Gang Green Nation
The Jets backfield has plenty of potential but little certainty.
Let’s continue our position by position look at the Jets roster by taking a look at the running back position.
Breece Hall
It was less than three years ago that it seemed like the Jets had a budding superstar in their backfield. Rookie Breece Hall became the driving force on offense during a four game winning streak. During that four game stretch, Hall ran 59 times for 351 yards and 4 touchdowns. That would be a 5.9 yard average per carry and a 1,492 yard pace if extrapolated over a full 17 game season. Hall also chipped in 6 catches for 117 yards, a 497 yard pace over 17 games.
Of course it was logical to assume those stats would cool a bit. No running back can average 6 yards per carry in the NFL over the long haul. (Maybe in college, but not in the pros.) Still, a back who performs at a 2,000 yards from scrimmage pace over a full month is flashing the potential to be something special. The Jets won four games despite Zach Wilson eclipsing 210 passing yards in only one of them. They didn’t need a passing game to win. That’s how dominant Hall was.
Unfortunately, in the final game of that stretch Hall suffered a torn ACL. A season that seemed destined for a Rookie of the Year Award was cut short less than halfway through. In many ways the Jets hopes for that season were also. The team was able to scratch out a few wins after Breece’s injury, but the warts on the offense, particularly quarterback couldn’t be overcome. The team didn’t have another winning streak that season and ended the year losing six in a row.
Since his injury, Hall has shown flashes of explosiveness, but he hasn’t fully recaptured the 2022 magic.
The 2023 season was a mess for the Jets on many levels. Hall was a bright spot. Despite having a revolving door offensive line of players who weren’t all that talented, he came within 6 rushing yards of 1,000 on a solid 4.5 average. He also showed explosion, breaking 7 runs for 20+ yards, tied for sixth most in the league. His 3 touchdown runs of 20+ yards tied for second most in the NFL.
Still, there was a lack of consistency. After posting a league average 50% success rate (percentage of runs that end in success for the offense) in 2022, Hall’s success rate plummeted to 39.5% in 2023. Admittedly, you could make a case the offensive line contributed to that.
Then came 2024. Hall got off to a dismal start. Through the first five games of the season, Hall averaged only 3 yards per rush on 65 carries.
I have come to believe that first impressions matter in the way people view the NFL. After Hall’s poor first month and a quarter in 2024, many Jets fans were down on...
