A new coach, a changed roster, and the same result: Titans stumble in opening their season

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — New Tennessee coach Robert Saleh watched the tape of the Titans in their first game with a new coaching staff and had a sharp critique.

Saleh's takes Monday:

“It was not good in any facet and in any phase of the football game."

"It has to be better.”

That was obvious to anyone watching the Titans lose a sixth straight season opener since 2020 with Saleh the third different coach in that span. They never led and wound up dominated by the New York Jets in a 23-10 loss to a team that also went 3-14 last season.

"We also have to acknowledge we have a long way to go,” Saleh said of a franchise that flipped more than half of the roster this offseason along with the new coaching staff.

Yet none of the areas that were changed showed signs of improvement with even special teams having issues. Joey Slye's opening kickoff went out of bounds for a bad omen. All-Pro returner Chimere Dike lost a fumble on a kickoff return after being cleared of a concussion with a blocker pushed into him on a punt return.

Saleh took accountability for his own mistakes. With the Jets running the ball on 10 consecutive plays to start a 19-play drive that used up nearly 12 minutes off the clock in the first half, the head coach tried to be more aggressive calling the defense in the second half looking to create more big plays.

“It is truly collective; coaches, players, and trying to find a way to get this thing a little bit better,” Saleh said.

The Titans were flagged four times for 25 yards in the rare category they did better than the Jets. One flag for too many men on the field erased a Jets' rushing touchdown, though they scored on the next play. Saleh used a timeout to avoid another penalty for 12 men on the field with the defense at its goal line.

Everything across the board.

Rookie LB Anthony Hill Jr. The 60th pick overall started and led the Titans with 16 total tackles and two passes defended making him the NFL's first rookie to post those stats in a game since at least 2000. He also was the first NFL player with those stats in a game since Chicago safety Jaquan Brisker had 17 tackles and two passes defensed Dec. 10, 2023.

Cam Ward did not turn the ball over to start his second NFL season. He also threw for only 140 yards — the fewest for any starting quarterback going into Monday night's games. Saleh noted that Ward has had seven different coordinators in seven different seasons and his coaches are trying to give him stability.

His latest NFL coach said Ward just needs time and will be growing this season and next.

“This young man is at the floor, again, of what it takes to be an NFL quarterback, but he has all the tools, the mental makeup to get to where he needs to go," Saleh said.

LB Cedric Gray missed the opener in the concussion protocol after a UTV accident . Saleh said Gray should be available against Philadelphia. Gray led the Titans with 160 tackles last season, which ranked fifth in the NFL. All-Pro returner Chimere Dike was evaluated for a concussion and cleared to return during the game.

31 — The number of NFL teams who have won at least one season opener since the start of the 2021 season with the Titans the only team in the league shut out in that span.

The Titans host Philadelphia on Sunday to wrap up two games to open a season at home for the first time since 2010. Then they face a two-game road swing at the New York Giants, then the Baltimore Ravens.

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