Losing games early usually forces NFL teams to give up their running game, and that has certainly been the case for the Jets this season.
The Jets entered the year with high hopes for quarterback Aaron Rodgers' ground attack, but heading into Sunday's game against the Rams, they are dead last in the league with 300 attempts and 89.2 total rushing yards per game. They finished in 31st place, ahead of the Raiders.
“I don't know, it didn't work out that way,” running back Breece Hall said Friday after practice at Florham Park. “There’s not much to say really, how the season went, how the games went, it just went well.
“Obviously I want the ball as much as possible, but if I don’t get it, I just do my job and that’s it.”
Hall underwent season-ending ACL surgery in 2022 as a rookie, but returned last year and appeared in all 17 games, gaining 994 total yards on the ground and 4.5 yards per carry.
He has 173 rushes (13.3 per game) for 722 yards with three games remaining, but missed one game two weeks ago with a surgically repaired knee injury. .
Hall, 23, returned to action and had nine carries for 30 yards and a touchdown, his fifth rushing score of the season, in last week's win over the Jaguars.
He admitted: “I probably did it in a hurry.” [from the injury] It was a little earlier than needed. ”
“I want to do my best to contribute to the team and be available on Sunday,” Hall said. “I definitely discussed the following [shutting it down] But like I said, we have older players on the team and if they can come out here and play, why can't I?
“I don't want to be selfish and play for the team. I think if everyone else is playing, I should be playing too. Players make commitments and are here even when they don't have to be. Since I’m here, I’m just trying to make a commitment to my teammates and coaches and show them that I want to play.”
Asked if there was a fine line between sitting out and risking further injury, Hall added: “As a running back, I feel like I've already had one season-ending injury, but to get hurt in your third year is unavoidable.” I don't want to have it. Of course, I can still play and I can still be strong, so I'm okay…that's just the standard we've set here. There are a lot of guys who don't need to play or who quit and shut down, but we're going to play because we're doing it for each other and we're here for each other.”
Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich said Hall was “doing well” in practice this week and credited his quick return to the field to “a great genetic code.”
Hall's workload Sunday could depend on the availability of troubled rookie backs Braylon Allen and Isaiah Davis. Both were full participants in Friday's practice, and Allen was the only one of the trio listed on the injury report.
“There were times when our running game was good, and I think we’ve actually made some progress over the last four or five games,” Ulbrich said. “It created space and players started getting touches.
“The problem is we haven't been winning as much. When you go into catch-up mode, obviously you're throwing the ball more, so your numbers and stats go down. But as far as the run game goes, we've made a lot of progress. I think it's where it needs to be. No, but it's getting there.”
