Breece Hall Struggles to Gain Traction in Desert, Production Continues to Dip
The New York Jets' offensive struggles have coincided with the inability to efficiently gain yards on the ground.
Coming off a 177-yard rushing day against the Denver Broncos in Week 5, running back Breece Hall was riding high as the NFL leader in yards per carry (7.2) average. In the four games since, however, Hall and the Jets' run game has hit the skids.
The second-year pro has rushed for 134 yards combined during the recent stretch of troubles that culminated on Sunday Night Football against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Hall carried 13 times for 28 yards (2.2 avg) in the 16-12 setback against the Raiders. He did have a three-yard touchdown nullified due to an offensive penalty on what was a frustrating night in the desert. With an 11-yard burst called back due to offensive holding, his longest rush was a seven-yard gain late in the second quarter.
It was actually quarterback Zach Wilson who led the Jets in rushing with 54 yards on four carries against the Raiders.
Hall gained two yards or less on nine of his 13 rush attempts in Las Vegas. He failed to record a first down on the ground.
"I think that what’s frustrating is that we’re not giving ourselves a chance to continue and stay on schedule to see what would happen," said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh, whose team has scored only eight offensive touchdowns through nine games.
Hall has not averaged more than 3.3 yards per rush in any of his last four outings while registering a long of 10 yards over that sample. His season average is down to 4.9 ypc, which is still good enough for seventh place in the NFL.
While Hall appears back at full strength following ACL surgery, he is facing stacked boxes more frequently on defense. His decreasing production may also be a result of the offensive line's lack of continuity. The Jets used their sixth different starting O-line combination of the season of Sunday night in Las Vegas.
Despite the rushing struggles, Hall has managed to contribute in the passing game over his last four appearances. He made at least three receptions every game and is averaging 46.5 yards per outing over that span. Hall had a key 35-yard gain on a screen pass against the Raiders.
"It’s stuff that we’ll look at [increasing Hall's involvement in the passing attack]. Usually with his production, it’s going to come on check downs, but that is something we definitely need to look at," said Saleh.
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