While the jury has yet to come back with a verdict on New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith, he does possess some unique qualities.
By Robby Sabo
At this point, it doesn’t matter what he does. The man can impress the league throughout the entire month of August, not throwing a single interception or coughing up the ball once.
He’s still going to have to get it done in September and beyond.
New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith has played his way into this scenario. A TD-INT ratio of 34-25 during his first two NFL seasons has many ranking him the absolute worst starting quarterback in the league, a poll done by league insiders via ESPN.
He’s displayed boneheaded moments that have had Jets fans pulling their hair out at every turn. Tossing interceptions on screen plays; not securing the ball while on his own goalline; and throwing into traffic time and again; Geno has been his own worse enemy.
At the same time, it hasn’t been so completely dreadful that he’s played himself out of the league.
For every three disasters, he’s provided one flash of brilliance.
How about his first ever NFL game for instance. Starting as a rookie – assisted by Rex Ryan’s decision to leave incumbent starter Mark Sanchez in a preseason game to get injured against the Giants – Smith led a fourth-quarter comeback against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It was the LaVonte David late-hit that capped it off:
Fast-forward several weeks to Monday Night Football. Geno and the Jets entered Atlanta as heavy underdogs. Despite that, and trailing late in the game, Smith took New York on an even more impressive two-minute drive capping off in a victory.
His rookie campaign ended with an average output of 3,046 yards, 12 touchdowns and 21 interceptions. He also contributed with six touchdowns and 366 yards on the ground.
More than stats, he flashed a serious quality of having “it” at the end of games. Some of his play could be described as “clutch.”
In 2014, he neither progressed or regressed. His final TD/INT ratio turned out to be even at 13-13, but he never stood a chance with how poor the overall talent was on both sides of the ball.
Heading into 2015, Jets training camp has provided rave reviews about the 24-year old kid out of West Virginia. Even second-year Jet Eric Decker has been impressed.
So, while we ponder whether or not Geno has what it takes to lead an offense to legitimacy, we’ll provide five of his positives as an NFL quarterback:
