The Giants had problems at the end of games last year, losing five games that they led in the fourth quarter on the way to a 6-10 season.
That’s a big reason why the team has forked over $114 million in guaranteed money to four defensive players this week, including cornerback Janoris Jenkins. Jenkins signed a five-year, $62.5 million contract that accounts for $29 million of that guaranteed money and he showed he fits it with his new team in at least one way when he met the media on Thursday.
Jenkins was asked what part of his game needs to improve and said, via Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, that he needs to “stop being lazy at end of games.” It’s the kind of comment that will come back to haunt Jenkins on the back page of a tabloid should Dez Bryant, DeSean Jackson or some other receiver beat him for a key score in the fourth quarter, although one presumes that the Giants watched full film of Jenkins’ efforts with the Rams before signing him to such a big contract.
Jenkins getting beat is something that happened far more frequently in his first three seasons than it did in 2015, so he may already be taking the right steps when it comes to his effort level. The Giants will hope that continues because more late-game flops won’t stop the team’s four-year streak of missing the playoffs.
