Jets' Hall regains confidence after standout MNF game: 'I'm still that dude'
Despite being just 10 months removed from a torn ACL, Breece Hall looked better than ever during his team's overtime win over the Buffalo Bills on Monday.
The New York Jets running back ran for 120 yards on 10 carries, including an 83-yard scamper in which he showed off his pre-injury explosiveness. He also had one catch for 20 yards.
"Once I got on the field, I was like, 'I'm still that dude. Anytime I touch the ball, I can do whatever I want with it,'" Hall said, according to NFL.com's Kevin Patra. "I always had that mentality, but I was just happy the coaches stuck with me today.
"They said I was going to have a pitch count before the game, but I told them I don't want a pitch count, but if I have to, I will. So, they kind of just rolled with me, Dalvin (Cook), and MC (Michael Carter) carrying it. So, it was cool."
THERE GOES BREECE HALL! 83 YARDS!
- NFL (@NFL) September 12, 2023
: #BUFvsNYJ on ESPN/ABC
: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/6SstXq1rq7 pic.twitter.com/17LZRdnNQw
Jets head coach Robert Saleh is expecting the sophomore to continue to improve as he gets further away from the knee injury that ended his rookie year.
"Breece looked good," Saleh said. "I'm going to mess with him a little for getting caught on one. He's still getting his legs back, but he has such great vision and burst, and he is so slippery, deceptively slippery. Excited for him. He had a couple of big runs, a big screen. He is only going to get bigger, better, and stronger."
Meanwhile, Cook - who joined New York in mid-August as a free agent - struggled to match Hall's production. The four-time Pro Bowler was mostly stymied by Buffalo's defense, finishing with 33 yards on 13 carries.
Hall was an early-season favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022. He racked up 463 rushing yards, 218 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns in the first seven games of the campaign before suffering the season-ending ACL tear.
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