Faria: One Thought on All Jets' 22 Starters After Week 1 Domination

The Jets' Week 1 win couldn't have gone any better, but not every starter deserved the same amount of praise.

Sep 13, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV (9) sacks Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Things went about as well as the New York Jets could have hoped for to open the season.

Gang Green dominated in all three phases of their 23-10 win over the Tennessee Titans in a game that was more of a blowout than the final score indicated. Many of New York's recent additions stepped up to play a key role in the win, and the core players looked dominant.

Before we turn our attention to Week 2, though, it's time to break down all 22 starters for the Jets and how they did on their own merit. Spoiler alert: there was a lot to like.

Click to jump to a player:

1. Geno Smith
2. Breece Hall
3. Garrett Wilson
4. Adonai Mitchell
5. Kenyon Sadiq
6. Mason Taylor
7. Jets offensive line
8. David Bailey
9. David Onyemata
10. T'Vondre Sweat
11. Will McDonald
12. Jamien Sherwood
13. Demario Davis
14. Brandon Stephens
15. AZ Thomas
16. Minkah Fitzpatrick
17. Dane Belton

Geno Smith

Smith was the kind of efficient we haven't seem from him much over his career. 19-of-24 passing for 215 yards won't set any records, but it did put the Jets in an excellent position to win the game. For a team that has been hit hard at the quarterback position, Smith's performance was a welcome sign.

"I thought he did an outstanding job," Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said. "Listen, there's some things obviously that we've got to clean up and get better
at, but man, I think he was dang-near 80% throwing the ball."

If Smith continues to play like that, especially without the turnovers, the Jets will be a playoff team.

Breece Hall

Hall was the catalyst for the Jets offense in Week 1. He recorded 102 yards rushing on 22 carries with a touchdown. He also added two catches for 16 yards in the passing game. So long as Hall remains impactful like he was on Sunday, the Jets will be very hard to beat. They have too many weapons for normal defenses to prepare for.

The Titans won't be the only team to struggle on that side of the ball.

Garrett Wilson

For a superstar receiver that Wilson expects to be, his six-catch, 79-yard game won't stand out around the league. But with the Jets rushing for over 150 yards with limited reason to throw the ball, he won't complain with the fact he didn't get 10 or more touches. Wilson is all about winning right now. And it shows with the veteran finally getting a convincing victory to move forward with.

"I thought it felt good, felt pretty fluid," Wilson said after his first game back from a knee injury suffered last year. "Just got to have a good week of practice, clean it up. We still left a lot on the field, that's the best part about it."

Adonai Mitchell

That was the kind of performance the Indianapolis Colts were probably hoping for when they made Mitchell a second-round pick. Mitchell caught three passes for 60 yards but that included a 40-yard completion in the third quarter and an excellent toe-tap right before the half. He will finish in second to Wilson in targets this season, but New York needs him to be impactful if they hope to find success in 2026.

So far, he was exactly that on Sunday.

Kenyon Sadiq

For a player who missed most of camp, Sadiq still found a way to be impactful. Whether it was rushing for the first score of the day, or catching three passes during the win, the first-round tight end appears to be improving with each passing day. I would not be surprised to see his role double going into Week 2.

Mason Taylor

Probably the lone disappointment for New York's offense was Taylor. He made two catches for negative two yards while also being credited with a drop that very well could have been a fumble. He was also called for a procedure penalty that wiped away a chance at a touchdown.

Taylor will need to step up and have a big game in Week 2 if he wants to keep his starting role. Sadiq's opportunities are only going to grow.

Jets offensive line

I could do a small blurb saying the same thing for all five players. Instead, I will put them together.

Olu Fashanu, Dylan Parham, Josh Myers, Joe Tippmann, and Armand Membou were abssolutely dominant on Sunday. They shut down Jeffery Simmons, led the way to 152 yards rushing, and gave up minimal pressures throughout the contest. Simply put, it was one of the more impressive performances we have seen from a Jets line in some time.

