By MIKE ROBERTS
Regular season NFL football is finally back! It felt like we waited a million years for this. The Tennessee Titans opened the 2026 campaign on Sunday, losing at home 23-10 to the lowly New York Jets. Yikes!
This was supposed to be a revenge game for new Titans coach Robert Saleh, who coached the Jets from 2021 to 2024, compiling a 20-36 record before being fired.
But nope, it didn’t happen. Instead, Saleh witnessed his former team beat his new team by 13 points.
While it certainly wasn’t the way the Titans wanted to begin their season, it’s not exactly time to press the “panic” button just yet as 16 more games remain on the schedule. Here are three takeaways from the Titans’ embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Jets.
Ward Struggled Mightily
Titans quarterback Cam Ward didn’t look good at all in the preseason and he didn’t look very good in Week 1, either. The former Miami Hurricane completed 19 of his 32 passes for only 140 yards and a touchdown while carrying the ball for 21 yards.
Ward also overthrew several passes to wide-open receivers and often seemed like he was lost on the field. His lone touchdown came during the final minutes of the game as he drove the team 65 yards down the field in garbage time and found WR Elic Ayomanor in the end zone.
Again, it’s only one game, but if Ward ends up having a horrible year and the Titans finish with one of the top two picks in the 2027 NFL Draft, he could be replaced by someone like Texas signal-caller Arch Manning.
The Entire Offense Was Horrible
Ward wasn’t the only player on offense who struggled mightily against the Jets. The Titans’ offensive line was absolutely awful, allowing Ward to get sacked on three occasions.
WR Wan’Dale Robinson, who signed a four-year, $78 million deal with the Titans during the offseason, had five catches for only 38 yards. Rookie wideout Carnell Tate (4 receptions, 38 yards) the team’s first-round pick this year, and tight end Gunnar Helm (4 receptions, 28 yards) didn’t contribute much either. Meanwhile, RB Tony Pollard, who recorded at least 1,000 rushing yards in each of the past four seasons, only had 35 yards on Sunday.
The Titans’ offense mustered up only 195 total yards. Woof. It’s pretty hard to win NFL games with stats like that.
Hill Jr. Looks Like a Future Star
The Titans’ revamped their defense in the offseason, but the unit looked horrible against New York. Known for his penchant for throwing interceptions in bunches, Jets QB Geno Smith had a solid outing, going 19 of 24 for 215 yards. RB Breece Hall rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown while WR Garrett Wilson picked up 79 receiving yards. The Jets’ offense produced 367 total yards, getting off to a fantastic start this season.
So, were there any positives for the Titans on Sunday? Yes, his name is Anthony Hill Jr. The talented linebacker out of Texas was drafted by the team in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft. He finished with a game-high 16 tackles for Saleh’s defense.
So far, Hill is looking like a draft steal, producing in the absence of fellow LB Cedric Gray, who was out with a concussion after getting into a UTV accident but is on track to play in Week 2.
Looking Ahead
Unfortunately, life doesn’t get much better for the Titans as the team will face the Philadelphia Eagles at home in Week 2 this coming Sunday (1 PM ET). Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, of course, are easily one of the league’s best teams, winning a Super Bowl just two seasons ago.
Hopefully, the Titans can get it together and make the Philly game competitive. The fans in Nashville are ready to see some quality football.