Rookie Jets running back Leon Washington, a Florida State product, rushed for 101 yards against the Jaguars. The 5'8", 202-pound back achieved the feat in his hometown of Jacksonville and became the first Jets rookie to reach 100 yards since Blair Thomas did it in 1990.
"Our running back went out there and got 100 yards. I'm proud of him," said Kevan Barlow of Washington. "They said we couldn't run the ball and he got 100 yards. That's good; it's one of the positives. We saw some production in the run game.
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New York Jets' RB Kevan Barlow, 10.9
On putting things behind you…
You have to try to learn off the positives you did out there and try to build off that. You just have to try to put it behind you so you can get ready for next week; get ready for Miami.
On the positives from last week…
I think we did some positive things out there as far as protection, and some personal things we did, we had a 100-yard rusher, so I think that was a positive. The score may not show that we did a lot of positive things, but I think as a team, we did some positive things. Coach pointed out some things on film today.
On Leon [Washington's] aggressive runs…
Our running back went out there and got 100 yards, I'm proud of him. They said we couldn't run the ball and he got 100 yards. That's good, it's one of the positives, we saw some production in the run game.
On getting only four carries…
I don't know, probably scheme wise or production wise, I really don't know. When Leon touched the ball, he did a good job running it.
On being a part of a loss like this before…
I recall a loss like that, in San Francisco there were probably two or three of them. In Philadelphia, there were two or three as well.
On the effect of a big loss wearing off…
It hurts, but in this league, you have to put it behind you and get ready for the next week. Everybody in the NFL is good, you have to get ready for the next week. It could happen any Sunday with any team, so you have to put it behind you and get ready for the next week.
On putting it behind him in San Francisco…
It lingered around; it hurts. You go out there and play hard, if you're not competitive and it doesn't hurt, then something is wrong. Like I said, you have no choice but to put it behind you and move on in this league.
On how the team will react…
Like I said, Miami is a great team, we can't put anything past them. We just have to prepare, go out there play hard and get ready for their defense. It's tough coming off a loss like that, it's real tough.
On why Miami is a great team…
I don't know about them as a team, but on defense they have some great players. They have Traylor, Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, they're a solid defense. We have to prepare for them, they're a great challenge, they're another great defense. It doesn't get any easier each week, it gets harder. This is a good team and we have to prepare for it.
On this week's practice being harder…
I don't know. He's [Coach Mangini] probably going to demand a lot out of us as players. Offensively and defensively, he's going to demand a lot out of the coaches. I think he's got the right formula as far as a head coach. He'll be a successful head coach. I've had five head coaches in five years, so I think he has the right formula. If he doesn't demand the best out us, then something would be wrong.
On the differences between Mangini and other head coaches…
There's nothing I can particularly say. I think everybody had great qualities as head coaches that I played for before and I think he [Mangini] has the right idea. It's no secret where he comes from, Coach Belichick and Coach Parcells, so he knows what he's doing and I think he'll be a successful head coach.
On how his teammates will react…
There are a lot of standup guys in this organization, as far as the guys that I play with and I see a lot of character in here. We'll definitely bounce back, we have great leaders on this team, so we have no choice but to.
On differences between coach after the Colts loss and this one…
He's the same, you've got to be the same each week. Each play, week-in and week-out, you've got to be the same and he is, so that's a good quality to have.
On Coach Mangini getting his point across…
He does what any coach does, he coaches you up. Coach is a young guy, so he can pretty much relate to the players, I mean he's 35-years old and I think that's a good quality.
New York Jets' QB/WR Brad Smith, 10.9
On the excitement of playing different positions…
It's definitely fun; you never get stuck in one spot, you can go out and see things from different perspective, so it's been good for me.
On being a starting running back…
No, I never thought that. We got a positive play out of it though, so I'm happy about it.
On his career unfolding more rapidly than expected…
Absolutely, coach wanted me to come in here and focus on receiver and that's what I've done and I'm still doing. If things come up where I can possibly help the team out, that's a great opportunity for me to jump in and help.
On being tested at quarterback in preseason…
Maybe it opened their eyes to the idea that I could take a few snaps and run around a little bit. I just went out and tried to help my team win on that day. That's how I approach every day so hopefully, I can keep growing as a player and getting better every day.
