Chargers coaches hail 'scientist' breakout player as key to defense

The Chargers' trade prior to Week 1 seems to be paying off.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Chargers acquired Elijah Molden from the Tennessee Titans just before Week 1. Adding to their unique secondary, the Chargers decided to take a chance on the former third-round pick. Molden's already excelled in his first season with Jesse Minter. The position switch from cornerback to free safety has done wonders.

He's in the midst of a career year, with seven passes defended and three interceptions. In addition, Molden's also allowed a career-best 65.9 passer rating allowed when targeted, along with just one touchdown on 34 targets.

Chargers safeties coach Chris O'Leary dove into how Molden sees the game differently than most and how he's been able to act like a coach on the field.

"We call him Coach E, he's basically a scientist out there," O'Leary said. "The thing that's impressed me the most is the way he sees the game. He sees it like a coach, talks about it like a coach, he will ask every question possible and then some that aren't possible. He's special, another reason I love coaching these guys because that's what you want as a coach. A guy that challenges you and doesn't just take things at face value, he wants to know why about every thing. That's fun for me. That's been the most impressive thing about him."

Getting the most out of Molden is one of the more underrated aspects of this Chargers season thus far.

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