They exchanged words until defensive line coach Jim Washburn stepped in between the two. Defensive tackle Derek Landri then walked Jenkins away as Reid yelled at Washburn, who did not appear to respond.
“He comes at you,” Jenkins said of Reid. “He wants to get the best out of you. He wants to make sure you’re focused and the right stuff is going on, that’s all. You have to respect that and you can’t fault that as players. Obviously, that’s not the way I should have handled it, but you just get emotional.”
The Eagles had just allowed the Patriots to score a touchdown after they went 80 yards in 13 plays. Ryan Mallett's 7-yard touchdown pass to tight end Alex Silvestro ended the drive.
Reid was later seen calling over Jenkins, considered one of the Eagles' locker room leaders, and the two had a brief conversation.
DRC injures shoulder
Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie left in the second quarter with a right shoulder injury.
Before he got hurt, Rodgers-Cromartie, who has had a strong training camp, had an interception that was nullified by a personal foul and also displayed coverage skills by breaking up a pass.
Reid said that Rodgers-Cromartie had an issue with his shoulder before. Curtis Marsh replaced him at left cornerback.
Safety Tom Nelson suffered a left ankle injury in the fourth quarter and did not return. Linebackers Casey Matthews (high ankle) sprain and Jamar Chaney (hamstring) and safety O.J. Atogwe (groin) did not dress.
DeSean says he held back
As if anyone needed further proof, Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson told ESPN that he did not give a full effort last season because he feared getting injured before he received a new contract.
“I let it get to me, even though I tried not to let it,” Jackson said of his unresolved contract situation. “I was trying to protect myself from getting hurt - now I’m just giving it all.”
There were several signs that Jackson was not giving a full effort last season. He short-armed two passes in November against the Patriots and was subsequently benched by Reid. Two weeks earlier, Jackson did not dress against the Arizona Cardinals because he missed a meeting the day before the game.
There had been indications as far back as November 2010 that Jackson was letting his contract situation become a distraction. He skipped the first 11 days of training camp the following summer in a holdout.
Even though Jackson’s numbers took a slight dip, the Eagles placed the franchise tag on the receiver in February. Two weeks later, they signed him to a five-year, $51 million contract with $17 million guaranteed.
Jackson, 25, told ESPN that he was “happy to finally get the contract. I felt with what I had done for the team, I deserved it.”
Jackson caught four passes for 82 yards against the Patriots.
Extra points
The Eagles committed 10 penalties for 91 yards in the first half, and a sizable chunk of those penalties were personal fouls. Defensive end Darryl Tapp was flagged for unnecessary roughness and roughing the passer; defensive tackle Fletcher Cox had a roughing-the-passer penalty; and center Jason Kelce cost the Eagles 15 yards for unnecessary roughness. . . . The Patriots, at owner Bob Kraft's request, observed a moment of silence before the national anthem at Gillette Stadium in memory of Reid's son, Garrett.
Contact Jeff McLane at 215-854-4745, jmclane@phillynews.com or on Twitter @Jeff_McLane.
