EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh instructed reporters Wednesday that he was dissatisfied and disagreed with the NFL’s choice to droop security Derwin James Jr. for Sunday’s recreation towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
James was suspended for a success to Pittsburgh Steelers tight finish Pat Freiermuth within the third quarter of Los Angeles’ 20-10 loss this previous Sunday. James was flagged for pointless roughness in the course of the recreation. Harbaugh mentioned Freiermuth’s positioning precipitated James’ unlawful hit.
“There was not a defenseless participant; [he] modified his course, and I believed that Derwin’s helmet was stiff-armed by Mr. Freiermuth,” he mentioned. “I believed [the stiff-arm] precipitated his head to make the contact and I believed the contact was first with the forearm, then the shoulder, then the top.”
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Harbaugh mentioned James’ deal with seemed to be exactly what the league is searching for by way of taking “your head out of the sport.”
“You possibly can by no means actually take the top out of the sport as a result of it is in between the 2 shoulders,” he mentioned. “Making an attempt to deal with with the shoulder, now the top, and the helmets coming with it. It is in between the 2 shoulders. So, to the most effective of his human capability, he’s making an attempt to try this.”
James has had seven pointless roughness penalties since he entered the NFL in 2018, the second most within the league in that span. Harbaugh mentioned that James has made a concerted effort to keep away from these penalties, typically permitting additional yards in video games as a result of he braces earlier than hits to keep away from flags.
“He has reached out on his personal to officers this previous summer season to realize a greater grasp of how they need it achieved,” Harbaugh mentioned. “And the proof is correct there within the tape. I imply, have a look at all his 20-some tackles on the season and he is going out his manner … in order that he cannot injure one other participant or hit him with the top. So yeah, I am dissatisfied.”
Harbaugh mentioned that James “genuinely does not need to harm anybody” and he wasn’t upset together with his participant.
Within the NFL’s announcement, vice chairman of soccer operations Jon Runyan wrote that video reveals James lowered his head on the hit, making unlawful, forcible contact together with his helmet that James might have averted.
“Your continued disregard for NFL taking part in guidelines is not going to be tolerated,” Runyan wrote. “Substantial penalties are warranted when gamers violate the principles supposed to guard participant security on a repeated foundation, significantly when the violations carry with them a big danger of damage to an opposing participant.”
James appealed the suspension, but it surely was upheld by listening to officer Derrick Brooks, who’s collectively appointed by the NFL and NFL Gamers’ Affiliation.
The Chargers’ backup safeties embody Elijah Molden and AJ Finley. Molden had an interception that earned him a recreation ball within the Chargers’ Week 2 win over the Carolina Panthers.