On the play book…
I just try to learn everything that goes in it from both perspectives. Whether it's in the backfield or at receiver, I'm trying to get the whole perspective and that's helped me out a lot; not focusing on one thing, but trying to get the big picture on where everybody fits, where a receiver needs to get before a block, what hole a running back needs to get to, things like that.
On Chad [Pennington] being behind you…
He's actually kind of funny, because he just stands there and doesn't move. As great a leader as Chad is, he has fun out there.
On his five-year plan…
I can't comment on that, I just focus on where I am right now.
On his effectiveness wearing off after a few plays…
That was a good read on their part, the receiver did a good job of staying at home, it was just a good read. It was a good fundamental play, they were in cover-2 and the corner's job is to play the flat and they did a good job of playing it. I saw him before he [Pennington] threw it and he was right there, I tried to slip him, but he made a good play.
On the reaction from Missouri…
Actually, I haven't talked to anyone back in Missouri, it's kind of odd. Most of the guys I really talked to were in my class and they graduated, so they're in different places.
On being an icon in Missouri…
I deny that.
New York Jets' DE Bobby Hamilton, 9.29
On this being a tough week with Coach Mangini…
I don't know. I just know we're going to prepare for Miami. I can't tell what kind of week it's going to be, we've just got to go out there and approach this game just like all the other games.
On being a veteran and not starting…
It doesn't matter. Whenever they call on me is my time to go out there, I don't get into who the starter is or who's not the starter. I just want to know that the 11 guys out there are going to be the right fit. That's what I do; I don't get caught up in who's starting the game. When it's my time to go in, I just go out there and play. Like I said, I've been around the league for a long time and I've been a backup, I've been a starter. The only thing I do is prepare myself each week to go there, line up and play for 60 minutes. That's how I do it.
On defensive growing pains…
I know in the last couple of weeks we've been giving up some runs, but this team is going in the right direction. All we've got to do is keep believing and keep working on the technique and our day is going to come, we don't know when, but we're going to continue to work on it. I understand that we gave up 182 yards, but you've got to give them [Jacksonville] credit. They have a good running back, then they have another good running back coming off the bench and that's a one-two punch. I'm not trying to make an excuse, but running backs are good these days. We've just got to prepare each week, continue working hard and keep believing in each other. You never know what's going to happen, next week you might be saying "oh wow, you all really stepped it up." All we're going to do is work hard and get ourselves in the right direction.
On being out-played physically…
I cant say anything, they just out-played us and the quicker I can get this out of my head, the quicker I can move on to Miami. I have to give them credit, they did what they had to do and they were tough at home. It's not like we didn't try because they're physical, they just out-played us. I cant sit here and say why we did this or why we did that, just give them credit. They did what they had to do. Like I said, it's over for us, it's Miami Dolphins for us now and that's what we're getting ready for.
On shaking the penalty bug…
I'm not going to get caught up in that, that's what the call was and I'm not going to get caught up in it. We have to do it again and what are we supposed to do? We still have to go out there and do the same thing. I'm not going to get caught up in what kind of penalty it was. You saw it, everybody else saw it, so let's just leave it at that. You cant look at that one thing, I look at the whole game plan and we had a chance to beat them. Like I said, they did a good job and we know that, we know that we've got to match up to the teams we play. We keep moving in the right direction, I know I keep repeating myself, but that's the only thing you can say. It's a long season, there are still a lot more games to play, we're 2-3 right now and next is Miami. Miami has a good team. Like I said, they have two outstanding quarterbacks and they have good running backs too, we're going to be ready though.
On younger players understanding a philosophy…
You just need to stay together and continue to fight. Against Buffalo, we bent, but we didn't break and we still got a W. Every week these games are going to get tougher and tougher. Everybody's getting the idea and everybody's coming together. We've got to continue to form together and work hard together. When the young guys are down and out, the veteran guys have to pull them together and continue to work, because you never know when you're going to get your chance or when you're going to get a big break. All you can do is continue to prepare yourself, watch tape, keep working on the field and off the field and things will go in the right direction.
