Thunder and Lightning

Jones, Washington give Jets potentially dynamic duo at running back


Sep 25, 2007
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -Thomas Jones was running at full speed down the sideline when Miami's Travis Daniels got in his way.

Bad move by the Dolphins safety.

The Jets running back stuck out his sinewy left arm and shoved Daniels. After a few more steps, Jones gave him an even more vicious stiff-arm that sent Daniels sprawling embarrassingly onto his back. The fans at Giants Stadium went wild after the 11-yard gain, cheering the display of power they had been waiting to see from their team's biggest offseason acquisition. :up:

"That's just how that play went," Jones said in his always hushed tone. "On that drive, we were moving the ball pretty well and I think we were wearing them down."

Jones had a huge role in that, rushing for 92 of his 110 yards in the second half of the Jets' 31-28 victory Sunday.

"I think they were getting a little tired just tackling us and we were breaking off 4- and 5- and 6-yard runs," Jones said. "That's the best part of being a running back, when you can feel the defense wearing down."

When the Jets acquired Jones from Chicago in the offseason, they knew they were getting a strong, experienced No. 1 running back - something they didn't have last season when they used a four-man rotation. New York also has the perfect complement to Jones in Leon Washington, a speedy and slippery second-year back who tires out defenses in his own way.

While Jones pounded the ball in the second half, Washington also had a big impact despite rushing for just 18 yards against the Dolphins. After the second-year running back returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, Miami squibbed kicks to prevent any more huge plays by Washington. The strategy just gave New York good field position to start drives.

"Whatever you ask him to do, he's done a nice job with," coach Eric Mangini said.

Jones and Washington are very much alike in a few ways. They are both quiet and humble, and quick to give the company line: "My job is to do whatever helps the team."

The differences are what make the two a potentially dynamic duo.

Jones is a muscle-bound, thick-necked imposing specimen, despite being only 5-foot-10 and 215 pounds. He has good speed, but relies on his physical build to get yards. The two-time 1,000-yard rusher takes on potential tacklers without fear and often brings them down with him.

Washington is nothing to sneeze at, either. He's also in great shape and it would be difficult to find an ounce of fat on his body. But he walks through the locker room a bit more inconspicuously than Jones. Washington is listed generously at 5-8 and 202 pounds, and uses his speed and zigzagging ability to change directions on a dime and make would-be tacklers look silly.

"I get it all the time from coaches and players who played with guys in the past who had my type of style: a third-down guy, a guy who can go in, return kicks and punts and just find different ways to help your team," Washington said. "A guy I kind of liked was Dave Meggett. I liked his approach to the game."

Washington is the Jets' jack-of-all-trades. He returns punts and now kickoffs after a season-ending injury to Pro Bowler Justin Miller, backs up Jones and catches passes out of the backfield. Not bad for a fourth-round pick who wondered if he'd even make the team out of training camp last summer because he had trouble holding onto the ball.

"When I first got here, it was tough," Washington said. "Coach would stay on top of me every day, pointing out every single thing that I did wrong and just making sure I paid attention to the details."

He's forcing opposing defenses to pay attention to him now.

"Leon is a great athlete," Jones said. "He can do a lot of different things with the ball in his hands in terms of running the ball and catching the ball."

Washington led the Jets in rushing last season as a rookie, and teams with Jones to give the Jets the closest thing to a Thunder & Lightning running back duo they've had in recent memory.

"The way that Leon works and the way that he improves, he can do a lot of positive things," Mangini said. "He's not exclusively a third-down back or a special teams back. He's carved out roles on all four downs."

Jones got off to a rough start with the Jets, running for just 109 yards in two games. One late scoring drive Sunday showed just how effective he can be, rushing for 42 yards on seven carries and tiring out the Dolphins.

"It's the complement that he gives to the offensive line, it's his style of running," Mangini said. "It's the complementary style of running he gives in terms of Leon. The relationship they have built is positive and will continue to develop."

And that could be bad news for opponents.

"There's a long year ahead of us and we don't want to get carried away," Washington said. "We just need to keep working hard and preparing ourselves."
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