The Jets will likely have to snap a two-game losing streak without one of their biggest stars.
Running back Breece Hall is considered week to week after exiting Sunday’s loss in Detroit with a quad injury, according to an NFL Network/ESPN report, which stated that the injury is not as significant as the team initially feared.
Without Hall, the Jets — who may also be without left guard Dylan Parham (knee) for Sunday’s game in Chicago — will turn to Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis in the backfield.
Allen, 22, has averaged 3.7 yards on 129 career carries. Davis, 24, has put up 5.6 yards on 73 attempts, though he hasn’t yet received a carry this season.
“We have Braelon, we have Isaiah, but I’ve never been the type of coach that blamed games or issues on injuries,” head coach Aaron Glenn said Monday. “It’s a play style more than anything else that gets you over the hump.”
Even if Hall and Parham were active in Week 4, concern would remain for a ground game and offensive line partly responsible for back-to-back losses.
After running for 58 yards on 19 carries against the Lions, the Jets rank 26th in the NFL in rushing yards per game (92.3) and 30th in yards per carry (3.3). Hall has averaged 2.1 yards per carry since rushing for 102 yards and a touchdown against the Titans.
“That’s one area we have to fix,” Glenn said. “We have to have urgency of trying to make sure we get that done … To have these two games where we didn’t run it as well, that’s something we have to dial into to make sure we get those things fixed.”
The offensive line wasn’t significantly better protecting quarterback Geno Smith, whose nine sacks through three games are tied for the third most in the league. Against the Lions, the Jets allowed five sacks and 24 pressures on the quarterback.
“[It’s] a little disappointing,” right tackle Armand Membou said. “I felt like we needed to be better in the run game and start to get that going and obviously protect Geno better … It starts with playing as five. All five need to be on the same page and play more as one.”
Joseph Ossai made his Jets debut Sunday, assisting on two tackles.
But after missing the majority of training camp and then suffering a foot injury in late August, the 26-year-old defensive end doesn’t yet look like the player the Jets expected when they signed him to a three-year, $34.5 million deal in March.
“A lot of things to work on,” said Ossai, who failed to record a pressure against Detroit. “I haven’t played ball in a while now. You can try and do everything you can in rehab and in practice, but there’s nothing like a game. Regardless of how it went for me or how I think it went, it was good to be out there playing the game of football, so I’m thankful for that.
“[The injuries have] been extremely frustrating, but we are on a climb up moving forward and one day at a time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
