Breece Hall Proves He's Back and Better Than Ever

The Jets' RB1 has returned to full speed after rookie season ACL tear

At the site where it all went awry in 2022, Breece Hall continued his comeback tour by registering his highest single-game rushing total as a pro.

The New York Jets' second-year running back carried 22 times for 177 yards in a 31-21 road win over the Denver Broncos. His 72-yard touchdown burst opened the second-half scoring and gave Gang Green the lead for good in the much-needed Week 5 victory. 

"He’s pretty good, isn’t he?” said Jets' head coach Robert Saleh after the game.

Making his performance even more impressive, Hall is doing it all only 10 months after undergoing surgery to repair the ACL that he tore on October 23, 2022 in Denver. Through the season's first five weeks, the Iowa State product ranks second overall amongst NFL leaders in yards per carry (7.2). 

Hall averaged 8.0 yards per carry in Week 5. He recorded seven first downs, including gains of 19 and 16 yards on the ground. His 177 rush yards topped all NFL players for the week. 

"Breece was out of his mind. He was definitely feeling it," said Jets' offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett on Thursday as the offense prepped for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Having made a remarkably fast recovery from a debilitating knee injury, Hall reached the eighth-fastest speed by an NFL ball carrier this season when he ripped off the 72-yard scoring scamper on the Jets' first offensive snap of the second half. He hit 21.5 mph while traveling a total of 86.6 yards according to NFL Next Gen Stats.

"People been trying to say I'm not fast no more. I just need some space," said Hall at his locker following the win.

Hall also showed blazing speed in the Monday Night Football season opener against the Buffalo Bills. Although Bills' cornerback Christian Benford eventually caught him at the 13-yard line, Hall reached 20.54 mph on 83-yard run that flipped the field. 

The Week 5 performance in Denver was especially significant. 

It was the first time that Hall received a full workload since his injury, touching the ball a team-high 25 times. He led all Jets' running backs by playing 52 percent of offensive snaps. Meanwhile, Hall's 22 rush attempts were a career high, surpassing the 20-carry day he had as a rookie in Green Bay.

"This past game was, it looked different," said Hackett. "Especially with that low oxygen level that everyone claims is out there. I felt like he had a major X button."

Hall had carried no more than 12 times in any of the four games prior to his breakthrough day against the Broncos.  The Jets brought him along slowly throughout the offseason, placing the running back on the physically unable to perform list at the start of training camp.

Hall did not see any preseason game action, but his rehab regimen prepared him for a return to RB1 duties.

"The workload you get during the rehab process is harder than what you get in the game," said Hall. "When you come back and start playing, you know that you're ready. So, it wasn't like anything mental that you had to check."

If there were any questions about Hall trusting his knee and holding up over the course of a game, the 22-year-old rising star provided an emphatic answer in Denver.

"I'm still not even a year removed from my injury yet, only nine or 10 months from surgery. I'm honestly just blessed to be back on the field and really being able to play good football again," said Hall last week.

Making for a remarkable comeback story, Hall is running as fast and as effective as ever. 

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