The New York Jets had reason to rejoice for more than the final score of their 20-17 win against the Washington Commanders in their 2024 NFL preseason opener.
Jets rookie running back Braelon Allen put on an exhibition against the Commanders. The Jets’ No. 134 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin was not held back by the barrier that the Commanders’ defensive line tried to put up to impede his progress down the field. The 20-year-old went for 54 yards on a mere six carries on Aug. 10. At nine yards per carry, Allen made his presence felt in his time on the field, and his coaching staff recognized him for it after the victory.
Jets: Rookie RB Braelon Allen lauded by HC after strong preseason debut
Ralph Ventre of New York Jets on SI shared this quote from Jets head coach Robert Saleh after Allen’s statement performance against Washington:
“I’ll speak for the entire team. We’re all excited to see him run. Him and Isaiah [Davis] for that matter. Braelon didn’t disappoint,” said Saleh, the Jets’ fourth-year head coach.
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Allen put the stamp on his big game with a 24-yard burst
Allen was stuffed inside of five yards on his first couple of rush attempts to start the game. However, the 6-1, 235-pound ball-carrier found other ways to be effective before finding openings around the line of scrimmage. He was looked for twice by Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor when the latter scrambled out of the pocket and looked to make a play on the fly early on. Further, Allen executed a textbook block on Commanders DL Anthony Pittman with just over three minutes to go in the first quarter, though Taylor was taken down before gaining any yards on the play.
Albeit, the Jets’ promising young talent found his first hole in the defense 16 seconds into the second quarter. He sunk his hips while veering left on his rush attempts and executed a sharp cut, allowing him to burst through the middle and truck the incoming contact for 16 yards on the ground. He followed that up with a five-yard gain before taking his third consecutive carry 24 yards down the left side of the field, as Jets Talk 24/7 shared on X:
It was an encouraging day for the Jets rookie running back. All in all, he was able to create two big plays with sound footwork and power. The facts that he freed himself up as a pass-catching option and executed a replay-worthy block when his number was called are added strengths that the Jets can benefit from as he makes his case to get the lion’s share of second-string carries behind starting RB Breece Hall in the upcoming campaign.
