EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Breece Hall is the New York Jets' do-it-all running back who makes the offense go, even with all the uncertainty at quarterback.
Bijan Robinson has that same vital role for the Atlanta Falcons, who rely on him to get the ground game moving while also being an invaluable outlet in the passing game.
The two square off on Sunday at MetLife Stadium when the Falcons (4-7) hit the road to face the Jets (2-9) in a matchup of struggling teams with playmaking running backs.
Hall went 2-0 with Iowa State against Robinson and Texas in college, but Robinson won the lone meeting in the pros when Atlanta beat New York in 2023.
“That’s been my boy since college,” a smiling Hall said. “Excited to go against him this week.”
Hall has 766 yards rushing and remains on pace for his first 1,000-yard season in his fourth year in the NFL since he was a second-round pick in 2022.
“Breece is an absolute monster,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “He’s like one of those guys who’s fast, he’s dynamic, he runs hard and they’re trying to get him involved."
Hall has 28 catches for 301 yards in his third straight season with more than 1,000 yards from scrimmage. Hall is also just the sixth player — and fifth running back — in franchise history to accomplish that feat.
“He's a guy that can hit a home run any time he touches the ball,” said Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who served in the same role with the Jets the last four years and went 3-9 as New York's interim head coach last year.
“Breece is a problem,” Morris added. “He has been since he’s been in the National Football League."
The same can be said of the 23-year-old Robinson, who has 853 yards rushing — 147 away from his second straight 1,000-yard season — and 49 catches for 543 yards.
The No. 8 overall pick in the 2023 draft has 25 career games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Edgerrin James and Emmitt Smith, along with Ezekiel Elliott, Clinton Portis and Christian McCaffrey as the only players to accomplish the feat before turning 24.
“Bijan is one of the best running backs in this league,” Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said. “He’s so dynamic in so many areas: out of the backfield, out in space, screen game, they use him as a receiver."
There also will be some familiarity for both defenses after preparing all week while facing a similar skill set in practice every day.
“Man, it is a really good comparison, but there’s also some differences between those guys, too,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said. “But I like our guy.”
Falcons rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. has sacks in three consecutive games, giving him four this season. He also has a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The Falcons’ other first-round pick, Jalon Walker, has five sacks with two forced fumbles and a recovery.
The Falcons have been second-guessed by some for trading next year’s first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for the No. 26 overall pick used to select Pearce. Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot were banking on having a winning team this season, which would have made the pick sent to the Rams a late-round selection. Instead, it currently looks like a high pick.
Morris insisted this week he remains happy with Pearce as a value return for the 2026 first-round pick.
“Yeah, man, we love James Pearce,” Morris said. “He’s done a great job of providing us a lot of relief in some of our pass rush and things that we wanted to do this year. So being able to go get Jalon and being able to double it up and get James ... being able to make our football team better and our defense better this year. So, I love those guys.”
The Jets have made some dubious history — and Wilks wonders if there's something more to it than just bad luck.
The defense has no interceptions, an NFL record through a team’s first 11 games. The franchise mark for fewest in a season is six, set in 2014. The Jets also only have one takeaway, a fumble recovery in Week 6 by Andre Cisco — who has since been lost for the season with an injury.
"This is some humor to it, but some reality,” Wilks said while keeping a straight face, "I asked the coaches and players: ‘Which one of you guys aren’t living right?’”
Zane Gonzalez has made each of his six field-goal attempts since becoming the Falcons’ third kicker this season, following the releases of Younghoe Koo and Parker Romo.
Gonzalez was good on attempts from 56, 54 and 41 yards in last weekend’s 24-10 win at New Orleans. He was selected as the NFC's special teams player of the week.
“Just happy I could do my job and put it between the sticks,” Gonzalez said Monday, adding he believes the team’s confidence was boosted by ending a five-game losing streak.
The Falcons used a heavy dose of three-tight end sets against New Orleans and had quarterback Kirk Cousins line up under the center. It was a departure from the pistol formations that were more common with Michael Penix Jr. the starter.
With Penix lost for the season with a left knee injury, will the Falcons keep using three tight ends? Morris said the plan was “really game-specific” for the Saints, especially without top wide receiver Drake London — who'll also miss the game against the Jets.
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AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed to this report.
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