Patriots linebacker Trevor Reilly checks on umpire Jeff Rice after Reilly accidentally hit him on a play Sunday night in Denver
Rice was carted off the field at Mile High Stadium and the game continued with six officials
Reilly came over to say something to Rice before Rice left the field. The game continued with just six officials.
Rice has served as an umpire in the NFL since 1999.
The incident during the punt came on a night that had already been terrible for the Broncos special teams.
Early in the first, Isaiah McKenzie muffed a punt that set up the Patriots running back Rex Burkhead’s 14-yard touchdown catch early in the first.
Rice appeared to be in good spirits as he was carted off the field, and the game continued
Minutes later, Patriots running back Dion Lewis returned a kickoff 103 yards for a score.
If all that wasn’t enough, Broncos’ punter Riley Dixon had his punt blocked by Burkhead.
That led to 28-yard field goal from Patriots placekicker Stephen Gostkowski.
The Patriots beat the Broncos 41-16, for New England’s twelfth consecutive road win.