Can new-look Titans defense force Jets QB Geno Smith into mistakes?

Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh will officially begin his era on Sunday. The Titans are hosting the New York Jets in their Week 1 opener of the 2026 NFL season. Coach Saleh will be debuting his new-look defense.

Saleh is a defensive-minded coach. General manager Mike Borgonzi built the defense in his vision. Saleh was especially allowed to revamp the defensive line, acquiring players he had coached before like Jermaine Johnson II, John Franklin-Myers, Solomon Thomas, Jacob Martin, and Jordan Elliott.

One area of emphasis for this new-look Titans defense is 2026 will be to force more turnovers. The 2025 Titans were -5 in turnover differential last year. They notched just 14 total takeaways, tied for fourth-last in the NFL. They only had six interceptions, third-fewest.

New Jets starting quarterback Geno Smith is a gunslinger. He led the league in interceptions throughout the 2025 season with 17 despite playing just 15 games. In 2024, Smith’s 15 interceptions were tied for second-most in the NFL. He loves testing tight throwing windows.

The Jets have weapons. Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are proven playmakers. They used two first-round picks on a pair of rookie pass catchers in Kenyon Sadiq and Omar Cooper Jr. They also expect Mason Taylor and Adonai Mitchell to continue getting better. Smith will attempt to sling the ball around.

Saleh’s San Francisco 49ers defense also struggled to record interceptions last year. They actually tied the Titans with six. We’ll see if acquisitions like Cor’Dale Flott and Alontae Taylor help. Safety Amani Hooker uncharacteristically had zero interceptions in 2025 after registering a career-high five in 2024.

Saleh brought his aggressive defense to the Titans. Hopefully it yields better results in the turnover department. The Titans will see a mistake-prone Smith at quarterback in Week 1. Hopefully the new approach pays dividends.