Chargers Safety Derwin James Calls Defense 'Trash' After 0-2 Start

Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. did not mince words when describing his team's defensive performance following their 0-2 start to the NFL season. After losses to the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders, James stated that the defense "looks trash."

"We got to look each other in the eye, man, and just tell the truth and just get better," James told reporters, according to the team's official website. "Because, right now, that s--- just looks trash. … I’m angry, but being angry don’t fix anything. Being angry don’t fix the problem that we have."

The Chargers have allowed an average of 349 yards per game and have only managed one takeaway through the first two weeks. In both losses, the team was outscored by double digits, scoring 14 points against the Cardinals and 14 against the Raiders, while allowing 26 points in each contest.

James, who is playing with a broken left pinky finger, acknowledged that the team is close to competing but needs to secure victories. "We have to get it fixed. I feel like we’re a couple of plays away. It ain’t like we’re getting blown out. But we have to win these games, there’s no reason we’re going out there playing like that," he said.

This marks a difficult start for the Chargers, who had hoped to begin the season with favorable matchups. According to OPTA Stats, the Chargers are the second team in NFL history to lose consecutive home games by double digits against teams with a sub-.200 win percentage from the previous season. The only other team to do so was the 1926 Racine Tornadoes, who folded after playing just one more game.

The team's schedule does not ease up in the coming weeks, with road games against the Buffalo Bills and the Seattle Seahawks on the horizon.