They call him the best receiver in the NFL. They say he’s always open. Whatever praise has been heaped upon Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase, Chargers cornerback Kristian Fulton has already heard — and seen — it firsthand.
The childhood friends, high school teammates and national champions at Louisiana State will line up against each other Sunday at SoFi Stadium as the Chargers host the Cincinnati Bengals in a critical prime-time game.
Fulton plans to play after a hamstring injury kept him out for two games. The return comes just in time as the Chargers (6-3) test their top-ranked defense in a five-game stretch against explosive offenses.
The next five games will affirm or expose the Chargers defense that allows a league-best 13.1 points per game, but hasn’t faced a team that ranks in the top 10 in points scored entering Week 11.
With Chase and quarterback Joe Burrow, the Bengals (4-6) are fourth in the NFL with 245.8 yards passing per game and sixth in scoring with 27 points per game.
Chase lit up the Baltimore Ravens last week for 264 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches and leads the NFL in the three major receiving categories — 981 yards receiving, 66 catches and 10 touchdowns.
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“They’re on fire right now, as far as that connection, and we know they’re gonna throw the ball,” Fulton said, “and that’s what you live for as a defensive back.”
Fulton, who said he feels 100% after his injury, won a national championship with Burrow and Chase at Louisiana State, where he was named second-team All-SEC as a senior in 2019.
He credits the dynamic offensive duo for his success, the same way he knows his former teammates credit him for theirs. He and Chase “go way back,” competing as kids before they both attended Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, La., where Fulton was a star junior cornerback when Chase arrived as a dynamic freshman.
Despite their history, Fulton keeps it strictly business during the season. Chitchat is kept to a minimum.
“In season, we locked in,” Fulton said, “and he knows when we see each other, it’s going to be a battle.”
Fulton’s return can boost a patchwork secondary that is starting to get healthier after, at one point, missing its top four cornerbacks. Defensive back Deane Leonard (hamstring) participated in practice Wednesday, beginning his 21-day window to return from injured reserve.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh has been mum on the status of No. 1 cover corner Asante Samuel Jr., who is on injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
The Chargers need any help possible to contend not only with Chase, but also the potential return of wide receiver Tee Higgins. The 25-year-old participated in practice Wednesday for the first time after missing the last three games with a quadriceps injury. And they are not the only targets the Chargers will need to cover.
“You got to respect Ja’Marr obviously and you got to put your attention on him, because wherever he’s at the field, he can make a play and change the game, but we are in the NFL, and everybody can change the game and make a play,” Chargers cornerback Cam Hart said. “So for me, it’s respect everybody. I’m going to guard everybody with utmost respect. I’m not going to sleep on nobody.”
The rookie from Notre Dame is facing the most difficult matchups of his NFL career since injuries elevated him into the starting lineup. Potentially testing himself against a receiver of Chase’s caliber is exciting, Hart said. After all, he’s never been one to shy away from a challenge.
After switching from receiver to cornerback at Notre Dame, Hart always lobbied to cover the opposing team’s best receiving threat.
Chargers defensive line coach Mike Elston and safeties coach Chris O’Leary, who both coached at Notre Dame during Hart’s career, knew the 6-foot-2, 207-pound prospect brought unique and necessary toughness to the position and lobbied for him in the scouting process before the Chargers drafted him in the fifth round. Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said the “sky’s the limit” for Hart.
The Baltimore native could join the recent trend of taller, athletic cornerbacks who are making their mark in the league, Fulton said. The second-round pick in 2020 noted New York Jets’ Sauce Gardner (6-3, 190 pounds) and Denver’s Pat Surtain II (6-2, 202).
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Hart has taken inspiration from fellow fifth-round pick and converted wide receiver Richard Sherman, a standout with the Seattle Seahawks..
“Being a big corner, you gotta press, gotta set edges, you gotta get off blocks, you gotta tackle,” Hart said. “But I also want to be known as a guy who can be 6-3 and 200 pounds, and guard the short, shifty receiver in the slot. I want to be an all-around corner.”
With the shuffling pieces in the secondary, the Chargers have emphasized communication to keep their defense intact. The Chargers are just the fourth team in the last 40 years to hold each of their first nine opponents to 20 or fewer points, but the secondary has still has struggled at times.
The Chargers allowed 107 yards receiving to Saints receiver Chris Olave, who was playing with rookie quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener, and two touchdowns to Tennessee’s Calvin Ridley last week.
Facing a much more dangerous offense this week, proper communication will be the top priority, as Chase can stress defenses by lining up all over the field, Fulton said. The New Orleans native knows all too well what his longtime friend can do.
“We got to make them earn everything,” Fulton said. “That’s our mindset. We’re gonna challenge them, we’re going to get up tight on tight on them and make them earn it.”
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
