Brandon Staley Blames Nick Foles For Derwin James' Violent Hit On Ashton Dulin

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James unleashed one of the most vicious hits of the NFL season against the Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football. James was ejected for the hit, but Chargers' head coach Brandon Staley didn't agree with the decision. In fact, he pinned the blame on Nick Foles and the Colts.

With the Chargers up 7-0 in the second quarter, Foles tried to hit wide receiver, Ashton Dulin. While Foles hit his target in stride, he led him right into James.

It was one of those short pass attempts that typically end up hurting more than helping, and Dulin was certainly hurting after the play. He suffered a concussion as a result of the hit.

It was violent, to say the least.

Slow-mo replays showed that James did initially make contact with Dulin's shoulder, but also made direct helmet-to-helmet contact as well.

A hit like that is going to get a player ejected far more often than not, but Staley wasn't a fan of the ejection. He pointed the finger at Foles and the Colts, not his own player who laid the hit.

“No, I did not (agree), because I know Derwin’s intent,” Staley said after the game. “I thought that he tried to lead with the shoulder.”

“It’s a play where they obviously laid the guy out in a tough position, which is their fault, not ours, and Derwin made an aggressive play,” Staley explained. “I’ve seen him make a lot of tackles on plays just like that, and I know that his target was not above the neck. I know that.”

James was put in the league's concussion protocol after the game.