Michael Jenkins finally emerging for Falcons
Former first-round pick got best of ex-teammate DeAngelo Hall
By CARROLL ROGERS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Michael Jenkins wasn’t a fun matchup for DeAngelo Hall on Sunday in Oakland for a lot of reasons.
Not only did Jenkins beat his old Falcons teammate and friend for a 37-yard touchdown in a 24-0 rout, he wasn’t one to bite on much jibber-jabber, either.
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AP
Falcons wide receiver Michael Jenkins hauls in a catch over Raider defensive back DeAngelo Hall.
Jenkins said their only real exchange came on their first play from scrimmage together after the touchdown, when Hall gave him a “OK, you got one.”
“I just smiled,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins plays it pretty straight, especially for an NFL wide receiver — no muss or fuss. At times that means he can blend into his surroundings a little, including the shadow of emerging star receiver Roddy White.
But time after time this season Jenkins has stepped out into the spotlight with big plays – from Matt Ryan’s first pass as an NFL quarterback, which Jenkins turned into a 62-yard touchdown against Detroit, to his last-second catch to set up the game-winning field goal against Chicago.
Jenkins was back at it Sunday with the second two-touchdown game of his career, and first since Sept. 30 of last year against Houston. He also caught a 27-yarder from Ryan on a corner route.
“I think Michael has done a nice job when he has had opportunities for balls to come his way,” Falcons coach Mike Smith said. “The defense dictates that. If Matt throws it in his direction, he’s made the play the majority of the time. He’s made some real big plays.”
Falcons wide receivers coach Terry Robiskie had his own theory about Jenkins’ day Sunday in which both of his catches went for touchdowns.
“I think that had a little bit of a buddy, a friend-friend rival to it,” Robiskie said. “He got fired up matched up against his buddy. I guess he figured he had to outdo him.”
That was part of the fun, Jenkins concedes. And he’s just continuing to develop in this offense, trying to take advantage of the attention going White’s way.
White is leading the Falcons with 48 catches, 733 yards and five touchdowns receiving. Jenkins is second in receiving yards (323) and touchdowns (three). He’s third in receptions (18) behind Jerious Norwood.
Jenkins’ 17.9 yards per catch lead the Falcons.
White is fourth in the NFL with those 733 receiving yards.
“That’s the big thing about Roddy having the year he’s having,” Robiskie said. “Now all of a sudden we can get in a situation where they’ve got to double Roddy, they got to put their best guy on Roddy. If Mike ends up with the lesser guy, the third corner, he’s got to win. That’s his role. That’s what we expect of him.”
As it turns out, Robiskie has quite a few expectations of Jenkins, and he’s not afraid to share them.
“I won’t tell you anything that I haven’t told him, but every day of our lives with him, we’ve got to keep working on being physical, physical and physical,” Robiskie said. “Being able to fight and beat and get after the other guys. Like I tell him, he’s too much of a pretty boy. Mike’s too busy right now trying to be a model. I think that’s what his goal in life is, to catch a couple touchdowns and then put his face up on the billboard. I think he’s hoping some modeling agency picks up on that.”
A little harsh? Maybe. But it sounds like Robiskie doesn’t treat Jenkins any differently than he would — and does — his own son.
Robiskie’s son Brian is a star receiver at Ohio State where Jenkins started for three years. He gets plenty of teasing, too. “I tell Mike and my son, they’re like twins, them pretty boys from Ohio State,” Robiskie said. “They got to get their haircut and put some lotion on before the game.”
Jenkins laughed when told about that last comment. He’d heard it before.
He knows Robiskie wants him to be physical at the line of scrimmage and in the run game. And Jenkins seems comfortable in a role as a receiver in a run-dominated attack.
“We’re going to run the football,” Jenkins said. “When we do that it opens up the passing game downfield. It’s making the most of every ball that comes your way. Bring in every catch.”
— Staff writer D. Orlando Ledbetter contributed to this article.
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