It didn’t take long before everyone knew that Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. might be ejected for vicious a hit on Indianapolis Colts receiver Ashton Dulin.
James came in with the crown of his helmet and hit Dulin in the head and neck area after Dulin made a short catch. The hit sounded like something exploded on the field, and the crowd reacted immediately. Dulin was down for a few moments.
“We’ve watched a lot of football, I don’t know if I’ve seen a hit quite like that,” ESPN analyst Troy Aikman said.
James got a 15-yard penalty and was disqualified for the hit. That type of hit wasn’t outlawed decades ago, but it was shocking to see it in the current environment. Aikman was talking about it for a while after James was ejected.
“That was as big of a collision as I’ve seen in a long, long time,” Aikman said.
Dulin went back to the locker room shortly after the hit, and was later ruled out with a concussion. Dulin was defenseless on the play and James hit him in the head and neck with the crown of his helmet — it was practically a textbook example of what the NFL is trying to erase from the game.
James is a great player, but his aggressiveness cost the Chargers on Monday night. It will probably cost him a big fine as well.