Will the NY Jets Avoid a 0-2 Start? Titans vs. Jets Betting Preview

The New York Jets didn’t look good at all offensively in what was essentially Aaron Rodgers’ team debut at quarterback on Monday night to conclude Week 1.

The Jets now try to avoid a 0-2 start to the season on Sunday as they are on a short week visiting the Tennessee Titans, who are 3.5-point underdogs in their home opener.

New York Jets -182

The Jets were pitiful offensively last year after Aaron Rodgers went down on just the fourth snap of his New York career with a season-ending injury. Rodgers is healthy now, but that offense didn’t look much better Monday in a 32-19 loss in San Francisco. Rodgers completed 13 of 21 passes for 167 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Aaron Rodgers

He had just 64 passing yards in the first half, 62 of which came on a 12-play, 70-yard touchdown drive on the Jets’ third possession, which was capped by a three-yard Breece Hall touchdown run. The future Hall of Famer was picked off on a tipped ball on the Jets’ first drive of the second half, but Rodgers bounced back with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Allen Lazard on a free play on the following drive. New York couldn’t get any closer, Tyrod Taylor mopped up with a touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter after the game got out of reach. The Jets held the football for only 21:20 in total, and that includes the almost four minutes of possession on the final drive with Taylor under center.

Rodgers became the 22nd quarterback in the Super Bowl era (since 1966) to play after his 40th birthday. There were a few vintage moments for the four-time MVP, but he wasn’t pleased with his return performance. The game was so lopsided that Coach Robert Saleh, a former 49ers assistant, pulled Rodgers with 4:32 left in the fourth quarter.

“We never gave Aaron a chance to get into rhythm,” Saleh said. “We had 49 plays on offense. You go 12 plays and from there you’re just not seeing the field as much as you want. But all of it will come together. For a first game for Aaron and the offense, there’s going to be some good things we can take away from it.”

Robert Saleh on Aaron Rodgers' first real action with Jets in loss to 49ers: "We never really gave him a chance to get in the rhythm"https://t.co/37B5m8Ma0m pic.twitter.com/R0Up22Cuul

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) September 10, 2024

Allen Lazard

Lazard, one of Rodgers’ former teammates with the Packers, caught 6-of-9 targets for 89 yards and two touchdowns. Lazard’s first touchdown came on a free play at the end of the third quarter after a defender jumped offside, hitting the seam between the safety and corner in zone coverage for a 36-yard strike to pay dirt. He would then tack on an additional score with just 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter on a ball thrown from Taylor from three yards out.

Garrett Wilson

Wilson caught 6-of-11 targets for 60 yards but didn’t find the end zone as he was blanketed all night. Fellow WR Mike Williams, signed this off season, played sparingly as the team works him back from a torn ACL suffered in Week 3 of the 2023 season.

Breece Hall

The running back rushed 16 times for 54 yards and a touchdown while catching five of six targets for 39 yards and losing a fumble, Hall atoned for a fumble on the Jets’ second possession with a three-yard touchdown run on the next drive. He failed to get in on a two-point conversion attempt in the third quarter after the first of Lazard’s two touchdown catches cut the deficit to 26-13. The Jets’ makeover on the offensive line and the return of Rodgers was supposed to help open up more running lanes for Hall, but he averaged just 3.4 yards per carry.

The Jets were one of the NFL’s top defensive teams last year but allowed eight consecutive scoring drives Monday. It had been at least 45 years since they surrendered that many scoring drives in a row. Kept off-balance by the 49ers’ pre-snap motion and misdirection, the Jets were shredded for 147 rushing yards by Christian McCaffrey’s understudy, Jordan Mason.

“They’re a good football team,” said cornerback Sauce Gardner, who missed nine snaps because he got the wind knocked out of him. “You know, they just played in the Super Bowl.”

Tennessee Titans +147

The Titans played absolutely terrific defensive football on Sunday in Chicago in Brian Callahan’s Tennessee head coaching debut but blew an early 17-0 lead and lost 24–17 thanks to second-half Bears touchdowns by way of a blocked punt return and an interception return. Chicago didn’t score an offensive TD and managed only 148 total yards.

In the Last Game

That was the fewest yards by a Titans opponent since the defense surrendered 127 yards to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 19, 2010. Additionally, the 64 net passing yards allowed at Chicago marked the best performance by the Titans defense since the same date against Pittsburgh, when the Steelers threw for 21 total yards. The Bears also converted only 15.4 percent on third down (2-of-14). About the only thing the Titans didn’t do well on defense was cause turnovers, like the Bears did.

“It’s frustrating to lose, but I am motivated,” defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said. “The way we played on defense is what we expected. Our message was to make them earn their stripes, and they did. They scored a total of 11 points – three field goals (and two extra points). We played lights out on defense, and did a hell of a job. It’s something we can build off of.”

Tennessee’s opening TD came courtesy of running back Tony Pollard, who made his team debut after signing with the Titans during the off season as an unrestricted free agent. The former Cowboy found the end zone on a 26-yard run in the first quarter and paced the offense with 82 rushing yards and 94 total scrimmage yards. Pollard was one of 20 players who made their Titans debut in the contest.

The Titans rushed for 140 yards at Chicago. That was their best total in a season opener since they totaled 162 rushing yards at Kansas City on Sept. 7, 2014. Tennessee used 11 total starters who were added to the roster since the end of the 2023 season, including six on defense.

Will Levis

The Titans scored their second touchdown on a 17-yard pass from second-year quarterback Will Levis to tight end Chig Okonkwo. Levis finished 19 of 32 passing for 127 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He added four rushes for 36 yards. The Bears made a run in the second half, which in turn forced Levis to the air more often and led to mistakes. The worst came midway through the fourth quarter, when Levis attempted to escape pressure and desperately flung the ball toward the sidelines and into the waiting arms of Tyrique Stevenson for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown. Levis averaged only 4.0 yards per attempt and completed just two passes for more than 20 yards.

Levis was critical of himself, calling his pick-6 the result of a “bonehead play,” and one of the many things he can learn from in the game. “It’s tough,” Levis said. “I can’t remember a loss in my career where I feel like I blatantly handed it over to them, and I have to deal with that.”

Calvin Ridley

The Titans couldn’t keep drives alive because they couldn’t convert third downs, as they finished 3-of-14 on third down (21.4 percent). Part of the problem is the team picked up penalties and negative plays on offense, which put them in long down-and-distance situations. Calvin Ridley caught 3-of-7 targets for 50 yards in the loss. Making his Tennessee debut, Ridley was the only Titan to exceed 20 yards receiving. Levis underthrew Ridley on what should have been a 43-yard second quarter touchdown.

Going forward, Callahan said he wants the backfield to be “a little more even” between Pollard and Tyjae Spears. Pollard was the clear RB1 in Week 1 against the Bears. He out-touched Spears 19 to 8, with Spears playing just 44 percent of the offensive snaps. Spears rushed for 21 yards on four attempts and caught four passes for 11 yards against the Bears.

Jets vs Titans Info

When: Sunday, 1 PM ET
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville
TV: CBS
Radio: http://www.siriusxm.com/nfl
Stream Option: https://tv.youtube.com/learn/nflsundayticket/

Jets vs Titans Series History

The Titans and Jets, two of the eight original AFL franchises, renew their rivalry for the 47th time. Tennessee leads the series 25-20-1, including a postseason win in 1991. But New York has claimed three of the last four matchups, most recently a 27-24 overtime finish at MetLife Stadium on Oct. 3, 2021.

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