On the free-agent market…
It's not like it was years ago where you could build a team. Now, it's all about what you can do now. For example, when you get a guy like number 60(D'Brickashaw Ferguson), who was a first-round pick, in four years he's probably going to be somewhere else. There's no guarantee that he's going to be here for 10 or twelve years like it was long ago. It's about who can prepare themselves and put a team together, that's why you've got to give a lot of credit to these coaches now. All through the league that's how it goes now, they get them here and sit around for a while and then they're gone. That's the way the free-agent market goes right now, so it's about how you prepare your team right now. You play for one game, and for us that's Miami. Like I said, I want to go Miami twice, but I know you've got to take that road to get there and I know we're going in the right direction. We need to just keep fighting. We let the last few games slip by, little things went wrong, but we've got to continue working on it and growing on it.
On short deals…
There are no more 5-year plans in the NFL. Look at me, I was with Oakland for two years and I signed a new deal last year. I never thought I was going to be here again, but it's like you said, you just have to keep working because you never know who's watching you or who wants you. I'm back here with the Jets, and I'll try to do it again. I always say I want to finish what I start and I think this team is going in the right direction.
New York Jets' LB Eric Barton, 10.8
On what he thought of the roughing the passer penalties…
A lot of those things are called just like anything else. It is the umpires view of what happened that time – it is a game time decision and whether it is right or wrong he has the final say on it. He was right; I can't do anything about it. I am not going to tackle any different. You just have to learn from it.
On what affect penalties have on a team…
Penalties will kill a team. You can not just give away yards, especially to a good team. We can not put ourselves in a position to even be called for them. They will kill you, they will kill drives. They will give teams first downs and that sucks the life out of you.
On if he is interested in seeing how the team responds…
I am not interested, I know what kind of guys we have in here. I know how we will go to work this week. I know the mind set of this team. It is not a question of how we are going to prepare this week. We just have to see if we will execute and if we do we will be ok.
On what he took from watching the film this morning…
Things are never as bad as they seem and they are never as good as they seem. You look at it and see what you did wrong and try to correct it. You can not go back and change anything.
New York Jet's RB Leon Washington, 10.9
On his reaction to having a good game personally…
Collectively, as a unit and as an offensive line, we're getting better each week. We're chopping away at the wood, we're improving each week and that's we can ask for. It's good to see that improvement.
On what to look for after a game like this…
You try to look at the tape and find the things that you need to improve on to help your team and try to find the reason why you got beat so badly. Basically, in that game we got beat on offense, defense and special teams. When you turn the ball over like that and you're getting beat in all phases of the game, as a team and collectively as a unit, you're not going to give yourself a chance to win the game.
On his goal line leap…
I think my hip hit the ground before the ball reached over the goal line. It felt kind of weird, but I was just trying to get in and make a play for the team, unfortunately it didn't happen.
On having a good game for the homecoming…
I don't think it was a big game at all, we lost 41-0, so I don't get anything personally gratifying out of it. It was just good to be back home, playing in front of my family.
On knowing if he was having a 100-yard game…
Not really. Most running backs don't pay attention to yards while you're running the ball, you just want to go out there and make plays to keep the ball moving. Whatever it adds up to at the end of the game, just let it add up. I just want to go out there and get a chance to run the ball and have the opportunity to make a play.
On feeling like you're doing things well even the score is 41-0…
Yeah, even though we got beat 41-0, our offense did a good job of keeping things in perspective and realizing the mistakes we were making. That's the best thing about it, it's just going out there, making plays and not paying attention to the score board. You just have to go out there and do what you have to do to give your team the best chance of winning.
On how many friends and family members watched the game…
I talked to my dad and he said there were 55 people at my grandma's house, so there had to about 100 people there. There were at least 50 or 60 people I was hugging after the game, I have a pretty big family with lots of little cousins. It was nice being back with my family. I was very blessed.
On how much time he spent with his family…
When we got to the hotel, we had a two hour break, so I went over to my grandma's house, then the morning before the game we had another two hour break, so my dad and my son came over and I had a chance to see them and spend a little time with them.
On his mother holding back tears…
She was about to, but I wouldn't let her cry. She was okay, though.
On preparing early for the game…
I usually do that before every game. It was just good to be out there in Jacksonville and breath that air again, the coffee shop is down the street, so you could smell some coffee. It was good to be back home and see that beautiful sunshine again.
