The New York Jets were one of the bigger surprises of Week 1. Arriving in Nashville as 1.5-point underdogs to the Titans, the Jets left with a convincing 23-10 victory over the home team. Geno Smith was efficient, going 19 of 24 for 215 yards and not taking a single sack.
Breece Hall was electric, rushing for 102 yards and one touchdown on 22 carries, along with 16 receiving yards, and the Jets defense kept Tennessee in check all game, holding the Titans to just 195 total yards, the second-lowest mark of any team in the NFL in Week 1. Surprisingly, they did most of that without one of their best defensive players, starting safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick was traded to New York in March and immediately signed a $40 million extension with the Jets, but played just six snaps before leaving the game.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Fitzpatrick suffered a groin injury and is now expected to miss 2-3 weeks. More news: Todd Monken Fires Back at Mike Tomlin’s Viral Browns Dig Fitzpatrick, the 11th overall pick in 2018 after a strong three-year college career at Alabama, was drafted by the Dolphins before spending time with the Steelers and then returning to Miami for the 2025 season. Now entering his ninth NFL season and first with the Jets, Fitzpatrick has racked up 690 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, 60 pass breakups, and 21 interceptions.
The Jets made NFL history last season by becoming the first team in league history to go an entire season without recording a single interception. Fitzpatrick was brought in to help fix exactly that, having led the league with six interceptions in 2022. Even at 29 years old, he remains one of the league's premier ballhawk safeties, with five Pro Bowls to his name and three first-team All-Pro honors.
More news: Chiefs’ Undrafted Rookie Just Outperformed Three First-Round Picks More news: DJ Moore Fires Warning Shot After Impressive Bills Debut The Jets defense managed to keep Cam Ward and the Titans offense at bay without Fitzpatrick, but that may say more about how bad Tennessee's offense is than about the quality of depth in the Jets' secondary. The road only gets tougher from here. New York next hosts the Packers in Week 2 before back-to-back road matchups at Chicago and Detroit, three of the more high-powered offenses in the NFL.
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