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Nasty Hit on Justin Herbert’s Head Infuriates NFL Fans: “Refs Should Be Ashamed of Themselves”

Published 11/14/2022, 7:00 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers lost a close-fought battle against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Niners improved to 5-4 for the season after the win at Levi’s Stadium. However, there were a few controversial referee calls during the game that have surely irked fans.

Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert suffered a helmet-to-helmet collision in the game against the Niners on Sunday. Herbert didn’t sustain any concussion-related injuries. However, when referees ejected San Francisco’s linebacker Dre Greenlaw, fans from both sides were quick to respond.

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Justin Herbert finished the game for the Chargers

The reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year threw for 196 yards and 1 touchdown in the 22-16 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Herbert also had 1 interception in the ballgame. The Chargers were leading 13-10 with a minute left in the 2nd quarter when the controversial tackle happened.

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Justin Herbert rushed for a 1st down on the Chargers’ 3rd and 6. The QB was first tackled by Niners’ safety Jimmie Ward. This didn’t stop Herbert, but it deviated him from his route and he ended up in a head-to-head collision with opposition linebacker Dre Greenlaw. LA Chargers supporters thought the tackle was too much.

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The referees reviewed the incident and called it a personal foul for unnecessary roughness because Justin’s knees had already touched the ground before the tackle from Greenlaw. The refs disqualified the 49ers LB from the game and Niners fans did not like it.

Greenlaw’s tackle was a direct helmet-to-helmet tackle and could have caused a concussion for Herbert. However, fans pointed out how the move was unintentional from the Niners’ LB and the refs went too far with the ejection call in favour of the LA Chargers.

Chargers QB Herbert says he was fine after contact

Justin Herbert left the field after the collision and fans assumed that the tackle hurt the Oregon QB. However, in the post-match press conference, Justin Herbert clarified that he left the field after the referee’s decision. Herbert was not sure who made the decision to bring him off since he felt fine after the tackle with Greenlaw.

Justin came back in the third quarter and finished the game for the Chargers. Fans thought the referees should reevaluate their calls and remove the disparity in decisions between the offense and defense. However, even with his first-half ejection, Dre Greenlaw led the Niners’ defense with 7 combined tackles and his absence understandably upset Niners fans.

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The LA Chargers are 5-4 and sit in second place in the AFC West division after losing to Jimmy Garoppolo‘s Niners offense. However, their biggest challenge lies in front of them. The Chargers face their divisional leaders Kansas City Chiefs next Sunday. Can Justin Herbert come out on top against the magic of Patrick Mahomes?

WATCH the STORY: Jackson Mahomes responds to Chiefs and brother Patrick Mahomes taking home a nail-biting win over hurt Justin Herbert Chargers

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Written by:

Soumyapriyo Ganguly

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Rivu Ganguly is an NFL writer at Essentially Sports. He holds a degree in Economics and Statistics from the Indian School of Business and Finance. Rivu is a sports nerd with his favourites being Soccer, American Football, Basketball, UFC and Formula 1.
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Edited by:

Hitesh Nigam