Jets' Breece Hall matches number of games from last season, says 'I feel fine'

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Breece Hall played in seven games last season and has played in seven games this season.

He rushed for 463 yards last season and 443 this season.

The Jets running back has shown the same sort of explosiveness he did as a rookie last season, including on a 50-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown against the Giants last Sunday.

In short, things have gone about as well as anyone in the organization could have hoped after Hall suffered an ACL tear seven games into 2022.

But how does Hall himself feel?

“I feel fine,” he told Newsday after practice on Friday. “Just like every running back after a few games, you’re never going to be feeling completely healthy. All of us get banged up and get some nicks and dings and stuff like that. So you’ve got to try to get to treatment every day and try to get yourself feeling as good as possible for every game.”

Hall will find out for the first time what it is like to play in an eighth NFL game in a season when the Jets host the Chargers on Monday night.

But did he expect to feel this good at this stage? For many backs, it takes an entire season to return to form after an ACL reconstruction.

“I think I feel pretty close to what I probably would have felt last year or probably what I did feel last year after games,” he said. “There’s not really anything [that is a concern].

“I feel like my body’s more focused on my knee soreness and stuff now than anything else being sore. So I really just try to take care of it and maintain, keeping my knee feeling as good and as strong as possible.”

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise about how Hall has performed has been his speed. Does he feel as fast as he did last year?

“Oh, yeah,” he said. “I feel fine. Just trying to just impact the team as much as possible every game.”

Despite beating the Giants, 13-10 in overtime, the Jets looked sluggish on offense most of the day. Hall rushed 12 times for only 17 yards.

“I think we’ll be fine,” he said. “We’ve just got to make sure everybody’s doing their 1/11th and just trying to make sure that not one person is killing the play. And if we do that, we’ll be OK.”

Notes & quotes: Hall was asked about fellow RB Dalvin Cook’s demeanor in the position room, given that Cook has expressed frustration with his lack of use. “Our relationship is great,” Hall said. “He’s not wearing his emotions on his sleeve. He’s a team guy.” . . . OLs Joe Tippmann (quadriceps) and Laken Tomlinson (hamstring) were listed as limited in a full-pads practice . . . Chargers coach Brandon Staley has a reputation for being aggressive on fourth downs and making other unconventional decisions. Is that something the Jets need to prepare for? Coach Robert Saleh said, “I think in this day and age, we go into every game assuming that every coach is going to go for it on fourth down.”

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.