The Jets didn’t just beat the Titans on Sunday. They controlled the game from the opening whistle and, for once, looked like a team that knew exactly what it wanted to do on offense.
That kind of performance has been rare in New York, especially in season openers, which is part of why this one has already taken on a life of its own. The Jets leaned hard on the run and kept Tennessee on its heels all afternoon, with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen piling up 142 yards on 32 carries. For a fan base that has spent too much time waiting for signs of life, it was the kind of clean, physical showing that turns heads.
Frank Reich, who entered the 2026 season with plenty of skepticism hanging over him, at least bought himself a week of breathing room. The offensive coordinator had the Jets rolling with a game plan that worked from start to finish, and the result was a convincing win that gave the operation a much different feel.
On Thursday, Reich opened up a little more about what’s happening behind the scenes, and the most interesting part of his comments had nothing to do with the play sheet itself. It was Geno Smith’s reaction when Reich admitted there are always a couple of calls he’d like back.
“I said something to Geno about 'I wish I had that one back.' And Geno looked at me and said, 'Coach, there are no bad plays.
Every call on that sheet you give us, and we're going to make it work...' My experience is, when the players have that attitude...those are the best teams I've been on.
When I look at all the good teams I've been on, when there's that attitude from the players, and the way Geno said it to me, it took me back. I knew he was dead serious.”
That’s the kind of response Reich clearly wanted to hear. Smith isn’t just running the offense; he’s embracing it with the sort of edge that suggests he wants every snap to matter. After last year’s disaster in Las Vegas, the veteran quarterback appears to be carrying a point to prove, and that mindset is showing up in the way he’s approaching the Jets’ offense.
In Other News...
Robert Saleh Is Bringing Back A Jets Debate In Tennessee
Robert Salehs return to the sideline in Tennessee brought an old Jets conversation back with him, this time in a different uniform and against his former team. His first game as Titans coach ended in a 23-10 loss to New York, but the more familiar part for Jets followers came before and during the game, when Titans players were seen wearing 60% T-shirts, a nod to the mantra Saleh once used in New York to push players to bring more energy and urgency.
The game itself only sharpened the sense that the same debates travel with a coach as much as the results do. Salehs decision-making drew attention, including a punt on fourth-and-9 while Tennessee was trailing, a choice that fit into a broader conversation about how aggressive he wants to be in key moments. For Jets fans, it was a reminder that even after Saleh moved on, some of the old arguments about his style are still very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Got An Unexpected Week 1 Boost Up Front
David Onyemata gave the Jets a useful spark up front in Week 1, and it came from a place the team probably did not have pegged as a major source of pressure. The veteran defensive tackle finished with three total pressures, leading New Yorks interior defensive line and showing a pass-rush presence that stood out on a unit still sorting out its rotation.
For Onyemata, the takeaway was less about volume than role. He was brought in largely as a run defender, but his pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus was strong enough to place him near the top of the position group, and it came while Jowon Briggs logged only limited snaps. If the Jets are going to squeeze more disruption out of the middle as the season settles in, Onyematas early work gives them at least one encouraging piece to build on. [Read more 🡒]
Frank Reich Set A Tone The Jets Offense Has Been Missing
After the Jets put together a dominant offensive showing against the Titans, offensive coordinator Frank Reich struck the kind of measured, accountable tone that can matter as much as any play call. He acknowledged what went well, but he also pointed out the areas that still need work, which is a different kind of postgame message than the Jets have often heard in recent years.
Reichs approach seems aimed at something bigger than one strong outing. His emphasis on honesty and steady improvement lines up with what quarterback Geno Smith echoed afterward, and it gives the offense a chance to build around responsibility rather than empty praise. For a unit trying to establish a new identity, that kind of leadership may end up being the real takeaway. [Read more 🡒]