The New York Jets did something they hadn’t done in nine years on ‘Thursday Night Football.’ They beat the New England Patriots at MetLife Stadium.
The Jets crushed their divisional rival in a 24-3 rout that was every bit as one-sided as the scoreboard indicates. Aaron Rodgers enjoyed what was easily his best performance with the Jets, completing 27 of 35 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns while consistently leading New York down the field.
New York’s running game was also strong against New England, but that didn’t stop NFL fans — and fantasy football aficionados — from noticing an interesting trend.
Rookie Braelon Allen was quite involved in the Jets’ running game. It wasn’t just after the game turned into a thrashing, either. He routinely spelled Breece Hall throughout the contest and actually outgained his touted counterpart by a yard.
Here’s what to know about the Jets’ carry split and whether it is a one-week aberration or a sign of things to come.
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Breece Hall stats vs. Braelon Allen stats
Breece Hall stats vs. Patriots
- Carries: 16
- Rushing yards: 54
- Rushing TDs: 1
- Receptions: 4
- Receiving yards: 29
Braelon Allen stats vs. Patriots
- Carries: 11
- Rushing yards: 55
- Rushing TDs: 0
- Receptions: 3
- Receiving yards: 13
Both Hall and Allen saw plenty of action during the Jets’ Week 3 win over the Patriots, though Hall was still the clear-cut backfield leader for the Jets. He played 52 of the Jets’ 73 offensive snaps in the blowout compared to Allen’s 23 snaps. Isaiah Davis was the only other running back to play; he got three snaps in the fourth quarter of the 21-point win.
While Hall’s snap disparity is large, it’s worth noting that Hall only out-touched Allen 20-14 during the contest. That meant Allen touched the ball on 60.9% of his snaps, an impressively high mark. Comparatively, Hall’s usage rate sat at 38.5%.
Allen was also more efficient with his carries than Hall was against the Patriots. Allen averaged an even 5 yards per carry while Hall posted a below-average 3.4 yards per tote. Allen’s averages weren’t buoyed by any outliers either, as his longest carry was just 11 yards.
All told, Allen ran with good strength throughout the evening and ripped off some impressive runs against a solid Patriots defense. It was a good follow-up from his two-touchdown performance in Week 2 and should inspire confidence among the Jets’ coaching staff that he is ready for a bigger role despite being the NFL’s youngest player.
Jets RBs fantasy outlook: What to make of Breece Hall vs. Braelon Allen
Should fantasy owners share a similar confidence in Allen? And is it time for Hall’s fantasy football managers to panic?
Probably not.
Allen’s snap percentage didn’t change much from Week 2 to Week 3. He played 35% of the snaps against the Titans but actually saw action on just 31.5% of the snaps in Week 3. That percentage may have ticked down because of the blowout, but it’s also unlikely to improve significantly in a more competitive game — barring an injury to Hall.
Additionally, expecting Allen to get the ball on 60.9% of his snaps each week is unrealistic. The Jets obviously had a plan in place to get Allen touches in Week 3, and it helped that they were leading and able to run frequently throughout the contest.
Perhaps the Jets planned to give both Allen and Hall significant touches because of the short week. Either way, that type of 14-touch volume can’t be viewed as a given for Allen managers, especially in games where the Jets trail, as Hall remains the preferred pass-catching back.
As such, Allen looks more like a high-end fantasy handcuff. If Hall has to miss any time due to injury, Allen could emerge as a legitimate, high-volume starting running back. Until then, he will retain flex potential as a touchdown-dependent option.