Braelon Allen showed he's back from knee injury
The third time Braelon Allen touched the football Friday night was an emphatic reminder of what he’s capable of and what the Jets missed most of last season.
Playing in his first game in nearly 11 months, Allen took the handoff from Cade Klubnik, cut through the offensive line and put on the after burners for a 31-yard touchdown run against Tampa.
“He is fully back,” Aaron Glenn said.
Allen suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 last season in Miami. He rehabbed and trained tirelessly to get bigger and stronger, and may even be faster. The 240-pound Allen showed great burst in the Jets’ preseason opener.
“His ability to actually press the hole, put his foot in the ground and get vertical and then run away from people, the speed that he’s always had, that really showed up,” Glenn said. “It’s really good to see it. I’m happy for him. I’m proud of him. Listen, we were all looking for that player.”
Center Josh Myers said the “whole team was just so pumped for (Allen).”
The Jets had high expectations for Allen last season, playing with Breece Hall. Allen will get the chance to prove himself again in his third NFL season.
“Super happy for him, but not a surprise for us,” said Lindenhurst’s Jeremy Ruckert, who had a key block on Allen’s run.
“We get to see everything he does behind closed doors, how much work he puts in, how much he takes care of his body. But I think it was good for the world to see his hard work pay off. He's still building in the right direction. He’s going to be huge for us this year.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
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