Sputtering Jets offense without RB Hall, WR Mitchell vs. Browns

• 

  Rich CiminiOct 9, 2026, 11:13 AM ET

  Close

  Rich Cimini is a staff writer who covers the New York Jets and the NFL at ESPN. Rich has covered the Jets for over 30 years, joining ESPN in 2010. Rich also hosts the Flight Deck podcast. He previously was a beat writer for the New York Daily News and is a graduate of Syracuse University.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- The New York Jets, coming off a historically poor performance, will be without two of their top playmakers Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

Running back Breece Hall (quadriceps) and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (finger) were ruled out Friday by coach Aaron Glenn, who is mired in a three-game losing streak. Neither player practiced this week.

This will be Hall's second consecutive missed game, Mitchell's third. The timing is lousy, as the Jets (1-3) delivered an offensive clunker in last week's 23-12 loss to the Chicago Bears.

It was so lopsided on the stat sheet that the Bears' first-down total (34) exceeded the Jets' number of plays (32). The Bears became only the fourth team since the 1970 merger to run 57 or more plays than the opponents, the first since the 1999 Browns.

The Jets possessed the ball for only 17:15, with quarterback Geno Smith attempting only 15 passes. And now the challenge is to rebound without Hall, their most versatile offensive weapon.

Offensive coordinator Frank Reich blamed last week on the lack of third-down efficiency -- 0-for-7.

"I think it was just poor on our part and I'm the offensive coordinator, so I'm ultimately responsible for that," Reich said.

Braelon Allen again will start for Hall. Allen rushed a career-high 14 times for 59 yards against the Bears, later admitting that he blew two assignments on blitz pickups.

Allen was the Jets' only ballcarrier in the game -- a franchise first. Backup Isaiah Davis played only two offensive snaps and had no touches.

"Where the No. 2 back gets his carries and touches is kind of after the second or third first down in the drive, and we just never got to that point in the game," Reich said.

Glenn continued to be evasive on Mitchell's finger injury, declining to say whether it's fractured or sprained. He did say that no surgical procedure was required. It's a "pain tolerance" issue, according to Glenn, who said the injury occurred in practice before their Week 2 game. He expressed hope that Mitchell could return next week.

They also ruled out left guard Dylan Parham, who will miss his second straight game with a knee injury.

The Jets did get some positive injury news. Tight end Mason Taylor, out the last two games with a thumb injury, practiced all week and will return.

Veteran wide receiver Tim Patrick is a possibility, too. His 21-day practice window opened this week after four weeks on injured reserve with a strained groin.