CARSON, Calif. – Chris Harris Jr. started the game getting an earful from Philip Rivers.
“He came out there screaming at me, man,’’ Harris said. “I was like, 'what’s going on?' He said, 'You wanted me? I got you all game!’
“I said, ‘All right, man. I’m going to make your [butt] pay.'"
Harris got a first-half interception off Rivers, the fourth in his career against the Chargers’ mouthy quarterback.
“He was talking all kinds of stuff,’’ Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe said of Rivers. “He called Chris out and then he got a pick. It’s always fun to beat Phillip Rivers.’’
Rivers gave his post-game version feelings about Harris, which may have been polished up from his in-game version.
“He’s a really good corner,’’ Rivers said. “I have a lot of respect for Chris. We’ve had some good games. He obviously had a really good play with that early interception. He contested a lot of balls, but I think there’s a difference in respect and fear.
“I feel like, I’ve heard Chris say he respects us and Keenan [Allen] and myself but he doesn’t fear us, either. I think there’s that mutual respect and competitiveness. We love to go after it with one another. Obviously, he had the one interception, made a great play. We made some plays on him and we didn’t. Chris is a heckuva player.’’
The pick was Harris’ second of the season. He is now the NFL’s only defensive player who’s had at least two interceptions in each of the last seven seasons.
“Separate myself,’’ Harris said. “Got competition with Sherm, me and Patrick Peterson since I got in the league. I’m going to keep competing with those guys and see who’s going to last the longest.’’
Richard Sherman was a fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft. Patrick Peterson was a first-round pick. Harris was undrafted.
