All eyes turn to Music City as the Jets kick off the 2026 season against former head coach Robert Saleh and the Titans on Sunday. It will be the first real look at the revamped roster following an offseason full of changes and a talented draft class.However, the pressure will squarely be on HC Aaron Glenn as he enters Year 2 on the sidelines in Gotham, coming off a disappointing 3-14 first season. Even with upgrades in the trenches and a new offensive scheme with former Colts HC Frank Reich, Glenn still holds the key to a potential early advantage for the Jets as he takes over the play-calling duties on defense.After all, he changed the culture as a player in the 1990s. Now, it is time for him to take the Jets to the next level as their HC, or it could be a brief stint in Gotham for the former player. As a new season gets set to kick off, here are three mistakes Glenn must avoid to help the Jets defeat the Titans.1. Clock mismanagement and simple mistakesAs the Jets square off against Saleh for the first time since the franchise fired him five games into the 2024 season with a 20-36 record overall, they must not underestimate their opponent. In order to do that with a familiar face on the opposite sideline, putting together a clean game and avoiding mistakes will be crucial.One of Glenn's biggest issues in Year 1 was his clock blunders and timeout usage. Perhaps the most confusing decision was a Week 6 contest against the Broncos, when the Jets successfully converted a 4th-and-1 punt trailing 10-6 prior to halftime, only for Glenn to let nearly 40 seconds run off the clock a few plays later as the Jets approached midfield.A better sense of the game clock will only improve Aaron Glenn and the Jets' chances of winning on Sunday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectWhile Glenn later took accountability for the decision-making to end the half, it was a sequence that left wide receiver Garrett Wilson fuming and Broncos HC Sean Payton baffled. That said, it was a pattern of coaching that continued throughout the season as Glenn failed to get aggressive at key points in games.The Jets have expressed the right mentality and appear to be focused on the task at hand, even with Saleh on the other side. That may be the case, but he also knows this franchise well, and it will likely come down to Glenn making the right calls and managing the clock more efficiently in a game expected to be tight.2. Making the wrong decision at kickerTo put it kindly, the kicking competition has been a mess for the Jets since they shockingly let Nick Folk join the Falcons in free agency despite the fact that he has led the NFL in field-goal percentage each of the last three seasons. While veteran Jason Sanders appeared to have the upper hand, he struggled in the preseason and opened the door for the Jets to claim former Saints and Colts kicker Blake Grupe off waivers. However, he only went 2-of-4 in the preseason with the Colts, and it was clear he had not won the starting role either when the Jets brought Sanders back on the practice squad shortly after releasing him.Was Aaron Glenn right to name Blake Grupe as the Jets' kicker before even playing a game with Gang Green? | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe rest of the roster appears to be on track for an improved season, but the kicker situation is clearly a massive concern as Glenn remains undecided on the starter. That typically would not be the worst thing if it meant the competition was so competitive that a decision was hard to reach, but the Jets have had a history of poor kicker selections and Glenn needs to determine who is the most capable of starting in Week 1.Right now, it is a lose-lose situation considering the outside noise both kickers have faced up to this point. Neither one of them appear to be head and shoulders above the other, but the more hesitation Glenn continues to show this close to kickoff suggests there is not much confidence and a wrong decision could prove extremely costly in an opener where field goals could be really important.3. Playing too conservativeWith a lot of new coaches joining Glenn's staff, there is increased pressure to perform for everyone involved. However, that does not mean a conservative play-calling approach will work, especially if you revert back to how last season played out. Glenn is no stranger to the defense, so he should use his prior knowledge in that role to his advantage, especially with second-year quarterback Cam Ward on the other side. Although Ward struggled in his rookie season, his arm talent and athleticism pose some concerns and should give Glenn even more reasons to be willing to adapt and adjust his play calls accordingly throughout the game.Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) throws at team practice Vanderbilt Health Football Center Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectWhile the Jets enter the season with a young and mostly unproven secondary aside from Minkah Fitzpatrick, there are still some concerns after the group combined for zero interceptions all of last season. When Glenn was most recently a defensive coordinator with the Lions in 2024, his team used man coverage on a league-high 47.7% of its snaps, which could expose a potential weakness on Sunday with first-round pick Carnell Tate, Calvin Ridley and offseason acquisition Wan'Dale Robinson going up against them.Last season, undisciplined penalties and turnovers plagued the Jets and contributed heavily to the 3-14 record. If Glenn wants to take the Jets to another level, he needs to be willing to be versatile with his in-game adjustments. If he can do that, make the right decision at kicker, and avoid the mistakes that plagued him last season, the Jets could find themselves 1-0.Get Jets On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow