Braelon Allen Takes Responsibility as Jets Seek Browns Bounce Back

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen is looking to help reverse the team's difficult start to the 2026 NFL season after taking on an expanded role during Breece Hall's absence. Allen recorded 59 rushing yards on 14 carries in a 23-12 loss to the Chicago Bears, while acknowledging mistakes in pass protection that he believes affected the offense.

According to the Jets' official team report published Oct. 5, Allen started in place of Hall, who was inactive because of a quadriceps injury sustained in Week 3. Allen averaged 4.2 yards per carry and handled five consecutive rushing attempts for 21 yards during a second-half drive before New York's offense stalled.

Head coach Aaron Glenn credited Allen's rushing performance but acknowledged that the team needed to pursue other offensive options while trailing. Glenn also pointed to improvements in the running game after difficulties during the previous two contests.

Allen, who is in his third season with New York, was critical of his own performance, particularly two missed blitz pickups in the first half. He believes those mistakes disrupted the passing game involving quarterback Geno Smith and wide receiver Garrett Wilson.

Allen explained his disappointment after the Chicago game, taking responsibility for the protection errors.

"I'm very hard on myself and I've got to say I feel like I let the team down."

He also described how the mistakes affected his responsibilities within the offense.

"In the first half, I had two errors on blitz pickup. I felt personally that hindered us from getting the pass game going. Obviously, I know the type of quarterback [Geno Smith] that we have and the weapons [Garrett Wilson et. al.] that we have outside. And when I don't do my part we can't make plays, so I put that on myself, and I think that's a big reason the pass game started so slow."

Center Josh Myers defended his teammate, describing the mistakes as unusual for a player he respects. Myers said Allen's willingness to accept responsibility reflected positively on him and expressed confidence that pass protection would not remain a problem.

"Really smart football player, and that was uncharacteristic of him, and I have a ton of respect for that," Myers said.

Myers added that Allen's mistakes had not previously been a persistent issue and did not expect them to become one.

"I didn't know that he told you guys [reporters] that, but I have a ton of respect for him for taking that [on himself]. That's not ever been an issue with him before, and I don't see it being one moving forward."

Allen's increased workload follows another challenging chapter in his career. According to Sports Illustrated's Oct. 10 interview, a season-ending medial collateral ligament injury suffered during a kickoff return against the Miami Dolphins cut short his second NFL season and required surgery.

Despite that setback, Allen returned to the lineup and has maintained a close relationship with Hall, whom he considers one of his closest friends. Allen has credited Hall with helping him improve as a pass catcher and pass protector, while the two backs combined for 142 rushing yards and a touchdown in New York's season-opening victory over the Tennessee Titans.

Allen also discussed his efforts to protect his long-term health through his partnership with Q30 Sports Science, which produces the Q-Collar, a device designed to help protect the brain from repetitive head impacts.

"I absolutely love the products," Allen said.

He emphasized how important the equipment has become to his routine.

"It's hard for me to play without it."

Allen said maintaining his health remains a priority as he continues playing one of football's most physically demanding positions.

"Obviously, I want to be as healthy as possible… I try to do everything that's in my power to make sure that happens, and Q-Collar is a great way to do that in terms of my mental health and protecting my brain."

His immediate focus, however, remains on improving New York's results. The Jets won their opener against Tennessee before losing three consecutive games, leaving them looking for a turnaround against Cleveland.

Glenn said the team would concentrate on incremental improvement rather than dwelling on previous results. He emphasized applying the same winning mentality to practices and games.

"There's some things that we have to work on, but man, I want to look at the positive side of it and continue to build on those things that we did a good job of," Glenn said.

He reinforced that approach by stressing the importance of treating every day as an opportunity to succeed.

"We want to be one and zero, and that's it. And I'm not just saying about games. In practice Wednesday, we want to be one and zero.

Thursday, we want to be one and zero. Then once we get to the game, we want to be one and zero. We want to continue that as we progress through the season."

Allen echoed his coach's emphasis on daily progress, saying the team needed to find ways to finish close games successfully.

"Really [it's] just been about closing that gap and finding a way to come out with these close games on top," Allen said.

Defensive tackle Jowon Briggs also acknowledged mistakes in Chicago, where the Jets recorded one sack, allowed more than 200 rushing yards and gave up seven plays of at least 20 yards. New York's defense limited the Bears to two touchdowns on seven red-zone trips and recorded two takeaways, according to the Jets' team report.

Briggs, who finished with four tackles and a tackle for loss, said individual errors had contributed to the defensive problems.

"Me, I mean, I say it kind of mirrors how I played," Briggs said.

He described specific decisions that left gaps in the defense and created opportunities for Chicago's offense.

"Golly, I shouldn't have shot up field there. Golly, I should just held my gap just a little bit better."

Briggs said those mistakes were especially damaging because they could turn otherwise solid defensive work into significant gains for the opposition.

"For instance, I got cut out of my gap. One play, that's an explosive run right there, and that's not helping the defense. ... We need to eliminate those plays where you're looking at and saying, 'golly,' because overall, I'm very confident in our defense and how we do things around here."

Allen remains focused on helping New York become a playoff contender despite the team's losing streak. In his interview with Sports Illustrated, he said his primary ambition was to help the franchise establish a winning record and reach the postseason.

"Getting this team to the playoffs and having winning seasons as a New York Jet."

He also reiterated his commitment to contributing to the team's improvement.

"I just want to do my part to help us win and continue to push us to the top," Allen said.