Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa drew a couple of fouls on Saturday night for unsportsmanlike conduct. One came after a fourth-quarter touchdown that moved the eventually decisive two-point conversion from the two to the one.
After the game, coach Brandon Staley was asked whether Bosa’s fouls resulted from a simple loss of composure.
“I think he was frustrated,” Staley told reporters. “I think he felt like there were a bunch of things that kind of accumulated throughout the game and tried to talk through it with the officials. But we can’t lose our composure like that. We need to make sure that we stay on the high side of things and we can’t hurt the team that way.”
Here’s the first foul. Bosa says something to referee Shawn Smith after the play, and Smith (following a brief exchange with Bosa) threw the flag. Bosa presumably was complaining about being held.
The second foul happened when Bosa removed his helmet and slammed it to the ground while still on the field. He seemed to believe the play started with a false start, and that he was thereafter held. (Staley rushed to retrieve the helmet and give it back to Bosa, who promptly threw it down again.)
While Bosa’s complaints may have had merit, it’s not as if uncalled false starts by tackles are rare. It happens with some frequency, with the left or right tackle starting into his pass-block stance a split-second before the ball is snapped. And, yes, pass rushers get held. All the time. Sometimes it’s called, sometimes it’s not.
Regardless, players need to manage their frustrations and avoid the unforced errors of unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. At times it’s easier said than done, but it still needs to be done.