Chargers’ Bradley Bozeman calls out Saints after one of the ‘dirtier’ plays in Justin Herbert hit

Sometimes the roughness is necessary.

Chargers center Bradley Bozeman called out Saints defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd on Sunday for “one of the dirtier plays” he’s seen in Los Angeles’ 26-8 win, which resulted in Bozeman being flagged for unnecessary roughness while defending his franchise quarterback, Justin Herbert.

Shepherd wrapped his arms around Herbert’s ankles on a play midway through the second quarter, when the quarterback connected with running back J.K. Dobbins on a short pass.

Even as Dobbins moved forward with the ball, Shepherd continued to hold Herbert’s lower body, twisting his leg up and bringing him to the ground.

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Bozeman, 29, saw the interaction and promptly charged at Shepherd, flattening him to the ground.

Herbert and an official had to separate Shepherd and the 6-foot-5, 311-pound Chargers center, who both were assessed unnecessary roughness penalties on the play.

“You have your gentle giant side, and then, when you’ve got to flip the switch, you flip the switch,” Bozeman said, per ESPN . “To do that to our premier quarterback is unacceptable.”

“It was probably one of the dirtier plays I’ve ever seen … You protect your quarterback no matter what. And I think [if] any of our offensive linemen [were] in my position [they] would’ve done the same thing.”

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Herbert, who had been dealing with an ankle injury earlier in the season, was grateful for the backup.

“That’s the type of center you want on your team,” the Pro Bowl quarterback said. “He’ll give everything for this team, and I appreciated what he did. I tried to pull him off so he didn’t get any penalties called. But to have a guy like that defending you, there’s no better feeling.”

Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh had no qualms with the retaliation either.

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“Everybody knows Justin’s got a bad ankle … I don’t blame [Bozeman]. I don’t encourage it at all, but I don’t blame him,” the first-year coach said.

Bozeman, a 2018 sixth-round pick, was awarded a game ball by Harbaugh, with the team breaking out into a frenzy in the locker room.

This is Bozeman’s first season in Los Angeles after playing for the Ravens and Panthers earlier in his career.

The Chargers (4-3) will visit the Browns (2-6) in Cleveland on Sunday.

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