Breece Hall, running back, New York Jets Week 1
Breece Hall, running back, New York Jets Week 1
The Jets Week 1 saw New York take a trip to Music City for a matchup with the Tennessee Titans. It was a meeting of old faces in new places as they faced off against new Tennessee head coach Robert Saleh, since he was relieved of duties after a Week 5 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in October of 2024. Joining Saleh’s staff was former New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, whom the Titans hired to serve as the offensive coordinator. After an infamous 2025 season where the Jets finished 3-14, head coach Aaron Glenn needed to start year two of his tenure with a win.
Thankfully, the Jets Week 1 couldn’t have gone any better for the team. While their interception-less streak extends to 18 games, New York’s defensive line was a stark contrast compared to last season. While taking advantage of Tennessee’s offensive miscues, New York’s defense held the Titans scoreless for eight consecutive drives after giving up a Joey Slye field goal in the home team’s opening drive.
But the real crowning achievement in the Jets Week 1 was the offense. After a decade away from the team, 14 year-veteran quarterback Geno Smith operated the offense efficiently in his first start for the Jets since 2016. Meanwhile, the running game cruised, led by star running back Breece Hall, who opened the season with his third 100+ yard rushing game of his five-year career after the running back returned to practice this week after recovering from a groin injury. Veteran offensive coordinator Frank Reich calculated a composed game plan as New York opened the 2026 season with a 23-10 victory over the Titans.
ballgame pic.twitter.com/cZREv2idCu
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 13, 2026
Breece Hall, running back, New York Jets Breece Hall Return
Aug 14, 2026; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) carries the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Jets Week 1 Review: A Win and Signs of Hope for 2026
New Look Offense Controlled the Tempo
The New York Jets Week 1 needed positive momentum after an awful 3-14 season to kick off the first year of the Aaron Glenn tenure. The Jets underwent a major facelift both within the coaching staff and the roster, as general manager Darren Mougey used the offseason to add talent to the team. Veteran head coach Frank Reich returned to the NFL after a three-year hiatus to become the team’s new offensive coordinator. Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith and left guard Dylan Parham joined the team as new starters on offense. For Geno Smith, the Jets Week1 win was a look at how he matured since he left in 2017.
Geno Smith operated the offense with efficiency. The former two-time Pro Bowler looked sharp behind the offensive line as New York starting quarterback went 19/24 for 215 yards, with no turnovers and not a single sack given up. Smith spread the ball across the field, connecting on passes to eight different receivers. His chemistry with wide receivers Garrett Wilson and Adonai Mitchell shined. Wilson finished the game with 79 yards on six catches, including a 31-yard completion. Mitchell finished with three catches for 60 yards, including a 40-yard catch in the third quarter.
Rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq reached a top speed of 20.09 mph on his 3-yard TD run, the fastest play by a Jets tight end as a ball carrier in the NGS era (since 2016).#NYJvsTEN | #JetUp pic.twitter.com/sx5voebKac
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 13, 2026
However, it was the running game that truly stood out. Both of the Jets touchdowns came on the ground, starting with a three-yard run by 16th overall pick Kenyon Sadiq to give the rookie tight end his first career touchdown. But star running back Breece Hall had a field day today. Hall finished with 102 rushing yards on 22 carries, capped off with a four-yard rushing touchdown during the Jets opening drive of the third quarter.
Breece Hall makes it a two-score game
NYJvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/Pz36UtiMK7
— NFL (@NFL) September 13, 2026
Hall wasn’t the only running back having a great game. Returning after an MCL injury ended his season last October, backup running back Braelon Allen finished with 40 rushing yards on 10 carries. Allen almost got a touchdown today on a 23-yard run near the end of the third quarter, but a holding call on starting center Josh Myers negated it. Luckily, Jets kicker Jason Sanders tacked on three more points on a 51-yard field goal.
Defense Caused Problems, but Glaring Holes Linger
Overall, today was a productive day for the Jets defense. The defense played a large role for the Jets Week 1 by holding the Titans to 21:14 of possession time on offense. Despite allowing the Titans to score on a 42-yard field goal from Joey Slye, the Jets held the Titans scoreless for eight consecutive drives. It wasn’t until 2:42 remaining in the fourth quarter that the Titans scored on the only touchdown pass of the game after Tennessee quarterback Cam Ward found Elic Ayomanor on an 11-yard pass.
David Bailey, edge rusher, New York Jets
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) has to scramble during the fourth quarter against the New York Jets at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Jets defense held the Titans to 195 total yards on offense. The Jets defensive line looked good, with three total sacks between edge rushers Kingsley Enagbare, Will McDonald IV, and second overall pick David Bailey. The Jets’ leading tackler for the game was 15-year veteran Demario Davis, in the linebacker’s first game back with New York since 2017. Davis finished with eight total tackles, including one solo tackle and a pass defended. While a productive game to kick off the season, there’s cause for concern for the remainder of the season.
Will McDonald 🌪️ pic.twitter.com/IfjOlMDhHH
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) September 13, 2026
Despite the Jets best effort, some of this defensive success also comes from a lack of cohesion on the Titans offense. Ward is still learning the new schemes of offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. This led to some miscommunication that played in New York’s favor. This won’t be the case with most games this season, especially with the Green Bay Packers coming to MetLife Stadium next Sunday in the Jets home opener. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is a more dynamic play caller compared to Daboll, and veteran quarterback Jordan Love will certainly have an easy time picking apart the Jets secondary.
Speaking of the secondary, this game showed the depth problems at both safety and cornerback. Veteran strong safety Minkah Fitzpatrick suffered a groin injury early in the first quarter that caused him to miss the remainder of the game. Between his value in pass coverage and as a vocal leader, it’s a noticeable loss for the defensive backs. Fitzpatrick’s absence also led to more playing time for Andre Cisco. While he finished today with six solo tackles, the Titans miscommunications on offense don’t dispel the concerns for Cisco as a starter long term.
In addition, cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. exited on a training cart after suffering a calf injury. Fortunately for him, the third-year nickelback returned to the game. Losing Brownlee Jr. would have been a major loss as the Jets are already thin at cornerback, as second-round pick D’Angelo Ponds was inactive after the rookie returned to practice only three days ago. Expect New York to ramp up Ponds’ workload this week with the high-powered Green Bay offense coming to New Jersey next Sunday.
The Last Word
The Jets Week 1 win vs. the Titans was a great way to kick off the season. The Jets defense took advantage of Tennessee’s weak offensive line to throw off the Titans timing, and the offense under Frank Reich and Geno Smith veteranship paid dividends as New York controlled the tempo of the game. These games won’t always look like this, especially with the Green Bay Packers coming to town and quarterback Jordan Love always finding ways to make defenses pay. But for now, the Jets can rest easy starting off the 2026 season with a quality road win.
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Main Photo: [Steve Roberts] – Reuters Connect