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Jenkins takes blame, says ‘It won’t happen again’
• By Jim ThomasAfter getting beaten for two touchdowns against San Francisco, including a backbreaking 80-yard score by Brandon Lloyd at the end of the second quarter, cornerback Janoris Jenkins wasn’t in the best of moods.
Despite some coaxing by the Rams’ media relations department, Jenkins declined to take questions from reporters after Monday’s 31-17 loss the 49ers. On Wednesday, Jenkins tried to make amends.
“I wasn’t running from you all,” Jenkins said following practice at Rams Park.
He took full responsibility for the coverage bust that allowed San Francisco to jump back into the game with 14 seconds left in the first half. Instead of talking a 14-3 lead into the third quarter, the Rams led by only 14-10.
The 49ers got the kickoff to start the second half, mounted an 80-yard touchdown drive to take the lead and never looked back.
“Basically, he just ‘double-moved’ me,” Jenkins said. “My eyes were in the wrong position. Basically that was it.”
On third-and-6 from the San Francisco 20 with 27 seconds left in the half, Lloyd raced downfield, faked as if he was taking his route inside, then quickly cut back outside and down the field, leaving Jenkins in his wake.
“That was all on me,” Jenkins said Wednesday. “I take full responsibility on that as a man. That’s what happened.”
The Rams were supposed to be playing a Cover 3 defense in the play, with both cornerbacks playing off the line and one defender deep in the middle of the field. But Jenkins instead was right up on Lloyd at the line of scrimmage as if in man-to-man coverage.
Jenkins used what’s known as the “bail” technique right before the snap: turning sideways, moving back a few yards from the line of scrimmage and looking back at the quarterback.
That helped Lloyd get behind Jenkins immediately. But Jenkins basically had caught up when Lloyd got him with the double move, with Jenkins biting on the fake.
“I was surprised,” Jenkins said. “But I’ve got to stay back.”
Obviously, the worst thing you can do in that situation — with just a few seconds left in the half — is allow a receiver to get behind you. A short or intermediate completion probably doesn’t lead to any points with so little time left on the clock.
It was the second long touchdown pass Jenkins has allowed because of a double move this season. Three weeks ago against Dallas, Jenkins was burned on a double move by Dez Bryant for a 68-yard score.
Jenkins has always been one to take gambles, sometimes resulting in big plays for the Rams. He had an interception return for a TD earlier in that same game against Dallas, and had three “pick 6’s” as a rookie in 2012.
Fisher disagreed with the notion that there was a high risk-high reward aspect to Jenkins’ game.
“He’s playing corner,” Fisher said. “It’s a hard position to play in this league. The great part about him is he’s got a short memory. He doesn’t let those things bother him.
“He doesn’t make mistakes on purpose, understands our defense, and he will take responsibility for the play. I think it was more something that we should’ve kept him out of. But I have no concern with his production and his play at this point.”
So Fisher is as confident as ever in Jenkins?
“Yes,” Fisher replied.
Big plays have been a bugaboo for the Rams’ secondary much of this season — and not just from Jenkins, the team’s No. 1 cornerback. No doubt Jenkins hasn’t seen his last double move from an opposing wide receiver. Teams are going to test him until he shows he’s no longer susceptible to the play.
“I’ll be glad (if teams do),” Jenkins said. “It don’t matter. I just know that on that particular play I was doing the wrong thing. I was doing my own thing. And it won’t happen again.”
When Fisher alluded to the play being something the Rams should’ve kept Jenkins “out of,” he was referring to the defensive play call. The only deep help Jenkins had on the play was middle linebacker James Laurinaitis, who made a deep coverage drop that you normally see in Cover 2 coverage.
Both Rams safeties ended up closer to the line of scrimmage, trying to surprise the 49ers by defending intermediate and underneath routes. But in this case, the Niners won the chess match. Expecting a linebacker to catch a wide receiver on a deep ball isn’t realistic.
In any event, Jenkins said he was able to shrug off the Lloyd touchdown during the game.
“You’ve still got two more quarters or whatever,” he said. “They get paid just as well as we do. They make plays and we make plays. So you’ve just got to put it behind you because everybody’s gonna make a play.”
But for Jenkins, it’s been a rollercoaster of good plays/bad plays in his young NFL career. Lots of high and lows. However, Jenkins’ confidence doesn’t appear to be shaken, and it must feel good to know the head coach is still in your corner.
“It makes me feel how I’ve always been feeling,” Jenkins said. “Normal. Comfortable. I’ll just eliminate what I can eliminate and just continue to play. … I’ll be OK.”
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