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Moore: Expect teams to pick on struggling penalty magnet Mike Jenkins
12:04 AM CDT on Friday, October 22, 2010
COLUMN By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
David Moore
Archive | E-mail
IRVING – At some point Monday evening, probably on New York's first possession, Hakeem Nicks or Mario Manningham will casually stroll past an official to offer this helpful piece of advice:
Keep an eye on No. 21 for the Cowboys. The guy likes to hold receivers.
Then, Eli Manning will drop back and throw right at him.
Mike Jenkins knows what's in store. His uncle, Tracy Sanders, played in the same secondary as Deion Sanders at Florida State. The two talked about how the Cowboys cornerback must be ready.
"He said you know they're going to try you," Jenkins said. "And he said a real player invites that. That's where you show everybody you're a better man than what they think you are."
So come on, Manning. Test Jenkins. That's what he wants. It's the only way he can move on from the last two games.
Jenkins isn't the reason the Cowboys lost to Tennessee and Minnesota. But his four pass interference penalties have cost the team seven points and 82 yards. His interference penalty on third-and-6 in the final moments of Sunday's game – on a pass that would have required an extension ladder to reach – gave the Vikings a first down and allowed them to hold onto the ball long enough to ice the victory.
When the Giants need to convert on third down Monday, where do you think Manning will look?
"Sometimes, when you get one or two, you're a targeted guy," secondary coach Dave Campo said. "You have to play your way out of it. That's the only way you can do it."
The cornerback's recent struggles are as bewildering as the team's 1-4 record. Jenkins doesn't have a reputation for this sort of thing. He was hit with only one pass interference call all of last season, when he blossomed into a Pro Bowl player.
But as Campo said Thursday, this is "a man-eating league." Jenkins, who also allowed Tennessee's Kenny Britt to get behind him for a 52-yard catch that set up a field goal, can't let the last two games consume him.
The Cowboys worked on technique with Jenkins in Thursday's practice. They will do the same today and Saturday.
Former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson said earlier this week he likes the way Jenkins plays because he's, "aggressive as hell." The Cowboys don't want to douse that fire. They just don't want him to hand-fight a receiver even if the receiver initiates the action.
"You just can't grab the guy," Campo said. "It's very simple. No matter what the guy does to you, you can't grab him. If that shirt moves, they're calling it."
Jenkins peppered the officials who worked Thursday's practice with questions. He wants to understand just what is off limits in a game. He swore he would get through the entire week of practice without grabbing a receiver.
Part of the problem may be that Jenkins has played off his man at times more than he did last season. He's most comfortable when he's at the line of scrimmage.
That's where he will be Monday night. That's where he will be for the rest of the season. He won't back down.
"If they think I was physical, I'm really going to get physical now," Jenkins said. "I'm still going to get up in their face."
Head coach Wade Phillips believes that Jenkins can be too competitive at times. Phillips pointed out that only one of his four interference penalties came when he was beaten. On the, others he was right there.
Jenkins has the mind-set you want in a cornerback. He doesn't want to let any receiver beat him. But you can only carry that so far. If you give up five or six yards on a slant or an underneath pass that doesn't result in a first down, sometimes it makes more sense to do that than to force the issue.
"It hit me," Jenkins said. "I realized the other day I'm going to give up certain balls but not give up the big play."
Campo told Jenkins all it takes is one game without a pass interference call for his life to return to normal. He's pumped because he's had two interceptions against Manning and returned one for a touchdown.
"It's going to be a good week because I always get Eli," Jenkins said.
Unless Manning – and the officials – get him first.
"I figure at some point everybody has their day," Jenkins said. "Now I'm in a difficult part, but I'm not going to let it hold me down. I don't want to get mentally messed up and stop playing my game.
"Better days are going to come."
• • •
12:04 AM CDT on Friday, October 22, 2010
COLUMN By DAVID MOORE / The Dallas Morning News
dmoore@dallasnews.com
David Moore
Archive | E-mail
IRVING – At some point Monday evening, probably on New York's first possession, Hakeem Nicks or Mario Manningham will casually stroll past an official to offer this helpful piece of advice:
Keep an eye on No. 21 for the Cowboys. The guy likes to hold receivers.
Then, Eli Manning will drop back and throw right at him.
Mike Jenkins knows what's in store. His uncle, Tracy Sanders, played in the same secondary as Deion Sanders at Florida State. The two talked about how the Cowboys cornerback must be ready.
"He said you know they're going to try you," Jenkins said. "And he said a real player invites that. That's where you show everybody you're a better man than what they think you are."
So come on, Manning. Test Jenkins. That's what he wants. It's the only way he can move on from the last two games.
Jenkins isn't the reason the Cowboys lost to Tennessee and Minnesota. But his four pass interference penalties have cost the team seven points and 82 yards. His interference penalty on third-and-6 in the final moments of Sunday's game – on a pass that would have required an extension ladder to reach – gave the Vikings a first down and allowed them to hold onto the ball long enough to ice the victory.
When the Giants need to convert on third down Monday, where do you think Manning will look?
"Sometimes, when you get one or two, you're a targeted guy," secondary coach Dave Campo said. "You have to play your way out of it. That's the only way you can do it."
The cornerback's recent struggles are as bewildering as the team's 1-4 record. Jenkins doesn't have a reputation for this sort of thing. He was hit with only one pass interference call all of last season, when he blossomed into a Pro Bowl player.
But as Campo said Thursday, this is "a man-eating league." Jenkins, who also allowed Tennessee's Kenny Britt to get behind him for a 52-yard catch that set up a field goal, can't let the last two games consume him.
The Cowboys worked on technique with Jenkins in Thursday's practice. They will do the same today and Saturday.
Former Cowboys safety Darren Woodson said earlier this week he likes the way Jenkins plays because he's, "aggressive as hell." The Cowboys don't want to douse that fire. They just don't want him to hand-fight a receiver even if the receiver initiates the action.
"You just can't grab the guy," Campo said. "It's very simple. No matter what the guy does to you, you can't grab him. If that shirt moves, they're calling it."
Jenkins peppered the officials who worked Thursday's practice with questions. He wants to understand just what is off limits in a game. He swore he would get through the entire week of practice without grabbing a receiver.
Part of the problem may be that Jenkins has played off his man at times more than he did last season. He's most comfortable when he's at the line of scrimmage.
That's where he will be Monday night. That's where he will be for the rest of the season. He won't back down.
"If they think I was physical, I'm really going to get physical now," Jenkins said. "I'm still going to get up in their face."
Head coach Wade Phillips believes that Jenkins can be too competitive at times. Phillips pointed out that only one of his four interference penalties came when he was beaten. On the, others he was right there.
Jenkins has the mind-set you want in a cornerback. He doesn't want to let any receiver beat him. But you can only carry that so far. If you give up five or six yards on a slant or an underneath pass that doesn't result in a first down, sometimes it makes more sense to do that than to force the issue.
"It hit me," Jenkins said. "I realized the other day I'm going to give up certain balls but not give up the big play."
Campo told Jenkins all it takes is one game without a pass interference call for his life to return to normal. He's pumped because he's had two interceptions against Manning and returned one for a touchdown.
"It's going to be a good week because I always get Eli," Jenkins said.
Unless Manning – and the officials – get him first.
"I figure at some point everybody has their day," Jenkins said. "Now I'm in a difficult part, but I'm not going to let it hold me down. I don't want to get mentally messed up and stop playing my game.
"Better days are going to come."
• • •
