Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr., was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week by the league office. The award is the first Defensive Player of the Week honor of his career.
The heart and soul of the Los Angeles defense, James put forth a dominant performance in the Bolts' 23-20 victory over Denver, bringing the Chargers to a 3-0 record on the season, with all wins coming against division opponents. The defensive chess piece totaled 12 tackles (10 solo), a sack and a career-high four tackles for loss. James' performance made him just the sixth NFL player and first defensive back since tackles for loss began being tracked in 2008 to have 10 solo tackles, a sack and four tackles for loss in a single game. It was the first such performance by any NFL player in eight seasons.
James led the defense to allow just nine first downs and hold the Broncos to two third down conversions on 13 attempts (15.4 pct.). He has been a catalyst for the unit to lead the NFL in scoring defense over the last two seasons, allowing just 17.6 points per game. Previously a two-time winner of AFC Defensive Player of the Month, James is the 10th Chargers defensive back and is the 27th different Bolts defender to win the award.
