4 players that must step up for New Orleans Saints to dominate Vikings

Janoris Jenkins

The ex-Giant free agent was signed to the New Orleans Saints after an injury to Eli Apple in week 15. After being released from the Giants in week 14, that might have been the best signing the Saints could have made to an already weak and depleted secondary and defense as a whole.

Eli Apple had been torched a couple of weeks prior to his exit with an injury. The San Francisco 49ers and Jimmy Garropolo threw to whoever Eli Apple was guarding in week 14 and then in week 15, he already had a couple missed tackles and opportunities before exiting.

Jenkins’s first game as a New Orleans Saints was week 16 against the Tennessee Titans. He only ended up playing in roughly 40% of the defensive snaps taken. He finished with two assisted tackles and that was it.

Week 17 was a completely different story. With Apple still sidelined, Jenkins played all 100% of defensive snaps. He finished week 17 with five tackles and a game-sealing interception in the fourth quarter against the Carolina Panthers.

The Saints’ secondary was already the weakest link on the team. Eli Apple was not playing well and in his full-game debut, Jenkins played extremely well. He will need to continue playing well to defeat the Vikings and pull off a long run in the playoffs.