Ryan Fitzpatrick led the New York Jets to their greatest offensive season a year ago. It doesn’t matter. Right now, it’s Geno Smith‘s team.
It’s now incredibly July 18, ladies and gentlemen of the fanbase that is the New York Jets.
And we’re still here. We’re at a point in which Ryan Fitzpatrick – the man who led the Jets to 10 wins and the best offensive statistical output in franchise history a season ago – still remains unsigned.
What’s worse for those who love the phrase “FitzMagic” is that his dangerous weapon of a buddy, Brandon Marshall, recently provided a little insight into their relationship.
“I try to give support to the player, to Fitz, to Big Mo’, understanding what they’re going through because I’ve been through it, B-Marsh said, via Michael Rapoport’s Podcast.
I don’t know what’s going on. To be honest, me and Fitz talk everyday, all the time, but I texted him the last two weeks three times and there’s no response. The only thing that he can do to make this right is to say he was on vacation, I was out of the country. It’s not like him. It’s scaring me right now. It’s scaring me that my guy hasn’t texted me back.”
Whoa. That doesn’t sound good. I don’t care how much you’d love to spin it. Fitzpatrick’s been a guy who’s remained near and around the city all offseason, despite remaining unsigned.
Not returning his favorite wide receiver’s texts is a bit…interesting.
Enter Geno Smith. Enter “starting quarterback” Geno Smith. No matter how you view the second-round selection of John Idzik, he is, indeed, the Jets’ guy right now.
Therefore, analyzing his positives are necessary. We know Chan Gailey will use those positives and tailor his offense to better suit things, but we, the fans, need to remember them as well.
Earlier in the offseason we broke down the tempting positives and overwhelming negatives of Geno Smith. Today, we examine what Geno brings to the table that Fitz can never dream possible.
Let’s get on with it:
Next: Excitement, Anybody?
He’s Much More Exciting
This one can actually be argued either way.
I mean, let’s be real here: What was more exciting than Ryan Fitzpatrick unexpectedly taking New York Jets fans on that wild ride a season ago? Not much in recent years, to be honest.
Still, Geno Smith has the potential of bringing long-term excitement to the table that Fitz simply cannot duplicate.
Although Geno is a classic pocket passer, like Fitzpatrick, he’s also a weapon at the position. He brings toughness, enthusiasm, and a genuine excitement to the party.
Remember his first NFL game? He baited Lavonte David into the late hit that eventually won the game. He sold it:
Or, how about four weeks later when he took the Jets on a game winning drive on Monday Night Football. Smith finished with three touchdowns on 16-of-20 passing for 199 yards with zero interceptions on that night. His quarterback rating was a clean 147.7.
The point is, he’s enjoyed some solid moments up to this point.
Next: Open Up The Toolbox
Physical Tools
Stronger arm? Check.
Better athlete? Check.
Faster? Check.
In just about every physical category, Geno Smith trumps Ryan Fitzpatrick. This is what made the kid from West Virginia a possible first-round (eventual second-round) draft pick in 2013.
The kid is dripping with QB talent. It’s evident through watching how perfect his balls are. (Yes, I did just say that.)
RELATED: Predicting The Jets 53-Man Roster With Four QBs
Geno throws a pretty ball. Much prettier than Fitz’s weak-tossing ducks, in fact. And if Smith turns out to be the Jets QB this September, Chan Gailey can tweak the offense to include many more 40+ yard routes.
It’s no secret Gaily loves three and four wide receiver sets. Many call his tendencies that of a spread offense, but it’s technically not. It’s nowhere near the traditional spread offense you see collegiate squads racking up 50+ points with on Saturdays.
Gailey’s spread offense is a very finely tuned, quick reacting offense that features a ton of three-step drops. Geno’s presence would change this in a way that could stretch a field more than Fitz could ever dream of.
At the same time, though, Geno would have to have everything further organized in his head when precision and timing is necessary.
Nevertheless, he showed a quick-judging, flick-of-the-wrist long-ball ability during the last week of 2014 when he threw three touchdowns and a perfect QB rating of 158.3 in a win over the Miami Dolphins. It was the second consecutive season Geno finished the season strong against Miami, despite the Jets already haven been out any postseason relevancy.
Here was one of the encouraging plays from that day. With a motioning Bilal Powell flanking left and a no back set, the Fins came with a six-man rush. Geno appropriately found the busted coverage near Decker on the wheel route for a 74-yard TD:
Next: Run, Run, Run
Mobility
There’s something to be said for a mobile QB who’s equipped with a pass-first mentality. It’s a rarity among college QBs who rack up the yardage in a collegiate spread offense.
This is what’s so swell about the idea of Geno Smith. He’s a mobile QB who doesn’t need to rely on his mobility. This is a far cry from what we saw in guys like Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick a few seasons ago when the heavy read-option offenses were still taking NFL defenses by surprise.
RELATED: The Tempting Positives & Overwhelming Negatives Of Geno Smith
Should Geno be the one touching Nick Mangold‘s backside in Week 1 this fall, the read-option can be sprinkled into the offense, and this can only be viewed as a plus. It’s always a tremendous deal to keep the defense honest and on its heels.
Be careful, though, as you should never confuse mobility with pocket awareness. Ryan Fitzpatrick’s sense of the pocket and oncoming rush is ions of levels ahead of Geno’s.
While Fitz is alright in the mobility category, Geno has him beat.
An example of his mobility dominance comes here. In Week 2 of 2014, Geno actually has his foot stepped on, yet is mobile enough to carry out the play-action, take one look in the end-zone, then sprint with high-end speed to the pylon for the first score of the game:
Next: Young Whippersnapper
Youth
The best case scenario for the New York Jets this upcoming season is very obvious and simple.
Imagine Geno Smith compiles a career season in which he puts up 30+ touchdowns and 4,000+ yards to just 15 or less turnovers. At just 25-years of age, Jets fans everywhere would be calling for Mike Maccagnan to sign Smith long-term as New York’s long awaited franchise quarterback.
Entering his fourth season in the league, and on his walk year, the man is still young.
Geno taking full advantage of his opportunity and cashing in would be music to every fan’s ears. Who doesn’t want a young franchise guy? It would provide Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty even more time and New York with plenty of youthful options at the position.
The simple idea of youth is another category 33-year old Ryan Fitzpatrick cannot bring to the table.
Next: Let’s Wrap It Up
Final Thoughts
Regardless of whether you fall on the side that supports free agent Ryan Fitzpatrick or not, the obvious fact here is true: Geno Smith does bring unique positives to the table that the older guy just can’t.
Does it mean the 25-year old would step in and seize his opportunity with the green and white the way the 33-year old did a season ago? Of course not.
Never has the National Football League been this pass happy prior. Passes are getting tossed at an obscene rate that has offenses exploding to a record level. Look no further than the Jets offense a season ago when Fitz led the squad to its greatest offensive statistical output in franchise history.
Also, look no further than north to see how a QB can dominate year after year by simply dinking and dunking his way through fantastic matchups on the field (Tom Brady). Never has arm strength meant less.
A QB’s IQ pre-snap is one of the more important aspects to Sunday these days. This is what Geno will have to overcome if he wants to force much of the Jets fanbase to forget about No. 14 in 2016.
Many believe he can do it. Many believe the presence of Brandon Marshall means just that much. Many believe Chan Gailey can turn any QB into pure gold.
With a little over a week to go before training camp begins, Geno Smith is still in the position to prove all the doubters wrong.
Will he get it done? Well, in a few weeks we’ll have a much clearer understanding if Fitz is still in street clothes clinging to his cell phone for updates from Jimmy Sexton.