Heavy on Jets
Not a lot went right for the New York Jets in Week 1.
One decision that befuddled fans and media was the utilization of rookie running back Braelon Allen. He only participated in nine of the offensive snaps and they all came in garbage time at the end of the San Francisco 49ers game.
Dan Leberfeld of Jets Confidential asked on social media, “Why use Breece Hall on that two-point conversion run – why not Braelon Allen? Wasn’t Allen drafted for those kinds of plays?”
Why use Breece Hall on that two-point conversion run – why not Braelon Allen? Wasn’t Allen drafted for those kinds of plays?
Jets content creator Matt O’Leary asked, “Did something happen to Braelon Allen? 3rd and 4th and 1 seems like the spot for him.”
Did something happen to Braelon Allen? 3rd and 4th and 1 seems like the spot for him #Jets
Jets Need to Spread the Butter on the Offensive Side of the Ball
Allen finished the game with one carry for eight rushing yards. His only carry of the game came with just two minutes remaining in the contest.
NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein described Allen as someone who possesses “rare size on an imposing frame.”
On the official team website, Allen is listed at 6-foot-1 and tipping the scales at 235 pounds.
“He’s built to be a banger but needs to embrace a consistently physical style, as he lacks the footwork and hips to elude defenders with finesse,” Zierlein explained.
Hall is the straw that stirs the drink for the Jets, but you’d figure Allen’s immediate role on the Jets would be as a short-yardage and goal-line back. A complement to what Hall brings to the table with his blazing speed.
That gig and any other role was nonexistent for the No. 134 overall pick in April’s draft Week 1.
New York Needs to Lean on Some Young Legs
It’s fair to say that the Jets didn’t have a ton of offensive opportunities in Week 1. So it’s important not to overreact.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said it’s “Tough to win with only 51 plays.”
One thing that hurt the Jets was their inability to control the ball. The green and white finished with only 21:20 in terms of time of possession. Cimini noted that is the lowest time of possession “by an Aaron Rodgers-led team in any start of his career. This is Rodgers’ 225th career start.”
The Jets had the ball for 21:20. That’s the fewest time of possession by an Aaron Rodgers-led team in any start of his career. This is Rodgers’ 225th career start. #Jets
How do you fix that? Run the ball down the other team’s throat.
With Allen’s only carry against the 49ers he made history. He became the “youngest player ever to record a yard in the Super Bowl era.”
Allen responded to that historic milestone by saying, “Blessed 🙏🏾.”
Rodgers hadn’t completed a full NFL game in 20 months before the season opener against San Francisco.
While he certainly showed flashes of that elite quarterback he used to be, you could tell that the Jets’ offensive philosophy was to run the ball.
A good running game is a quarterback’s best friend. Allen was a beast in training camp and the preseason.
So much so that Bleacher Report named him the “top steal” in the 2024 NFL draft mere months after he was selected in the fourth round.
He shouldn’t be the Jets’ top running back, that spot belongs to Hall, but he should certainly be a factor in this offense moving forward.
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