3 Takeaways from Jets' Week 5 Win vs. Broncos
Breece Hall is officially back!
The New York Jets running back exploded for 177 rushing yards in Sunday's Week 5 win over the Denver Broncos.
The Jets were waiting for a breakout performance out of Hall since he returned from his torn ACL.
Hall's 72-yard touchdown run at the start of the third quarter altered the complexion of the contest and allowed the Jets to pull away in Colorado.
New York's defense received a boost from Hall's touchdown scamper as well, as it conceded a single score in the second half.
The Jets limited Denver's two top wide receivers and made Russell Wilson work for every yard in the passing game.
Breece Hall's Breakout Game
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Hall's breakout game is a massive sign of things to come for the Jets offense.
The Jets entered Week 5 with 210 rushing yards in their last three games. They ran for 234 yards against Denver.
Hall was responsible for 177 of those yards. The real sign of him being back to normal came on the 77-yard burst through the Denver defense.
The Iowa State product surged through each layer of the Broncos unit and provided a spark to the Jets sideline that lasted until the final whistle.
Hall's touchdown occurred at the 13:29 mark of the third quarter. The Jets tacked on three field goals after that to open up an 11-point lead that Wilson and the Broncos could only cut to three before a defensive touchdown from the Jets.
Hall's return to form is huge for the Jets, as they try to approach the rest of the season with a balanced approach.
Some of the pressure will come off Zach Wilson if Hall can run the ball successfully each week.
Running well against Denver is one thing, but if Hall carries over the momentum into a good showing in Week 6 against Philadelphia, New York could have more hope that it can make a playoff push.
Jets Secondary Shut Down Denver's Top Pass Catchers
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Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton were non-existent for stretches of the contest.
Jeudy finished with six catches on seven targets, but he managed just 50 yards, while Sutton had a single reception for 13 yards.
The Jets did a fantastic job containing both of Denver's big-play threats, as they held Wilson to 196 passing yards.
Sunday's performance was the best of the season for the Jets secondary. Every opponent put up at least 190 yards through the air on the AFC East squad in the first four weeks.
New York's passing-yard concession has gone down since Week 2. The Jets held New England, Kansas City and Denver to 201 aerial yards or fewer.
The Jets still need to clean up a rushing defense that allowed over 100 yards for the fourth straight game, but the shut-down play in the secondary is a promising sign for a team that may have to win a few low-scoring contests for the rest of the season.
Jets Badly Wanted to Win for Nathaniel Hackett
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The Jets played with some extra motivation on Sunday.
Offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who did not have a good tenure in Denver, was criticized by Sean Payton for his lack of success with the franchise.
The Jets did not come out publicly to say they were playing for Hackett before the game, but they let it all out after the victory.
"We are playing for our boy. If somebody talks s--t about somebody on this team, in our building, in this facility, we are going to play for that person," Uzomah said after the game, via the New York Daily News (via NFL.com's Kevin Patra). "We downplayed it all week and the emotion came out of me to say what I said and I don't take that back. That's what I was feeling in that moment and we were able to come out here and win it for Hack."
Jets head coach Robert Saleh appeared to tell Payton to "stay humble" during their postgame handshake.
New York played with a personal edge and that helped it finish the job in the second half.
It was good to see the Jets players and coaches rally around one of their own, and Sunday's win should only strengthen the bond within the team.
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