Aaron Glenn's Past Could Help Jets Unlock Breece Hall-Braelon Allen Tandem's Full Potential

The 54-year-old HC might want to take a page out of his time in the Motor City.

Taking a page from his past could help Jets head coach Aaron Glenn get the most out of RBs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Jets head coach Aaron Glenn’s job wasn’t on the line on Sunday. But in his second season with an almost entirely different coaching staff, he needed a statement win after last year’s disastrous campaign. That's exactly what happened.

Glenn has been clear about what he wants his football team to be: physical, dominant at the line of scrimmage, and committed to pounding the football. He saw this formula work during his time as the Detroit Lions’ defensive coordinator, with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs headlining the backfield.

Detroit leaned on their differing skill sets. Montgomery was the physical, early-down runner who dominated the short-yardage situations. Gibbs was the explosive, versatile weapon who could hurt defenses as a runner and receiver. 

Glenn has brought a similar identity to New York with running backs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen. 

Against the Robert Saleh-led Titans, New York racked up 152 rushing yards, including a 19-play, nearly 12-minute drive that featured 15 runs. The pair, along with the terrific play from the offensive line, completely dominated the Titans at the line of scrimmage, leading Gang Green to a 23-10 victory. 

Hall and Allen aren’t Gibbs and Montgomery. But there are similarities in what each can bring to the Jets’ offense—and Glenn is starting to use them similarly. 

Glenn can recreate Lions' dominant rushing attack with Allen and Hall

The Lions' rushing attack took off with Gibbs and Montgomery manning the backfield. Detroit averaged 30.4 rushing attempts per game across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, establishing the run as a consistent part of its identity. 

In 2023, they ranked fifth in rushing yards (135.9) and tied for the league-high in rushing touchdowns (27). The following year, they ranked sixth in rushing yards (146.6) and third in rushing touchdowns (29). 

That elite-level production wasn’t solely because of Montgomery and Gibbs. The Lions had one of the best offensive lines, while Jared Goff led one of the most efficient passing offenses during this stretch. 

Gibbs and Montgomery benefited from a great line and passing game, as well as from being utilized correctly. Detroit didn’t ask their running backs to do the same thing. Although both were capable dual-threat RBs, Montgomery excelled as the downhill back, while Gibbs consistently made plays in space. This flexibility gave Detroit two varying skill sets to throw at defenses. 

Aaron Glenn may have been running the Lions' defense, but he still had an up-close ticket to seeing what Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery could do together. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Glenn can recreate this with Allen and Hall to an extent. While they aren’t at Gibbs and Montgomery's level, they present New York with two complementary feature backs. 

Hall is more of a complete three-down back, who’s effective both running the ball and as an elite receiving option. Allen, meanwhile, is more of a bruising, power back (h/t Ryan Sampson) who uses his roughly 250-pound frame to bounce off defenders. 

Can't say enough good things about Braelon Allen here, 4th & 1 and he makes the right read here to jump cut and find a hole pic.twitter.com/Mc8iDAqYQr

— Ryan Sampson (@RyanMSampson) September 14, 2026

Glenn doesn’t, and shouldn’t, have to split the carries 50/50. It’s Hall’s backfield, and he should maintain a similar workload as he did on Sunday, when he received 22 carries compared to Allen's 10. 

Hall is the more dynamic weapon and explosive runner. He should be the focal point of the offense alongside wide receiver Garrett Wilson. Allen can come in to give Hall a break while still aggressively running the ball. They could also deploy him in goal-line situations, where he’s proven to be effective in the past. 

Detroit’s backfield was great because they knew how and when to use them. The coaches understood their strengths and knew what situation to put them in to succeed. 

The Jets did a great job of knowing when to use each back on Sunday. Glenn must now replicate a similar rushing attack and workload in Week 2 against the Packers. 

Get Vikings On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.