NASHVILLE – The Titans face the New York Jets on Sunday in the home opener at Nissan Stadium.
Here's a look at six things to watch leading up to the contest:
Will Levis Bounce Back?
Tired of hearing about the Week One performance by Titans quarterback Will Levis? Well, I'm sure Levis is ready to turn the page himself. The best way to do that is to turn in a winning performance against the Jets. Levis beat himself up after his three-turnover game in the opener, and he's focused on a bounce-back performance this Sunday. Levis was good at Nissan Stadium in 2023, as he tallied 6 touchdowns with just 1 interception and a 93.5 in four home starts. The Jets won't make it easy on him. Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner is one of the best in the league at the position, and the Jets have a defensive front that's capable of making things challenging for Levis. Levis would surely benefit from a running game that produces the entire game, not just a half.
Contain Rodgers
Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been pretty remarkable in his career following a Week 1 loss – his teams are 5-0, and he's thrown 14 touchdowns vs just one interception while averaging 307 passing yards per game with a 125.9 rating. Pretty scary, huh? Titans fans might like this stat better: Rodgers has a 2-3 record vs the Titans in his career, and that's his second-worst W-L record vs any team. The Titans are one of just three teams Rodgers has a below .500 record against (IND, WASH). The past has no bearing on what will happen on Sunday, of course. What will matter Sunday is if the Titans can find a way to make Rodgers uncomfortable. More on this in a bit.
Get the Ball to Playmakers
The Titans were aggressive adding offensive playmakers during the offseason, so when the team didn't utilize them as much in the opener, it generated some conversation. But hey, it was just week, so give it time, right? Already fans are asking for more, and I get it. Calvin Ridley led the team with 50 receiving yards last week, but he was the only Titans with 20-plus receiving yards. The only other time the Titans had only one player with 20-plus receiving yards since 2018 was in Week 8 of 2022, when Malik Willis made his first career start and threw for just 55 yards. While it seems like just a matter of time before Ridley erupts for a big play, or game, the Titans should get more from a healthier DeAndre Hopkins this week as well. Tyler Boyd, Treylon Burks and others are on call to make plays as well, like Chig Okonkwo did last Sunday.
Defense, Defense, Defense
I touched on the importance of making Rodgers uncomfortable on Sunday. Across the board, the Titans will be aiming to prove last week was no fluke. What happened in Chicago last week was a dominating performance by the defense – the Titans finished Week 1 ranked No.1 in the NFL in defense by allowing just nine offensive points and 148 yards, and they also allowed just 2.8 yards per play (fewest in Week 1), 64 pass yards (fewest in NFL) and 2-of-13 on third down. The Titans are expected to add another piece to the puzzle this week in former Jets defensive back Jamal Adams, and linebacker Ernest Jones IV could log more snaps as well as he gets more comfortable in the defense. Those guys should make the defense even better. On Sunday, the Titans will look to provide pressure up front, but this Sunday they'd like to do something they didn't do in Week 1 – force turnovers.
Special Teams
This Titans team can't afford to make things more difficult on themselves with a subpar effort on special teams, and that's what they got in the opener. A blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown, a long kickoff return that set up more points, and some missed opportunities of their own in the return game helped doom the team in Chicago. Can the Titans change the game for the better against the Jets, and give punter Ryan Stonehouse time to punt? Kicker Nick Folk carries his streak of 78 consecutive field goals under 40 yards into the game.
Importance of Week 2
The Titans and Jets are both 0-1, and now trying to avoid going 0-2. History has proven an 0-1 start is not impossible to overcome, as 25 percent of teams (131 of 525) since 1990 that lost a season opener advanced to the playoffs, including four teams in 2023. The odds for teams that start 0-2 are a bit scarier – since 1990, teams starting 0-2 have made the playoffs just 11.5% of the time, won the division 6.1% of the time and won a Super Bowl 1.1% of the time. The playoff percentage for teams that start 1-1 jumps up to 42%.
# # #
SeatGeek has the best tickets at the best price to Titans games. Click here to be there. Let's go!
