FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Jets running back Breece Hall and wide receiver Adonai Mitchell remain sidelined with injuries and could miss the game Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.
Coach Aaron Glenn said Wednesday that Hall, Mitchell, left guard Dylan Parham and linebacker Kiko Mauigoa will continue to be evaluated on a weekly basis. All four missed New York's loss at Chicago last Sunday.
Hall has a quadriceps injury that he suffered early
in the fourth quarter of New York’s 31-24 loss at Detroit two weeks ago when he went down while being forced out of bounds after running for no gain.
Mitchell has missed the Jets' past two games after injuring a finger in practice. Glenn has previously said the finger wasn't broken, but the nature of Mitchell's injury hasn't been disclosed.
Parham hurt a knee in the third quarter against Detroit and hasn't practiced since. Jordan Meredith has replaced him.
Without those three, along with tight end Mason Taylor (thumb) and wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle), the Jets' offense struggled mightily against the Bears. Geno Smith was just 8 of 15 for 119 yards — 58 of those coming on a touchdown pass to Isaiah Williams — and the Jets were outgained by the Bears in total yards: 492 to 157. New York had just 32 plays on offense, compared to 89 for Chicago. Braelon Allen, who replaced Hall, had 59 yards on 14 carries.
“Turn the page, execution for four quarters,” Smith said of the offense's mindset. “That's really what it's all about, us executing as a group and as a unit."
The Jets could get Taylor back this week and wide receiver Tim Patrick, on injured reserve with a groin injury since the season started, had his 21-day practice window started. New York had only a walkthrough Wednesday, but Glenn said Taylor would practice. Same for edge rusher Kingsley Enagbare, who missed last week with with a knee injury.
Cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. is in the concussion protocol, so the team will monitor his progress through the week.
The Jets are on a three-game skid with a much-improved Browns (3-1) team coming in having won its past three. While there was optimism among many fans after New York's close losses to Green Bay and Detroit, there has been lots of frustration since the team was dominated in Chicago — and a sense of urgency to get things righted before the losses pile further.
“Yeah, I mean, that definitely plays into it and I'd be lying if I said it didn't,” wide receiver Garrett Wilson said. "The reality of it is we've got an AFC team, a team that we've played, I feel like every year since I've been in the league, so we kind of know the stakes with this team. The part of the schedule we're going into, you can gain a lot of ground, you can lose a lot. Just, no mistakes.
“Three-game losing streak, no one wants to endure that, but that's where we're at right now. And it definitely kicks up the human aspect of all of us, yeah, we've got to get on the board now.”
If it were up to Eli Manning, he'd want his nephew to join him in New Jersey — but as a member of the Jets.
Manning, a two-time Super Bowl winner with the Giants, said during an appearance on Barstool’s “Pardon My Take” podcast that he'd have a preference for where Texas star quarterback Arch Manning should land if he enters the draft next April.
“For purely selfish reasons, I wouldn’t mind if he went to the Jets, just because I live right there, I could go to games, I could have dinner with him during the week a little bit," Eli Manning said. “I think it’d be great for him to have some family nearby, so I wouldn’t mind him going to the Jets, being up in New York.”
Manning added that his nephew — son of brother Cooper — “could help” the Jets.
New York is expected to consider a quarterback with one of its three first-round selections, and Manning is a top prospect. The Giants, Eli's team his whole career, already has Jaxson Dart and hope he's their franchise quarterback.
The Jets shuffled their defensive line with edge rusher Braiden McGregor placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury that'll likely sideline him the rest of the season.
Fellow pass rusher Nate Lynn was signed to the active roster to take McGregor's spot. Lynn was a standout during the preseason for the Jets, for whom he had three sacks in two games after being signed Aug. 18. He was among New York's final cuts and was re-signed to the practice squad on Aug. 31.
New York also signed edge rusher Nathan Voorhis, who was with the Jets in training camp, to the practice squad.
___
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
