The Jets walked into Nashville and controlled the afternoon from the start, leaving with a 23-10 season-opening win that never really felt in doubt. They scored on their first possession, kept the Titans at arm’s length all game, and finished with a result that put them at their first winning record since they opened 2-1 with Saleh in 2024.
For Robert Saleh, now in his first season with the Titans after joining in January, the reunion with his old team turned into a rough one. He had said he didn’t hold any grudges against the Jets for firing him during the 2024 season, but Sunday’s performance gave him plenty to chew on.
Aaron Glenn’s first game handling the Jets’ defensive play-calling delivered exactly what the team was looking for. New York got after Titans quarterback Cam Ward from the opening snap and squeezed the life out of Tennessee’s offense, limiting the Titans to 195 total yards. Most of that damage - along with Tennessee’s lone touchdown - came in the final five minutes, which made Brian Daboll’s debut as the Titans’ offensive coordinator a difficult one to sort through.
The Jets were just as sharp on offense with Frank Reich calling the plays for the first time. Their line held up beautifully in both the run and pass game, and that showed up in the numbers: more than 38 minutes of possession and a clear edge in total yards. Geno Smith was efficient throughout, finishing 19-of-24 for 215 yards, while Breece Hall carried the load on the ground with 102 yards on 22 attempts.
New York also got impact plays from its three first-round picks. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq caught the game’s first touchdown, linebacker David Bailey was credited with a sack after one of several pressures, and wide receiver Omar Cooper helped set up Sadiq’s score with a 30-yard catch before later leaving with an ankle injury.
There was another injury concern for the Jets, too, as safety Minkah Fitzpatrick went down with a groin injury. That leaves some questions heading into a Week 2 matchup with the Packers, though the mood back home should be upbeat after this kind of showing.
The Titans, meanwhile, heard boos from their own crowd and may be in for more next Sunday when the Eagles come to Nashville.
In Other News...
Robert Saleh Sounds Early Alarm After Titans Opener Unravels
The Titans season opener against the Jets never settled into the kind of rhythm Tennessee wanted, and by the end of a 23-10 loss, the issues were easy enough to spot. Head coach Robert Saleh pointed to missed throws from quarterback Cam Ward and a Jets running game that kept the Titans from finding much traction, leaving Tennessee with more questions than answers after one week.
Salehs postgame tone made clear this was less about one bad afternoon than about getting a team to tighten up before the schedule moves on. He was frustrated with how it unfolded, but the message was plain: the Titans have to clean up the execution quickly if they want the early part of the season to mean anything. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Still Have One Big Problem Despite Staying Within Reach
At halftime against the Jets, the Titans were still hanging around, but the reasons for the gap on the scoreboard looked familiar. A short catch by rookie Carnell Tate gave him his first reception of the season, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. was busy again with nine tackles, and Chimere Dike managed a grab after putting the ball on the ground on a kick return. Tennessee had enough individual flashes to stay within striking distance, even while the offense continued searching for steadier answers.
The bigger concern was on the other side of the ball, where Alontae Taylor had a rough stretch in coverage and was flagged for pass interference. For a team trying to keep games close and create opportunities late, that kind of breakdown is costly because it erases the work done elsewhere. The Titans were still alive at the break, but the defensive margin for error already looked thin. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Opener Starts With One Roster Concern Fans Will Notice
The regular-season opener brings the usual first-week intrigue, and for Tennessee, the pregame inactive list already adds a little texture to the buildup. The Titans will be without linebacker Cedric Gray, who is in concussion protocol, while several other depth pieces also will not dress as the roster gets trimmed down to game-day availability.
On the other side, the Jets will arrive short-handed as well, with five players inactive, including edge rusher Joseph Ossai and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds. For the Titans, the bigger issue is less about the full list and more about how they absorb Gray's absence on defense as the season starts with a few moving parts already in play. [Read more 🡒]