FOXBORO — The Patriots face a serious challenge Saturday at 1 p.m. when the Chargers come to Gillette Stadium, but head coach Jerod Mayo is narrowing his focus on one player in particular.

That’s Chargers safety Derwin James, a two-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowl selection since being selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

“Defensively, I’ve been a fan of this player for a while. He always pops off the film, is Derwin James. I think he’s just one of those guys that, he’s a football player, and you can tell by the way that he goes out there and plays,” Mayo said. “Just his energy, enthusiasm, and the rest of the crew kind of follows his lead, in my opinion.

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“Not to take anything away from the front guys; they have two very good defensive ends (Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa), and they have some big guys up front that do a good job two-gapping. But I think it all starts with Derwin. I think we have to know where this guy is on every single play. If he’s down near the line of scrimmage, he can absolutely rush and drop from there. If he’s in the back half, he can play a deep part of the field as well. So, definitely a very good player.”

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye said that James, who has 88 tackles, one interception, 3.5 sacks, six pass breakups and seven tackles for loss this season, “pops off the film.”

“He’s fast. He’s explosive in the run game. He makes TFLs. He makes plays on the football in the air. He’s a problem,” Maye said. “We’ve got to know where he is at all times. They do a good job moving around, playing in different spots. We have a tough challenge with Derwin, and I’m looking forward to playing a player like that, that I used to grow up playing Madden with.”

Maye was joined by tight end Hunter Henry at the podium Tuesday. Henry, who was teammates with James on the Chargers from 2018 to 2020, laughed when Maye said he used to play as James in Madden.

Henry said he believes James is the best safety in the league.

“He’s just got all the tools you want for safety. He can play in the box. He can play the run, play the pass. He’s big. He’s strong. He’s long. … To pair that with just what he brings to a locker room is just the perfect mold.”