We're finally here, football fans. The long, grueling seven months from Super Bowl LX to opening day are finally over. Now it's time to play some football. For the Jets, the 2026 season isn't just about improving off of last year's abysmal finish. It's about continuing the foundation to finally create something fans can be proud of. That always amounts to wins. With a head coach whom many expect to be on the hot seat, the Jets need to win as many games as possible to keep the pressure off the faces of the new era of the team. Their first test will be against their old head coach, Robert Saleh, and the Titans. Looking ahead to the matchup, there are plenty of thoughts I have going on. Let's get to some of them now with the first edition of "Faria's Focus."Revenge games aren't what you thinkThere is a long history of revenge games working out across NFL history. Whether it was all-time great coaches coming back to the place they left and coming away with a victory, or a player making their former team pay for moving on from them, everyone is wary when a revenge game is scheduled. But that isn't exactly what Saleh's face-off against Jets head coach Aaron Glenn will be about. It may not even be fair to call the upcoming contest a revenge game. Saleh went 20-36 as a head coach in three and a half years with the Jets. True, his final season was cut short prematurely, but that was simply due to the lack of winning he had previously done in past years. This isn't comparable to Sean Payton's Denver Broncos beating the New Orleans Saints in 2024, or Andy Reid's Kansas City Chiefs knocking off the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. This is a coach who was bad in his first stint, trying to prove it was nothing but a fluke. The Jets, in this instance, have nothing to do with whatever revenge Saleh may want. One area I'm bullish about for JetsI really think the Jets' passing offense has the potential to be one of the more underrated units in the NFL. Some may be skeptical due to Geno Smith's high turnover rate, but context needs to be included when talking about leading the league in interceptions over the last two years. First off, the Raiders were not a good football team last year. There was nothing Smith could have done to save them. Their receiving core was barren, and their offensive line was a wreck. Before that, Smith's final year in Seattle was full of interceptions, but it came with an aging receiving core and a poor offensive coaching staff. It was the final year both Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf played in Seattle. Their offensive line was also not the cohesive unit we all saw last season. Would Smith had been more successful with Klint Kubiak as his play-caller instead? Perhaps. The Jets need a strong start from Geno Smith to squash any doubts surrounding their quarterback room. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectLooking ahead to this year, the Jets' receiving core is young and full of talent. Everyone knows how good Garrett Wilson is, but the combination of training camp riser AD Mitchell and first-round rookie Omar Cooper Jr. brings plenty of excitement to the group. Don't forget about the tight ends either. Mason Taylor and Kenyon Sadiq should be an exciting 1-2 punch over the middle of the field. Couple Gang Green's weapons with a solid offensive line, and Smith has the potential to put up some solid numbers in 2026. I don't think this will be a top-10 unit. But there is an argument to be made that a top-16 finish is possible. One area that carries major concernNew York did a lot of great work rebuilding their defensive front and their safety room. There is reason for optimism that the group should not be as bad as they were in 2025. That doesn't mean there isn't an area of concern, though. New York's pass defense gave up the most touchdowns last season. They also finished the season without an interception: the first time in NFL history that ever happened. While the Jets did sign Nahshon Wright in free agency, the team is trusting their starting cornerback room to Brandon Stephens, Jarvis Brownlee, and Azareye'h Thomas. The trio is solid. They have had their moments throughout camp. But there are clear areas of concern. Stephens had a solid year in New York last season, but is susceptible to back-shoulder fade routes and has been beaten a fair share. Thomas suffered a shoulder injury late in 2025, but I question whether he has the speed to keep up with some of the elite receivers in the game. Brownlee, meanwhile, seems to be the player the Jets are turning to until D'Angelo Ponds is fully healthy from his pre-camp calf injury. Again, this isn't to say that this group will solely be the Achilles' heel of this defense in 2026. There is plenty of upside from each player. But entering Week 1, if you had to ask what was New York's weakest point, it would absolutely be their cornerback room. One thing I'm worried about with Aaron GlennThe Jets head coach has done an excellent job of rebuilding his image during camp. He hasn't been brazen, and he's kept the Jets' focus on the single goal of winning. I have also thought that he's balanced the dual roles of calling the defense and his duties as head coach well. That balance in the preseason is much different than in the regular season, though. Glenn's in-game management was a major issue for the team in 2025. He struggled to hold onto his timeouts and challenge plays. He even had moments where some players would go in the proverbial doghouse only to be brought back out of necessity soon thereafter. In short, Glenn struggled with consistency in 2025. I think he can improve that this year.But managing dual roles has me skeptical. Not many offensive play-calling head coaches can handle both responsibilities. Glenn is putting a lot of the onus on himself this season, and it will be something people watch throughout the year. Why the Titans are best matchup for JetsThere is a lot to like about this Week 1 matchup for the Jets. First, Saleh's wide nine defensive alignment can be exploited with runs off tackle. Breece Hall, Braelon Allen and Isaiah Davis (if they all play) could be in for big games on Sunday. I also like the matchups of Armand Membou and Olu Fashanu against Tennessee's edge rushers John Franklin-Myers and Jermaine Johnson. Don't be surprised if Breece Hall has a huge performance against the Titans in Week 1. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectSpeaking of tackles, Tennessee has some of the worst combos in the game. Dan Moore Jr. and JC Latham are being tasked with controlling the edges for quarterback Cam Ward. They'll get to meet second-overall rookie David Bailey in a major way. This is the perfect kind of debut for the Texas Tech product. Back to the offense, though. Tennessee's secondary is made up of a bunch of JAGs (for those of you new to the game, that stands for "Just Another Guy." Nothing special). Cor'Dale Flott, Alontae Taylor, and Marcus Harris are nothing to get excited over. This is the kind of gamer that Smith and the Jets passing offense should feast. If New York can keep Tennessee's passing offense contained and control the line of scrimmage, this could be a game Jets fans walk away from very happily. 3 Titans players who can be problems for JetsIt's simple. New York has the matchup advantage in several areas on Sunday. In the spots where they can be seen as weaker, though, the Titans have a player who could make life very difficult for them. First is fourth-overall pick Carnell Tate. The Ohio State star's balance of size and speed makes him a difficult matchup for the likes of both Stephens and Thomas. Then there's guard Peter Skoronski. While he didn't make noise as a tackle prospect, he's now become one of the better guards in football. The Jets have spent a lot of resources trying to limit opponents running up the middle against them. Skoronski is a player who could still make that key a big problem on Sunday. Then there's the obvious All-Pro in Jeffrey Simmons. The interior defensive linemen could make life difficult for New York's run-first attack. While Josh Myers and Dylan Parham performed well during training camp, there is a massive difference between T'Vondre Sweat and Jowon Briggs and a player like Simmons. If Tennessee wins, it will be because these three players couldn't be contained by New York. Other games I'm keeping an eye onThere are only three games that matter for Jets fans each week this season. The Colts take on the Ravens, the Cowboys battle the Giants and the Packers take on the Vikings. Why are these games important? New York owns the first-round pick of each of these teams in 2027. The Jets will get the better of the Cowboys' and Packers' first-round picks, but the point still stands. New York fans are rooting for Colts, Cowboys, and Packers losses until the final game of the season. The good news is that I'm not very high on the Colts or Packers this season. The Jets may not need to be purposely bad in order to get a very high pick in the upcoming draft.Get Jets On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow