Garrett: Jenkins Adapting To The Slot “The Right Way”

Mike Jenkins has taken over in the slot since Orlando Scandrick suffered a season-ending hand fracture

In his fifth season with the Dallas Cowboys, cornerback Mike Jenkins is facing a brand new challenge. Namely, with Orlando Scandrick likely done for the rest of the season with a fractured hand, Jenkins has been charged with the task of taking over as the slot cornerback, after spending his first four and a half seasons in the NFL mostly on the outside.

There have been growing pains, admittedly, but head coach Jason Garrett believes Jenkins has performed pretty well in the role since Scandrick was injured in the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Redskins.

“They made a couple of plays on third down, or down in the red zone, where it’s almost as much as anything else him having experience seeing some of those combinations,” Garrett said, per the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “But he’s competing hard. He’s playing the right way.”

Jenkins posted four tackles in the victory over the Steelers last Sunday, but surrendered a touchdown catch to Antonio Brown in the fourth quarter that put Pittsburgh up 24-17.

“When you play inside, things happen on both sides of you,” Garrett said. “When you play outside, typically the quarterback is inside and there’s a different perspective on it. Like the positions in baseball, you see the game differently at third base as opposed to second base. I think that’s what he’s going through right now--just experience and how to pounce on the coverage opportunities that he has.”

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