Jaylen Watson hopes to ‘give the fans a show’ as Chiefs face Chargers Thursday night

Kansas City Chiefs first-round cornerback Trent McDuffie harm his hamstring within the workforce’s Week 1 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The damage was severe sufficient to land him on injured reserve, which means he’ll miss at the very least the following 4 video games of the season.

Within the NFL, the next-man-up pecking order doesn’t at all times essentially comply with the draft order. Look no additional than defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo changing McDuffie with the workforce’s seventh-round select of Washington State: Jaylen Watson. Through the Cardinals recreation, Watson had 33 snaps to fourth-round cornerback Joshua Williams’ 15.

“I believed he did a pleasant job,” stated Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. “[That seventh-round] choose doesn’t matter now, proper? It’s a matter of how he continues to up his recreation with the issues that he’s seeing there. That’s the vital half — and focusing in on the sport plan and with the ability to execute that completely (the) finest he can. There’s quite a bit to do once you begin preparing for this stuff — particularly a Thursday night time; you don’t have the entire coaching camp to prepare for it.”

Shortly after Watson entered the sport, Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury had quarterback Kyler Murray problem him by throwing to large receiver A.J. Inexperienced down the correct sideline.

Utilizing his helmet, Watson registered a pass breakup.

“The coaches did an awesome job getting ready us,” stated Watson. “Third down, we knew A.J. was their huge third-down man — particularly with single-high — so I knew the ball was coming. I simply performed the ball, made a play.”

However Watson was so thrilled and caught within the second that he forgot a key a part of making the large play.

“I often do a celebration,” he stated. “I forgot to do my celebration. I simply gave my teammates a high-five and went to the sideline.”

Watson stated he likes to bow in celebration after a go breakup or interception… and why is that?

“Giving the followers a present, yup,” he smiled.

Spagnuolo was smiling after the sport, too.

“[I] was actually proud of how Jaylen went in there and did what he did,” stated the defensive coordinator. “They challenged him straight away, which is what actual good groups do. And he made that play down the sideline, which was good to see.”

Now the eye shifts to Thursday Evening Soccer, when Watson is anticipated to begin outdoors within the nickel reverse Rashad Fenton, with L’Jarius Sneed on the within. As a seventh-round choose, he can have no scarcity of motivation to show that he’s as much as the duty.

Watson says that when he awakens on recreation day, he is able to take the sphere instantly. Thus, kickoffs with a 7:15 p.m. begin time can show difficult.

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“I attempt to not are available in too early as a result of once I get up, I simply wish to play,” stated Watson. “There’s nothing like once you get up and it’s recreation day. We obtained to be on the stadium two hours earlier than kickoff, so I’ll attempt to come as late as attainable, so I don’t have to sit down round and simply wait.”

Watson defined that the Chiefs have a morning assembly, then he’ll go the time till it’s time to go to Arrowhead round 5.

“Then I’ll take heed to music, stretch, then exit and heat up — and it’s kickoff.”

Watson will take the sphere on the primary defensive drive subsequent to security Justin Reid and the opposite members of the Chiefs protection. Reid has watched Watson intently in the course of the offseason and coaching camp — and what he has seen is a participant who’s up for the problem.

“[I’ve seen] the expansion that he’s had [since] when he first got here in,” started Reid, “selecting up on the protection, which actually just isn’t a straightforward protection to select up on — as a result of mentally, we throw quite a bit at these guys. Myself being [a] veteran, I’ve seen some defenses — and I even must take a pair hours a day to check my playbook. What I’ve seen is how nicely the rookies as an entire — safeties, cornerbacks — have taken to the playbook. And once they actually obtained the dangle of it, their confidence has grown. [It] actually allowed their pure talents to point out.

“Jaylen has issues you may’t coach: he’s an extended nook [and] he has a bodily mindset. He’ll come up in run help, he’ll make tackles — and also you’ve seen that development all through coaching camp, so he’s going to step in there and be high-quality.”

Because the Chiefs tackle the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night time, be careful for No. 35, who’s prone to be examined by quarterback Justin Herbert early and sometimes. Regardless that Sunday’s alternative got here as a little bit of a shock, Watson succeeded at the same time as he was thrown into the fireplace.

This time, he’ll be in early, prepared for the chance and cognizant of the second — bow and all.