Diminutive Washington May Play Big Role in the Jets’ Future

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

All Leon Washington needs to do to find inspiration is look at Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook.

As a rookie, Westbrook was the third wheel in the Eagles’ “Three-Headed Monster” backfield, gaining 193 yards on 46 carries. Over the next three seasons, Westbrook averaged 150 carries and 681 rushing yards, gaining a reputation as a dangerous returner and receiver but also deflecting critics’ crows that he’s not big enough to be a full-time, traditional 20-carry running back.

Remind you of anyone about 100 miles to the Northeast?

Westbrook is 5 feet, 10 inches and 203 pounds. The Jets’ Leon Washington is a tad shorter — he’s 5 feet, 8 inches — but he’s listed at 202 pounds and has a similar frame.

Washington has made the most noise this season for his Pro Bowl-caliber kick returning, averaging 30.6 yards and bringing back three long returns. Opponents are beginning to treat him like the Chicago Bears’ Devin Hester, that is, a weapon to be avoided. Ask Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs if he regrets kicking to Washington, who took one 86 yards for a touchdown in the Jets’ overtime loss against the Redskins’ third-ranked kick-coverage unit.

“There has definitely been an element of trying to keep the ball away from Leon,” Jets head coach Eric Mangini said. “Each team has had a different approach. Some have kicked it to him every time and some have decided to kick it away. Every time you face a returner as explosive as [Washington], you have to make that choice.”

But Washington is out to prove he’s no specialist. When called on to gain yards from scrimmage, Washington has delivered. He had his first big offensive game of the season Sunday in the Jets’ 40–13 pasting of the Miami Dolphins, gaining 68 yards on 10 carries with two touchdowns.

He helped make maligned offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer look far less predictable. Washington lined up at receiver, went in motion, and took direct snaps and shovel passes. His quickness and speed clearly bothered the Dolphins’ defense, which isn’t as bad as its reputation would suggest. But Mangini was most impressed with Washington’s blocking toughness on a 19-yard play-action pass to Brad Smith.

“One of my favorite things about that play is what Leon did after he got the (play-action) fake,” Mangini said. “He went across and really sealed the backside, giving [Jets QB] Kellen [Clemens] a couple of extra seconds. I thought that was outstanding on his part.”

Those rushing totals last week were season highs. With the presence of starter Thomas Jones, who scored his first touchdown of the season last week, Washington likely won’t get the ball more than the dozen times he did Sunday.

Doubters no question will say Washington can never be a full-time back in the NFL. But the facts will suggest that (a) backs of all sizes are susceptible to injury and that (b) smaller backs are doing quite well, thank you very much.

The latter point first: The top-10 rushers heading into Week 14 — including Westbrook, who is fifth — average 5 feet, 11 inches and 216.5 pounds. Do three inches mean that much? What about that extra 6% of body weight?

Clearly, height and weight are not issues for the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Maurice Jones-Drew, who matches Washington’s height and weight almost exactly (5 feet, 7 inches and 208 pounds), and has averaged 4.7 yards a carry and has scored 23 touchdowns in 28 career games.

Measurables also aren’t big considerations for the 5-foot-9-inch Earnest Graham, who has had a surprising breakout season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 209-pounder, Willie Parker, who ranks second to rookie phenom Adrian Peterson in several key rushing categories. \

Ideally, your starting running back will have size and speed. In a perfect world, he’d be big, durable, and elusive. But if backs are going to break down anyway — look around the league at Larry Johnson, Steven Jackson, Shaun Alexander, Frank Gore, Rudi Johnson, Joseph Addai, Travis Henry, and plenty of others — why not use your best runners more often?

The Jets are not going to build their offense around Jones, who has struggled to be anything but workmanlike behind the Jets’ relatively small offensive line. He operated far better in Chicago where the Bears’ maulers really suited Jones’s tough, inside running. Washington’s more shifty approach better fits the Jets’ scheme where the holes are smaller — something that actually befits the stumpy Washington.

Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel, who must defend Washington this weekend, describes Washington as “an explosive, quicker, power kind of running back.”

“You just have to be ready for him,” said Crennel. “You have to know when he’s in the game …”

Washington likely will never be a classic starting running back in the league. The long speed he has shown on kickoffs hasn’t translated in his running from the backfield. None of his 203 career hand-offs have traveled longer than 23 yards, though he has made a number of big receptions. But he probably deserves a chance to show what he can do after a nice rookie season and a strong encore — at least when he does get a chance to run with the ball.

“He’s a small back, but he doesn’t really play small,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said earlier this year. “I’m not saying he plays like he’s 240 [pounds], but he doesn’t play like a little, tiny scatback; [he’s] almost like a wide receiver back there.”

“He runs tough inside and he gets the ball up the field and breaks tackles and he runs through people and he has good balance.”

Those same qualities have led Westbrook to become an elite back. If Washington can remain patient, stay healthy, and continue to produce at this rate when he does get the ball, the opportunity to get more carries is right around the corner.

Mr. Edholm, a senior editor at Pro Football Weekly, can be reached at eedholm@pfwmedia.com.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use