Getty Safety Malcolm Jenkins signed with the Eagles in 2014.
DeSean Jackson’s legend was already growing in Philadelphia. Now, he might get fitted for a statue right next to Nick Foles.
OK, that might be a little dramatic. However, the newest Eagle — playing in his first game back after a five-year exile — certainly stole the show during Sunday’s 32-27 come-from-behind win over the Redskins. His 51-yard touchdown was the first score of the season and put the Eagles on the board after they were down 17-0. That play was a thing of beauty, a modern-day football Picasso.
But it was what he did later in the game that had his teammates talking. Malcolm Jenkins told 94 WIP that Jackson actually broke the halftime huddle and delivered a rah-rah speech. The fiery receiver from South Central Los Angeles knew the team needed a kick in the pants, so he took it upon himself to give that sermon.
“Usually before we go back out, somebody breaks the huddle and D-Jac was the one who broke it,” Jenkins told Jon Marks and Ike Reese. “And he just talked about it who we are, knowing that if we keep pressing on this team will fold. That all we gotta do is keep doing our jobs, everybody contributes, settle down, keep playing. It wasn’t anything crazy. He didn’t give an Any Given Sunday speech or anything.”
Jackson was the hero that everyone deserved on Sunday. He finished with eight catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns, including game-breaking jaunts of 51 yards and 53 yards. It was vintage D-Jac, a sight that the rest of the NFL better start getting used to.
“I couldn’t have predicted it to be any other way,” Jackson said of Sunday’s win. “Not one moment in that game did I think we weren’t going to win that game.”
Malcolm Jenkins Heard the Booing
Eagles fans were quick to rain down boos on the team when they were started slow. The Eagles were down 17-0 at the outset and went into the locker room trailing 20-7. Obviously, the Philly faithful let the players have it. It was loud and the national broadcast team made sure to notice it.
Of course, the tide turned in the second half and all was forgotten. You have to have thick skin to play in Philadelphia. No one knows that better than Malcolm Jenkins. He was quick to say that he and his teammates deserved the early boos.
“If there was a roof on that place it would have blown off. That place was SO LOUD yesterday.”
– @Ike58Reese talking about the Linc during the DeSean Jackson TDs
“We deserved all the boos,” Jenkins told reporters after the game, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “We heard them. When you play well, these fans will be with you every step of the way, and they’ll love you. But if you deserve the boos, you’ll hear them. That’s one of the reasons I love playing here.”
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