November 16, 2018
Malcolm Jenkins is a two-time Super Bowl champion and veteran NFL safety. Each week this season he'll sit down with PhillyVoice's Joe Santoliquito to bring you Safety Blitz.
No one on the Eagles knows future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees better than Malcolm Jenkins. The Eagles’ Pro Bowl safety began his career with the Saints, as the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NFC Draft.
Jenkins won a Super Bowl with the Saints his rookie season and played for New Orleans for five years, before signing with the Eagles in 2014 and spearheading their drive to a Super Bowl championship in 2017.
He knows how lethal Brees can be.
“I’m not sure what motivates Drew, but I do know that he’s a competitor, and whatever it is that motivates Drew, that obviously hasn’t gone away,” Jenkins said. “I do know what makes Drew the player that he is and that's his preparation. He spends hours on film and on details of what opponents are doing.
“He spends hours on his technique and his reads. Every throw he delivers in practice, he’ll delivery the ball, reset, and then go through all of his reads again to prepare himself for any and every look and situation that he might see in a game.
“There is no mistake that Drew is one of the most accurate quarterbacks to ever play the game.”
New Orleans is seventh in the NFL in overall offense (3,725 yards/per game), fifth overall in yards per game (413.9 yards/per game) and No. 1 overall in points per game (36.7 points/per game).
The Saints have scored 30 or more points in seven of their 10 games this season. They’ve scored 40 or more points in five of their 10 games—and one of those 40-point games came in their 48-40 season-opening upset loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Has the success of Brees and the Saints’ offense almost made them impossible to defend?
“The Saints have sure made it hard (to defend) adding the guys that they have,” Jenkins said. “Sean Payton’s creativity has an ability to get guys open. (Wide receiver) Michael Thomas is playing out of his mind. You have Alvin Kamara who’s doing really well, and with Mark Ingram, that gives them a balanced run game. Ben Watson is a reliable tight end who has been playing for a long while. And the other guys are just making plays. Then you add Brandon Marshall to the mix.
“Drew has weapons all over the place. Drew is going to make some throws and he’s make some plays. It’s just one of those things where we have to match up well.”
Jenkins has a great familiarity with Brees. But the veteran safety did note that things have changed since he last played for the Saints.
“There has been a lot of change since I’ve been there,”
Jenkins said. “Drew’s changed and they don't have as much of a vertical attack
as they had when I was there. A lot of what they do is control passing, a lot
of intermediate routes and using backs to get out of the backfield.
“You pair that with a balanced run game, and they’re tough. But I know there are certain ways that they like to attack certain players. Other than that, we just have to play our game.”
Follow Malcolm Jenkins on Twitter @MalcolmJenkins and Facebook at Malcolmjenkinsnfl.
Visit Malcolm's clothing store, Damari Savile: Born in the City of Brotherly Love, Damari Savile provides made to order suiting for those looking for a more stylish fit for their wardrobe. Located at 709 Walnut Street.
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