The New Orleans Saints fell to the Los Angeles Chargers 26-8 in a listless defeat that dropped the team to 2-6 on the season. The game would be entirely forgettable if not for the drama surrounding a questionable tackle. Saints’ defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd got a hold of Justin Herbert’s leg and continued twisting it long after the Chargers’ quarterback had thrown the ball.
LA’s center Bradley Bozeman dove into the action to defend his QB. He pushed Shepherd off Herbert and pinned him down. After the game, Bozeman called the veteran defender’s antics “one of the dirtier plays I’ve ever seen.”
But not everyone agrees with Bozeman’s take. Saints coach Dennis Allen told reporters that he didn’t see anything wrong with what Shepherd did. “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, so there was nothing malicious about that play. It’s a guy that’s trying to make the play,” Allen said, per ProFootballTalk.
“I went back and looked at that play again after seeing the comments [about it being dirty] and I don’t agree with that,” Allen added.
Saints coach Dennis Allen is fine with Nathan Shepherd’s takedown of Justin Herbert
Clearly the Chargers see things differently. Herbert appreciated Bozeman coming to his defense after nearly having his leg ripped off. Head coach Jim Harbaugh handed out a game ball to Bozeman for protecting the quarterback.
Shepherd and Bozeman received offsetting personal foul penalties on the play. Fans will find out on Saturday if the NFL believes Shepherd’s tackle warrants a fine.
The game itself offered little in the way of suspense. The Saints once again turned to Spencer Rattler at quarterback with Derek Carr still sidelined due to an oblique injury. The rookie passer went just 12/24 for 156 yards and the Saints failed to score a touchdown.
Carr was injured in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs and hasn’t been able to suit up since. However, the Saints received an optimistic report on the veteran signal caller on Monday. Carr could return to the field in Week 9 for a soft landing as New Orleans takes on the Carolina Panthers.
The Saints near-historic start to the season is but a distant memory now as the team has lost six straight games since opening 2-0. Now 2-6, New Orleans is in third place in the NFC South.
