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Bradley Bozeman has received his fair share of criticism from fans and the StormCloud community alike. Although we are eager to see a center that can elevate the performance of the offensive line the way Corey Linsley, Mike Pouncey, and Nick Hardwick had for previous Charger eras, Bozeman sent a message Sunday afternoon that needs to be felt in the heart of every member of the Chargers offense.
You try to hurt Justin Herbert, and you're going to get buried on the field for all to see.
Justin Herbert is all the way finished with his follow through in this clip, and all of Nathan Shepard's teammates are running the opposite direction as he decides to pull in Herbert's lower leg and attempt to gator roll him. It was a pathetic display of unsportsmanlike conduct that was clearly aimed at injuring the star quarterback.
This isn't the first time the Saints have been in the spotlight this season for questionable conduct on the field. Khristian Boyd came in with a late hit on DeVonta Smith earlier in the year, slamming into the receiver while he was already wrapped up and being taken to the ground by two Saints defenders. Smith's forward momentum was gone; he was in the process of being thrown down when Boyd came in from behind and threw his entire 320 pound frame into Smith's upper body.
Saints head coach Dennis Allen disagreed with the play being dirty, standing up for Shepherd by claiming he was just trying to finish the play.
"I think it's not accurate. Here's a guy that's trying to wrap the quarterback up. He's on the ground, he has no idea whether the quarterback has the ball or not. He's just trying to bring the quarterback down to the ground," Allen said. "There was nothing malicious about that play. It's a guy that's trying to make the play. I went back and looked at that play again after seeing the comments and I don't agree with that."
Bradley Bozeman responded how every Charger fan at home wanted to respond. He drove Shepherd off Herbert and into the ground, and let Shepherd feel that sense of hopelessness and Herbert had just been feeling seconds before. All Shepherd was able to do to try to get Bozeman off him before the ref broke them up was just Bozeman's oil. If you don't understand that reference... feel free to look it up.
Justin Herbert made it clear how Bozeman's backing made him feel. While many of us our hand-wringing over the pressures that are coming from the IOL, it's clear Justin loves his center. On Sunday, he said the following:
"That's the type of center you want on your team. He'll give everything for this team, and I appreciated what he did. I tried to pull him off so he didn't get any penalties called, but to have a guy like that defending you, there's no better feeling."
Plenty of players have been suspended for intentionally harmful or dangerous behaviors in the past: Albert Haynesworth, Ndamukong Suh, Antonio Smith, Vontaze Burdict, and Danny Trevathan all had incidents that were deemed intentionally dangerous, and despite being considered first time offenses, resulted in suspensions.
The irony of this happen to a Chargers player, when the Bolts have already lost their star safety and defensive captain Derwin James for a helmet to helmet hit isn't lost on Chargers fan. If the NFL doesn't suspend Shepherd, it's another example of the lack of consistency for how these fines and suspensions are levied.
What do you think, StormCloud? Was this play completely out of line, or have my emotions and fandom gotten the better of me?
Am I allowed to see it from both sides? 😆
Even watching live I kinda felt like Shepherd didn't really know what was going on and just wanted to get Herbert to the ground by any means necessary. It was a little "WWE" in its vigour, being half an ankle lock, but I didn't think he was trying to injure Herbert per se.
But then, because it looked dirty, I was also happy that Bozeman came over the top and pile drived him! It's a moment that should be celebrated.
It's also a reminder of another NFL rule I don't like (after last week's fumble by Offense into end zone equal turnover rule). I don't like Offsetting penalties. I'm sure there are discrete scenarios where it makes sense to have Offsetting, but generally I have always thought it makes more sense for the 'first in time' penalty to be the only one that gets called.
@alisterlloyd of course you're allowed!
But I think you're wrong if you believe it wasn't done with malicious intent, counselor. 🙂
I'm with Buck, Al! A dissenting opinion is always welcome, it just looked real, real dirty to me. Even if you want to give him the benefit of the doubt for HOW he brought just down, when Justin Herbert was flat on his belly, Shepherd torqued his body another 90° with Herbert's leg still tucked into his body.
There was ZERO reason to roll his body back over Justin's leg like that. His coach can't argue "he didn't see the ball was out." Herbert was clearly down and he still chose to be a clown. If there was any benefit of the doubt that could be extended his way, the finish of that play completely wipes it out.
@alisterlloyd Alister. I agree, it looks more vicious than it really is. This isn't popular here since we all wanted to protect Justin. As much I dislike the takedown by Shepherd, I don't believe his intent was to hurt Herbert by pulling him straight down at the normal knee bent angle, not twisting his knee. You are taught to be aggressive at all time to make a play whether you're on one leg, on you stomach, or on you back, etc. Shepherd here was just trying to make a stop thinking Herbert still has the ball. If he wanted to hurt Justin, he would have done it with the initial contact with a roll on his knee of which he avoided to slip down to pulling straight down on the knee instead. If there was an apparent attempt to roll Justin's keen, Shepherd would have been ejected from the game and faced fines and suspension.
