OAKLAND, Calif. — Jets running back Leon Washington broke his right leg in the first quarter against the Raiders on Sunday and underwent surgery after the game.
Washington went down on his only carry of the day when a defender rolled up on his right leg after a 6-yard run. Teammates said the bone broke through the skin, and it was visible on the field.
Washington, who made the Pro Bowl last season as a kick returner, is New York’s second-leading rusher with 331 yards.
Hot-dogging it.
Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was criticized last week for looking dejected on the sideline in an overtime loss to Buffalo. He was happy enough after this performance against the Raiders that he was caught by television cameras trying to discretely eat a hot dog at the end of a 38-0 blowout.
“I want to apologize for that,” he said. “I wasn’t feeling very good and didn’t eat much before the game, so I was feeling a little queasy. Toward the end of the game, I probably should have eaten one of those bars or something, but someone offered (a hot dog), so I grabbed it and tried to be discreet about it, but obviously not discreet enough. So I shouldn’t have done that, and it won’t happen again.”
Crabtree makes debut.
49ers receiver Michael Crabtree made his long-awaited professional debut and had five catches for 56 yards.
More important than the numbers were the glimpses Crabtree showed of being a go-to guy. Four of his catches came on third down, and three of them moved the chains.
“I think I did a good job,” Crabtree said. “I kind of practiced being calm and doing what I’m supposed to do.”
Raiders yank Russell.
The Raiders pulled quarterback JaMarcus Russell in the second quarter after he committed three turnovers in the first half against the Jets.
Bruce Gradkowski replaced Russell with the Raiders trailing 21-0 midway through the second quarter. Russell lost a fumble and threw two interceptions before leaving, giving him 13 turnovers this season.
The Associated Press
