A second safety went on injured reserve in as many weeks. The Chargers were calling on practice squad players who hadn’t even had a week’s worth of practices to fill in.
With the pressure of the postseason looming, how did Jim Harbaugh feel about the position that was scraping the bottom of the team’s personnel barrel?
“Tremendous confidence,” the Chargers coach said with a proud smile. “We’re talking about Derwin James’ position.”
The star safety has re-established himself as one of the league’s top defensive backs, earning a fourth Pro Bowl nomination and notching a career-best 5½ sacks while anchoring a secondary that has started 10 players.
No matter how many times the Chargers have to shuffle their secondary with rookies, practice squad call-ups and mid-season signings, James remains their defensive trump card.
“He’s the guy that if somebody, whatever position, we lose a guy, he can make it right,” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said.
Top cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury. Week 1 starting nickel Ja’Sir Taylor has been in and out with a leg injury while rookie cornerbacks Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still have started six and 12 games, respectively, after they were drafted in the fifth round last April.
Alohi Gilman, the Chargers’ returning free safety from last season, has missed six games because of injuries. One year removed from retirement, safety Tony Jefferson has gone from practice squad menace to reliable starter with 27 tackles in the last six games.
It seems almost impossible to keep track of the moving parts each week, but safeties coach Chris O’Leary didn’t have trouble sorting out the secondary. He knows leaders such as Gilman, James, Elijah Molden and Kristian Fulton keep matters straight.
No matter who was playing alongside him in the secondary, safety Derwin James Jr. has held together the back end of the Chargers’ defense.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“Those guys have been the glue of the group,” O’Leary said.
The reliable veterans have rallied around practice squad elevations, including Kendall Williamson and Dicaprio Bootle. When safeties Marcus Maye and Eddie Jackson were signed midseason and needed to play within a week, film study became a group activity.
“Derwin, he’s always a guy who’s high energy,” said Jackson, who played in the last two games for the Chargers since signing on Dec. 23. “T-Jeff, those guys do a good job, if I have any questions, they always have an answer for me.”
The 31-year-old played nine games for Baltimore this season then moved into an Airbnb in Venice with one bag and four outfits. He gets most of his food from the Chargers practice facility these days because there’s not much time to stock his temporary home.
When the Chargers traded for Molden immediately after training camp, the safety also was scrambling to travel from Nashville, where he lived with his wife and young daughter, and learn the playbook. James was the first teammate to reach out.
Maye was claimed off waivers from the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 27, four days before the Chargers would need him to play against the Atlanta Falcons. James assured Harbaugh the staff didn’t have to worry about the new addition. He would handle it.
“Whether you’re a starter or on the opportunity squad or backup, or whatever it is, [James] sort of demands that everybody does things a certain way,” Minter said.
It didn’t take long for the Chargers’ first-year defensive staff to witness James’ standard. O’Leary recalled how James pulled his chair uncomfortably close to the coach on their first day working together. James locks eyes with everyone he speaks with. He demanded to know everything about the defense right away.
Minter, in his first year as an NFL defensive coordinator after a record-setting and championship-winning season at Michigan, envisioned the NFL’s best “team defense.”
Although the Chargers had immense star power with James and edge rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa, Minter didn’t want to design a scheme that would fall apart as soon as one player was injured or struggled. For James, the coordinator wanted to let the versatile defensive back be the best version of himself.
To O’Leary, that means James is “hitting people really hard.”
“Legally,” the first-year safeties coach added. “When the play is finished, is No. 3 close to the football? That’s him being the best version of himself and having fun. He’s the heartbeat of our defense, when he is enthusiastic and sweating and yelling and running around, that’s when we’re at our best.”
The Chargers led the league with 17.7 points allowed per game, making a dramatic turnaround from their No. 24 rank last season.
James has played a significant amount at nickel, putting him close to the line of scrimmage to attack running backs or tight ends. Acknowledging James’ versatility, Minter encouraged the safety to not just memorize his position in a play but also to interpret concepts while understanding his position could vary within the same call.
James called it the best scheme he’s been in. The key is the architect behind the play sheet.
“Coach Minter,” James said of what makes the scheme so effective. “Allowing me to play, allowing everybody to play free and allowing everybody to play fast and team defense. I feel like it’s just been amazing all season and I can’t wait for us to keep playing our best football coming up in the postseason.”
Etc.
The Chargers opened the 21-day practice window for cornerback Eli Apple, who was on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He was a full participant in practice Wednesday. … Receiver Quentin Johnston did not practice Wednesday with an illness after he was limited Tuesday with a thigh injury. Fellow receiver Joshua Palmer (foot) missed practice for the second day this week. … Defensive back Ja’Sir Taylor didn’t practice Wednesday with a rib injury. … Offensive linemen Zion Johnson (ankle) and Rashawn Slater (knee), receiver Simi Fehoko (elbow) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (groin) were upgraded to full participants after being limited Tuesday.