Meet the man who has the Chargers playing historically stingy defense

Eric Williams

NFL Reporter

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Linebacker Denzel Perryman scratched his beard as he sat at his locker, contemplating a question asked by the reporter.

He’s seen a thing or two in his 10 NFL seasons, which includes two stints with the Chargers.

Drafted in the second round by the Bolts when the team was still in San Diego, Perryman has played for four defensive gurus with differing styles at three different NFL stops — John Pagano, Gus Bradley, DeMeco Ryans and now Jesse Minter.

While all four coaches have had varying degrees of success, Perryman said Minter’s positive attitude and ability to simplify complex schemes — much like Bradley did as he led top 10 defenses for the Bolts in 2017 and 2018 — stands out.

But Perryman also acknowledged that the energetic, 41-year-old Minter offers something different.

“He thrives off us making plays,” Perryman told FOX Sports. “When we make plays, you’ll see him jumping around on the sidelines as if he was on the field with us. Just seeing that excitement, that confidence he has in us and the belief he has in us makes it very fun to go out there and play for him.

“He brings the juice, just with his playcalling. When we make plays, you can see the calls come to life and just the energy.”

Minter has quietly and quickly built one of the best defenses in the league. The Chargers are allowing a league-low 13.1 points per game. They are the fourth team since 1990 to do so through nine games. They’re also the first team since the 2013 Kansas City Chiefs to allow 20 points or fewer to each of their first nine opponents.

Using essentially the same personnel that ranked as one of the worst defenses in the league under Brandon Staley last season, Minter has turned the Chargers into one of the stingiest defenses in the league.

However, the schedule ramps up over the next month, starting with the Bolts facing Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and the Cincinnati…

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Publish date : 2024-11-15 22:02:59

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