Geno Smith walks off after another turnover-plagued performance as the Jets fall to the Steelers.
Good Geno, so-so Geno and hide-the-women-and-children Geno have taken turns playing quarterback for the Jets through the first six weeks.
Geno Smith’s roller-coaster start to his career is hardly surprising. Although he has the requisite skill set to be a difference-maker in the future, the early growing pains were predictable to even the glass-half-full crowd. It’s going to take time.
Patience isn’t part of the NFL’s win-now landscape. Rex Ryan, of course, doesn’t have a lifetime appointment, either.
The 3-3 Jets have followed their rookie quarterback’s lead with a yo-yo six-week start that has turned them into one of the league’s enigmas, lost somewhere between playoff contender and pretender.
Sure, Smith needs to play much better in the rematch against the Patriots on Sunday than he did during his three-interception, fourth-quarter meltdown in Foxborough last month. That’s obvious.
The next stage of the Jets brain trust’s evaluation of Smith centers on his ability to avoid repeating mistakes as he faces the same opponent twice for the first time in his career. Has he learned from his missteps?
“Rarely does a day go by where I’m not more impressed with him,” offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. “Now look, he’s made his share of mistakes. He’s had some plays that he would desperately like to have back. Well, that doesn’t happen. Those are real. Sometimes it may not look like it, but he is certainly progressing at a high rate.”
Although Mornhinweg maintains Smith “very rarely” makes the same mistake twice in a game, the more relevant issue centers on whether the rookie corrects errors across games so he doesn’t make the same error in Week 7 that he did in Week 2.
Smith has been a pragmatist from his first snap. He’s fully aware that there’s a limit to everyone’s patience.
“At times, it’s inevitable,” Smith told the Daily News of some of his mistakes to this point. “But you know, making the same mistakes over and over again … that’s what will ultimately get you to lose your job in this league.”
The patience gene is missing in most fans. Their need for instant gratification often clouds common sense. Smith has had significant flashes of quality play that should provide hope, but he’s admittedly chasing consistency.
Smith has six touchdown passes, three interceptions with a 64.4% completion rate and 102.0 quarterback rating in the Jets’ three wins. He’s had only one touchdown pass, seven interceptions, a 55.3% completion rate and 51.6 quarterback rating in the three losses.
Rich Schultz/Getty Images
Geno Smith has only thrown three interceptions in the three game Gang Green has won this season.
Smith has had five multi-turnover games and been sacked 21 times, the most for a Jets rookie quarterback through the first six games.
“Coaches, GMs — everyone — wants to see progress from a player,” Smith said. “They want to see you take that step and get over that hump. If you were doing something as a rookie or a second-year player, move past that, put it behind you. That takes time, but it has to happen eventually or else you’re not getting better.”
Ryan admitted that “you kind of understand what you have with a rookie quarterback,” but that doesn’t soften the blow when Smith makes a costly mistake. The rookie threw three fourth-quarter interceptions during a critical 11-minute stretch in a three-point game against the Patriots in Week 2.
That experience may not help Smith as much as you think in the rematch, Mornhinweg cautioned.
“Geno is in his early stages of his progression,” Mornhinweg said. “I’m not sure it gives him much of (an advantage). Now, in a year or two, that would be a little bit of an advantage I would think.”
The Jets will give Smith a full season to properly evaluate whether he can be a franchise quarterback. The rookie already has the support of his teammates.
“I don’t think he looks at himself like a rookie and that I can make these mistakes,” running back Chris Ivory said. “I feel you got to continue to grow and build off your mistakes. I understand that every game is not going to be perfect and you’re going to have your mistakes in every game. But we just can’t let the same mistakes continue to happen. He’s still learning.”
Smith will face a depleted Patriots defense that will be without defensive linemen Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly and linebacker Jerod Mayo. Top cornerback Aqib Talib, who picked Smith off twice in the first game, is doubtful.
For all of the discussion surrounding Smith’s turnovers — he’s third in the league with 10 interceptions — his inability to get off to fast starts has also plagued him. He has no touchdown passes with just a 71.8 rating in the first quarter. Not surprisingly, the Jets have scored only 16 offensive points (one Smith rushing touchdown and three field goals) in the first quarter this season.
“I’ve got to go in and be 100% accurate, as well as 100% correct with my reads,” Smith said. “That’s nearly impossible, but that’s what we strive for here.”
He has 10 games left in his audition to prove that he can be a part of the solution.
@MMehtaNYDN
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