With single-season franchise record holder Ryan Fitzpatrick rotting in free agency, Geno Smith must be analyzed as the New York Jets starter.
By Robby Sabo
Obviously, clearer and much calmer heads will cite the idea that Ryan Fitzpatrick will, indeed, be back in the green and white. Many feel it’s only a matter of time.
Whether that thought becomes reality or not, is anybody’s best guess.
For now, it is Geno’s job. Make no mistake about that. This is the case even with young Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg in tow. They’d have to prove their value in such a “show-me” league before unseating Mr. Smith.
Therefore, all of Jets fandom is currently bonkers.
No player currently donning the green and white has the fan either so enthusiastically giddy or desperately upset than Geno does. To some, the thought of him reclaiming his starting position is enough to dream about leaping from tall buildings. To others, he provides a glimmer of hope for the future – as he’s simply not been afforded a real shot.
Geno Smith is that one extremely polarizing figure in the Jets locker room.
Whichever side of the fence you stand on, make no doubt about this one sure thing: The man has positives and negatives.
Today, we breakdown both sides of the coin. We list the positives that helped him become a second-round NFL draft selection, and the negatives that have helped him lose his starting job thanks to a teammate’s fury.
Begin Slideshow
Geno Smith Positives
Toughness:
When thinking of Geno Smith, toughness is the first quality that comes to mind. This is not the norm for most people who start listing Geno qualities.
How about that hit he took last season in Oakland?
Though he got absolutely destroyed by David Amerson, Geno got right back up as if nothing had happened.
Moreover, the way Geno hangs tough in the pocket when a rusher is bearing down on him, is extremely valuable. Unlike most young QBs, he’s willing to take a hit to deliver a strike downfield.
Mobility:
Don’t be confused. Geno Smith isn’t a read-option quarterback. He’s not of the ilk that a Robert Griffin III or Colin Kaepernick are.
Smith is a classic pocket passer who has mobile attributes.
He’s speedy, shifty and has great ability in and around the pocket. It’s his awareness that leaves a lot to be desired.
Arm Strength:
Geno’s arm strength will never be confused with a Jeff George, but is most definitely above average.
From a raw ability standpoint, there isn’t a throw he can’t make.
Age:
At only 25-years old, having a Smith working well as a franchise QB can only be considered a positive.
Salary:
He’s still working on his rookie contract. In 2016, Geno’s overall cap hit is just $1.597 million. This is a far better number to work with when compared to what Ryan Fitzpatrick is looking for.
Late Game Magic?
I understand it’s now a full two seasons ago, but don’t forget what this guy did during his rookie season.
In Week 1, his first start in the NFL, Smith took the Jets on a game-winning drive against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sure, he was helped out by a nonsensical LaVonte David late-hit out-of-bounds, but he pulled one out of the fire in his very first taste of the NFL.
Then, just a few weeks later, he pulled off another game-winning drive in Atlanta against Matt Ryan and the Falcons on Monday Night Football:
Geno Smith Negatives
Obviously, as many fans of Gang Green know, Geno Smith has an overwhelming list of negatives too.
There are many.
Decision Making:
21 interceptions and 16 total fumbles in 31 total games is an incredible amount of mistakes for any quarterback, and it cannot be glossed over as “rookie mistakes.”
The Geno backers will point to the fact that the Jets offensive personnel was porous, at best, during Smith’s two seasons as starter. This is true. At the same time, having a Brandon Marshall on the outside doesn’t help one’s overall decision making process. That added personnel can take a mediocre offense and make it great, not take a mistake-prone QB and make him flawless.
The outrageous decisions seen from Geno during his first two seasons can only be described as befuddling. He actually made Mark Sanchez‘s decisions on the football field look decent.
Pocket Awareness:
While it’s true, that Geno is tough in the pocket, his overall awareness and feel for the position at this level is disastrous.
He doesn’t feel pressure from the sides or behind. That mental clock in his brain is non-existent.
Reading Defenses / Progressions:
If a quarterback doesn’t have the ability to scan the defense and take advantage of mismatches, it doesn’t matter what his raw abilities are and what kind of talent is lined up on the outside or in the backfield.
