New York Jets Rookie RB Breece Hall Out for Season

Posted on: October 24, 2022, 02:15h. 

Last updated on: October 24, 2022, 02:51h.

Pauly McGuire Read More

Expertise: Sports Betting, Sports.

The New York Jets went on the road to defeat the Denver Broncos on Sunday. But they lost their leading rusher and rookie running back Breece Hall for the season to an ACL injury.

The Jets are one of the many surprises in the NFL season. They improved to 5-2 overall and 4-0 on the road after beating the Broncos on a windy day, with gusts reaching 20-plus miles per hour. The victory was bittersweet after the Jets lost Hall to season-ending knee surgery.

The Buffalo Bills (5-1) and Kansas City Chiefs (5-2) are the only other five-win teams in the AFC.

The Jets began the season as a long shot to win Super Bowl 57 at +20000 odds. After their road win in Week 7, the Jets saw their Super Bowl odds bump to +8000.

Hall Dunzo with ACL Injury

The Jets had a sensational draft this year, with first-round picks cornerback Sauce Gardner, wide receiver Garrett Wilson, and running back Breece Hall in the second round. The future looked bright for the first time in 15 years for faithful Jets fans, who were tormented and trolled on the internet with the popular #LOLJets hashtag. It takes time for rookies to develop, but the trio made an immediate impact.

The triumvirate of rookies is one of the primary reasons the Jets are off to such a hot start at 5-2, which is why losing Hall to a season-ending knee injury is such a downer.

He’s a heck of a football player,” said Jets head coach Robert Saleh after the Week 7 win. “When you lose great football players, it’s not good.”

In seven games, Hall rushed 80 times for 463 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 5.8 yards per carry. He also caught 19 passes for 218 yards and one touchdown.

On Hall’s third run from scrimmage against the Broncos, he exploded for a 62-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter. The score put the Jets ahead 7-0, and it would end up as their sole touchdown of the game.

At the start of the second quarter, Hall got tackled on a four-yard gain and didn’t get up from the turf. The training staff took a quick look at him and called for the medical cart. He was taken off the field while a trainer gingerly held his right knee.

“He’s such a great player, great person, and you always hate to see someone go down like that,” said Jets quarterback Zach Wilson.

THERE GOES THAT MAN.@BreeceH 62 yards to the crib!!#NYJvsDEN on CBS pic.twitter.com/CbTJxGpRch

— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 23, 2022

Breece Lightning

The Jets selected Hall with a late second-round pick out of Iowa State. Scouts loved his mental toughness and his speed, which is why the Jets were thrilled he was available on draft day.

The nickname stuck — Breece Lightning — because it made sense. When Hall snapped off a 62-yard touchdown run against the Broncos, he topped out at 21.87 mph. According to Next Gen Stats, the touchdown run by Hall was the fastest speed recorded by a running back this season.

Without Hall for the rest of the season, the Jets will rely on backup running back Michael Carter to handle the full workload.

Carter and Hall became close friends following the draft. Carter now moves into the starting role, but he hated to see Hall’s season end so abruptly.

Not going to lie, it hurt me, bro,” Carter told The Athletic. “I was trying to get my head back in the game, because I care about him a lot. I had a prayer with him after the game. It’s hard to move on especially when you have a connection with somebody like that.”

During his rookie season in 2021, Carter led the Jets with 639 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He also added 36 receptions for 325 receiving yards.

In seven games this season, Carter rushed 66 times for 228 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 20 receptions and 151 receiving yards.

https://twitter.com/NextGenStats/status/1584285648189415425