Robert Saleh didn’t need a long postgame explanation after Tennessee opened his era with a thud. The Titans were beaten 23-10 by the New York Jets on Sunday, and the game never really looked in doubt once the visitors took control in Nashville.
Saleh, facing questions after his first game in charge of the Titans, pushed back on the harshest label thrown at the performance while still admitting he wanted more. When asked about Tennessee’s “lifeless” showing, he said, "I don't know if "lifeless" is the word," Saleh began, "but expected a better performance for sure."
The loss came after Tennessee spent the offseason overhauling the roster with the league’s roomiest salary cap, only to come out flat against a Jets team that had been one of the NFL’s worst the year before. New York looked sharper, more physical and more comfortable from the jump.
The Titans’ defense had few answers for the Jets on the ground. New York rolled up 152 rushing yards, and both of its touchdowns came on runs. Saleh said Tennessee’s defensive line rotation was not expected to change after the poor outing, and he gave the Jets credit for staying patient.
"They weren't getting explosive runs, they were leaning on us for three, four, five yards a pop. To Frank [Reich's] credit, they stuck to the run... they leaned on us."
Tennessee’s offense had its own problems, and Saleh didn’t dodge that either when asked about Cam Ward’s missed throws. "He missed a couple," Saleh said.
"He's gotta make those throws," Saleh went on. Ward missed Carnell Tate running free over the middle and later passed up an open Calvin Ridley before sailing a throw out of bounds.
Saleh added, "He [Ward] knows that. Those are things that we're going to continue to work with him on."
Ward finished 19-of-32 for 140 yards, with his only touchdown coming late in the fourth quarter to Elic Ayomanor after the Jets had already put the game away.
Despite the rough start, Saleh kept his message pointed toward what comes next. "We'll get there," he said.
"I get it, it wasn't good enough. But we have to find a way to get better, and we will."
He also said he believes "everyone is frustrated."
It is still only Week 1, and Saleh is just getting started in Nashville. But the road gets no softer from here, with Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles coming to town in Week 2 before the Titans head to New York to face the Giants. Tennessee needed a cleaner debut than this, and now the pressure is on to make Saleh’s promise of improvement real before the season starts to tilt the wrong way.
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