Overreaction Monday: Jets have far bigger problems than Aaron Rodgers

NFL teams win together; when one thing goes right, everything seems to go right. Unfortunately, it's the same when NFL teams are losing. When one thing goes wrong, everything seems to go wrong. And while everything isn't going wrong for the New York Jets — the defense is second in the NFL in yards allowed — everything is going wrong for the Jets offense, which gains the sixth-fewest yards per game in the league.

While fans will understandably be quick to blame Aaron Rodgers for the Jets offensive woes, it's not solely his fault. In fact, the Jets run game (or lack thereof) might be a bigger issue than Aaron Rodgers' struggles through five weeks. No matter what stat you look at, the Jets running game is near the bottom of the NFL.

New York is dead-last in the NFL in rush yards per game at 80.4, and 30th in yards per attempt at 3.6. Defenses do not fear the Jets rushing attack at all, and so far, that's for good reason. But it's not as though New York has practice squad-level players in the backfield, leading to more questions.

Breece Hall and Braelon Allen are both talented running backs

Hall produced almost 1600 yards from scrimmage last season. Braelon Allen has already shown some serious burst in his first season out of Wisconsin. Both have the potential to be lead backs, but neither has been able to pop off this season. Hall hasn't topped 62 yards rushing in any game, and Allen hasn't passed 55 yards on the ground (though he's only gotten double-digit carries one time.)

So, what's the problem? Is it the Jets offensive line? Perhaps that's part of the issue, but Hall's great year in 2023 came with one of the league's worst offensive lines, so he's shown that he can produce even without a strong front blocking for him.

Has Rodgers' poor play impacted the running game negatively? Maybe, and it's probably true that Rodgers playing better would make the lives of the Jets running backs easier, but it also could be the other way around; a complete lack of rushing attack makes it difficult for Rodgers to open the field up and hit his receivers.

Is coaching the issue? Well, yes — to an extent. Though play-calling isn't the sole culprit of the Jets failure to launch on the ground, it certainly hasn't benefitted the players New York has in its backfield. The Jets lack creativity in the run game, electing more of a ground-and-pound approach with running backs who would fare better getting out into space and being able to show off their versatility.

Ancient football knowledge tells us that an offense will open up if it can establish the run. New York, offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and the rest of the Jets offensive minds need to get much more creative in how they involve Breece Hall and Braelon Allen, because as currently constructed, two good running backs are being practically wasted in New York's backfield.