Braelon Allen's recent play shows he can carry the load for the Jets, with or without Breece Hall

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Breece Hall is getting closer to returning and regaining his starting job as the Jets’ lead back. But Braelon Allen has shown he deserves a bigger role in the offense.

“Breece is our starter, he’s always been our starter,” Aaron Glenn said Wednesday. “But as always, Braelon’s going to get his touches too.”

Hall, who has missed the last three games with a quad injury, could be back Sunday when the Jets face the winless Dolphins at MetLife Stadium. For the first time since Hall got hurt, Glenn didn’t label him “week-to-week.” Although Hall didn’t practice, Glenn left the door open for Hall being on the field as early as Thursday.

“We’ll see exactly how that goes into tomorrow and how the week goes,” Glenn said.

Whenever Hall returns, the Jets should use a more balanced two-back attack with Hall and Allen and see how it plays out. Hall is the more explosive back and better as a third-down pass-catcher, so the split shouldn’t be 50-50 — but it should lean more toward Allen than it has.

In the three games Hall played this season, he had 61 touches for 265 yards and a touchdown while Allen had 23 touches for 72 yards and a score. In Hall’s absence, Allen has been the Jets’ most productive player.

He has represented 37.9% of the Jets’ total offense over the last three games. Allen has 287 scrimmage yards on 59 touches and a touchdown. He rushed for 116 yards and the game-winning touchdown two weeks ago against Cleveland and surpassed 100 scrimmage yards in last Sunday’s loss to New England.

Allen’s 194 rushing yards the past two games were the third most in the NFL. He had a league-best nine runs of 10 yards or more the last two weeks. Allen’s 174 yards after contact also led the NFL, according to SumerSports.

The Jets signed Hall to a three-year, $46.75 contract extension in May. The plan all along has been for him to be their bell-cow back. Allen has left no doubt that he could handle that responsibility and has earned more opportunities.

“That's good to have another guy on our team, especially when Breece comes back, that can actually handle a load like that,” Glenn said. “Now, you can make sure you can share those responsibilities as far as giving those guys the ball, knowing that Breece is our starter.”

This is a good problem for the Jets to have. Their offense has been a major disappointment. They need as many productive players as they can get.

Offensive coordinator Frank Reich has to find ways to utilize everyone when Hall and receiver Adonai Mitchell, who practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday after missing four games following finger surgery, are back.

For Allen, these last three games have been a testament to his hard work and recovery from a knee injury that he suffered in Week 4 last year that required surgery. He was confident if given a chance he would let everyone know he could lead a backfield.

“Nothing that I didn't know I was capable of,” Allen told Newsday. “I think everybody else is kind of just catching on. Obviously, opportunities help. My process never changed compared to what I was doing before. And now the opportunity is just increasing and I'm able to put more on display and bring more to the table.”

The Jets have said all along that they feel they have two starting-caliber backs. Hall may have to sacrifice touches and snaps — at least in the short term — for the good of the team.

Glenn is a defensive coach, but he’s been a part of some really good teams that utilized a two-back system and were extremely successful and difficult to defend.

He was with the Saints when Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram each posted more than 1,500 scrimmage yards in the same season. They had multiple nicknames, including “Rhythm and Bruise” and “Zoom and Boom.”

Glenn also was with the Lions for the Jahmyr Gibbs-David Montgomery pairing, known affectionately in Detroit as “Sonic and Knuckles.” They each had more than 1,100 yards in back-to-back years.

Maybe the Jets can have something similar with Hall and Allen, and a new nickname will be born. Hall is quicker and Allen is a more physical runner, but he has burst and can flatten would-be tacklers. The Jets should use Hall and Allen’s different styles and change of pace more than they have and see whether it’s effective in punishing defenses.

Allen said whatever the coaches decide to do is “completely out of my control, so it’s not even something I think about.”

He at least gave the Jets’ coaches something to think about when Hall returns.

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.