Timmy Jernigan must have read, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" when he was a kid.
The rookie defensive tackle notched the first sack of his career Sunday against the Titans, and now has his eyes set on that proverbial glass of milk.
"The first one was great. The guys were really excited for me," Jernigan said. "I get the feeling that there's more to come."
Jernigan could be on to something, as he's played well recently after returning from knee surgery earlier in the season. The second-round pick missed four games in the middle of the season after going down with the knee injury, but he's notched eight tackles and a sack the last three games.
"His potential is endless," outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "We definitely want him to help us win some football games coming down the stretch. We're very happy to have the emergence of Timmy Jernigan."
The numbers only tell part of the story for Jernigan. His physical play at the line of scrimmage can attract blockers and open lanes for the linebackers to rack up the tackles.
In a Week 10 game against Pittsburgh, Jernigan pushed the offensive lineman back about five yards into the running back, allowing safety Matt Elam to make the tackle for loss. He's clogging running lanes and using his quickness as a pass rusher to get after quarterbacks.
"I'm feeling good," Jernigan said. "I had a little bump in the road with my knee injury. Once I got back, it was just a matter of, week-by-week, the more I feel comfortable on my leg, the better I play."
Jernigan's role has primarily been as a reserve defensive tackle to provide some rest for starters Haloti Ngata and Brandon Williams. He's averaged about 15-25 snaps since returning from the injury, and that number could increase with the way he has performed lately.
"It's like any player – the better you play, the more opportunites you earn," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "He's done a great job, and he's earning more opportunity. He played really well."
