Al Iannazzone: Geno Smith's second run as Jets quarterback will be a wild ride, but it's off to an exciting start
Jets quarterback Geno Smith throws during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Steelers on Friday in Pittsburgh. Credit: AP/Gene J. Puskar
The Geno Smith Experience on and off the football field is like a ride at Six Flags amusement park. It’s filled with highs and lows and twists and turns. It can be exciting. It also can make your stomach turn.
The Jets signed up for this when they reacquired Smith in March and are confident that there will be far more good than bad from Geno 2.0.
Smith made his preseason debut on Friday night in the Jets’ 17-0 victory over the Steelers and led a touchdown drive in his only series. After sitting out last week’s opener because of a sore ankle, he moved well and his arm looked even better.
Smith completed all seven of his pass attempts for 65 yards. One was batted down, but left guard Dylan Parham caught it. Smith connected with a wide-open Jelani Woods for a 13-yard touchdown to cap the 10-play drive, with the big tight end running over a Steelers defender on his way to the end zone.
“Geno did what I expected him to do,” Aaron Glenn said. “It was good to see how efficient he was.”
Said Smith, “I felt good. I felt like we did what we had to do on that first drive to get points on the board.”
This is Smith. He can be very good or maddening. The Jets are banking on bringing out the former in him.
All coaches believe they can remove the warts a player exhibited while with previous teams. That arrogance by Glenn and the Jets was costly last season, as signing Justin Fields was an abject failure.
Give Glenn credit for this, though: He recognized changes needed to be made, and not just at quarterback.
He moved on from first-time offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand and quarterbacks coach Charles London, a former running back. Glenn replaced them with Frank Reich, a well-established coach/coordinator, and longtime quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave.
The infrastructure is improved. There are more weapons on offense and Smith is a much better quarterback than Fields. This Jets offense will be vastly improved and far more entertaining with Smith running it. It has to be.
The Jets turned to Smith, 35, to be a leader and calming presence for a young offense that could have seven guys 23 or younger in the huddle at any time.
It’s hard not to see the irony after an anything-but-calm offseason in which Smith had multiple encounters with police in Florida. But on the field and in the locker room, he has a presence, an effect on his teammates that comes from all he’s been through in his NFL life.
Running back Breece Hall called Smith “an OG” or “Original Gangster,’’ as the kids say. Hall added that Smith is “a proven vet, very chill” and “never gets too high, never gets too low.” A career of ups-and-downs will do that.
The Jets drafted Smith in the second round in 2013 and didn’t re-sign him after his contract expired. He bounced around with the Giants and Chargers before getting a shot with Seattle and making the most of it. Smith made two Pro Bowls and led the Seahawks to the playoffs once.
Here is the Geno Smith experience in full effect: In the last four seasons with Seattle and Las Vegas, he has thrown for the fifth-most yards (15,251), has the third-highest completion percentage (68.2) and has the 11th-most touchdown passes (90). He also has thrown the most interceptions (52). His teams are 29-35 in those games.
Good Geno, Bad Geno has been on display throughout this training camp as well.
Smith was 11-for-11 with four touchdown passes in an early practice against the Jets’ defense. In two joint practices with Tampa Bay last week, he was picked off twice in one practice. In the next one, he started 8-for-10 with a touchdown but was 2-for-7 in a move-the-ball hurry-up period. This week, he was 14-for-18 on Tuesday and 0-for-3 the next day.
Everyone knows that Smith is not the long-term answer — even Smith (although the competitor in him might not). He’s the bridge quarterback until the Jets draft their next franchise quarterback next year.
Our advice on Geno 2.0 — just try to enjoy the ride.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