For the most part, Smith is a first-read thrower. The offense was loaded with three and five step drops that allowed Geno to take the snap and the ball out quickly. This can, and does work in the NFL on a regular basis. However, mismatches need to be taken advantage of at the line of scrimmage, and Geno hasn’t shown the ability to recognize and call-out mismatches.
The NFL passing attack is a matchup game. Look no further than Tom Brady to understand that.
Leadership:
The worst part about IK Enemkpali slugging Geno Smith in the jaw wasn’t even the idea that the Jets lost their starting QB.
The worst part was that their so-called leader put himself in that situation.
No matter the situation – $600 or not – if Geno was a respected leader on that squad, this ugly event in Jets history would have never taken place.
Any attempt to backup Smith here can only be deemed as rationalizing. Obviously, Enemkpali was dead wrong to do what he did, but let’s be honest, it takes two to tango.
It’s most definitely a black cloud hanging over the kid’s head. Mike Maccagnan literally handed the job to Geno. He repaid the organization by allowing this situation to get to such an extreme level.
Will his teammates even respect him to a level that a quarterback needs in the huddle?
To top it off, Geno posted a selfie of himself on Instagram, vowing to fans that he’d be back:
I don’t care who you are, nobody could possibly think that this was a good idea.
Accuracy:
Most of the greats who’ve played the position understand that accuracy is, by far, the most critical of attributes.
Most also believe that throwers are either blessed with haven been born with the trait, or they struggle their entire careers trying to achieve it. In other words, it cannot be taught. You’re either born with accuracy or not.
Geno’s 57.9 percent completion percentage is horrid in a league that consistently witnesses all QBs over 60.
While he can hum it with the best of them, most don’t know where it’s going. Accuracy and consistency at the position have never been kind to Geno Smith as a QB in the NFL.
Final Geno Smith Verdict
I often hear this thing about correctly “developing” a quarterback. I hear how the Jets can never get this developing thing right.
I wonder what everybody’s talking about.
I understand witnessing Mark Sanchez and Geno Smith start from day one has skewed the fan’s opinion on allowing a rookie signal-caller start from the get-go. Both have been thrown into the fire, and both have failed in the long run.
Let’s not confuse matters though, as this isn’t Major League Baseball or the National Hockey League.
The NFL has no farm teams. They, much like the NBA, use the college game as their feeder program. Very rarely does a player get drafted with the express objective to develop over a long period of time.
Jets fans will reference Aaron Rodgers. Why? Are you telling me that Rodgers wasn’t ready to start day one?
Of course he was.
The Green Bay Packers were just smarter than everybody else and took him because he slid in the first round. They took him, knowing what talent they had staring right at them. The only reason he didn’t start day one was because a certain guy named Favre was there.
When was the last time a QB was chosen as a project and sat for a few years only to turn out to be an all-time great?
It doesn’t happen. It’s more myth than ritual. More a thing of the past than a trend of the present.
Either the young QB has it, or he doesn’t. Either he shows flashes of greatness from day one, or he doesn’t.
In Geno’s case, he simply doesn’t have it.
A QB rating of 72.3 in 31 appearances doesn’t show that he has it, regardless of the talent around him. His offensive line was solid, and running game decent. Eric Decker was there for a season, as was Chris Ivory.
I firmly believe if the Jets had any faith in Geno Smith, Ryan Fitzpatrick would know this and fear this. If it were the case, Fitz would’ve caved and signed on the dotted line by now.
Fitz, however, knows the Jets have nowhere to turn. He was in the locker room all season long. He knows Petty isn’t anywhere near NFL ready (and might not ever be) and that the Jets have no faith in Smith.
The bottom line is this: Until Geno no longer sports the green and white – regardless of whether Fitz comes back – he’ll be the most polarizing figure among Jets fandom.
REALLY?? When was the last time a QB was chosen as a project and sat for a few years only to turn out to be an all-time great? Oh I don't know in addition to Rogers how about this guy named Drew Brees, and then there's this other guy no one has ever heard of Tom Brady. Wow I just named 3 of the top 5 QBs in the league. He needed to sit 1 year to learn an NFL offense not 2 years, it didn't happen. It's too late. I'm not a buyer of Geno Smith but get your article straight.