The Tennessee Titans defensive line was supposed to be the foundation of this new era under coach Robert Saleh. After an offseason spent building that unit through free agency, trades, and the draft, the Titans’ front was expected to dominate the line of scrimmage, stop the run, and generate pressure. None of that happened in Week 1’s 23-10 ugly loss to the New York Jets. 

Zero of it.

Jeffery Simmons and John Franklin-Myers got their big contracts. They traded for Jermaine Johnson with the Jets. Jordan Elliott, Solomon Thomas, guys who have played in this defensive scheme before. Keldric Faulk drafted in a trade back up in the first round. The messaging all offseason was clear: nobody is going to run on this team. Tennessee will be stout against the run and aggressive getting after the quarterback.

They did zero of that. Zero.

Geno Smith, Breece Hall and the Jets picked the Titans apart

The Titans barely made the Jets’ 35 year old quarterback move. And he went 19 of 24. He didn’t get sacked once. The Titans’ defensive line let him sit back there and pick them apart without consequence. Simmons drew a hold one time. That was about the extent of the disruption.

On the ground, it was worse. Breece Hall ran for 102 yards. Braelon Allen added 40. The New York Jets ran for 150-plus yards, and they stopped caring in the fourth quarter. The Jets weren’t even trying to pile it on the scoreboard, and the Titans still couldn’t stop it.

“They were leaning on us for three, four, five yards a pop,” Saleh said of his run defense postgame. “And to Frank’s (Reich) credit, they stuck to the run. I think they had one where they called nine straight runs, and like I said, they leaned on us. We’ve got to do a better job winning our one-on-ones. I’ve got to do a better job calling it and getting us in position to play those run plays. But we went in with a plan and they did a really good job being patient.”

This defensive line was supposed to be the tone setter of the entire Saleh era. Instead, they set the tone of a group that needs to go take a toilet break. It was pathetic. They should be completely embarrassed.

The defensive line rotation failed miserably and should be tossed in the trash

If you ask anybody covering the Titans what this team would hang its hat on in 2026, the answer should have been the defensive line. Too bad that hat rack broke. Tennessee can’t hang its hat on anything right now.

During one of the Jets’ key drives, Breece Hall ripped off a chunk play, then another chunk play, and then Garrett Wilson made a big-time catch to move the chains. Simmons was not on the field for any of those plays.

Saleh was asked postgame if he needs to rethink the rotation plan with Simmons. 

“It’s easy to say that,” Saleh began. “I’ve got to see what the tape looks like. But to answer your question, from a rotation standpoint, like, I get it. We appreciate that Jeff (Simmons) is our best defensive linemen. No one’s questioning that. But at the same time, we need Jeff to be Jeff in the got-to-have-it situations on third down, two-minute as the game wears down. So it will be something we look at, but I don’t see the rotation changing.”

That takes the criticism a step further. The defensive line wasn’t just bad from a talent and execution standpoint. The deployment was a problem. Saleh loves his hockey-style defensive line rotation, and the most important thing about that system is putting the right players on the field for the right situations. But to his own point, yes, you want Simmons to be in on the most important key downs. But, if Simmons being on the sideline allows your opponent to gash you… the key downs you’re saving him for evaporate.

Against the Jets, the key downs were gone too soon. 

I used to tell Arthur Smith to take the Derrick Henry toss play and throw it in the trash. Take the Dion Lewis screen and throw it in the trash. Now I’m telling Saleh the same thing about his Simmons usage plan. Put Simmons on the field and keep him there. He’s the only thing on that line who can consistently succeed, and the Titans stunk at run defense without him.

The players went out there and did not execute. And the coaches did not put them in a position to execute. Both sides own this one, and if the Titans don’t fix it quickly, the defensive identity is nothing more than offseason talk.