Jets' Ground Game Faces Scrutiny Amidst Breece Hall's Injury
New York Jets' struggling run offense faces further challenges with the week-to-week absence of key running back Breece Hall, as the team looks to address offensive line and rushing inefficiencies.
The New York Jets are likely to continue their two-game losing streak without running back Breece Hall, who is sidelined with a quad injury. Hall is considered week to week following the injury sustained during Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions, though an NFL Network/ESPN report indicated the injury is not as severe as initially feared.
With Hall unavailable, the Jets will turn to backup running backs Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Allen has averaged 3.7 yards per carry over his career, while Davis has a higher average of 5.6 yards per carry, though he has not yet been utilized this season. Head coach Aaron Glenn stated Monday that the team's performance is more about play style than specific player injuries.
Even with a fully healthy roster, concerns persist regarding the Jets' ground game and offensive line, which have been contributing factors in their recent losses. After a 58-yard rushing performance on 19 carries against the Lions, the Jets rank 26th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (92.3) and 30th in yards per carry (3.3). Hall himself has averaged 2.1 yards per carry since his 102-yard rushing performance against the Titans.
"That’s one area we have to fix," Glenn acknowledged. "We have to have urgency of trying to make sure we get that done... To have these two games where we didn’t run it as well, that’s something we have to dial into to make sure we get those things fixed."
The offensive line has also struggled with pass protection, allowing nine sacks through the first three games, tied for the third most in the league. In the Detroit game alone, the Jets surrendered five sacks and 24 pressures on quarterback Geno Smith. Right tackle Armand Membou expressed disappointment, stating, "I felt like we needed to be better in the run game and start to get that going and obviously protect Geno better... It starts with playing as five. All five need to be on the same page and play more as one."
In other team news, defensive end Joseph Ossai made his Jets debut on Sunday, recording two tackles. However, after missing significant portions of training camp and suffering a foot injury in late August, Ossai has not yet demonstrated the form expected when he signed a three-year, $34.5 million contract in March. Ossai, who did not record a pressure against Detroit, acknowledged the challenges: "A lot of things to work on... I haven’t played ball in a while now. You can try and do everything you can in rehab and in practice, but there’s nothing like a game."