The New York Jets didn’t waste any time making a first impression in 2026.
They came out Sunday and handled the Tennessee Titans 23-10, opening the season 1-0 with a performance that looked controlled from the jump and never really loosened its grip.
The tone was set on the opening series. New York moved the ball methodically, then Sadiq finished the drive with a three-yard rushing touchdown on a jet sweep.
He had already chipped in with a seven-yard catch on a screen before crossing the goal line. On the same possession, fellow first-round rookie Omar Cooper Jr. delivered a 30-yard catch-and-run on third down, breaking multiple tackles and pushing the Jets into scoring range.
The whole operation looked clean.
Frank Reich had the offense moving with variety, and that kept Tennessee guessing early. It was the kind of opening-script advantage teams can create with a new offensive coordinator in Week 1, especially when opponents haven’t yet seen how he’ll use his personnel.
Tennessee answered with a 42-yard field goal on its next drive. Cam Ward gave the Titans some life with his legs and his ability to escape pressure, but the Jets still limited the damage to three points and kept the lead.
New York’s second offensive series was a different story. The Jets failed to move the chains, and a miscommunication between Geno Smith and center Josh Myers led to an errant snap, a fumble, and nearly a turnover for Tennessee.
Even so, the Jets found their rhythm again in the second quarter by leaning on the run. Braelon Allen powered through six carries to start the frame and picked up 31 yards. New York chewed up nearly 10 minutes of clock on the drive, converted twice on fourth down, and still came away with only a 33-yard field goal from Jason Sanders.
The defense and special teams then handed the Jets another chance. Marcelino McCrary-Ball punched the ball out on a return, Qwan’tez Stiggers recovered, and New York got the ball back in good shape. But the offense couldn’t settle in, and Sanders was sent out for a 54-yard attempt that sailed wide left.
The Jets had one more chance before halftime, but clock management got in the way and time ran out before they could add to the margin.
It didn’t change the flow of the game. New York kept control after the break and stretched the lead to 17-3 in the third quarter on a five-play, 80-yard drive. Breece Hall capped it with a short touchdown run, but the highlight was Smith’s 40-yard strike to Adonai Mitchell, dropped in with perfect ball placement.
Smith stayed sharp on the next possession, finding Garrett Wilson on a series of impressive pitch-and-catch throws. That drive stalled, but Sanders bounced back from his earlier miss and drilled a 51-yard field goal to make it 20-3 and give the Jets a three-score cushion.
Sanders added another field goal later, and the defense kept Tennessee bottled up for most of the afternoon. Ward eventually got into the end zone for a garbage-time touchdown, which made the final score look a little closer than the game actually felt.
New York now heads into its home opener next Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, looking to build on a strong Week 1 start and move to 2-0.
In Other News...
Jets Receiver Depth Suddenly Looks Like A Real Week 2 Problem
Omar Cooper Jr.s season opener ended with more than just the usual rookie turbulence. The Jets wide receiver was forced out with a high ankle sprain, and the next round of testing will determine just how serious the injury is and how long he might be sidelined. For a team already trying to settle its passing-game depth early in the year, the timing could hardly be worse.
The injury leaves New York with only four healthy receivers on the active roster, which immediately puts the position under a brighter spotlight heading into Week 2. The Jets do have two wideouts on the practice squad, but the situation has already opened the door to roster maneuvering and the possibility of adding a veteran free agent if the team decides it needs more help on the perimeter. [Read more 🡒]
Frank Reich Gave Jets Fans A Week 1 Debate They Wanted
Frank Reichs first game steering the Jets offense gave the fan base plenty to chew on, and not just because the numbers looked clean on the final sheet. Even with rookie Omar Cooper Jr. going down early, the unit kept moving behind Geno Smith, piling up 367 yards and stringing together five scoring drives while Breece Hall, Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell each found ways to shape the night.
For a team that has spent plenty of time searching for an identity on offense, the question now is how much of this outing was a true sign of progress and how much came against a defense that was not exactly built to scare anyone. The Jets won comfortably, but Reich still managed to leave fans with the kind of Week 1 argument they always want: whether this was the start of something real or just a promising snapshot against the wrong opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Controversial Kicker Decision Suddenly Looks A Lot Different
The Jets kicking situation looked unsettled all summer after they let Nick Folk walk in free agency and cycled through options before settling on Jason Sanders for Week 1. Folk ended up with Atlanta, while Sanders handled the job in New Yorks opener and helped steady things in a win by making three of four field-goal attempts, giving the Jets at least an immediate answer after a messy search.
Folks debut with the Falcons, meanwhile, did not go the way either side would have hoped. He missed two field goals, a reminder that even a proven kicker can suddenly look vulnerable, especially as age starts to become part of the conversation at the position. For the Jets, the early returns make the decision feel a lot different now than it did when Folk first left. [Read more 🡒]