DENVER — Breece Hall couldn’t help but notice the training table inside the visiting locker room where his wrecked knee had been examined a year ago after he tore his left ACL, and was able to joke about it Sunday.
Hall had no pitch count at last and so he pleaded for the counter play that went for the untouched 72-yard touchdown run through a huge hole on the right side of the line that gave the Jets, 31-21 winners for offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, a 15-13 lead they would not relinquish.
“People been trying to say I’m not fast no more,” Hall said. “I’m like, ‘I just need some space.’ ”
How’s 21.5 mph on Next Gen Stats? Hall was asked how he could block out the cruel memory of that training table.
“I’m new and improved now … I got my robot knee so I’m good,” he said.
Hall takes so much pressure off Zach Wilson, who made three errors — throwing underneath to C.J. Uzomah at the end of the half with no timeouts and then showing no urgency to clock the ball as time ran out before a potential field-goal try and a fourth-quarter interception that forced Quincy Williams and Bryce Hall to seal it.
Asked about Breece Hall, Uzomah said, “A monster.”
Asked the same question, Garrett Wilson said: “When he’s getting that rock and is able to build a rhythm, he’s the best running back in the league.”
Hackett didn’t have to be Bill Walsh and didn’t magically turn Zach Wilson into Joe Montana. He didn’t have to be any genius feeding Hall (22 rushes, 171 yards, one touchdown) on a day with plenty of meaning for not only Hackett.
Because this became the place where he remembered what it is like to feel like Breece The Beast again.
“I’ve been Breece The Beast since seventh grade,” he said.
His grueling rehab has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.
“It’s an inspiration,” Connor McGovern said.
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