Sunday’s matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints involved an ugly play in which Saints defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd appeared to twist Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s ankle after taking him to the ground.
But despite accusations from the Chargers that Shepherd was trying to intentionally injure the former Oregon star, New Orleans head coach Dennis Allen is coming to the defense of his player.
“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 according to ESPN’s Katherine Terrell. “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.”
The play in question occurred as Herbert attempted a pass to running back J.K. Dobbins, with Shepherd — who was already on the ground — taking the 2020 first-round pick down by his ankle. The play resulted in both Shepherd and Bradley Bozeman being called for offsetting unnecessary roughness penalties after the Chargers center came to his quarterback’s defense.
Following the game — a 26-8 Los Angeles victory — Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh presented Bozeman with a game ball. It wasn’t difficult to read between the lines of the gesture, as Los Angeles clearly felt the play was intentional, despite Allen’s objections.
[ESPN]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.