The Jets strummed all the right notes in the Music City with a season-opening 23-10 win on Sunday versus the Tennessee Titans.
It was the start of HC Aaron Glenn's second year as head coach and with a revamped coaching staff and roster, the Jets deployed a new look against the Titans with an aggressive defense and clock-controlling offense.
"I'm proud of our guys," Glenn said postgame. "It's just a testament to everything those guys have been through going from OTAs to training camp and we still have so much more that we have to clean up."
The real feel was over 100 degrees as QB Geno Smith started the game with the ball in his hands for the first time in 3,612 days for the Jets. OC Frank Reich called the plays from the booth and programmed an 8-play, 55-yard drive resulting in TE Kenyon Sadiq and the Jets celebrating an opening-drive TD and his first career score.
In an end-around run, Sadiq used the misdirection to his advantage to rush three 3 yards into the end zone to score the Jets' seventh opening drive TD since 1993, the first since 2016.
"I expect our guys to do that," Glenn said. "As a head coach that's what you're supposed to do — expect our guys to go out there and score every time they get it."
The Jets held the Titans to 23 passing yards in the first quarter, the fifth fewest by the Jets defense in the opening quarter of a season since 2000. Cam Ward did find success scrambling, earning two first downs on their opening drive, which resulted in a 42-yard field goal.
But constant pressure from the Jets' defense resulted in 3 sacks and 7 punts before the Titans scored a late touchdown in the fourth quarter when Ward connected with WR Elic Ayomanor.
Smith finished the game 19-of-24 passing with 215 yards. He spread the ball to eight targets.
The Jets stretched the field in their first drive of the second half. Smith first found WR Garrett Wilson 31 yards down the right sideline to get across midfield. Two plays later, WR Adonai Mitchell ran the deep route and gained 40 yards to put the Jets on the Titans' 11-yard line.
"That's a huge part of who we are as a team," Glenn said. "There's things that allow you to win games and that's one of them, is explosive plays. Each practice, each week we hunt for those and on defense we try to limit those things as much as possible."
In the backfield, the Jets rotated RBs Breece Hall and Braelon Allen throughout the afternoon. Hall rushed untouched for a 4-yard TD after the two large pickups in the third quarter and had 102 total yards which puts him 10th on the Jets franchise rushing list with 3,500 career yards.
The Jets had 8 penalties — the costliest was a holding call on C Josh Myers in the third quarter negating what would have been a rushing TD from Allen on fourth down. However, Jason Sanders' kick from 51-yards was good. In the fourth quarter Sanders scored from 52 yards and he became only the fourth Jets kicker to score two or more 50-plus field goals in a game.
His attempt from 54 yards was wide left in the second quarter after the Jets gained an extra possession when LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball forced Chimere Dike to fumble a kickoff return and CB Qwan'tez Stiggers recovered it.
See all of the best game photos from the Jets Week 1 game against the Titans.
Tennessee had the ball for fewer than 22 minutes in the game. The Jets ran 14 more offensive plays (63) than the Titans (49). The Green & White's longest drive lasted nearly 12 minutes to run 19 plays, which resulted in a 33-yard field goal.
Three Jets left the game in the first half with injuries: S Minkah Fitzpatrick (groin), rookie WR Omar Cooper Jr. (ankle) and CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (calf), who eventually returned. Five players were listed as inactive prior to game time.
"We just went against a really good team, a really good coaching staff and you can see it by some of the plays that they made," Glenn said postgame. "But it's good to get a win."
