The Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Chargers for a thrilling Week 13 matchup. Ahead of Sunday's game, Joe Burrow and a few other members of the Bengals had some praising words to say about Chargers' safety Derwin James Jr.
Derwin James Jr. is putting himself in the All-Pro conversation once again this season. James is now healthy after missing the majority of the last two seasons with multiple injuries. Many forget that James was an All-Pro in his rookie season with the Bolts in 2017. He helped lead the Chargers to the playoffs where they lost to the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round in that same season. Now in his fifth season as a Bolt, James is the captain of the team and the leader on defense. He's the signal-caller which is rare for a safety.
Bengals' quarterback Joe Burrow knows what Derwin James Jr. means to the Chargers' defense.
“You can tell that they really want to take away the big plays … Derwin is one of the best players in the league, he's fun to watch on tape, he makes a lot of plays and really impacts the game,” per Los Angeles Chargers.
This season, James is tearing it up and establishing himself as one of the best safeties in the NFL. He has 93 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 5 passes defended in 11 games. Both of his two interceptions came at crucial times for the Chargers this year and he continues to make big-time plays.
Bengals Praise Chargers' Safety Derwin James Jr.
Bengals' offensive coordinator is aware of how the Chargers utilize Derwin James Jr. in multiple positions.
“He's a great player. He's physical, he's fast, you can tell he's a smart player. They use him as a safety, as a linebacker in some of their dime packages. He's a great blitzer, hard for running backs to protect against. He's a really good player and you always have to know where he is. They've got a lot of guys that can wreck a game and he's one of them,” per Los Angeles Chargers.
There aren't many guys that can do what James Jr. does. He can blitz and disrupt the quarterback, cover any receiver in the league, and defend the run from a linebacker position as well as most linebackers.
Bengals' safety Jessie Bates III also had high praise for the former first-round pick.
“Derwin James is a dynamic safety for sure. (We) have the same agent. I've always been able to watch Derwin's game throughout Florida State. We always played him in the ACC. He's really gifted genetically. It's unfortunate he hasn't been healthy these last couple years. You can see what kind of player he is. I think he has three forced fumbles and like two interceptions. He's having a really good year,” per Los Angeles Chargers.
Derwin James Jr. and the Chargers will try and bounce back from a miserable 28-13 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 12. James will make sure the defense is ready to go for a very good Bengals offense. If the Chargers are able to stop Burrow and company, look for James to be a major reason why.
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