Bart Hubbuch: Joe McKnight Motivated By Danny Woodhead

by John B on Dec 11, 2010 4:00 PM EST

Bart Hubbuch wrote an excellent piece in the Post today talking about Joe McKnight and Danny Woodhead, the guy who frankly outplayed McKnight in camp and the preseason but still lost a roster spot.

"It's motivation," McKnight said. "I'm not trying to make people forget about Woodhead, but I'm going to make people remember what they said to me about Woodhead."

These two will probably be linked and compared for the rest of their careers. It's an easy and melodramatic storyline for writers. The small guy from the school nobody has ever heard of is outplaying the star from the USC football factory. The fact the small guy was cut to make room for the star and is now producing for a bitter rival is catnip for guys with an ax to grind against the Jets like a certain writer who thinks Woodhead is "a cross between Barry Sanders and Red Grange." You can only wonder how NFL teams haven't hired such brilliant talent evaluators.

McKnight has more natural ability than Woodhead. It seems like he has matured a lot since he first showed up in Florham Park. One thing that impresses me is the way he's tackled new positions like punt gunner and cornerback he has never played before due to the team's needs. The work he has put in has gotten him on the field and probably why Rex Ryan hinted this week that McKnight is going to see his role increased as the regular season nears its end.

McKnight has incredible athletic ability. If he keeps his head straight and continues to do the right things in practice, it's only a matter of time before the guy who dominated the Rose Bowl and took over a game in front of 100,000 at Ohio State appears.

Once again, click on the link to read Hubbuch's article. It's really good.

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Woodhead has been in the league what? 3 years? Shouldn’t we give McKnight at least a couple years before start making comparisons?

McKnight is more talented than Woodhead by far. I have no doubt he’ll make more of a contribution to this team than Woodhead ever did.

What Woodhead does on another team, in another system, with a different (ie competent) OC, and witht the greatest QB of all time is really irrelevant for comparitive purposes. What he did while with the Jets is however.

by Crackback on Dec 11, 2010 5:05 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Not to mention

Woodhead was cut to make room for Clowney, he was also spent almost half of last year on the practice squad where he could have been picked up by anyone, and that was when McKnight wasn’t even here.

by Judgegavel on Dec 12, 2010 9:40 AM EST up reply actions

Always had faith in Joe from the moment we selected him to his puking and fumbling and now a the beginning of his upturn. Can’t wait to see us get the ball in his hands more, he’s got at least another year and a half until I start getting on his back…..something tells me we wont need to.

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by David_Wyatt on Dec 11, 2010 5:16 PM EST reply actions

Ian O'Connor's article was one of his dumbest for a lot of reasons...

…starting with his bashing of Ryan for not backing down in his post-game conference. What was he supposed to do, roll over and play dead? Ryan is a defiant, confident man – it’s in his character to believe that if they lined them up immediately the outcome would be different. But getting back to Woodhead/McKnight – his comparison is totally absurd. As Crackback pointed out, McKnight is in his first year, while Woodhead is a three year veteran. Also, Leon Washington struggled as a rookie as well, until he found his footing to become an explosive contributor. It takes time.

Also, I’m just going to address the elephant in the room with all of the Woodhead fawning coming out of some circles – some reporters will always, always, always root for the little white guy from the small college over the talented black guy from the big college. Why can’t people just acknowledge that they have different skill sets and leave it at that? Danny Woodhead is a nice complementary player, but come on – it doesn’t go any further than that. The jury is still out on Joe McKnight, but the story is by no means over.

"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998

by kotite4ever on Dec 11, 2010 5:52 PM EST reply actions

Preach it Brother

by BIG OH!!!!! on Dec 11, 2010 7:42 PM EST up reply actions

You're the only one who sees an elephant

Honestly, in the post-Obama age, can we stow the race card already?

Any “Woodhead fawning” is as simple as comparing the little guy that everyone dissed, but had a great attitude and gave his all as they moved him back and forth between RB and WR to the guy that was highly touted and showed up to rookie camp out of shape.

I can honestly say I never even thought about race in the discussion on who we kept and who we let go. I will say that it made me sick to see Woodhead run all over us, because it underscores how pathetic our OC is. When the Pats can take a practice squad cast off and turn him into another weapon to spread the field, it really hurts.
I really hope that McKnight will develop into a threat and productive player. But this league has a scrap heap a mile high of guys with “natural talent” and “potential” who didn’t have the heart to make themselves great and tons of UFAs who willed themselves to ALl-Pro status.

by Black Dog Jet on Dec 12, 2010 2:31 AM EST reply actions

I don't see it that way myself...

But you’re underestimating old guard sportswriters and their capacity to always root for the little white guy. Always. To deny that race is a factor in this to at least SOME degree is just willful ignorance. I’m not saying there’s anything RACIST about this…but there’s a RACIAL component. I’m a white guy saying this, btw.

"(BARF)" - Donovan McNabb, during his game winning drive against Virginia Tech in 1998

by kotite4ever on Dec 12, 2010 9:37 AM EST up reply actions