Barrett celebrating with Jonathan Vilma
After raking in eight tackles and helping to rein in Chris Chambers in Sunday's 31-28 win over the Dolphins, defensive back David Barrett felt as if it were nothing more than another day at the office.
"I was just doing what I was supposed to do," Barrett said Monday, "just going out there and doing my job and making plays."
For his significant contributions in the Jets' first victory of the season, head coach Eric Mangini named Barrett the team's defensive player of the game. The eighth year-defensive back out of Arkansas accepted the honor with bright smiles but could not emphasize enough how insignificant this personal award is when compared to the growth and accomplishments of the defense as a whole.
"It feels good," he said of the honor. "But I've just been doing what I do every day. I feel like we still have a lot to go to get to where we want to be. We still have a lot of steps we need to make in order to be where our defense wants to be."
Barrett also accounted for a third-down defense of a Trent Green pass for Chambers in the end zone in the second quarter, forcing the visitors to settle for their first field goal and giving him three PDs on the young season.
He also led the Green & White defense in total tackles over the first two weeks with 19 and add eight solos (by the coaches' video study) for 27, good for second on the Jets behind Erik Coleman's 28, including a team-high 15 tackles vs. the 'Fins.
When the Jets lost to Baltimore in Week 2, Barrett had 10 total tackles, tying a career high that he set in 2001 when he was a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
"My mentality is to go out there and be consistent and do what you've done that got you here and just keep doing it," said Barrett who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2000 draft.
Barrett doesn't necessarily see his 27 tackles as a positive thing. Generally, the front seven accounts for the bulk of tackles when it comes to a successful team defense.
"For me it's not good that I'm leading the team in tackles," he explained. "But it means that I'm just going to the ball and trying to make the play."
The abundance of tackles also means that quarterbacks have been trying to pick on Barrett so far, something the 5'10", 195-pound cornerback welcomes openly.
"I do accept the challenge. For me, I love having that adversity of people wanting to challenge me. To me that feels good," he said. "As a defensive back, you should always live for that, for somebody that always wants to go to your side and at least give you some attention."
