Jets Rookie Makes NFL History

 

Fifty-three weeks after Aaron Rodgers made his New York Jets debut, his team got off the schneid, notching the first win of the Rodgers era. New York toppled the Tennessee Titans on the road, 24-17.

Jets Rookie Makes NFL History

Along the way, one Jets rookie made a bit of history, as running back Braelon Allen became the youngest player in the Super Bowl era to score a touchdown. At 20 years old, plus 239 days, Allen entered the NFL’s record books, at least since 1966. He shattered the previous youth record held by Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, who hit paydirt in 2017 at 20 years and 299 days.

Allen’s touchdown also nominated him as the youngest NFLer to score in 94 years.

Draft pundits and NFL fans salivated over Allen leading up to April’s draft. His youth served as an undeniable lure. But don’t let the age fool you — the guy is 6’1″ and 235 pounds and ran a 4.40 forty-yard dash seven months ago. He’s fast, young, and huge. In that vein — the pure draft specs — it was a little strange that Allen fell to Round 4. The Jets pounced, nevertheless.

Meanwhile, scoring a single touchdown wasn’t the only achievement for Allen. He tabulated a second touchdown en route to 56 yards from scrimmage at Tennessee. In a draft stuffed to the gills with running back selections like Jonathon Brooks, Trey Benson, and Marshawn Lloyd, for example, Allen drew first blood for a standout performance.

Rodgers, who has nicknamed Allen The Conductor, explained the Jets’ win. “A lot of times, people freak out. You’ve got to be the calming force in there. But I feel like all game, we were frustrated at times but we never got down on each other,” Rodgers opined. “We were supportive and positive, even though we were frustrated that we were not getting G enough balls, we didn’t run that well in the first 2½ quarters. We stayed confident.”

Head coach Robert Saleh added, “I feel like we can score every time we touch the ball. We’re working through things, obviously, but to have three scoring drives and also get a field goal out of it … Aaron’s presence, his ability at the line of scrimmage, his confidence in the huddle and on the sideline, he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”

The Jets encounter a quick turnaround, hosting the New England Patriots on Thursday Night Football. There’s no reason to believe Allen’s miniature workload will dimish. As a complement to Breece Hall, he feels here to stay.

Allen won’t turn 21 until January.

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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His NFL obsession dates back to 1989. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.