As a lifelong New York Jets fan, I’ve learned not to expect much from my team. I look forward to the start of the season every year, but I keep my expectations low — yes, even in the season we had Aaron Rodgers. This has protected me from a lot of disappointment.
After the last two nearly unwatchable seasons, I didn’t have high expectations as I tuned in to our week one matchup against the Tennessee Titans. I was pleasantly surprised to watch an all-over dominant win; it was honestly the first game I’d joyfully watched in years. While I don’t want to get ahead of myself, I can’t help but rejoice in my team looking competitive. Let’s dive into my particular takeaways from the first two weeks of 2026 NFL play.
Week 1: JetS VS. titans
I can’t speak on this season without mentioning Geno Smith’s return to New York. Many Jets fans, myself included, felt skeptical about this move. However, his second debut as a Jet was promising. While he completed zero passing touchdowns, he came out of week one with the league’s highest PFF passer rating at 88.4, proving he can be what the Jets need: a game manager. I don’t expect Geno to make jaw-dropping standout plays; I merely want him to complete simple passes and reduce turnovers. And this he did. I felt relieved watching his performance against the Titans.
Further, the Jets’ defense didn’t let Tennessee get anything going. They still haven’t broken the interception-less streak, but the team demonstrated that they can match its 2022 defense. I’m a fan of Aaron Glenn being on defensive play-calling duty. The 23-10 score doesn’t properly convey the team’s dominance; the Titans scored their only touchdown with 2:42 left. Even with Minkah Fitzpatrick’s early injury our defense looked impressive, led by Demario Davis and Azareye’h Thomas.
The most promising thing to me was the Jets’ control of possession. They had the ball for nearly two-thirds of the game, keeping Tennessee’s defense on the field. Their exhaustion showed, especially in the third quarter, which allowed Breece Hall to blaze into the end zone. The Jets also had long, consistent drives, running down the clock and reducing the Titans’ response time.
Last but not least, we saw sparks from the Jets’ rookies TE Kenyon Sadiq and WR Omar Cooper Jr. under new offensive coordinator Frank Reich. Sadiq earned us a rare opening-drive touchdown, and Cooper showed off his ability to evade defenders on an explosive 30-yard play. Cooper did sustain an ankle injury, though, and found himself on injured reserve early in the season. Hopefully he can make his way back to the field soon.
Week 2: Jets vs. Packers
Jets fans came into this game with high hopes — a rare occurrence. While the rainy weather led to mistakes on both sides, our fourth-quarter collapse was inexcusable. Green Bay committed 14 accepted penalties, costing them 133 yards in mistakes that should’ve guaranteed a Jets win. While both defenses looked much better than the offenses, New York went up 14-7 with 2:30 left in the third quarter with Garrett Wilson’s touchdown. However, our defense collapsed soon after, allowing the Packers to drive straight down the field and score twice. Reich and Glenn made a questionable call: going for a 4th and 1 at about midfield and running the ball with Braelon Allen.
The Jets struggled to convert, giving Green Bay ideal field position and robbing us of our momentum. Azareye’h Thomas also committed a costly 38-yard pass interference penalty in the fourth. The Packers ultimately won 20-17 in overtime, leaving Jets fans with a sour taste in their mouths.
While I am not typically optimistic about my team, it’s promising that we looked competitive — something we haven’t been able to say much (if at all) in seasons past. I am extremely disappointed that we lost this game after leading 17-7 in the early fourth quarter and seemingly controlling the game; however, I still think we showed some sparks that we’ve been looking for. Our defense is currently first in the league for yards allowed, averaging only 208 yards per game. Other than his costly PI call, CB Azareye’h Thomas looked incredibly promising. I couldn’t help but recall rookie-season Sauce Gardner, especially with Thomas also donning #1.
I am most frustrated with the Jets’ play calling, particularly in the run game. While the Jets couldn’t establish the run, they kept trying with Breece Hall and Braelon Allen during the fourth quarter. I hate how the team keeps trying to push the 2-RB system — I like Braelon, but I wish we would rely more on Breece. In my opinion, the team also isn’t utilizing Garrett Wilson enough. We need to use our tried-and-true stars more. To top it off, Geno wasn’t throwing accurately, likely due to the slippery weather.
Overall, I can’t complain too much about a 1-1 start — I expected a lot less from the 2026 New York Jets.
However, I would love to see us take advantage of our offensive stars and overall strong defensive play.
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