By admin 
The weather was hot in Nashville, with a game-time temperature index of 106. But the Jets were hotter, throttling the Tennessee Titans, 23-10, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score would indicate.
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The Jets defense, now under the command of head coach Aaron Glenn, seemed to have adopted the “All gas, no brakes” philosophy of Titans coach Robert Saleh. They held Tennessee to 195 yards of total offense, an amazing shutdown of dangerous quarterback Cam Ward.
The Titans never seemed to get untracked, with Ward constantly running for his life behind a leaky offensive line. He suffered three sacks in the game and was nearly caught for a safety by edge Will McDonald IV. Rookie sensation David Bailey, the No. 2 overall choice in the NFL draft, got his first NFL sack to go with four tackles, including one thrown for loss. Kingsley Enagbare got the other drop on Ward.
In contrast, Jets QB Geno Smith had a clean uniform, getting time to pick apart the Titans secondary. He finished 19-24 for 215 yards and 0 sacks, using offensive coordinator Frank Reich’s short passing game to perfection.
Helping the cause was a Jets running attack that rolled up 152 yards, including 102 from bell cow Breece Hall and 40 from Braelon Allen. There was also an end-around TD from rookie Kenyon Sadiq, who made a solid debut that included three catches.
Garrett Wilson, returning from an injury-plagued 2025, had six catches for 79 yards, including a 31-yarder. Adonai Mitchell made a statement as the No. 2 target, catching three passes for 60 yards, two of them with a high degree of difficulty.
Even the kicking game had a bright moment. Jason Sanders, activated from the practice squad, was 3 of 4 on field goals, with a long of 52. He missed badly on his second attempt, but had another 50-yarder as well.
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The only sour note in Music City by the Jets was injuries to three key players. Veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick went down with a groin injury in the first quarter and didn’t return. Starting nickel cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. suffered a calf injury later and was carted off the field.
And rookie receiver Omar Cooper Jr., who had a 30-yard catch and run with his first NFL reception, had an ankle injury and did not return.
All of the injuries bear watching, particularly in a Jets secondary whose depth is suspect.
But those qualms won’t stop the Jets from flying home as a happy team. It’s their first opening day victory since 2023, and gives them some breathing room heading into a tough stretch against playoff probables in Green Bay, Detroit and Chicago.
The dominant victory also lessened some of the heat on head coach Aaron Glenn, whose 3-14 record in 2025 had him firmly on the hot seat. He may still face scrutiny, but for this week at least, he is undefeated and heading toward the home opener against a Packers team that has some injury holes.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2026 at 1:35 PM.