One New York Jets star is standing up for another.
Hours after Jets X-Factor published an article calling for Breece Hall’s benching, Sauce Gardner took to X to respond.
“Wow man… The negativity on here is at an all-time high. We have seen what Breece can do, so why we acting brand new? He’s a top rb in this league and it’s sad that I even have to say that,” Sauce wrote.
“I’m always go have my brother back bc I know the work he puts in everyday. And the same ones that was giving him praise quick to turn their back on him when things ain’t going right which is sad. Y’all take care on this app.”
Hall has taken a lot of flak among Jets fans for his poor start to 2024. Through five games, he ranks last among 40 qualified running backs in yards per attempt (3.0), 33rd in missed tackles forced (7), and 29th in runs of 10+ yards (4). In particular, Braelon Allen’s success (4.5 yards per carry, 5 missed tackles forced, 3 runs of 10+ yards on 32 carries) has spurred the call for Allen to usurp Hall’s role.
It is commendable for Gardner to defend his teammate. It is his job to be supportive no matter what. Unlike in previous years when the Jets’ defense turned on their offense, Gardner did the exact opposite here.
Hall does have a previous track record of being a good player and is receiving some of the worst blocking ever seen by a running back. His 3.1 expected yards per carry is the lowest for any running back with at least 50 carries in a season since NFL Next Gen Stats started tracking the statistic in 2018. It is not merely an outlier based on a small sample size.
It is worth noting, though, that the Jets X-Factor article referred primarily to Hall’s lack of effort rather than merely his lackluster production. The two plays referenced were not run plays. Rather, his refusal to put effort into blocking or tackling after an interception prompted the criticism.
Furthermore, the calls for Allen to take over as the starter are not unfounded from a performance perspective. Allen has outplayed Hall and brings a spark to the offense that Hall does not. It would be one thing to bench Hall just for the sake of benching him, but the Jets have a viable alternative to push him.
Running back is also a different position than quarterback. While the quarterback position is a zero-sum game — either the quarterback is starting or he’s not in the game at all — running back is usually a committee process of some sort in the NFL. The Jets could make Allen the starter while still giving Hall the opportunity to work his way back into the starting lineup.
The NFL is a Not For Long league. A year after signing a 10-year deal with the Patriots, Drew Bledsoe was shipped to the Bills. The league is littered with examples of players who lost their jobs or had their roles diminished due to injury or poor performance.
Gardner did what he had to do in defending his teammate. Jets X-Factor will continue to do its job by critiquing Jets players and coaches where warranted.