The New York Jets were served a slice of humble pie on Monday night — a 32-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers showing them that there is still a long way to go before they can be considered legitimate championship contenders.
On a short week, this Sunday provides a bit of a lighter matchup against a Tennessee Titans team that squandered a 17-0 lead to lose to the Chicago Bears 24-17. It is a golden opportunity for the Jets to find their footing in 2024 and start hitting the accelerator to move forward rather than stay in the usual neutral gear they have been stuck in for the last 14 years.
Jets (0-1) vs. Titans (0-1) Week 2 viewing information, odds
- Date: Sunday, Sept. 15
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Venue: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN
- TV: CBS
- Spread: Jets -3.5 (via DraftKings)
- Over/Under: 40.5
- Jets Moneyline: -170
- Titans Moneyline: +142
3 Jets storylines to watch in Week 2 vs. Titans
A step forward for Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers’ homecoming game in Santa Clara had its ups and downs with far more valleys than peaks.
The 40-year-old future Hall of Famer completed 13 of 21 passes for 187 yards with one touchdown and an interception in what was his first time seeing real-game action in one year.
Despite the loss, the Jets’ most important accomplishment was that Rodgers survived the season opener unscathed, which was quite a mental hurdle considering his debut last season was cut short after four plays due to a season-ending Achilles injury.
The Titans will understandably feel pretty good about their defense, even with the loss in Week 1. They did not allow a touchdown against No. 1 pick Caleb Williams and the Bears offense but were forced to watch the special teams and quarterback Will Levis throw it all away.
Rodgers provides a different challenge for Tennessee’s defense, and he should have a significantly better game in Week 2.
Get-right game for defense: The Jets’ vaunted defense was nothing short of bad against a high-powered 49ers team that did not have its best player in running back Christian McCaffrey.
Their front got bullied, allowing backup running back Jordan Mason to rush for 147 yards and a touchdown. Their pressure was nearly non-existent with only two sacks of Brock Purdy, and there was little resistance everywhere else as the Niners scored on eight straight drives.
The good news for the Jets even as they wait for some sort of resolution regarding the holdout of Haason Reddick is that they will face a Titans offense that looked shambolic against the Bears.
Levis completed just 19 of 32 passes for 127 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. He is going to draw the ire of a hungry Jets defense that will look to put Monday night’s performance fully in the rearview mirror, meaning it could be another rough day for the Tennessee quarterback.
Breece Hall redemption time: For a running back primed for a 1,000-yard season, Hall did not get off to a very promising start against a strong 49ers defense. He rushed for just 54 yards with another 39 coming through the air to go with a touchdown and a fumble lost on New York’s second possession of the night.
He was so disappointed in his performance that he went up to Rodgers and apologized.
“I told him I was sorry I didn’t play as well as I could have and up to my potential,” Hall said. “He was just like, ‘It’s going to be a long season, bro. I’m not worried about it. You’ll be fine.'”
The Titans’ run defense looked plenty strong in Week 1, though, holding Bears running back D’Andre Swift to just 30 yards on 10 carries, though 20 of them came on a single attempt.
