Robert Saleh will return to the New York area as the head coach of the Tennessee Titans for their Week 1 matchup against his former team, the Jets. The game marks Saleh's first as Titans coach and carries a narrative built around his departure from the Jets two seasons prior.
Two years ago, Saleh coached the Jets in Nashville against the Titans, a game that preceded a difficult stretch for both him and the team. Following that season, Saleh was fired by the Jets, and the team's performance declined significantly. Now, he steps onto the opposing sideline as the Titans' new head coach.
Saleh downplayed any sense of revenge, stating, “Our desire to win Week 1, beat the Jets, is because it’s Week 1 and nothing more. I’m forever grateful for the opportunity they gave.”
For the current Jets, the focus is on their own trajectory under head coach Aaron Glenn. Glenn endured a challenging 3-14 record in his first year and is looking to demonstrate improvement to secure his position beyond the current season. He expressed a personal drive to succeed, saying, “I have something to prove to myself. I understand what it takes to be a head coach. I like being in this position as a head coach and to make sure we can take this team, and I say we and I emphasize we because it’s not just me, that we can take this team exactly where it needs to go. When I talk about something to prove, I want to prove it to myself more than anything.”
Glenn has made significant changes to his coaching staff this offseason, including the hiring of Frank Reich as offensive coordinator. Glenn has also taken over defensive playcalling himself. Coupled with an overhauled roster, these moves aim to end the Jets' 15-year playoff drought.
Some observers view the opening game as critical for the Jets, given that the Titans are considered a rebuilding team and the Jets face a difficult schedule in the following weeks against projected playoff contenders. However, Glenn remains concentrated on the immediate task at hand.
“Our job is to go out there and play this game and be the best that we can be on every play and to go out there and win a game, hands down,” Glenn said. “Nothing else is to be thought of, and that’s how I look at it.”
