Geno Smith’s return to the Jets began with a touchdown drive. Breece Hall and a defense that kept Tennessee out of the end zone until the fourth quarter took care of much of the rest.

New York beat the Titans 23–10 Sunday in Nashville, turning a 10–3 halftime lead into a comfortable second-half advantage. Smith completed 19 of 24 passes for 215 yards without an interception, while Hall rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown.

The Jets’ official clip shows Hall finishing his touchdown run against Tennessee.

Two throws open up the game

The Jets were ahead by only seven when Smith found Garrett Wilson for 31 yards early in the third quarter. Two plays later, Adonai Mitchell added a 40-yard catch. A game that had been moving in short increments suddenly put New York near the goal line.

Hall finished the opportunity with a four-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead to 17–3. He carried 22 times, providing the steady ground production that allowed New York to keep possession without asking Smith to force passes.

Wilson led the Jets with six catches for 79 yards. Mitchell caught all three of his targets for 60 yards. Those contributions mattered because New York did not need a huge passing total; it needed completions at the moments when Tennessee still had a way back into the game.

Afterward, Smith kept his return in perspective. Asked how it felt to wear a Jets uniform again, he told SNY, “Just feels like football.” The result gave him a satisfying place to start.

Sadiq supplies the first spark

Rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq opened the scoring with a three-yard run on New York’s first possession. The Jets’ official recap described an end-around that used misdirection to finish the drive, giving the offense an immediate reward for its first series together in the regular season.

Jason Sanders added three field goals, including kicks from 51 and 52 yards. Not every possession ended cleanly: New York converted just two of 12 third downs. But it made both fourth-down attempts and built enough of a cushion that Tennessee’s late touchdown did not put the lead in immediate jeopardy.

Cam Ward threw for 140 yards and an 11-yard touchdown to Elic Ayomanor. The Titans managed only 68 rushing yards and were unable to turn their early field goal into sustained scoring. New York recorded three sacks without allowing one itself.

Final: Jets 23, Titans 10.

The game also opened Robert Saleh’s tenure as Tennessee’s coach against his former team, a reunion highlighted by Axios Nashville before kickoff. On the field, the Jets made the sharper first impression: protect the quarterback, run effectively and make Tennessee work for every scoring chance.