NY Jets RB Breece Hall is rightfully upset about his usage
By Justin Fried
![NY Jets, Breece Hall NY Jets, Breece Hall](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3809,h_2142,x_0,y_665/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/30/01hak0770tnjnc977003.jpg)
The NY Jets fell to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2 in a game headlined by a shaky quarterback performance, a defensive letdown, and some questionable offensive game-planning. Perhaps no one was more upset about the loss after the game than running back Breece Hall.
And it's gard to blame him.
Hall spoke with reporters after the game, and when asked about why his team struggled on the ground, he offered up a reasonable and completely accurate response.
"I mean, I only got four touches. That’s why we struggled. It is what it is. We just got down early today and just abandoned the run. That type of stuff happens. You feel like you have to get back in the game and it just slips away."
- Breece Hall
Hall later tweeted (and deleted) a post that featured four football emojis, likely in reference to the measly four touches he received in Sunday's game. No matter what your opinion on his comments is, four touches for arguably the Jets' best offensive player is inexcusable.
Hall has every reason to be upset, and Jets fans should be too.
The NY Jets completely misused Breece Hall on Sunday
The Jets entered Sunday's game against the powerhouse Cowboys with an obvious disadvantage at the quarterback position. There was a way to win this game, however. This was a winnable contest for Gang Green.
The Jets needed to come up with a game plan that would attack the Cowboys' weaknesses. They needed to establish the running game early and target Dallas' linebackers. To do this, they needed to rely on Breece Hall.
Hall has been kept on a limited snap count as the team works him back into the fold. I'm not here to argue against that — that's for the team doctors to decide. What I am here to discuss, however, is Hall's usage on those snaps.
Hall's four touches on Sunday came on 1st-and-10, 1st-and-10, 2nd-and-10, and 2nd-and-10. He wasn't used in the important third-down situations. He wasn't used in the few times the Jets were able to run plays in plus territory.
Instead, the Jets used Dalvin Cook and Michael Carter in those situations. Carter's playing time significantly increased from Week 1 to Week 2, while Hall actually played fewer snaps on Sunday than he did in the team's season opener.
Yes, part of this is a result of the flow of the game. The Jets had the ball for less than half the amount of time Dallas did. That has to be taken into account.
But the Jets' offensive game plan in this game should have been to beat the Cowboys on the ground with their running game. That's the way to attack this defense, especially when Zach Wilson (who held his own in the first half) is your quarterback.
Someone didn't notify Nathaniel Hackett, though. Hackett's personnel usage was a mess in this game. Jeremy Ruckert, the Jets' best run-blocking tight end by a mile, played five snaps. Meanwhile, C.J. Uzomah was a disaster as a run blocker.
The Jets had the personnel to cause trouble for Dallas, even with Wilson under center, but their abysmal offensive gameplan tanked the offense before they ever really had a shot to get things going.
The Jets were soundly defeated on Sunday, but the team's coaching staff — on both sides of the ball — is a large reason for that. Hall's words may have struck a nerve with some fans, but he's absolutely right.
If the Jets are going to find success on offense this season, he's going to need to touch the ball more than four times per game. Sunday was a masterclass on how not to run this Jets' offense. Hackett and the Jets need to do better.
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