When the Rams sat Janoris Jenkins down for a game after the cornerback violated team rules, it served as a reminder that Jenkins entered the league with serious character concerns and slipped in this year’s draft as a result.
When he intercepted two Ryan Lindley passes and returned them for touchdowns in last weekend’s 31-17 win over the Cardinals, it served as a reminder of why the Rams rolled the dice on him with the 39th pick of the draft. Those exploits were enough to make Jenkins the NFC defensive player of the week for Week 12.
Jenkins’ first pick-six opened up St. Louis’ scoring for the day in the second quarter and number two extended their lead to 11 points in the third quarter. It was the first victory for the Rams since the first week of October, ending a five-game winless streak that soured a Rams season that started with wins in three of their first five games.
Jenkins has three picks on the year overall and has shown plenty of the ability that made people consider him a first-round talent if not for the red flags in his past. If he can keep any more of them from popping up, it seems Jenkins is on his way to a fruitful career on the corner for the Rams. It’s a big if, but Jenkins showed last Sunday why the Rams are willing to take the risk.