New York Jets' Leon Washington's Leg Injury Opens Door for Rookie Shonn Greene

The New York Jets lost running back Leon Washington for the season when he suffered a broken fibula during Sunday’s 38-0 win over the Oakland Raiders.

Washington was rolled up on from the side in the first quarter, breaking his leg so badly that the bone protruded through the skin. That raises the odds of a bad infection setting in, so Washington underwent emergency surgery after the game at a local hospital.

It was clear right away that the injury was sever when the training staff covered the injured right leg with a towel to blocks television cameras from capturing his bone sticking out of his skin.

This injury shifts some of the workload in the backfield to the third round pick out of Iowa, rookie Shonn Greene.

Greene looked to be a dynamic back on Sunday afternoon, carrying the ball 19 times for 144 yards and two scores.

The 2008 Doak Walker award winner and Big Ten offensive player of the year runs with a low center of gravity and works hard downhill right from the snap.

He lacks the explosive speed to be a threat on the outside, but he did show the ability to pull away in the secondary on a long touchdown run Sunday afternoon.

Although starter Thomas Jones still rushed for 121 yards on 26 carries, the Jets rely heavily on their brawny offensive line to pound down opponents in the running game.

Behind former first round picks Alan Faneca, Damien Woody, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, and Nick Mangold, the Jets rushed for 318 yards in their loss last week to the Buffalo Bills, and added on another 316 in Sunday’s effort against the hapless Raiders.

The running game has been amped up because of the five-interception performance from rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez in last week’s loss.

Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will surely be giving Greene and increased amount of carries for the remainder of the season.

Fantasy owners in need of a running back would be well advised to pick up Greene, who is a free agent in most leagues, if they need a running back slot or utility position to fill. 

He is capable of exploding for a big game, as he showed on Sunday, but is more likely to be a 10-15 carry back that finds the end zone a few times in the final nine games of the season.

Greene does have difficulty catching balls out of the backfield, so that is a definitely a limiting factor in his fantasy potential.

Despite not having great hands to catch balls, he has an excellent hold on the ball and is unlikely to lose fumbles. 

If that fits your need, then Greene could be a midseason addition that solidifies your roster.