ASHBURN, Va. -- Josh Morgan's lapse of judgment earned him an unsportsmanlike penalty and likely cost the Washington Redskins a chance to beat the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.

It also produced an NFL fine and death threats for the wide receiver via Twitter, he says.

In the days after Morgan threw a ball at Rams CB Cortland Finnegan and cost his team 15 critical yards on its final drive, Morgan says he and his family were threatened through social media.

Wrote one person on Twitter: "JOSH MORGAN I WILL KILL YOU IN YOUR (expletive) SLEEP"

Tweeted another: "You & the crack epidemic are the two worst things that's happened to DC"

"I heard everything," Morgan said Wednesday. "Especially when they're on Twitter sending death threats and wishing bad on your family and your first-born and things like that. They treated me like they did (49ers kick returner) Kyle Williams last year. It's all over my Twitter. It kept me motivated, kept me focused."

Was Morgan afraid?

"Nothing really scares me," he said. "I'm from D.C."

Williams was Morgan's teammate in San Francisco last season. He fumbled twice, once in overtime and once in regulation, during last season's NFC Championship Game loss to the New York Giants. He received similar abuse from fans.

"That was therapeutic," Morgan says of the criticism of him. "For them to put everything on me let me know that I can't do nothing like that no more. If that play meant the whole game, then every play I make is going to mean something. It just put a lot of pressure on me to keep doing what I do and keep going out there and making plays and helping the team win."

Morgan says he also got a fine from the league, though he didn't know for how much because, "I haven't even looked at it yet."

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan said Morgan need not apologize to the team, and wouldn't be disciplined internally.

Morgan is eager to get back in action this Sunday vs. the Cincinnati Bengals in the Redskins' home opener.

"None of us are dumb enough to make the same mistake twice," Morgan said.

"I use everything as motivation. I just wish today was Sunday instead of having to wait. You're supposed to respond by your actions, and that's what I'm going to do."