DMN Blog: Mike Jenkins: 'I was just waiting on the safety to make a play'

WoodysGirl

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12:38 PM Wed, Nov 05, 2008 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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We gave Mike Jenkins an opportunity to explain his non-contact actions on Giants RB Derrick Ward's fourth-quarter touchdown run. The rookie didn't come across as a guy who regretted his decision.

"I was just waiting on the safety to make a play," Jenkins said. "It just looked different. I really can't explain it."

When pressed, Jenkins said he thought he might knock down LB Kevin Burnett if he cut Ward's legs out from under him. That would seem to be a better alternative than letting Ward prance into the end zone. Would he do anything different if that situation presented itself again?

"I'd say go get the tackle," said Jenkins, who is well aware that he's been criticized for avoiding contact over the last few days. "That'd be the right answer."

Well, it sure looked like he intentionally avoided contact. When asked if that was the case, Jenkins said, "That's what it looked like. That's your eyes. If that's what you seen, that's what you seen." And then he threw a teammate under the bus, too.

"I wasn't the only one there," Jenkins said. "Everybody's pointing it out like it was me, but there was a safety back there, too."

The safety was Courtney Brown, who has made a grand total of two tackles all season despite getting significant playing time. A wait on Brown to make a play could last more than a month.

CB Anthony Henry said some veterans got on Jenkins immediately after the play about his effort. Jenkins said nobody had said anything to him. Well, was his effort acceptable?

"Obviously not," Jenkins said, "because y'all are going to have your own opinion, no matter what."
 

TellerMorrow34

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Bad attitude. I like the kid, I've defended the kid, I'm glad we have the kid but that is the absolute wrong attitude to take on this subject.
 

Rampage

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:laugh2: I could write a book with all of the excuses i've heard from the fans and players about this team.
 

xWraithx

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BraveHeartFan;2403388 said:
Bad attitude. I like the kid, I've defended the kid, I'm glad we have the kid but that is the absolute wrong attitude to take on this subject.

I guarantee you he is more upset with himself than anything/anybody else and he's just not letting on. It's probably compounded by the **** he's (rightfully) taking over it

he's young, he'll learn from it

move on
 

TellerMorrow34

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I'm sure he is frusturated with playing like that, and allowing himself to be in this position, but when you do as an NFL player you just have to expect to take a lot of flack for it and man up and take it.
 

dcfanatic

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xWraithx;2403399 said:
I guarantee you he is more upset with himself than anything/anybody else and he's just not letting on. It's probably compounded by the **** he's (rightfully) taking over it

he's young, he'll learn from it

move on

LOL. Guaranteeing it huh? LOL.

Yeah he was devastated after the game when he was laughing and chuckling it up when talking about his celebration after his gift TD.

I am surprised he was able to get out of bed the next day he was so upset, lol.
 

DaBoys4Life

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dcfanatic;2403385 said:
Two words..

'Phillips Guy'

Should have drafted Brandon Flowers.

Antoine Cason is better IMHO

But yeah don't sit and wait for someone else to make a play make the play yourself.
 

xWraithx

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dcfanatic;2403409 said:
LOL. Guaranteeing it huh? LOL.

Yeah he was devastated after the game when he was laughing and chuckling it up when talking about his celebration after his gift TD.

I am surprised he was able to get out of bed the next day he was so upset, lol.

What the hell else can he do besides learn from his idiotic mistake and move on? nobody (besides you) is asking him to punish himself by sending himself to bed early without any "supper" while sitting in the corner of his room curled into a ball and looking out the window wishing he was playing catch with all the other kids...
 

Stash

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"I wasn't the only one there," Jenkins said. "Everybody's pointing it out like it was me, but there was a safety back there, too."

There's this team's accountability level right there.

Didn't take the rookie long to learn that.

That's why this team can't and won't win under Wade Phillips.
 

LarryCanadian

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Worrisome! I think this is an opportunity for some coaching.

Young guy with talent. Froze on the play, or decided not to get feet dirty on it, or gave up. None are good. Needs to take responsibility.

I think that's the first time we seen Jenkins do this, so if he learns from it and stops doing it, then fine. Rookie/young guy mistake.

He's being defensive. Inmature. That's understandable. He needs to be taught, coached, and led. Darren Woodson would talk to this guy. A good coach would say it can't happen again, but lets move on. Happens again, your benched till you earn spot back.

He seems hungry out there. It's not as if he's done this every game. He dove to tip passes, he's tackled hard other times. Maybe his confidence was shot, maybe he was second guessing. Not to make too many excuses, but we can't afford to write 1st rd pick guys off for one rookie bad play/mistake no matter how attrocious it looked (and it looked BAD).

The attitude can be adjusted by other players and coaches. Guys mature. CB's have that wasn't my fault, move on attitude anyway. Just need to learn from mistakes. Part personal attitude, part coaching/teaching guidance.

Sounds defensive, but I would be against Dallas media now as well, and this flows down from coaches and vets too.

LarryCanadian
 

stiletto

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His Answer: "It wasn't my fault, it was the other guy's responsibility."

Correct Answer: " I screwed up, I apologize to the fans. I should have TRIED to make the tackle and I'm supposed to pursue the ball at all times. It will never happen again."
 

TellerMorrow34

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stasheroo;2403424 said:
There's this team's accountability level right there.

Didn't take the rookie long to learn that.

That's why this team can't and won't win under Wade Phillips.


That part of the quote really did bug me the most. It's not just that he's frusturated over being bugged about his lack of effort but instead of manning up he's also trying to throw teammates under the bus. That won't win him many points in the locker room.
 

superpunk

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His explanation actually makes sense if you watch the video from the sideline/endzone cam - and that was really the only thing I saw. He thought Burnett was going to make the tackle, and it looked like he would, but I think Burnett got cut off by Brown. It really makes sense if you watch it - these things happen in a split second. It doesn't look like Jenkins was flinching away from contact - he had merely made the decision that adding himself to the tackle that he assumed was being made by Burnett and Brown was unnecessary.

That doesn't excuse it, and I certainly don't like the way he just throws the unnamed safety under the bus, I do see it as a reasonable explanation. Hopefully he works hard to shed the label that's going to be associated with his name now.
 

ddh33

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Doesn't matter what he says...especially to Tim McMahon, who has made so many big hits in his playing career.

Anyway, Jenkins has shown that he will hit, so I'm willing to believe he just screwed up. It just can't happen again. It doesn't make a career, folks.
 

Chocolate Lab

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stasheroo;2403424 said:
There's this team's accountability level right there.

Didn't take the rookie long to learn that.

That's why this team can't and won't win under Wade Phillips.

:rolleyes:

Funny how Scandrick hasn't been paying attention to those lessons.
 

wileedog

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WoodysGirl;2403382 said:
"I wasn't the only one there," Jenkins said. "Everybody's pointing it out like it was me, but there was a safety back there, too."

____

"Obviously not," Jenkins said, "because y'all are going to have your own opinion, no matter what."

Roy Williams Jr.
 

BIGDen

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stiletto;2403432 said:
His Answer: "It wasn't my fault, it was the other guy's responsibility."

Correct Answer: " I screwed up, I apologize to the fans. I should have TRIED to make the tackle and I'm supposed to pursue the ball at all times. It will never happen again."

Amen! How many defensive, little, finger-pointers can one team have?! Like a bunch of spoiled brats. Witten, Ware, Newman, Barber, Thomas PLEASE get these guys to play half as hard as you guys do. I wish it were that easy...
 

bbgun

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Still waiting, Mike.

http://img505.*************/img505/4428/4221080557hy5.jpg
 
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