Jets Q&A: Breece Hall runs for 127 yards, 83 on one snap
How did Breece Hall look in his return from a torn ACL?
The second-year back looked like the best player on the Jets, and maybe on the field. Hall had 11 touches and finished with 147 scrimmage yards. He showed remarkable burst and speed, especially for someone less than 11 months removed from his injury.
Hall had an 83-yard run in the first half but got tackled at the Bills’ 13.
“I ain’t played a game in about a year, so I got tired,” Hall said. “He caught me. But I won’t be caught next time.”
Hall said “yes and no” when he was asked if he was surprised at how well he played. Then he didn’t sound too surprised.
“Once I got on the field, I was like, 'OK, I’m still that dude,' ” he said. “Any time I touch the ball, I can do whatever I want. I always have that mentality.”
Does Randall Cobb believe the turf contributed to his good friend Aaron Rodgers’ injury?
Cobb doesn’t like playing on turf and gave some strong comments on it that were directed at the NFL.
“I’ve never been a fan and never will be a fan of turf,” Cobb said. “It’s crazy that MLS will change stuff for Messi, Premier League will do everything they can to protect the players with grass fields, but the NFL is more worried about making money. Profit over people. That’s always been the case.”
MetLife Stadium recently got a new playing surface that was supposed to lessen injuries.
How did Duane Brown feel about allowing the sack that got Aaron Rodgers injured?
Exactly as you would expect. The veteran left tackle was very upset. Brown said he was supposed to execute a cut block. He fell and Leonard Floyd brought down Rodgers, likely ending his season with a torn Achilles.
“It [stinks],” Brown said. “I got a lot of respect for Aaron. I don’t know the extent of his injury, but I just hate to not see him out there.”
What did the Jets think about Xavier Gipson’s game-winning punt return?
Robert Saleh said they expected him to break one. It happened in overtime, as Gipson scored on a 65-yard return to give the Jets the emotional win.
“I’m going to speak for the entire locker room,” Saleh said. “We knew he was going to get one today. We just had a feeling. That kid is electric with the ball in his hands. If I’m a team, I’m not kicking it to him. Let them keep doing it.”
Who were the Jets’ inactive players?
The surprise was edge rusher Carl Lawson, who is a starter. He missed about three weeks of training camp with a back injury, but Lawson didn’t appear on the injury report for this game.
The other inactives were offensive tackle Max Mitchell, receivers Irvin Charles and Jason Brownlee, running back Izzy Abanikanda and linebacker Zaire Barnes.
How did the Jets commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks?
NYPD officer Brianna Fernandez sang the national anthem. Her father, Luis Fernandez, served in the NYPD for 23 years and was part of the rescue and recovery efforts from 9/11. He died in 2014.
The Jets held a moment of silence before the anthem. A full-length-of-the-field American flag was unfurled by members of the NYPD, FDNY and PAPD. Jets coaches wore NYPD, FDNY and PAPD hats. The Jets’ offensive players, who were introduced before the game, ran out onto the field holding an American flag.
What celebrities were at MetLife for Rodgers’ debut?
The Jets put out four pages of “Faces in the Crowd.” They included Northport’s Edie Falco and Huntington native and Miller Place resident Ralph Macchio.
Other celebrities included Justin Timberlake, former Rangers goalie Henrik Lundquist, Knicks forward Julius Randle, fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, boxer Jake Paul, actors Brian Baumgartner ("The Office") and Josh Radnor ("How I Met Your Mother"), actress Madeline Cline ("Outer Banks") and hip-hop stars Fat Joe and Method Man.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
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