It’s the first New York Jets possession in its big game against New England, and one player is standing out on the initial drive.
Running back Braelon Allen is knifing through the Patriots, getting extra yardage and easily sliding into the second level. At times it appears he’s carrying three or four Patriots on his back as he powers for an extra four yards.
Great, think Jets fans. They’re going to loosen up the Patriots and then hit a big play to Garrett Wilson. Maybe this is the day the team gets over the Foxboro curse and certifies that the New York Jets are not the Same Old Jets.
Allen had 91 scrimmage yards in the first half, the most in any half by a Jet this season. The Jets held the ball for 13:11 in the opening quarter
But a funny thing happened for the rest of the game. Offensive coordinator Frank Reich mostly stopped using Allen, who appeared well on the way to his second consecutive 100-yard game.
It could be a product of the flow of the game. The Jets were trailing 17-3 at halftime, and needed to get back in the game in a hurry. Still, it seemed odd that a dominant Allen wasn’t more a part of the second half.
When the Jets did return to the run, they didn’t get it done.
Then early on consecutive possessions in the third quarter, the Jets failed on fourth-and-2 from the New England 30 (Allen carrying the ball) and fourth-and-1 from the New England 39 (Geno Smith trying to sneak).
Head coach Aaron Glenn tried to put the failures in the best light. It wasn’t convincing.
“I thought our guys played with outstanding effort, had a chance to fight back and try to get ourselves in a good position to give ourselves a chance to win,” Glenn said in the postgame. “And we just came up short at the very end. That’s something that we have to fix, being able to do that, especially against a good team.”
He added, “What it came down to is two things: our ability to finish and man, our detail when it comes to defensive football,” Glenn said.
It’s clear the Jets have a weapon in Braelon Allen, who was perceived to be a plodding short yardage option but has proven to be so much more. Now they just have to figure out how to use him, receiver Garrett Wilson (who was again shortchanged on targets) and tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who never seems to touch the ball enough.
Fortunately for the Jets, they have an easier task this weekend in the 0-5 Miami Dolphins. Perhaps this is the weekend the offense finds its rhythm.
