By Annie Ross
The Eagles’ bandwagon is filling up, thanks to beating the Patriots and Bills the past two Sundays.
And everyone has an opinion of what turned the season around.
But no one has more credibility on the subject than Birds’ safety Malcolm Jenkins, who in two years in Philly has become a leader on and off the field.
Jenkins was interviewed interviewed on 97.5 FM the Fanatic, Eagles and he explained how the team jump-started the season:
“I think obviously dropping three straight and not only losing them, but in the fashion we did was disheartening,” Jenkins said.
“After Thanksgiving, Chip really set the tone as far as our attitude moving forward. He basically talked about how he believed we were a good team. He wasn’t just saying that because he was the coach and it sounds like the good thing to say. He said it because he’s been on the sideline. He’s watched us make plays.
“He’s seen us do everything that everyone outside of the building is saying we can do. He basically re-emphasized the fact that he believes in us maybe more than we believe in ourselves.
“Once we realize who we are, we can kind of live in that mindset. That whole week of preparation had a lot of energy. Guys believed. We saw the opportunity that we had and the challenge of going into Foxborough and beating a really good Patriots team that never loses at home.
“We also knew the consequences of winning that game and what that could do for our season and where it could put us. From there, you started to see the leadership as far as the players start to emerge. More players have been vocal and a lot more present in the locker room than it’s been all year.
“I think everybody just hit their breaking point. We just said we were going to give everything we have to make this work because we have the opportunity. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. But, we knew we had the opportunity to step out of their framework for us to have success. That’s the coaches, the leadership on the team, the players all the way down to the practice squad.”
One of those leaders is Bradford, who stepped up once again on Sunday and delivered a rousing pre-game speech. Jenkins is also one of the most respected voices in the Eagles’ locker room and even he questioned the methodology and philosophy of the coaching staff during the tumultuous month of November.
