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Media and fans are often preoccupied with halftime adjustments.
And rightfully so, it’s very important.
It’s huge in football.
Kyle Shanahan, one of the best offensive tacticians in football, actually rescripts his play sheet at halftime.
The Jets had a 10-3 at halftime. A little underwhelming considering they were clearly the better team.
On the Jets’ first possession of the second half, Frank Reich’s play-calling was terrific. Great chess playing.
On the second play of the drive, Geno Smith hit Garrett Wilson on a deep crossing route for 31 yards. Two plays later, Smith runs another deep crossing route, drawing a lot of secondary attention, and Reich had Adanoi Mitchell run a deep route behind Wilson. A safety bit on Smith underneath, leaving Mitchell wide open for a 40-yard gain.
There are going to be amazing opportunities for Mitchell to get light coverages with all the attention given to Wilson, and a good play-caller like Reich, knows how to take advantage of this, with this play being a perfect example . . .
Earlier this week we wrote about how the Titans’ loss of linebacker Cedric Gray to a concussion before this game could help the Jets’ running game.
Gray, the Titans’ leading tackler last year, and one of the NFL’s best run stoppers last year according to Pro Football Talk, was certainly missed.
You know who was also missed by the Titans: nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat, now with the Jets.
Not having Sweat teamed with Jeffrey Simmons in the middle of their defensive line, and not having Gray, certainly contributed to the Jets’ 152 yards rushing today.
But let’s not take anything away from the Jets’ offensive line, tight ends, and backs, who did a heck of a job.
The blocking was superb, and the runners ran hard and broke a lot of tackles . . .
Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick hurt his groin early in the game and didn’t return.
Saw him leaving the locker room after the game, Gatorade in hand, not limping or anything, and seemed in good spirits. The guess here is this isn’t long-term . . .
Former Jets WR Eric Decker was in the Jets locker room after the game with his kids. He lives in Nashville . . .
Getting back to Sweat, while it’s early, juxtaposing him with Jermaine Johnson, the player the Jets traded to Tennessee for him, it seems like the right move.
After last season’s run defense disaster for Gang Green, they needed Sweat more than they needed Johnson.
They desperately needed a 6-4, 366-pound immovable object in the middle of their line
Sweat had two plays today that were illustrative of why the Jets traded for him. Late in the first quarter, he blew up a run by RB Tyjae Spears after just one yard, and then in the third quarter, he flashed his freakish quickness for a big man when he got by guard Peter Skoronski and pressured QB Cam Ward to throw the ball away.
The Titans’ run defense was terrible today. Obviously, Johnson and the rest of their front seven have some things to work on.
Johnson is a good, not great player, and since the Jets weren’t particularly interested in giving him a huge second contract, this trade for Sweat seemed like a good way to go . . .
LB Demario Davis led the Jets in tackles with eight, and he set a great tone on the Jets’ first defensive series, showing great instincts, shooting a gap, stopping RB Tony Pollard after a gain of just two. It was a big-time run stop . . .
Speaking of run defense, don’t you think the Jets Titans could have used Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese with the 2026 fourth pick, instead of a receiver (Carnell Tate). Nothing against Tate, but why would you pick a WR at four, when you have a defense to fix, and a new head coach who made his bones on defense and needs more pieces to fix that side of the ball?
Why?
Simple.
Because so many organizations think the reason their young QB is struggling is that he doesn’t have weapons.
Watching Cam Ward today, do you think his issue is related to weapons?
You know the old saying we quote in this space a lot: “Quarterbacks make receivers; receivers don’t make quarterbacks.”
Picking Reese would have made more sense. Tate is very talented, but you can find receivers later in the first round – no need to pick them in the top five.
September 13, 2026
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