Geno Smith Redux: Weeks Three and Four

Sep 22, 2013; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback

(7) runs for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s continue our look back, or our “redux”, if you will in Geno Smith’s season. In two-week groups, we are looking back at Geno Smith, and the season that he had. When did he look good? When did he look not so good? How much is he really on the ascent, as we move to the offseason?

Yesterday we took a look at the first two weeks of 2013.  Now, let’s move along to the next group.  The next two weeks are on the docket so, let’s get to some “redux”.

WEEK 3: VS. BUFFALO:

For the second straight week, the Jets faced an opponent from the AFC East. It was the Bills, bringing a rookie quarterback of their own in E.J. Manuel to town to face Geno Smith and the Jets.

Early in this one, Geno used his legs. On the opening drive, he led the Jets on a 12 play scoring drive, culminating in an eight yard run for a touchdown, putting the Jets up 7-0. In the second quarter, we saw some potential in a connect for the future, when Smith hooked up with Stephen Hill for a 51 yard touchdown. Hope for a Smith to Hill combination in the future?

Unfortunately Geno Smith did throw two more interceptions in this one. Nobody knew that it would end up with the 21 INTs that it did.

The offense stalled a bit in the second half, and the Bills tied the game in the fourth quarter. Smith, to his credit, hung in there all game, and threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes, a 69 yard connection, to win the game for the Jets, 27-20.

For the day, Geno Smith was 16-29 for 331 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

WEEK 4: AT TENNESSEE

This week, Geno completed a decent percentage of his passes, but the offense could not get going to save itself, which became a theme in a lot of games down the stretch of 2013.

Before we turned around in this one, the Jets were playing from behind, as the Titans scored on their first two drives, staking themselves to a 10-0 lead. The Titans won this one going away by a score of 38-13.

Geno Smith was exposed for his lack of an internal clock in this one, getting sacked five times. He threw one touchdown pass to Jeff Cumberland, but that came after the game was well out of reach. It wasn’t just Geno, the entire offense could not get anything going in this one, and the defense just ran out of gas.

For the game, Geno was 23-34 for 289 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions and the five aforementioned sacks.