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The Jets need to win their opener in Nashville.
No excuses, no explanations.
On paper, they are the better team, and they have the better QB.
And as we all know, the NFL is a QB-driven league.
Not putting Geno Smith in Canton, but he’s better than Cam Ward. Right now, this isn’t even debatable.
In retrospect, Ward was way overdrafted last year, going first overall.
Not only should he not have gone first overall, but you could also argue he’s not even a first-round QB.
He was a fumble machine last year for the Titans, coughing up the ball 11 times.
Now some will argue that one reason for that was not having a great offensive line, but he often held the ball too long, not helping his line.
Yes, he was sacked a league-high 55 times, but some of those were due to not making decisions fast enough.
The new coaching staff worked hard with Ward in the off-season to make quicker decisions. It’s often hard to hasten how a guy processes, unless you are consistently doing a great job dialing up easy first reads that are open, so the QB has to deliver the ball. It’s easier for college offensive coordinators to do that consistently than on the NFL level.
And with a new staff, Ward had to learn his second offense entering his second NFL season, which is not ideal for a young signal-caller.
How comfortable will he be in Brian Daboll’s system early in the season?
He could get better as the season progresses, but the first few weeks could be tough. It’s never ideal to throw a new playbook at a young developmental QB entering Year 2.
The Jets can’t let this guy beat them, especially with their revamped defense, which is a lot more talented than last year, especially on the defensive line.
Especially with the Titans’ offensive line having a lot of question marks.
In the QB battle in this game, 36-year-old Geno Smith, who’s seen everything a defense can throw at you, against 24-year-old Ward; advantage Jets.
Also, Jets nose tackle T’Vondre Sweat and nickelback Jarvis Brownlee will be a great help to their defensive teammates and coaches in preparing for this game, two guys who faced Ward in practice in Nashville during his rookie season.
And having Sweat on their roster, and not on Tennessee’s, will probably help the Jets in this game.
Ward needs a running game to be successful, so he can sell easy play-action passes. Sweat should help the Jets’ run defense, which was substandard last year, take a huge positive step in 2026, along with fellow new additions on the defensive line – David Onyemata and Kingsley Engagbare.
And as was mentioned before, the Titans don’t have a great offensive line, which could lead to a banner game for the Jets’ defensive front.
The Jets do have what looks like a great offensive line, so this should help their cause in this game, protecting Smith, allowing him to play point guard and distribute the ball to his myriad impressive offensive weapons. And, of course, make hay on the ground with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen.
So to channel something Chris Russo might say: “If you’re the Jets, you can’t be losing to Cam Ward and the Titans.”
September 7, 2026
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