The roster changed, the coaches changed and the systems changed. A 23-10 loss to another former 3-14 team offered a harsh first measure of how much work remains.

By PAUL KUHARSKY

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Put on a display like the Titans did on opening day and it’s hard to believe we’re looking at the start of something new.

Never mind the roster revamp, the coaching changes, the new systems. Sunday’s lifeless 23-10 loss to the Jets could have been Game 18 for the 2025 Titans.

After an offseason of change and hope it offered an ugly, harsh reminder of just how far the redesigned, reimagined, reassembled franchise has to go.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) scrambles past New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Cam Ward tries to escape Jets pressure/ ASSOCIATED PRESS, George Walker IV

While Jeffery Simmons suggested a question about the same old Titans was rage bait, the other veteran who signed a big extension in the offseason, Peter Skoronski, saw it for what it was: An honest assessment of the first 1/17 of the team’s work.

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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.