FOXBORO — The Patriots have talked about Chargers safety Derwin James as much or more as they’ve mentioned starting quarterback Justin Herbert in the lead-up to Sunday night’s wild-card round matchup.
Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called James “as good of a unique defensive piece that we’ve played all year.”
“He’s not just one thing,” McDaniels continued. “So, he plays safety, linebacker, nickel, he blitzes, he’s down there in the front and line up in the A gaps. He’s a special player.”
James, 29, is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time All-Pro. He finished this season, another Pro Bowl campaign, with three interceptions, seven pass breakups, one forced fumble, two sacks, 94 tackles, six tackles for loss and eight QB hits.
James had two sacks the last time these two teams played last December.
“He’s relentless. He’s a great football player,” QB Drake Maye said. “I played him last year and got to know him a little bit at the Pro Bowl. He’s a great dude. He flies around. He’s got good instincts. He’s punching at the ball. He’s good in the run game. He’s good in the pass game. He plays some man coverage on third down. He’s always around the football. He’s got a knack for the football, and he’s had that probably since he started playing. He’s a great player. A lot of respect for him, and we’ve got to find out on every play where he’s at.”
Head coach Mike Vrabel noticed James’ love for football when he coached him at the Pro Bowl in 2022.
“I remember his mom was getting married, and he communicated, he reached out like, ‘Hey, I’m going to miss a day.’ I was like, ‘Buddy, I don’t think there’s any rules to the Pro Bowl.’ So, just remembering that about him, I always have a lot of respect for him,” Vrabel said. “Obviously, the player he is, but the person.”
As a player, Vrabel praised James’ tackling, coverage, versatility and instincts as a blitzer.
