Malcolm Jenkins: 'We're Finding A Way'
Malcolm Jenkins is a Super Bowl champion and veteran NFL safety. He sits down with CBS Philly's Joe Santoliquito every week. Read all of Jenkins' Post Snap interviews.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- What appeared before the season as a weakness is beginning to take on some stability, as proven in the Eagles' walk-off 27-24 victory over the visiting New York Giants on Sunday, and that's the Eagles' cornerback situation. Rookie Rasul Douglas and second-year player Jalen Mills did well against what is arguably one of the NFL's better receiving corps.
It's something team leader and starting safety Malcolm Jenkins noticed.
"I thought Rasul and Jalen stepped up," Jenkins said. "The one interception that Rasul grabbed when they took the shot downfield told us what their game plan was going to be. Our game plan was to try and make them run the ball, and if they were going to pass it, they had to pass it quickly and keep everything in front of us. It worked well for the most part, except for the one pass to [Sterling] Shepard on the [77-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter].
"Everything else was in front of us. We tackled well in space. That was our game plan. Jalen kept the ball in front of him, but Odell [Beckham Jr.] did make some outstanding catches. Those two will continue playing important roles."
Jenkins also saw on film the fine play of Chris Maragos stepping up, and Douglas in his coverage of Brandon Marshall.
"We lost Jordan Hicks, and all of a sudden, Mychal Kendricks gets a bigger role on defense and he made a great play that resulted in [Patrick Robinson's] interception," Jenkins said. "All of these guys stepped in and made plays. We were without Fletcher Cox, Jordan Hicks, Ronald Darby, Jaylen Watkins and Rodney McLeod—and we still has success. It was one of those things where we're finding a way to prepare guys for multiple positions, especially against quality opponents.
"Our injury issues are one of those things we can't control and we have to make sure the guys stepping in are well prepared going in. We were in nickel [coverage] pretty much the whole game, going back and forth between base and nickel. We did put Joe Walker out there and he played significant snaps for us."
The Los Angeles Chargers are 0-3—another desperate team, a team that is playing for its season, like the Giants.
"We have to go on the road to a team that is desperate and it presents a challenge, especially with a good quarterback," Jenkins said. "We have to correct some things and encouraged about winning. But it will be very encouraging to finish the first quarter of the season 3-1. We have matchups all over the field where we have to be successful to win."
On the pregame protest
"I haven't really checked social media too much, but there was a lot of support for what we did before the game," Jenkins said. "It was a great sign of solidarity and unity. The players and ownership galvanized around that mantra of solidarity and unity, as opposed to the divisive comments that has happened over the last year and been detrimental to the cause and fabric of our society."
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