Kellen Winslow shows added fire against his first team

Tight end Kellen Winslow put together another solid performance for the Jets in Sunday’s 24-13 win over the Browns. If he seemed extra motivated, the proof was not just in his stat line.

Winslow spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Browns as a first-round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. A game against his old team surely meant a little something extra to him and on Sunday, he was named by head coach Rex Ryan as a team captain. It is a frequent move by Ryan to fuel a player against his former team. The tight end was traded from the Browns to the Buccaneers following the 2009 season.

When he walked out to the middle of the field for the coin flip, Winslow quickly shook hands with the Browns captains. But after the flip, when the players again shook hands, Winslow turned his back and ran to the Jets’ sideline. It was a move that raised an eyebrow or two.

“We shook hands once. Enough with the shaking of hands. I’m good. Let’s go play ball,” Winslow told Metro. “That’s all, I’m just a little different. Nothing into it.”
In the game, Winslow had three catches for 35 yards. But it was the way he played that left an impression.

In the middle of the third quarter, Winslow made a reception over the middle and turned upfield. It looked like a routine short gain until he hurdled a Browns defender and kneed another opponent before he was brought down. It was a 16-yard reception with plenty of inner fire.

“I got the catch and turned and saw white jerseys around me and usually when it is a corner they go low on you,” Winslow said. “It finally worked, you know?
“It was a good feeling. It really is another team for me — just going out and doing my job. It was just another game.”


(metro.us)