While New York Jets fans continue to lick their wounds after a disappointing Week 1 loss, there is a lot to feel good about. Mainly, the run game that the organization told us for six months was going to be ferocious was just that for four quarters.
While Justin Fields was nearly perfect through the air, his 12 carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns kept the Pittsburgh Steelers defense on their toes. Breece Hall’s 100 yard day caught the world by surprise as talks of a backfield by committee had dominated the offseason narrative. Braelon Allen left a lot of meat on the bone with a six carry, nine yard performance.
But regardless, the Jets escaped Sunday afternoon with the fourth most rushing yards in the league. The Baltimore Ravens brought home the rushing title in their game against AFC East foe, the Buffalo Bills (more on that later).
Inside The Numbers Of The Jets’ Run Game
Being the always level headed analysts that NFL fans are, Week 1 is a big deal to us. But ESPN’s Bill Barnwell attempted to dictate what overreactions are “real” and what are “just a mirage”.
In the real category, Barnwell puts “The Jets can run the ball”.
“Facing a Steelers defense that ranked 13th in the league in rush defense DVOA a year ago, Fields and a trio of halfbacks combined to run the ball 39 times for 189 yards and three touchdowns,” Barnwell writes. “The Jets got real contributions from their lesser-known players. Josh Myers, inserted into the starting lineup at center after Vera-Tucker’s injury, pancaked a Steelers lineman on that first run and had a very solid game as a run blocker… John Simpson, arguably the team’s best lineman in 2024, was excellent at the point of attack throughout the day.”
The Jets got it done in zone and gap scheme. Using a mixture of Breece Halls patience to sift through penetration, and pre snap motion with the exciting rookie Mason Taylor, to lead to a gain of 18 on the opening play.
A counter to third string back Isaiah Davis and a power run from Justin Fields accounted for two more of the team’s five carries of ten or more yards. It was one explosive play after another for an offense that ended the day with 394 yards of total offense.
Bills Struggle To Stop The Run Sunday Night
The Buffalo Bills were embarrassed on the defensive side of the ball allowing a league high 238 yards of rushing from the Ravens.
From start to finish it looked painfully easy for the reigning AFC North champions to march the football down the field on the road at Highmark Stadium. The Bills looked helpless as the Duo of Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson rushed for an average of more than ten yards per carry, picking up a chunk play nearly every single time they touched the football.
Nobody is saying that the Jets offense is the Ravens offense, but if there was one team you could compare New York’s multi-threat ground game to, it would be the team that just hung 40 points on the road.
Now Buffalo is coming to East Rutherford on a relatively short week after a massive emotional win against a non-divisional rival. With less than four days to really fix what went wrong Sunday night, I think the Bills are in a real tough spot.
Conversely, the Jets backfield should be licking their chops after what the Bills defense put on tape.
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