ST. LOUIS – In three NFL seasons, Janoris Jenkins has been a big-play cornerback for the St. Louis Rams, returning four interceptions and a fumble recovery for touchdowns.
He loses his share, too.
“You’re going to make plays and you’re going to give up plays,” Jenkins said Wednesday after practice. “I mean, however they come baby, they’re just going to come.”
Getting scalded on Brandon Lloyd’s 80-yard touchdown catch against the 49ers last week was the latest example of give and take.
Two weeks earlier, Jenkins scored on a 25-yard interception return to put the Rams (1-4) up 21-0 against Dallas but had a 33-yard interference penalty on the Cowboys’ go-ahead drive and shared blame with safety Rodney McLeod for allowing Dez Bryant to get at least a 20-yard cushion on a 68-yard touchdown reception.
Coach Jeff Fisher remains supportive, disagreeing with the notion Jenkins is a risk-reward player and noting that he has been able to shake off the setbacks and get back to work.
“It’s a hard position to play in this league,” Fisher said. “He doesn’t make mistakes on purpose. I have concern about his play or his production at this point.”
Jenkins was a second-round pick in 2012, part of the payout from the Robert Griffin III trade with the Redskins. After very effective year as understudy to Cortland Finnegan, he was the Rams’ top cornerback last season.
It’s been a wild ride. His six career picks have largely been cancelled out.
Jenkins made an immediate splash as a rookie out of North Alabama in 2012 with 150 yards in returns on four interceptions, three for scores. He added a fourth score on a fumble recovery that year.
“They make plays and we make plays, so you’ve just got to put it behind you because everybody’s going to make a play,” he said. “It’s just when the play is going to be made and how it’s going to be made.”
Jenkins said he’s not concerned that the Seahawks (3-2) will try to entice him this week. Last year, he had an apparent fumble recovery return for touchdown negated against Seattle because the whistle had blown.
“I’ll be glad, it don’t matter,” Jenkins said. “I just know on that particular play I was doing the wrong thing. I was doing my own thing and it won’t happen again.”
Fisher deflected blame somewhat on Lloyd’s back-breaking play, saying a three-deep zone had been called. Though Jenkins ended up with no backup, it was his decision to bite on Lloyd’s early fake.
Jenkins left the Edward Jones Dome without speaking to reporters Monday but said he hadn’t been “running from y’all.”
Jenkins was up on the line before the snap, show a man-for-man look, then quickly backed off. And after biting on the fake near the first down marker, the player known around Rams Park as “Jack Rabbit” could not catch up the last 40 yards.
The play with 14 seconds left in the half cut the Rams’ lead to 14-10. San Francisco headed to the locker room feeling confident and it had to be deflating for the Rams, who are 0-3 at home.
“I mean, we know where we’ve got to pick it up and we know where we’ve got to go from here,” Jenkins said. “Basically, just eliminate the big plays over our head and we’ll be OK.”
Beginning a short week off the Monday night loss, the Rams had a light abbreviated workout. Fisher said the staff quickly caught up on game-planning.
“It’s amazing if you have a long week, then you take every second,” Fisher said. “Long weeks are harder because you find more things to do.”
Players thought it helped playing a familiar opponent.
“I think the good thing is schematically they’re a pretty simple group,” Davis said. “The challenge is they’re really god at it.”
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