Jeffery Simmons: Titans' defensive front must play better after loss to the Jets

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The stat sheet showed Geno Smith was mistaken about the Tennessee Titans not touching the New York Jets quarterback even once in their season opener.

Yes, the Titans did hit Smith once.

That was it.

After Tennessee revamped the defensive front around All-Pro tackle Jeffery Simmons, the Titans made clear that group would set the tone both for the defense and the team as a whole.

With Philadelphia (1-0) visiting next, the Titans know what has to happen after losing to the New York Jets.

“We have to do better up front, and that’s going to be our challenge," Simmons said Wednesday. "That’s what we expect from this team, from the coaches, and in front of the guys in our room. We want the pressure on us. We expect to play better, and we need to play it better.”

That the Titans didn't play better on defense was a surprise.

Tennessee traded for end Jermaine Johnson II and signed linemen John Franklin-Myers and Jacob Martin before drafting Keldric Faulk at the end of the first round. They also have Oluwafemi Oladejo, a second-round draft pick in 2025.

This also was the first game with Robert Saleh calling the defensive plays, something he didn’t do when coaching the Jets that he believes will help him be better the second time around as a head coach with Tennessee.

With the Titans holding joint practices with San Francisco, defending Super Bowl champ Seattle and Chicago — all playoff teams last season, they saw signs this defense could stop the run and pressure quarterbacks.

It’s also why Saleh brought Aaron Whitecotton with him to coach an aggressive group of linemen.

Saleh saw the mistakes against the Jets and believes: “Those are very easily correctable.”

Safety Kevin Winston Jr. agreed that the issues the Titans had in the opener can be fixed after watching tape and practicing.

“We don’t want to be repeat offenders," Winston said.

Before trying to sack any quarterback, the Titans have to stop the run on first and second down. They gave up 152 yards rushing to the Jets who ran the ball 39 times, including 10 consecutive plays in seizing control in the first half.

Simmons knows he missed a chance at one sack himself.

“We didn’t make enough plays in this game, especially up front," Simmons said.

Saquon Barkley averaged 5.5 yards per rush for the Eagles in their opening win. Quarterback Jalen Hurts ran for 46 yards on seven attempts.

“It’s another great opportunity this week," Simmons said.

Saleh said LB Cedric Gray practiced Wednesday as he works his way through the concussion protocol with the Titans hopeful he's back by the end of the week. LB Mohamoud Diabate will be out recovering from surgery on a broken thumb. LB James Williams practiced in a yellow, non-contact jersey dealing with a strained elbow.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here