Aaron Rodgers and the Jets look for their 1st win together on road in Tennessee

Updated Sep. 12, 2024 2:16 p.m. ET

Associated Press

New York Jets (0-1) at Tennessee (0-1)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Jets by 3 1/2.

Against the spread: Jets 0-1, Titans 0-1.

Series record: Titans lead 25-20-1.

Last meeting: Jets 27-24 OT on Oct, 3, 2021, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Last week: Jets lost 32-19 at 49ers on Monday night; Titans lost 24-17 at Bears.

Jets offense: Overall (23), rush (31), pass (16), scoring (22)

Jets defense: Overall (28), rush (t29), pass (23), scoring (27)

Titans offense: Overall (25), rush (11), pass (24), scoring (T26)

Titans defense: Overall (1), rush (9), pass (1), scoring (18)

Turnover differential: Jets minus-2; Titans minus-2.

Jets player to watch

QB Aaron Rodgers. Yes, the four-time NFL MVP is back and looked mostly solid — albeit with a little rust — in his first game for New York after his debut season was ended by a torn Achilles tendon on his fourth snap.

Titans player to watch

QB Will Levis. Needing only to be a game manager with how well Tennessee’s defense was playing, Levis turned the ball over three times in the fourth quarter as the Titans blew a 17-point lead to lose a chance at a big road win to open coach Brian Callahan’s debut as head coach.

Key matchup

Tennessee's defense had little problem dominating a rookie quarterback in smothering No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams in his debut and held Chicago to 148 total yards. Rodgers is a much different challenge, showing his ability to get twitchy defenders to jump and give him a free shot at the end zone in the Jets' opener.

Key injuries

Jets cornerbacks D.J. Reed (knee) and Michael Carter II (ankle) were limited early in the week, but both were expected to play. ... The Titans expect S Jamal Adams, drafted by the Jets sixth overall in 2017, to make his debut after being sidelined by an injured hip for the opener. Starting right guard Dillon Radunz (rib) is expected back after missing 15 snaps and having to go to the locker room last week. Five-time Pro Bowl WR DeAndre Hopkins is no longer on the injury report after being limited to 17 snaps in his return from a left knee hurt July 31 that kept him out of the preseason.

Series notes

The Titans are 4-3 against the Jets when playing at Nissan Stadium, including a 26-22 win in New York's last visit Dec. 2, 2018. The Titans are 19-7 all-time in this series when playing at home, including a streak of six straight overall between 1991 and 1996. But the Jets have won three of the past four overall.

Stats and stuff

Rodgers was 13 of 21 for 167 yards with a touchdown and one interception off a deflected pass in the opener before sitting out the last drive as Tyrod Taylor finished up. Rodgers threw for fewer yards only 13 times in his 218 previous starts when he played at least 35 snaps. ... RB Breece Hall struggled against the 49ers, rushing for 54 yards on 16 carries, but had a touchdown in his fourth straight game. He lost a fumble on the Jets' second possession. Hall has four career fumbles, with one in each of his three season-opening games. ... WR Allen Lazard, Rodgers' longtime teammate in Green Bay, had a rough first season in New York last year but got off to a good start this year with two TD receptions — one each from Rodgers and Taylor. ... At 20 years and 233 days old, rookie RB Braelon Allen, a fourth-round pick out of Wisconsin, became the youngest player in the league to catch a pass since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Allen had a 9-yard reception and an 8-yard run in his pro debut. ... New York went 6 for 10 in third-down situations, an area in which it was near the bottom of the league last season. ... The Jets had an NFL-leading three touchdowns in the red zone last week. ... The run defense had an uncharacteristically poor showing against San Francisco, giving up 180 yards rushing — including a career-high 147 by Jordan Mason, who started in place of the injured Christian McCaffrey. ... Two-time All-Pro CB Sauce Gardner didn't allow a reception during his 22 coverage snaps against the 49ers. He has six such games with at least 20 coverage snaps, most in the NFL since his rookie season in 2022. ... This marks the 26th season at Nissan Stadium for the Titans who are building a new enclosed stadium in the parking lot next door set to open in 2027. ... Levis did not respond well under pressure last week. He was 5 of 13 for 61 yards with two interceptions when pressured in the opener according to Next Gen Stats. Levis has thrown five TD passes and ran for a score with only one interception in four starts at home last season. ... RB Tony Pollard ran for 82 yards rushing and a TD in his Titans' debut. ... RB Tyjae Spears had a team-high four catches for the Titans last week. ... WR Calvin Ridley led the Titans with 50 yards receiving in his debut and has had at least 50 yards receiving in three of his past four games. ... Hopkins had five TD catches in nine home games last season. He leads all active NFL players with 929 catches and 12,363 yards receiving. ... Titans OLB Harold Landry had six tackles and a sack in the opener. ... Jamal Adams was a two-time Pro Bowl safety for the Jets for Dennard Wilson who is now the Titans' defensive coordinator. He had five tackles and a sack in his only other game against the Jets while with Seattle.

Fantasy tip

Levis. There's something about being at home where he is 2-2 as a starter. He has a 93.5 passer rating throwing five TD passes and running for a score. He had only one interception in Nashville in four games.

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