……And yet, it’s all about Leon Washington. Here’s how Rich Cimini described Washington’s season-ending injury in the Daily News:
Thomas Jones’ voice shook with emotion. He had just rushed for 121 yards and a touchdown in a historic ground assault yesterday by the Jets, 38-0 winners over the Raiders, but he was down and distracted. His mind was elsewhere – at a local hospital, where Leon Washington was having emergency surgery.
Washington, who remained in the Oakland area to avoid infection by traveling cross-country, is done for the season. In an ominous text message to reporters an hour after the game, the team announced he will be out “indefinitely.” It’s a 12-week injury, the person familiar with the situation said, although there was immediate speculation among some teammates that it could be career-threatening.
“The team is devastated; I know I’m devastated,” Jones said quietly after the Jets snapped a three-game losing streak with the most lopsided shutout victory in franchise history. “Honestly, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”
Washington fractured his right fibula on his first carry, one of those sickening plays that live forever in the minds of football players. His lower leg snapped in a pile-up of bodies and, according to teammates, the broken bone pierced the skin. The compound fracture was later confirmed by a person with knowledge of the injury.
“I could see blood spurting out,” one player said. “I’ve never seen anything like that before.”
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