Breece Hall’s latest battle with pal Bijan Robinson comes with Jets intrigue

There are not many reasons to watch the 4-7 Falcons visit the 2-9 Jets, who are playing out the string without a pair of stars traded at the deadline and with Garrett Wilson sidelined with injury.

But a matchup of two of the more electric running backs in the NFL — and an opportunity for the Jets’ rusher to redeem himself — provides plenty of intrigue.

Breece Hall and Bijan Robinson meet again Sunday, Hall owning a 2-1 lifetime record against his pal.

Hall’s Iowa State teams beat Robinson’s Texas teams twice during their collegiate careers, where the two struck up a friendship, before Robinson’s Falcons beat the Jets in 2023.

“That’s my boy. That’s been my boy since college. I’m excited to go against him,” Hall said after practice Thursday. “I’m up in our little series.”

Two of the best running backs in the Big 12 one year apart — Hall was a second-round pick in 2022 and Robinson a first-round pick in ’23 — have renewed their friendly rivalry.

Robinson is fourth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (1,396) and averages 6.3 yards per touch despite defenses focused on shutting down Atlanta’s best player. His greatest strength might be just how many strengths he possesses.

“He’s so dynamic in so many areas,” said Steve Wilks, the defensive coordinator of a Jets team whose run defense has made strides and will be tested, “out of the backfield, out in space, screen game, they use him as a receiver.”

“A complete package,” Hall added of Robinson. “He’s really good in pass [protection]. He can catch and run. He can run inside zone, outside zone, power, counter … catch a screen and take it to the house.”

All of which invites a comparison involving the two engines of offenses that are led right now by underwhelming veteran quarterbacks on underwhelming teams.

“I hate to compare players, but I can see where that comparison really comes at because both of those guys are really good,” Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said this week. “They’re three-down backs, first off. Both of those guys are really good as far as being in the backfield, being able to run the ball, but then again, you can split those guys out wide and allow those guys to be a receiver for you.”

Hall has been a bright spot in a dark season. In his past four games, he has eclipsed 100 yards from scrimmage three times. After surviving a trade-deadline sell-off in which Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams exited, and with Wilson shelved, Hall has picked up his own game.

On Sunday in Baltimore, he was easily the Jets’ best player, his elusiveness and yards-after-the-catch skills bringing the Jets into position to cut the deficit to three points in the fourth quarter.

Which is when Hall was stripped at the Ravens’ 2-yard line. Offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand found Hall after the loss and told him he was the reason the Jets were even threatening in the drive.

“[Coaches] know I’m more disappointed in myself than anybody else could be,” the fourth-year pro said Thursday. “It’s a thing of just coming back and just getting better and not doing it [again].”

Hall’s performance matters for a team that often needs to run to move the ball and for a team that is evaluating a pending free agent. The Jets can attempt to lock up Hall long-term or franchise tag him to ensure he sticks around.

Games like Sunday’s — when he will get a chance to stand out from another standout running back — will factor into those decisions.

“It is a really good comparison,” Glenn said of Hall and Robinson, “but there’s also some differences between those guys, too. But I like our guy.”