When Breece Hall went down with a right quad injury, the Jets lost the back they had just locked up on a three-year, $43.75 million extension. That deal had already made a statement about how New York viewed running backs, and Hall’s absence quickly handed Braelon Allen a chance to show why the team has been so intrigued by him.
Allen has always looked the part. At six-foot-one and 235-plus pounds, he brings the kind of build and burst that jumps off the screen.
The production, though, had been uneven. As a rookie in 2024, he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry.
In 2025, a left knee MCL sprain cut him down to 18 carries. The promise was obvious; the results hadn’t consistently matched it.
That changed in Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns. Allen didn’t just fill in for Hall - he set the tone.
He piled up 110 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries, and the Jets leaned into the run from the start. It was a stronger follow-up to his Week 4 showing against the Chicago Bears, when he ran for 59 yards on 14 carries but saw New York fall behind and move away from the ground game.
The numbers from the Browns game back up what the eye test showed. Allen forced eight missed tackles, tied for the most in Week 5. His 4.25 yards after contact ranked fourth, and his 0.16 EPA per rush placed seventh.
Hall is expected back soon, possibly as early as this week against the New England Patriots. Even so, Allen has done enough to earn more than a temporary fill-in role.
Against Cleveland, he showed the full package the Jets have been waiting for: vision to spot running lanes, quick feet to hit them, enough speed to separate once he got through the line, and the power to keep churning forward after contact. That last part matters. It’s the kind of running that starts to wear down a defense, and Garrett Wilson said defenders begin taking “creative angles” and making business decisions once Allen gets rolling in the open field.
That’s why a split workload makes sense. A 1A-1B setup with Hall getting roughly 60 percent of the carries and Allen handling the rest would give the Jets two runners who can complement each other instead of forcing one to carry the whole load. Allen’s physical style can help set up Hall, while Hall’s explosiveness can punish defenses that are already softened up.
Frank Reich has made clear he wants the run game to drive the offense, with play-action and deep shots built off that foundation. Allen can help make that plan work, and a more balanced rotation would help keep both backs fresher.
The Jets have two explosive runners with different strengths. The smart move now is to use both of them. Hall’s contract shouldn’t change that.
In Other News...
Garrett Wilson Is Giving Jets Fans A Serious WR1 Debate
Through the first five games of the 2026 season, Garrett Wilson has quietly turned into one of the more efficient receivers in the league, even if the raw totals dont yet make him the obvious headline-grabber. His per-game production is at career highs in catches, yards and touchdowns, and the film and the numbers are matching up in a way that has made his start especially hard to ignore for Jets fans watching the passing game find some life.
What makes the discussion around Wilson so interesting is how much of his value is showing up in the details. He is consistently squeezing more out of every target than most receivers do, whether the throw is clean or contested, and that kind of efficiency can change the way an offense feels week to week. For a team still searching for stability, Wilson is making a convincing case that the debate over who the Jets' true WR1 is may already be leaning in one direction. [Read more 🡒]
Tim Patrick Just Gave Jets Fans A Reason To Believe In This Offense
After the Jets recent win, Tim Patrick sounded like a receiver who can see what the box score does not. New Yorks offense has been fighting through injuries and uneven production through five weeks, but Patrick pointed to the talent in the room and the sense that the group is slowly getting healthier, with other players stepping up in the meantime.
Patricks optimism matters because it comes from inside a unit that still has plenty to prove. The Jets offensive rankings remain near the bottom, yet the mood around the building is not matching the numbers, and that internal confidence is starting to feel like a real part of the story as the team works its way back toward full strength. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Fans Should Be Worried About What Geno Smiths Start Is Hiding
Geno Smiths start has given the Jets something they have been craving for years: cleaner quarterback play. Through the first five games of the 2026 season, he has not thrown an interception, and his completion percentage, passer rating and turnover-worthy play rate have all improved from a season ago. For a team that has spent too much time fighting its own mistakes, that kind of early efficiency has been a welcome shift and a big reason the offense has looked steadier.
But the deeper read on Smiths start is less comforting for New York. The pocket has not held up nearly well enough, and the sacks have piled up around him, turning too many snaps into damage plays and leaving the offense in obvious trouble whenever protection breaks down. Even with the cleaner decisions, the Jets are still living too close to the edge in pass protection, and the question now is whether Smith can keep surviving that kind of pressure long enough for the benefits of his improved start to matter. [Read more 🡒]