Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James was ejected during last night’s edition of Monday Night Football after a brain-jarring hit that left him and Colts receiver Ashton Dulis in concussion protocol.
The moment came in the second quarter after Colts quarterback Nick Foles threw a short pass to Dulis near the sideline. James slammed into Dulis with his head lowered.
Both players were taken to the medical tent to be evaluated. James was flagged 15 yards for the hit before being ejected. A ruling that the Pro Bowler definitely seemed to disagree with as he left the field.
The hit sparked a heated debate on social media, with many Twitter users pointing out that James hit Dulis in the shoulder, not the head-and-neck area. Though, not everyone agreed with that assessment.
Did James make contact with the shoulder first? Yes. Should that matter? Yes. Will it matter? Clearly, no. NFL officials are officiating based on appearance as much as they are on actual fact. Anytime a player launches himself anywhere near the head-and-neck area of another player while leading with the crown of his helmet, it’s going to draw a flag. It doesn’t matter what the replay shows. The NFL has clearly instructed their officials to officiate based on what looks bad as much as on what is bad.
And James’ hit on Dulis looked really bad.