With the New York Jets’ 2024 preseason opener etched in the history books (yes, there will be history books written on a 12 p.m. Saturday exhibition between Adrian Martinez and Sam Hartman; your kids will be reading them in 20 years), we finally have some new stats to dig into after spending the last seven months rehashing numbers from the 2023 season.
The best numbers of the afternoon belonged to the Jets’ rookie running back duo of Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis.
Visit our New York Jets Analytics page to learn the advanced football numbers.
Between the two young backs, New York witnessed exciting playmaking potential in all three phases. That was evident to anybody watching the game and is also apparent in the box score, but the advanced metrics back up the impressiveness of Allen and Davis’ performances.
Allen starred in the run game, stomping his way to 54 yards on only six carries (9.0 yards per carry). And it’s not as if he got it all on one play. Even outside of his long run of 24 yards, he still gained 30 yards on his other five totes (6.0 yards per carry). It was a consistent day for the 235-pound bruiser from Wisconsin.
Those numbers are strong enough on their own, but to those watching the game, what stood out was the way Allen created yards using his sheer power in the open field. It seemed like he added 4-5 extra yards at the end of each run with his overwhelming power, and the advanced metrics agreed.
Per NFL Next Gen Stats, Allen finished with a game-high of 24 RYOE (Rushing Yards Over Expected), an average of 4.0 RYOE per carry. This means he essentially gained four more yards per carry than the average running back would be expected to gain in the same situations.
Braelon Allen TRUCK STICK
📱: Stream #WASvsNYJ on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4jHusVmroN
— NFL (@NFL) August 10, 2024
Davis was quiet in the run game, gaining only 8 yards on four carries with a total of -11 RYOE (-2.8 per carry). Most of that came on one run where he slipped behind the line of scrimmage, causing him to post -8 RYOE on the play.
However, Davis more than made up for his quiet rushing performance with an impactful day in the passing game. Davis caught all four of his targets for 33 yards. More impressively, he was credited with 24 YACOE (Yards After Catch Over Expected), which led both teams on the day. His four receptions were only expected to yield 10 yards after the catch, yet Davis finished with 34.
This Jets RB room is deep. Isaiah Davis is so underrated pic.twitter.com/L8Cwq2pLr1
— Joe DeLeone (@joedeleone) August 10, 2024
With his 24 YACOE outweighing his -11 RYOE, Davis totaled 13 yards over expectation on the day. Add that to Allen’s 24 RYOE, and the young running back duo combined to generate 37 total yards over expectation on just 14 offensive touches. They made plays with ease against Washington’s reserve defenders, looking more than ready to make an impact in the regular season.
Additionally, Davis brought the Jets out to the 30-yard line on his lone kickoff return of the day. With Xavier Gipson sidelined, Davis joined Malachi Corley as one of the Jets’ two starting kickoff returners. He has a chance to make a difference in this role alongside his duties as the RB3.
When evaluating running backs, the main thing you want to focus on is creation. What did they create beyond what was set up for them? On Saturday, both Allen and Davis proved they have the potential to become valuable creators for the Jets.
