There weren’t many positives from the Chargers’ worst defeat in franchise history last Sunday to the Patriots.
But there was one player, despite what the scoreboard displayed, that played hard until the final whistle was blown. That player was rookie linebacker Kenneth Murray.
Playing every snap due to LBs Denzel Perryman and Kyzir White being out, Murray made the most of them, roaming around like his head was on fire.
The former first-round pick finished with a season-high 14 tackles, bringing his total to 89. He had seven run stops and two tackles for loss. Most notably, Murray also picked up his first professional sack.
Even as New England continued to rack up points, Murray still gave 100% effort. Nick Vigil was at MIKE calling the plays in nickel and base defenses while Murray was calling the plays when the team went to dime packages.
Murray was at his best at making plays in front of him and laterally, stopping ball carriers as they tried to escape. The area that he will need to continue to get better at is in coverage, where he hasn’t been the most comfortable.
However, he has been put in a tough spot with both safety Derwin James and linebacker Drue Tranquill, two of the team’s best coverage defenders, out with injuries.
All in all, given the circumstances, Murray has played well this season and it’s safe to say that he is just scratching the surface.