The Titans expect their defensive front to dictate games. The Jets ran 39 times for 152 yards, and now Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts bring a tougher test.

By PAUL KUHARSKY

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Titans want their defensive front to be their identity.

It didn’t show up in the opener.

Zero sacks. Twelve quarterback hits. Thirty-nine rush attempts by the Jets for 152 yards.

That’s not only a failure to set a tone. It’s permission granted for a tone to be set by the opposition.

And while the problems went deeper than two new additions, the initial responses from John Franklin-Myers, the team’s costliest free agent, and Jermaine Johnson, acquired in a trade for 2024 second-rounder T’Vondre Sweat, were underwhelming.

No Pass Rush
Geno Smith often had room and time againt the Titans/ Angie Flatt

“It wasn’t bad, but it definitely wasn’t enough, not in my eyes,” Johnson said when I asked him to assess his play. He was credited with two tackles and a hit and Sumer Sports counted him for one impact play. Not bad?

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Paul Kuharsky has covered the Tennessee Titans since 1996, first for The Tennessean, then ESPN.com and now independently at paulkuharsky.com. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee and one of the longest-tenured Titans beat reporters in the franchise's history.