One Potential Weakness Jets Can't Allow Titans to Exploit in Week 1

Gang Green's chances of victory could come down to this key area.

Sunday's season opener could come down to Jets HC Aaron Glenn avoiding one potentially fatal mistake. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Football is all about matchups.

Teams who win on Sunday do a better job of exploiting matchup advantages than their opponent.

The Jets haven't been very successful at using matchups to their advantage in recent years. In 2026, though, the roster has seen major upgrades across the board. With that comes the chance to finally make life harder for opponents.

But just as the Jets should feel confident about their Week 1 matchup against the Titans to open the season, they also need to be wary of one major concern they have walking into the 2026 campaign. It's the one weakness any team in the league can exploit if another part of the roster doesn't hold up their end of the bargain.

Jets must be wary of one key

New York focused heavily on improving a few areas of their roster this offseason. Their pass rush, run defense, offensive line, and offensive skill players. With their focus in the trenches, the Jets' secondary remains something of a question mark going into 2026, especially under head coach and play-caller Aaron Glenn.

Throughout his play-calling career, Glenn has shown a penchant for putting his corners in man coverage. When he was in the role with the Detroit Lions in 2024, he had his team use man coverage on 47.7% of the snaps—the most in the league.

That means, despite bringing in quality safeties such as Minkah Fitzpatrick and Dane Belton, the team is going to rely heavily on the success of Brandon Stephens, Nahshon Wright, Jarvis Brownlee, and Azareye'h Thomas.

The group is a fiesty and intriguing unit, but clearly a big question mark going into most Sundays.

Head coach Aaron Glenn is counting on a big performance from Dane Belton and the rest of the Jets' secondary in Week 1. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

First up: Cam Ward, the Titans offense, and fourth overall pick Carnell Tate. After a quiet preseason, Tate has many questions to answer on his own that the Jets will have to deal with. Tennessee also has Calvin Ridley, Wan'Dale Robinson and a collection of quality receivers the Jets will need to deal with.

That brings us to New York's weakness.

Last season, the Jets' pass defense gave up the most touchdowns in the league. They also had the dubious distinction of being the only team without an interception over an entire year. With so much man coverage in their future, it's easy to see why the Titans should be able to win through the air on Sunday.

There's a catch to New York's big weakness, though. A big part of why the Jets struggled so much to defend the pass last year was due to their inability to rush the passer. New York finished worst or second-worst in the league in sacks and pressure rate. With modern-day quarterbacks able to sit in the pocket and pick apart their defense, it's no wonder why New York's secondary was taxed last season.

The Jets also made several offseason moves to make sure their pass rush will be far better than in 2025. From second overall pick David Bailey to free agent acquisitions like Joseph Ossai and Kingsley Enagbare, the Jets should be able to get to the quarterback at a higher clip than they did last season.

If they are able to do that, then things could be easier for their young and mediocre cornerback room.

If the Jets' pass rush fails, more pressure will fall on a group that we just don't know will be ready to compete with some of the quality offenses they are expected to face.

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