Tom Brady was seeking out Derion Kendrick during Sunday’s matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the rookie cornerback making a couple of mistakes. Despite being penalized multiple times in the loss to the Buccaneers, Troy Hill defended Kendrick for his performance in Week 9.
Buy Rams TicketsRams CB Troy Hill is strongly backing rookie Derion Kendrick despite those 2 DPIs: "The thing about DK, he’s a battler. He’s gonna go out there & fight. … I think he’s gonna be one of those special players. If they don’t call them two flags, (everybody) is praising him."
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) November 7, 2022
Kendrick had two pass interference penalties called on him during the game. The first came in the second quarter with under two minutes remaining in the half, giving the Buccaneers 32 yards and a field goal attempt to make it a 7-6 game in favor of the Rams heading into halftime.
The second pass interference call occurred on the final drive by the Buccaneers. Brady threw a pass into the end zone in Kendrick’s direction as the young cornerback made contact with the wide receiver early, giving Tampa Bay the ball at the 1-yard line before scoring the game-winning touchdown.
Aside from the penalties, Kendrick allowed 71 yards on 10 targets in the loss. The first-year cornerback also logged four tackles and a pass breakup as Brady would pick on him throughout the game.
The Rams are clearly confident in Kendrick’s abilities as he’s played in 86 percent or more of the defensive snaps in six straight games. Jalen Ramsey backed Kendrick after a near-interception turned into a touchdown in Week 4 and now Hill is coming to bat for him, which goes to show the level of trust his teammates have for him, too.
