Robert Saleh’s first game running the Tennessee Titans looked a lot like a familiar chapter from his New York days.
The Titans were handled physically in their home opener and fell 23-10 to the New York Jets, leaving plenty of frustration in the building and questions outside it about how Saleh plans to steady things. And in a move that will feel very familiar to anyone who watched his time with the Jets, Saleh has already leaned into one of his old locker-room mantras.
According to Terry McCormick of Titan Insider, several Titans players were seen wearing “60%” T-shirts in the locker room. Xavier Restrepo said the slogan traces back to something Saleh told the team: when you think you’ve emptied the tank, data shows you’ve actually used only 40% of your energy, with 60% still left.
Yesterday Xavier Restrepo was one of a few guys wearing a 60% t-shirt in the locker room. Other guys wearing them today. Restrepo said it is from something Robert Saleh told them that when you feel like you have exerted all your energy, data shows you really have only used…
That exact same message was part of Saleh’s pitch in New York before the 2022 season, when he was pushing the “60%” idea with the Jets as well.
Get. After. It.
RT @NYJetsTFMedia: Hearing Robert Saleh talk about his 60% shirt & the Navy Seals has me pumped up❗️
You’re gonna want to hear this
That’s our HC 🙌🏻 #Jets pic.twitter.com/weXXFeaCVR
- Jack Shouse (@Jshouse99) September 6, 2022
For Jets fans, the déjà vu doesn’t stop with the slogan. Saleh’s opener in Tennessee carried the same rough edges that defined too many Sundays in New York: a flat start in a big game, no obvious schematic fixes, and an early timeout burned in each half.
He also made a decision that looked every bit like the kind of conservative game management that dogged him with the Jets. Trailing by 17, Saleh chose to punt on 4th & 9 from the Jets’ 43-yard line with 1:12 left in the third quarter, effectively shutting the door on any realistic comeback.
TEN decided to punt to NYJ from the NYJ 43 on 4th & 9 with 1:12 remaining in the 3rd while losing 3 to 20.
With a Surrender Index of 17.48, this punt ranks at the 100th percentile of cowardly punts of the 2026 season, and the 96th percentile of all punts since 1999.
Saleh is now trying to build something new in Tennessee, but after one game, the old Jets fingerprints are already hard to miss.
In Other News...
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 🡒]
Frank Reich Gave Jets Fans One Reason To Believe In This Offense
Week 1 offered Jets fans an encouraging glimpse of what this offense could look like under Frank Reich. The new head coach was efficient in the opening game, and one analysts metrics ranked his play-calling third in efficiency, a strong early sign for a unit trying to establish a clearer identity. Even more notable was the way the Jets leaned into heavier personnel packages, a shift from Reichs past tendencies and a nod to how the modern NFL is increasingly rewarding physical, formation-based flexibility.
The early plan also featured a steady dose of rushing plays and a meaningful role for the tight ends, which suggested the staff was not simply borrowing an old playbook but adapting it to the roster and the moment. For a fan base that has spent years waiting for the offense to settle into something dependable, the bigger question now is whether this was a one-week adjustment or the beginning of a lasting structure that can survive the grind of a full season. [Read more 🡒]