Jets 23, Titans 10: Hall to 102 in Saleh's Return

September 13, 2026 - Nashville - Robert Saleh walked into Nissan Stadium against the club that fired him. Breece Hall ran through the hole the Jets line kept opening, and the afternoon never turned into a reunion story.

The New York Jets beat the Tennessee Titans 23-10. New York is 1-0. Tennessee is 0-1. Hall ran 22 times for 102 and scored from 4. He caught two for 16. The Jets said the 102 yards put him 10th on the franchise rushing list at 3,500 career yards. It was his 10th 100-yard rushing game.

Geno Smith was 19 of 24 for 215 yards. No touchdowns. No picks. He was not sacked. Aaron Glenn's second season, Frank Reich's new offense, a quarterback New York drafted in 2013 and brought back from Las Vegas in March. It looked simple. It looked like 367 yards to 195.

7-3, then a 19-play first half

Kenyon Sadiq scored the Jets' first touchdown, a 3-yard rushing score on one carry, per nflverse. ESPN called it the rookie tight end's score before the break. Joey Slye had already made a field goal. 7-3 New York.

Then the Jets kept the ball. Nineteen plays, 74 yards, 11:48, Jason Sanders from 33 as the half expired. 10-3. Tennessee had the ball for fewer than 22 minutes all day, the Jets said. New York ran 63 plays to 49.

Chimere Dike, Tennessee's All-Pro returner, got hurt on his first punt return when teammate Micah Robinson was pushed into him, the AP wrote. He was evaluated for a concussion and cleared. Minkah Fitzpatrick hurt a groin in the first quarter and did not return. Rookie Omar Cooper Jr. hurt an ankle and did not return. Glenn said he was not too worried about either.

Hall from 4, Sanders from 51 and 52

Hall scored from 4 on a five-play, 80-yard drive in the third. Untouched, NBC Sports wrote. 17-3. Sanders then made 51. 20-3. He had yanked a 54-yarder short and left earlier. Glenn had deactivated Blake Grupe, claimed off waivers Aug. 31, and elevated Sanders from the practice squad. The 51 and a 52-yarder in the fourth made the bet look right.

Cam Ward found Elic Ayomanor from 11 with 2:42 left. 23-10. Ward was 19 of 32 for 140 yards, one score, no picks. He was sacked three times. Tony Pollard ran 14 times for 52. That was the Titans' ground game on a day they never led.

Braelon Allen ran 10 times for 40. A rushing touchdown came off the board for holding, NBC Sports said. Hall still out-touched him. Garrett Wilson caught six for 79. Adonai Mitchell had three for 60. Sadiq caught three for 21 besides the score.

Saleh's first one against the old building

Both clubs went 3-14 a year ago. The Titans hired Saleh in January after four straight losing seasons. The Jets are trying to snap 10 straight seasons under .500. New York's last season-opening win was 2023. Last year Glenn's team lost its first seven and its last five. This one started with a 19-play drive and a 100-yard back.

Will McDonald IV had a sack. David Bailey had another. Demario Davis led the tackle sheet among Jets linebackers on the weekly line. Anthony Hill Jr. led all players in AthX Engine points from the Tennessee side. The scoreboard still belonged to the visitors.

The Jets' longest drive ate nearly 12 minutes. Tennessee's longest answer was a late 65-yard touchdown drive that made the final 23-10 instead of 23-3. Ward's 140 passing yards against a front that sacked him three times is how an 0-1 opener looks when the other club holds the ball for two-thirds of the afternoon.

Sanders finished 3 of 4 on field goals (33, 51, 52) with two extra points. The miss from 54 was the only kick that did not travel. Smith completed 79 percent and never gave the ball away. Hall talked about the line being the strength. On opening Sunday in Music City, it was.

AthX Engine on 102 yards and a 23-10 lid

AthX Engine NFL scoring already has the Week 1 Sunday line in. Hill's tackle line lands at 41.00, the top total in this game. Hall is 36.50. McDonald is 32.00. Sanders is 31.00. Wilson is 22.75. Ward is 22.45. New York's team line is 73.00. Tennessee is -12.75.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for Hall after a 100-yard opener, and for a Jets club that just spoiled Saleh's first game against them. They move together. They are not the same number.

Track Hall, Smith, Wilson, Ward, and both clubs on the marketplace. Green Bay visited the Jets on Sept. 20. Philadelphia visited Tennessee that afternoon.

*Sources: ESPN recap, Jets.com, AP via ABC. Club wrap, AP, ESPN, and nflverse agree on 23-10, Hall 22-102-1, Smith 19-of-24 for 215, Ward 19-of-32 for 140. Possession time is listed as close to 39 minutes (ESPN) and just over 38 (AP); the Jets wrote Tennessee had the ball fewer than 22 minutes. AthX Engine Week 1 lines scored from nflverse weekly stats (CC-BY 4.0). Information only; not financial advice.*