The New York Jets had little use for Danny Woodhead. The New England Patriots have turned him into a weapon.
The diminutive running back scorched the Buffalo Bills for a pair of touchdowns in Sunday's 37-31 win. He's been a reliable cog in New England's offense for two-plus seasons, and quarterback Tom Brady can't figure out why the Jets gave up on Woodhead, who they released during the 2010 season. New England pounced on him and the rest is history.
"He's been that way since the day he got here," Brady told WEEI-FM on Monday. "I remember his first game against -- we played Buffalo at home. I think it was the third game of the season. He had a similar-type run play for a touchdown. We kind of joked on the sideline, (former offensive coordinator) Billy (O'Brien) and I, we kind of said, 'The legend is born.' We saw him that week in practice, what he was capable of doing, and said, 'Why did the Jets release that guy?' They had him playing receiver and he was a running back in college.
"He's just come in and done such a great job. He's the ultimate team player and teammate -- dependable, consistent, you always know the level of play you're getting from Danny."
It's a painful subject for the Jets, who can only watch as Bill Belichick coaches up a player they couldn't flip the switch on. The Jets under Rex Ryan have struggled to channel next-level play from too many pieces on the offensive side of the ball. That's rarely an issue in New England, where Woodhead is just one of a handful of complimentary parts in a reborn backfield.
Two programs with vastly different approaches and philosophies on running a football team. Woodhead has landed in a better place, and -- while we're at it -- one can only wonder what Tim Tebow might accomplish were he to relocate from Florham Park to Foxborough.
Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.