On the "another NFL rule I don't like". The End Zone Fumble Rule is one I would never agree with. The offense is severely punished after all the effort to get close to the end zone to score just to turn the ball over after a freakish fumble into the end zone and the ball goes out of bounds. Instead, my preference would be that offense keeps the ball, a loss of down, and ball on the 10 yard line.
No he didn't. If he did, Herbert would have rolled with it. He didn't latch on to his leg and rolled like in a croc roll to hurt him. I've done the croc roll a thousand times. I know it when I see one. It looks like he is twisting his leg while he is getting up to his feet, but if you watch it closely, it wasn't the case. And, why would he want to twist it now when he could have rolled his leg when he had it in his grasp.
"Many people" said it was dirty is one-sided, biased point of views. Hey, I'm for protecting Justin at all cause, but like I've said, this take down wasn't as vicious as most of our fellow Bolts fans think, as I see it. Believe as you see it, I'm just giving my unbiased opinion based on my analysis of it. It's normal to expect Herbert's teammates and coaches not to disagree to renter their support for Justin and Bozeman. You wouldn't expect anything less from them.
What I do agree with is what Bozeman did, and I would have done the same thing myself if I was in a similar situation. But seeing it from an unbiased angle, I don't believe it being a vicious intention to hurt Justin. This is more of a case of overreaction from a lot of people.
@tui1hit OK. We're gonna disagree on this....and I'm going to agree with the guys on the field who saw it too.
@tui1hit I agree that he did not really twist after he got him down. To me the dirty part is the timing which was long enough he should have known Herbert had gotten rid of the ball. Since you played you know your senses are heightened considerably in the moment and you would have felt and sensed the play had moved on by the time he forced Herbert to the ground. Also the manner in which he took him down caused Herbert’s head to bounce off the ground. Not a safe play given it was not bang bang by the time he applied the force to cause Herbert to go down.
I respect your points, but trying to make a play from on his back could have caused him disorientation to affect his sense time and his inability to see Justin w/out the football already. It is a position you never practice making a defensive stop on back.
Justin had to go down the way he did to prevent injury to the knee, a normal preventive reaction similar to rolling at the same direction of a take-down roll to your leg or ankle.
@tui1hit You could very well be right. Not my sense of it while watching but no way for me to know for sure. The ref appears to have agreed with you because he did not throw the flag until after Bozeman did his thing and he was watching the entire sequence real time.
@tui1hit The end zone fumble rule has come into question lately as it seems this play has happened more in the last few seasons than I can remember. Obviously it can't be viewed as a regular fumble out of bounds that goes back to the last possessing team at the spot it went out. Maybe it can be viewed as sort of an offensive touchback, where the offensive team retains possession at the 20 yard line? However the down and distance at the time of the fumble would have to come into play. Let's say it was 3rd and goal and you fumbled out of the end zone. The corresponding play would be 4th down at the 20. If it was not a goal to go situation and you fumbled after attaining the first down, it would be first and goal from the twenty. Example 2nd and 5 from the 15. The player catches the ball at the 10, advances another 9 yards and is stripped at the one yard line out of the end zone. The corresponding play would be 1st and goal from the twenty, because you achieved the initial first down on the play and if you were tackled inside the 10 without the fumble it would have been 1st and goal anyway. I have a feeling this rule will be changed by the NFL Rules committee in the next few seasons. Nobody seems to like it the way it is.
@evolz3737 Well thought out, Erick. But you might be surprised to hear that some do, in fact, like it the way it is. I made a similar post to to yours on Twitter/X and a number of angry humans responded telling me to go f--- myself, that the Offense already gets enough breaks, let the Defense have this rule, and the Offense should 'just not fumble the ball into the end zone. Simple." 😆
@alisterlloyd I can go either way on this rule. On one hand I can see the offense losing the ball on the fumble, but I can also see how it gives the defense the ball without ever possessing it, which I think is the bigger issue. It is almost like giving the defense the ball on a fumble out of bounds if they were the last one to touch it, not possess it, before it went out. If it stays, I am fine with it. Don't fumble OOB.
I posted my feelings about it yesterday in the game thread.
Yes, it was a dirty play IMO and MANY people have stepped up to say so. Fuck Dennis Allen.
Fine Shepherd and suspend a few games. That's what would happen if it was Mahomes.
I was very livid when I saw that play. I was watching with a buddy of mine who is not that into the NFL and the Chargers and apparently I scared him a bit :).
I am usually very pro both sidesing it but to me this was just plain dirty. Even if you give him the benefit of the doubt in that he did not know whether Justin still had the ball, the way that he brought him down is just downright dangerous.
I sometimes feel that Herbert doesn't get the same protection as other great QBs and especially Mahomes. The out of bounds hit from Mathieu on Sunday and the one against the Ravens last year are instances that come to my mind then.
