NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Aaron Glenn walked into his first game against his predecessor and left with the kind of win that makes a statement without needing to shout. The New York Jets controlled the Tennessee Titans from the start on Sunday, rolling to a 23-10 victory at Nissan Stadium and giving Glenn his biggest win yet as head coach.
The Jets looked organized, physical and, for long stretches, completely in charge. They led 10-3 at halftime, then put the game away by scoring on their first two possessions of the second half. A late Titans touchdown trimmed the margin, but New York still finished with its largest victory since Week 3 of 2024.
For Tennessee, it was a long afternoon that never really found a pulse. The Titans produced only 55 yards in the first half and finished with 195 total yards. Cam Ward, the second-year quarterback carrying so much of the franchise’s hope, went 19-for-32 for 140 yards.
Glenn’s defense was the story on the Jets’ side. Even after losing starting safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to a groin injury in the first half and first-round rookie wide receiver Omar Cooper to an ankle injury on the opening drive, New York never lost control.
Cooper’s injury came at the end of a 30-yard catch-and-run. Fitzpatrick and Cooper both did not return.
The Jets didn’t need a heavy blitz plan to make life miserable for Tennessee. Glenn’s group played with discipline in coverage, held up against the run and had answers for almost everything Ward saw.
The secondary, which had been a major question coming in, looked ready for the assignment. This was a much more polished and more talented defense than the one led by Steve Wilks last season, even if the Titans may end up being the easiest offensive opponent New York sees for a while.
On the other sideline, Robert Saleh’s return to defensive play-calling didn’t produce the kind of result he wanted. Tennessee’s defense, with Jeffery Simmons leading the line, never really made the Jets uncomfortable.
New York leaned on the run game, controlled the clock and moved the ball with enough efficiency to keep the Titans chasing. Saleh had no real answers to throw at the Jets’ offense.
The matchup between Glenn and Saleh was never in doubt by the final whistle. The more interesting question is what it says about where these teams are headed.
The Jets look like a team on the right path. The Titans, by contrast, appear stuck in a rebuild that may be deeper than expected, even with talent on both sides of the ball.
Saleh still has plenty to prove if he wants to convince the Jets they made a mistake moving on from him. That feels far off.
Ward’s afternoon was even more concerning. Entering the season, there was hope that a second year in a steadier setting, with Brian Daboll guiding the offense, would help the No. 1 pick take a real step forward. Instead, Sunday brought more of the same uneven play and not much evidence of a breakout coming soon.
Through three quarters, Ward posted a -0.38 EPA per dropback against the Jets. To put that in context, Brady Cook had a -0.38 EPA per dropback last season for the Jets, which was the worst mark among 42 qualifying quarterbacks.
The fourth quarter didn’t change the picture. Ward had one sequence where he ran out of bounds on third down to take a sack from David Bailey, and another where he was taken down near his own end zone and nearly turned it into a safety.
By the end, he looked unprepared.
Daboll didn’t help much either. His reputation was built on play-calling and quarterback development, first in Buffalo with Josh Allen and then in New York, where he won Coach of the Year in 2022 after getting a career season from Daniel Jones.
Since then, the results have been mostly poor, aside from some Jaxson Dart flashes last year. Sunday felt like another step in that same direction.
He never found a way to attack the obvious soft spots in the Jets’ defense, especially in the slot, where New York was banged up. Tennessee’s run game was shut down, and Ward was left without much help.
Frank Reich, meanwhile, made a strong return to the NFL after not coaching in a game since the Panthers fired him midway through the 2023 season. The year before that, he was let go halfway through the season by the Colts. His first game back as Jets offensive coordinator went smoothly, and his opening series set the tone.
Reich found ways to get rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq involved right away, including a handoff that turned into a touchdown. New York’s third possession lasted 19 plays and ended with a field goal, though it could have been more if not for a bad snap by center Josh Myers in the red zone.
The Jets also spent much of the second quarter grinding the clock with a 15-run drive that ended in a field goal after a false start and a Braelon Allen catch that was punched loose by Titans linebacker Anthony Hill. Jason Sanders made the 33-yarder, then later missed badly from 54 yards, though Tennessee never made the Jets pay.
New York’s best separation came in the third quarter. Geno Smith hit Adonai Mitchell for 40 yards on a deep shot, a connection that had shown plenty of chemistry in training camp, and the drive finished with a Breece Hall touchdown run to push the lead to 17-3. From there, the Jets were in command the rest of the way.
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Tennessee Just Took Another Brutal Hit At A Key Offensive Spot
Tennessees offense has taken another hit at a spot that matters in both the passing game and the run game, with head coach Josh Heupel confirming that starting tight end Ethan Davis suffered a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Davis had been part of the Vols plan at the position, and his absence adds to an injury list that keeps growing at a bad time for the offense.
With Davis out, Tennessee is expected to lean more heavily on younger options such as DaSaahn Brame and Trent Thomas to handle the tight end role. That puts more pressure on a group that now has to absorb a significant workload shift while the Vols try to keep the offense on track without one of its established pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremiah Telander Said What Tennessee Fans Wanted To Hear After That Win
After Tennessees 45-24 road win over Georgia Tech, Jeremiah Telander had every reason to feel good about the start of the season, and he sounded like a player who knew exactly what the performance meant. The linebacker turned in a productive afternoon with three tackles, a sack and an interception, then used his time with the media to point to the way the Volunteers handled the game and the impact of the freshman quarterback in his first big outing.
Telander also touched on the shift in his own defensive role, which has been part of the early-season adjustment for Tennessees defense. Even with the convincing victory in hand, he kept the focus on progress and the details the Vols still need to clean up, a familiar message but one that carries more weight when it comes after a road win against a Power Four opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee May Be Getting A Needed Defensive Line Boost Just In Time
Tennessee is starting to get some encouraging news in the trenches at a good time. Josh Heupel said several defensive linemen who were banged up in preseason and the early part of the season are expected to be closer to full strength for the upcoming game against Kennesaw State, a welcome development for a group that has been dealing with uneven availability.
Freshman defensive tackle JJ Finch, who missed the previous game because of injury, is expected to be ready to play. Senior Daevin Hobbs and sophomores Isaiah Campbell and Ethan Utley have also worked back after dealing with their own setbacks, giving the Vols a chance to restore some depth and stability up front as the schedule continues to move forward. [Read more 🡒]