Robert Saleh didn’t have much to lean on after Tennessee’s season opener, and he didn’t pretend otherwise.
The Titans opened his debut with a 23-10 loss to the New York Jets, a game that felt over long before the final whistle. The Jets controlled the night in Nashville from the opening drive, and Saleh’s first public answers as Tennessee’s head coach came after a performance that left plenty to unpack.
Asked about what some would call a “lifeless” outing, Saleh pushed back on the word but still made it clear he wanted more.
"I don't know if "lifeless" is the word," Saleh began, "but expected a better performance for sure."
That was the tone of the day for Tennessee: disappointment without much room to hide. The Titans spent the offseason pouring the league’s roomiest salary cap into a roster overhaul, only to get handled by a team that was one of the NFL’s worst the year before. The result was ugly, and it showed in the way New York kept dictating the terms.
Saleh said he did not expect the defensive line rotation to change after the rough showing, then gave the Jets credit for staying patient and pounding away on the ground. New York finished with 152 rushing yards, and both of its touchdowns came on runs.
"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."
There were also obvious issues on offense, and Saleh didn’t duck those either. When asked about Cam Ward missing throws, he agreed with the criticism.
"He missed a couple."
"He's gotta make those throws," Saleh went on. Ward was off target on several key snaps, including one where Carnell Tate was open over the middle and another where Calvin Ridley was left uncovered before the pass sailed out of bounds. Saleh said Ward understands that.
"He [Ward] knows that. Those are things that we're going to continue to work with him on."
Ward’s line reflected the struggles: 19 of 32 for 140 yards. His only touchdown came late in the fourth quarter, a score to Elic Ayomanor after the Jets had already put the game away.
Saleh tried to keep the bigger picture in view, saying the team is still early in the process and that improvement has to come with time.
"We'll get there," Saleh said of the in-progress state of this Titans team. "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."
The schedule doesn’t give Tennessee much breathing room. Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles are next in Week 2, followed by a road trip to New York to face the Giants. After a debut like this, the Titans need a quick reset, and Saleh’s promise of progress will be tested right away.
In Other News...
Pete Alonso Just Gave Mets Fans One Last Emotional Reminder
Pete Alonso has spent enough time around the Mets to know how quickly a season can tilt, so his recent comments about their struggles carried the weight of someone who has lived it. Now with the Baltimore Orioles, he still framed New York as a talented club, but pointed to the familiar mix of injuries and other issues that can drag down even a roster built to contend.
For Mets fans, the most striking part may have been the way Alonso spoke about his own path since leaving Queens. He said hes happy in Baltimore and looked back fondly on his Mets years, including the kind of October moment that tends to stick with a fan base long after a player is gone. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Have A Late Round Pitcher Suddenly Worth Watching Closely
Bryce Jenkins was the kind of late-round draft pick most clubs file away and revisit later, especially after Tommy John surgery cut into his college and early pro workload. The Mets have reason to look back now. In 2026, the 17th-rounder turned in strong numbers across Double-A and High-A, finishing with a 1.66 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP while emerging as one of the organizations better minor league arms.
What makes Jenkins interesting is not just the performance, but the speed with which he could move if the momentum holds. He still looks to be several months from any major league impact, but pitchers who pair strike-throwing with that kind of run prevention tend to keep forcing the conversation. For a Mets club always watching for bullpen help, Jenkins has suddenly become a name worth tracking closely. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Fans Just Found A New Reason To Be Excited About Mitch Voit
After a disappointing 2026 season that led to Carlos Mendozas firing, the Mets have spent much of their attention turning toward what comes next, and Mitch Voit is starting to look like one of the names worth circling. The organization named Voit its minor-league Player of the Year after a strong stretch of development following his move up to Double-A Binghamton, a sign that he has kept moving in the right direction as the club tries to build a younger foundation for 2027.
For a team trying to reshape its outlook, awards like this matter because they point to players who are doing more than just holding their own in the system. Voits rise gives Mets fans another reason to keep an eye on the farm, especially with the major-league club in a reset mode and looking for answers from within. The next question is whether this progress becomes a real part of the big-league picture soon enough to matter. [Read more 🡒]