Herbert definitely does not get the same protection as Mahomes. Mahomes did not get it right away. Before him Brady got those calls and no one else. Maybe if Herbert starts winning some playoff games and even a Super Bowl he will start to get those calls.
I think dating an international star might help. 😜 The guy who gets the calls is the face of the NFL internationally. Brady married Giselle and don’t think the Chiefs and Mahomes don’t benefit from the Taylor Swift effect.
The NFL is a business, more specifically the entertainment business, and they are very interested in developing the international market so they want their “international” stars in the Super Bowl-at least to a point. That is what Brady became and what Mahomes (with an assist from Kelce) is at this point.
Cynical-maybe but there is truth in it too.
Unrelated to Bozeman but a few random maybe even a couple of controversial comments on the game:
When Herbert has time he is deadly. Some of those throws were just amazing Sunday. He may even be more accurate this year when on the run or throwing against his body than in year’s past.
Despite the fumble in the Cards game, I like what I see in limited snaps from Jalen Reagor. The guy gets wide open (on 2 of 3 targets) and he can catch. I would like to see more of him. Maybe the coaching staff can do with him what they have done with QJ. He certainly has the speed the team needs and adds a dimension the team seems to lack.
I am beginning to think Roman’s offensive scheme only works with a mobile QB. I liked Herbert taking off and running when the pocket broke down and even think one or two designed runs per game are in order. This added dimension coupled with them now throwing it down the field more makes this 8 or 9 in the box selling out to stop the run much more risky. The last two weeks teams sold out to stop the run and it worked until Herbert ran and threw down the field. As team’s adjust to these added dimensions I think we will see the run game begin to pop as it did in the first two games. All three working in tandem would make this team a playoff team and a hard out once there, especially if Herbert stays healthy and can play like he did the last two games. Man is he good!
I agree with all of these points. Roman has always (I think? at least with Lamar) had a mobile QB so maybe a healthier Herbert will open things up. I certainly hope so.
Yes, Reagor had an aggregious fumble last week....but I don't think you throw the baby out with the bathwater. Let's give him a chance.
Herbert throws some absolute dimes....like as good as I've ever seen. He's throwing guys open more. I'm certainly not saying a run game isn't important....but this offense runs through Herbert.
I agree with every point here except "I am beginning to think Roman’s offensive scheme only works with a mobile QB". There were few pass plays including the 60-yd touchdown to Ladd, two plays to Simi Fehoko, and one play to Palmer were really good pass play calls by Roman, not his typical pass plays. This offense would continue to evolve into a good passing offense into a good balanced offense. Roman has Marc Trestman and Marcus Brady at his disposal who are very good passing game specialists to assist with that side of the game. I believe I've seen enough to suggest that Harbaugh-Roman's offense is to prioritize Justin Herbert, number 1 then the rushing game, number 2 going forward.
@tui1hit Let me revise my statement after reading your good points. I am beginning to think Roman’s offensive scheme will only work with a mobile Herbert this year. The offense has two weaknesses: (1) subpar interior O line play and (2) a lack of receiving talent that does not get much separation. A big reason in my mind that Herbert played so well the last two weeks is because he had time to throw and with time his accuracy was phenomenal. So many catches were made in tight windows where the receiver had little separation even when they had more time to get open. These were overall bottom five defenses I believe. Prior to that with the Steelers, Chiefs and Broncos he had much less time so both his accuracy was not as good, understandably, and his receivers were even less open. Had Herbert been mobile in those games against the better defenses keeping them more honest by running once in awhile I think they could have won the two they lost. I am not suggesting Lamar Jackson II I am talking a few times a game with design runs and a green light to be more aggressive to run the ball when he is getting pressured and guys are not open. But I do agree long term, with a better IOL and higher quality receiving corps I could see the modified Roman Harbaugh offense we saw the last two weeks without Herbert running could work even against the better teams. But when good teams get so much pressure up the middle as they have this year so far, the lack of willingness to run or at least the credible threat of it will cause them to not score enough points to win games even with this #1 scoring defense.
@tui1hit perhaps "only" was too restrictive but I do think Roman is at least more accustomed to working with a mobile QB....which, when healthy, Herbert certainly is. Until the IOL is strengthened, that mobility is going to be called upon. Does that mean that no pure dropback plays will ever work? Certainly not. But right now teams are seeing that our IOL is much more vulnerable than the tackles and they're scheming for that. So, Herbert on the move is likely to be a main dish in the passing game.
For me, tge verdict is still out on how Roman adapts to a QB with Herbert's skill set.
Bradly Bozeman should be a Buck Melanoma Lunch Pail guy and now one of my favorite players. Even my wife started yelling and was all pumped up. She said, "Ive been watching teams hit Rivers and now Herbert with no offensive lineman really stepping in. It's about damn time"! When he got the game ball afterward, I thought that this is a team I can stand up for and believe that the culture is changing.
@spanos-must-go I'd give him the "Lunch Pail Lite" award....lol. Commendations for having Herbert's back but watered down by his lackluster overall performance.
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