Jenkins, Thurmond a steadying force in secondary

The majority of the defensive praise and attention after the Eagles' first win of the season went to a couple of rookies (linebacker Jordan Hicks and cornerback Eric Rowe) and a fill-in defensive end (Brandon Bair). It was well deserved, but it also overshadowed the work of two veterans who have been a calming influence during the turbulent start to the season.

It could easily be argued that through three games, safeties Malcolm Jenkins and Walter Thurmond have been the Eagles' two best defensive players. You would not get an argument from Chip Kelly.

"I'm pleased with both Walter and Malcolm," the Eagles coach said Monday. "Malcolm's versatility to be able to come down and play nickel [cornerback] at times in certain looks and cover slot receivers has been really good for us. But Walt has that ability also. They're interchangeable. That's what we've always wanted to get. I think both of those guys are really playing well right now."

Jenkins, signed as a free agent before last season after spending five seasons with the New Orleans Saints, emerged as the leader of the secondary in his first year. In his second season, he has elevated his level of play. While the majority of his teammates looked dazed and confused in the Week 2 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Jenkins was the best Eagles player on the field.

Outstanding performances go a long way in the leadership department and you get the feeling Jenkins has the ears of his teammates as they attempt to climb out of that 0-2 hole they dug for themselves.

"I think being 0-2 helped," Jenkins said. "I think guys started recognizing where we needed to improve and for us, especially in the secondary, it was all about technique and not just playing the first half, the first three quarters, but the entire game. That was the focus all week. We had to pay attention to the detail in the game plan, everybody knowing what they were supposed to do and then execute it in the game."

Thurmond is in his first season with the Eagles after missing all but two games because of injuries in his only season with the New York Giants last year. He said the defensive game plan in the 24-17 win over the New York Jets had two main parts: Stop the run and prevent wide receiver Brandon Marshall from getting behind the secondary.

"I think we were able to do that," Thurmond said.

The Eagles held the Jets to 47 yards rushing and a 2.9-yard average per carry. Marshall caught 10 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, but his longest reception was 20 yards.

Hicks played a big part in stopping the running game, but support in that department always comes from the safeties. Jenkins was in on six tackles and forced two fumbles. He also had two tackles on special teams and his contributions there are another reason all his teammates - young and old - should pay attention to what he says and does. Thurmond had four tackles, including one for a loss, and also came away with a huge fourth-quarter interception deep in Eagles territory on a ball tipped by Bair.

It was the second interception of the season for Thurmond, who has been the team's best 2015 free-agent signing even though his paychecks do not compare favorably to what running back DeMarco Murray and cornerback Byron Maxwell are receiving. There was some question about whether Thurmond (5-foot-11, 186 pounds) was big enough to make the transition from cornerback to safety. Thurmond, however, had no doubt about it.

"I'm a football player at the end of the day. period," he said. "I'm very instinctual and smart. Playing corner or playing safety, to me it's no different. I'm very physical and I'm solid tackling and [playing safety], especially in this defense, allows me to be able to roam around and make plays."

A lot of the praise for the younger players who filled in and contributed so much to the win over the Jets came from the two veteran safeties.

"We had to get a lot of snaps from those guys at key positions," Jenkins said. "I thought they did a great job."

Thurmond said he was not surprised.

"We have a lot of depth," he said. "It's the next man up. [Chris] Maragos goes down and we have to make some moves. Eric Rowe comes in and he makes two plays on deep balls where he should have had two interceptions. He came in and played big for us. E.J. Biggers came in and stepped up. Jordan Hicks had a great game. We don't worry about the guys who are injured. It is unfortunate they are injured . . . but we have the mind-set that the next guy can come in and play sound football."

It helps a lot when the fill-ins are surrounded by a couple of safeties like Jenkins and Thurmond.

bbrookover@phillynews.com

@brookob