"The O-line was outstanding, giving Geno (Smith) time to be able to create some of these explosive plays down the field," Glenn said. "Tough, violent, gritty, just you're not going to stop what we're trying to do mentality. And when you have an O-line of that magnitude that thinks that way, it's hard."

Parham led the entire team in PFF scores with a 93.5. Tippmann, Fashanu, and Membou all had grades over 67 in pass blocking. Even Myers was the third highest-rated center in the league after his performance.

If they all play like that for the rest of the year, the Jets are going to the playoffs. No one will be able to attack them with their line.

David Bailey

It should surprise no one that the second overall pick was New York's best pass rusher on the day. Bailey led the team with six pressures and even recorded a sack when he was closest to Ward when he ran out of bounds. That stat will count, and there will be more normal ones for him in the future.

David Onyemata

Onyemata had a difficult time during the preseason as an aging defensive tackle. But he did have a quiet and effective game limiting the Titans running the ball up the middle. He probably isn't going to be the same he once was, but there's reason for optimism going forward as the Jets continue to rotate defenders around inside.

T'Vondre Sweat

Pro Football Focus did not great Sweat's opening day performance very well, but the tape is a lot better on him than people realize. Tennessee tried to run off tackle solely because they couldn't move Sweat during the game. He also recorded a pressure on his own, so there's some semblance of a pass rush for the nose tackle. This was a good revenge game for the young tackle.

Will McDonald

McDonald focused his efforts on getting bigger and better against the run. He was rewarded with an excellent performance in Week 1, as well as his first sack of the season. His performance was so strong, he was the 14th best edge rusher in football to open the season. In what is a contract year for the former first-round pick, McDonald got himself off to a fast start.

Jamien Sherwood

For one game, at least, Sherwood looked like the linebacker the Jets were hoping to get last season. He recorded four tackles and was much better in pass coverage than the previous year. Pro Football Focus graded his game at an above average 67.8 which was good for 18th-best among 64 linebackers who saw the field.

Demario Davis

Sherwood had a very good game to open the season. If anything, that highlights the impact of getting Davis on the field with him. The 37-year-old linebacker played every snap for the defense and led the team in tackles. He also recorded a pass breakup during the win.

It will be interesting to see if Davis can keep this level of play up for a full 17-game season at his age. If he can, the entire defense will reap the benefits.

Brandon Stephens

By the time the third quarter was over, the Titans had a measly 2.7 yards per pass. That egregiously bad number had a lot to do with the play of New York's cornerback room, particuarly Brandon Stephens. The veteran was picked on a little bit early, but came back to have a very strong performance.

Stephens was targeted four times and allowed just one catch for 12 yards with Cam Ward's passer rating just 39.6 on those targets.

AZ Thomas

Sunday could not have gone better for Thomas either. New York's starting corner opposite Stephens made multiple tackles in run defense, and was very good in pass coverage as well. Pro Football Focus graded him as the 11th best cornerback in Week 1. It's a sign of a potential every-down starter for the team going forward.

Minkah Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick was billed as the All-Pro safety who would change life for the Jets secondary. Instead, the Jets got Fitzpatrick for a quarter before the veteran suffered a groin injury. New York has kept his injury close to the vest at this point.

"I'll have more information this afternoon when it comes to that, when we get most of the evaluations back from (Fitzpatrick)," Glenn said.

If he can't go, New York will keep just a two-safety rotation with Dane Belton and Andre Cisco back as the free safety.

Dane Belton

Belton was an unsung hero for the team on Sunday. When Fitzpatrick went down with a groin injury, it was the former Giant who stepped up into his role. Belton's numbers weren't going to set a record or anything, but it is clear the Jets really love his versatility.

"(Dane is) playing at the nickel position; he's playing safety; he moved all over the field," Glenn said. " No matter who's in the game, injuries are going to happen in this league; you can't get away from it. What overcomes injuries though, and to me it's a playstyle. I think our guys understand that, and they did a good job of that."

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