The Jets fell back to earth on Sunday with a 17–22 loss to the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium, and they’re sorely missing running back Breece Hall.
Hall, the rookie running back, tore his ACL last week and will miss the remainder of the season.
That came while the Jets were one a four-game winning streak, as he had become the centerpiece of the Gang Green offense. During that stretch, he had averaged 87.8 yards per game on the ground, on nearly six yards per attempt, and added another 29.3 yards per game in the passing game. He accounted for four touchdowns during that four-game stretch.
In his absence, the Jets have turned towards Michael Carter, who put on a lackluster performance on Sunday against New England, with 7 carries for a total of just 26 yards.
The team also traded for James Robinson for a conditional sixth-round draft pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wake of Hall’s injury.
Robinson will surely get more looks going forward, but he also put up meager numbers during Sunday’s loss, as he racked up just 17 yards on five carries.
The loss to the divisional rival, who now moved to 4–4 on the season, just one game behind the 5–3 Jets, exposed just how much the New York offense figured to struggle without Hall.
The rookie had been well on his way towards becoming one of the top contenders to win the NFL Rookie of the Year award, and was looking like a consummate Pro-Bowler in his limited time.
“Appreciate the endless love and support! Another step along the journey, see y’all soon,” Hall said on Twitter following his diagnosis.
Without the potent running game led by Hall, the Jets are forced to lean more heavily on second-year quarterback Zach Wilson, who had a rough day against the solid Patriots defense, throwing 41 passes with 20 completions for 355 yards and two touchdowns.
He also tossed three interceptions.
It remains to be seen whether Carter and Robinson can make up for the missing productivity now that Hall is gone, but Sunday’s loss was not a great indicator on that front.
The Patriots had let up 957 yards on the ground coming into the game, which was the 24th-worst in the NFL — so it wasn’t the most daunting task for the two.
They will now go on to face the Buffalo Bills next week, who have given up the least amount of yards on the ground to opposing teams this season at just 457.
