Mike Jenkins: The Dallas Cowboys CB Was the Worst in the League in 2010

You have to be careful when criticizing cornerbacks, since a lot of their miscues aren’t entirely their fault.

However, Mike Jenkins might just be the worst starting cornerback in the NFL—at least statistically.

When looking at stats, one must be aware that in the game of football, numbers DO lie.

You can have the best cornerback in the game, but even the best can let a pass go by him. Sometimes, it's due to a tip drill, horrible pass rush that leaves him on an island forever or maybe he simply slips on a horrendous field.

According to DallasNews.com, the opponent’s passer rating against Mike Jenkins was 122.6 in 2010—the worst in the NFL among starting corners.

Ouch.

Jenkins wasn’t the only problem on the Cowboys’ defense last season by a long-shot. This is a team that gave up 243 passing yards per game and a franchise-high of 436 points scored against them.

To say the least, there’s enough blame to go around.

To add to Jenkins’ bad play in 2010, he was also seventh in the NFL in penalties amongst corners and personally conceded a league-high 994 yards against.

It’s hard to put a finger on what caused Jenkins’ digression. He did fight through injuries throughout the season, being helped off of the field in four different games in 2010; plus, like stated earlier, the whole defense was a disaster.

But for a cornerback coming off of a Pro Bowl season in 2009, it’s hard to imagine one good reason to drop to the worst cornerback in the league the following year.

Regardless of his 2010 season, Cowboys fans across the globe remain confident that Jenkins can bounce back to his 2009 form, where he held opposing quarterbacks to a rating of just 54.0 when they tried to throw at him.

Can he return to have that type of showing?

Only time will tell. With Jason Garrett at the helm, it has been obvious that there’s a lot more accountability for the players.

But if the Cowboys draft a cornerback with their ninth overall selection, Jenkins might not get a chance to prove that he can deliver like he did in 2009.