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Tennessee Titans vs. New York Jets: 3 causes for concern in Week 1
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- Tennessee Titans vs. New York Jets: 3 causes for concern in Week 1
The Tennessee Titans open their 2026 season on Sunday when they host the New York Jets at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee , at 12:00 p.m. CST.
The Titans have struggled mightily over the last few seasons, and they are desperate to turn things around. It's been almost 30 years since their last Super Bowl appearance and five years since their last trip to the playoffs. With a new head coach, new offensive and defensive coordinators, and a revamped roster, the Titans hope the tide is changing in their favor in 2026.
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Getting to open the season at home is always nice, and when you get to open the season against a team that ranked lower than you last year, you're ready to walk away with a win. But this is football. Anything can happen. Nothing is easy, everything is earned, and if the Titans go in too cocky, they'll pay for it. Here are three causes for concern when the Titans face the Jets on Sunday.
Can the Titans protect Cam Ward ?
Last season, Cam Ward found himself on the ground a league-leading 55 times. Only Geno Smith , the Jets' current quarterback, took as many sacks in 2025. The Titans' offensive line still has questions. Dan Moore Jr. doesn't inspire confidence, Fernando Carmona is a rookie, and Austin Schlottmann has a wicked injury history. The Jets will undoubtedly attack the areas they believe are the weakest with rookie edge rusher David Bailey, the No. 2 overall draft pick.
Tennessee can't afford more games where Ward spends the afternoon running for his life. If that's what happens, this team will go nowhere. Jets' head coach Aaron Glenn is calling the defensive plays this season, and if he can consistently create third-and-long situations, he can make Ward's life very difficult.
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Bear in mind that this Jets' defense is much better than their 2025 season suggests. If the Titans' offensive line can't protect Ward, it will be a long game.
Garrett Wilson , Breece Hall talent gap
The last time these two teams met in 2024, the Titans managed to hold Garrett Wilson to 57 receiving yards, but Breece Hall had 62 rushing yards, 52 receiving yards, and a touchdown. In 2025, the Titans had the seventh-worst pass defense and ranked 15th in run defense. This is a different roster for the Titans in 2026, but we haven't seen them in a real game setting yet.
Hall is expected to play despite a groin injury that limited him during camp, and if he's healthy enough to be himself, the Jets could use the run game to keep Geno Smith out of obvious passing situations and keep Tennessee's defense on the field.
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If Geno Smith can consistently get the ball to Wilson, he doesn't have to have a spectacular game at quarterback. And if Wilson wins early and often, the Titans will be forced to adjust their coverage, which will create a gap somewhere else.
The Titans need to lean on Robert Saleh's knowledge of the Jets as their former head coach and find ways to contain both Hall and Wilson.
Cedric Gray 's availability
Cedric Gray remains in concussion protocol after his UTV accident and did not practice on Wednesday. In 2025, Gray led the Titans in tackles and finished among the league's tackle leaders. Beginning with last season and continuing through training camp and preseason, Gray has become a central piece of the Titans' defense. If he can't play, the Titans lose their best option at stopping Breece Hall, and they lose a defensive leader on the field.
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The Titans' defense already needs to create pressure without constantly sending extra rushers. The secondary needs to remain in the backfield, which is why keeping Wilson under guard is so important. If he gets loose and adjustments have to be made, then losing Gray will make this already-important defensive matchup substantially more difficult.
This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Tennessee Titans vs. New York Jets: 3 causes for concern in Week 1
