Perhaps it was fate that James’ pick came while defending Kelce in what could be the two’s final matchup against one another.
“It was very poetic because all know Kelce is a first ballot Hall of Famer, one of the best tight ends ever, if not the best,” James said. “A lot of respect for him, we’ve had a lot great battles over the years. It’s been a lot of fun.”
But whether it’s Kelce on the other side or anyone else, James remains the same playmaker and his teammates know it.
“Derwin shows up week-in and week-out,” Daiyan Henley said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Travis Kelce or whoever the next opponent is going to be, Derwin is going to do what he’s known to do and that’s make plays.”
The win moves the Chargers to 5-0 against the AFC West and secured the first back-to-back double digit winning seasons for the franchise in 18 years. Not to mention, it also knocked the Chiefs out of the playoffs for the first time in over a decade.
And it was the play of James who led the way in another stellar defensive performance, leading the Bolts with 10 tackles (two solo), an interception and a pair of passes defensed on the afternoon.
Justin Herbert has had a front-row seat to the James-Kelce battles over the years. He wasn’t surprised his teammate potentially for the last laugh.
“He told me all day that he was going to go out there and make a play like that so I wasn’t surprised to see it happen,” Herbert said. “The way he flies around and competes, he plays four quarters like it’s his last.
“I’ve got nothing but respect for him the teammate, the leader, the football player that he is,” Herbert added.
