Geno Smith has somehow made quarterback the least of the Jets’ problems

Until falling victim to an infamous sucker punch and a torn ACL in consecutive years, Geno Smith’s first New York Jets tenure was marred by interceptions.

Despite showing occasional flashes as a rookie in 2013, Smith nonetheless began his career with 21 picks over 16 games. Any hopes of him improving his ball control as a sophomore quickly ended, as he threw another 13 interceptions over 14 disappointing games in 2014.

Speaking of disappointing, that’s certainly an understatement for how Jets fans felt during Sunday’s overtime loss to the Packers. That said, Smith has been fine over his two starts and has yet to throw an interception. Although the offense has been a mixed bag, that’s fairly impressive for someone who led the league in picks last year.

If the thought of Smith avoiding turnovers feels odd for Jets fans, trust us when we say you’re not wrong.

Geno Smith quietly made personal history in his second start with the New York Jets

When you throw 36 interceptions over 33 starts, chances are that you’re not having many turnover-free games. Such were the numbers during Smith’s first tenure in New York, and things often looked far worse.

Sunday afternoon marked only the second time that Smith has gone consecutive games without an interception as the Jets’ starting quarterback. The initial instance came over the 2013 season's final two weeks, when Smith completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 404 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions in wins over the Browns and Dolphins.

You might be thinking that’s not much of an achievement, seeing as the best quarterbacks know how and when to avoid turning the ball over. After all, Jets fans have seen enough of Tom Brady’s pinpoint precision over the years.

Excluding Smith, there were four other quarterbacks who threw at least 20 picks in 2013, and we were curious to learn how many went consecutive games without an interception.

None of those four were slouches, either. Manning and Flacco won Super Bowls, Palmer was a capable starter for much of his career, and Dalton ranks among the best quarterbacks in Bengals history.

You’d guess that none of those quarterbacks would have avoided an interception over multiple weeks, but football tends to be funny. Who’d have imagined the Browns would upset the Buccaneers on Sunday, or that the Raiders would open the year with two straight wins?

As for Smith and the Jets, they’re back to business against the Lions next Sunday. We haven’t seen the 14-year vet go three straight games without an interception since the 2023 season’s final three weeks, and now is the perfect time for him to throw it back (pun not intended) to his Seahawks days.

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