Geno Smith has had his fair share of rookie struggles. In the New York Jets Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills, the quarterback was benched for Matt Simms. Now as the team preps for a road game against the Baltimore Ravens, Simms is getting more practice reps and Smith is getting criticized for now adapting sooner.
Smith tossed four turnovers in the loss to Buffalo. That brings the rookie's total to 16 on the year. This marks yet another multi-turnover game for the quarterback and head coach Rex Ryan is noticing. While Ryan is committed to starting Smith against the Ravens, he will not hesitate to bench him again if necessary.
"We've got to get him dialed-in better," Ryan said, via the New York Post.
Ryan was careful when criticizing Smith. He recognized that the Jets will have no hope at making the playoffs if the quarterback cannot end his turnover woes. Currently sitting at 5-5, the Jets have a real shot at getting into the postseason if Smith does not play them out of the race. Ryan believes the quarterback has a chance to be great, but notes that early hits can throw him off for the remainder of a game.
"Normally, the strength of Geno is his pocket presence and pocket awareness," Ryan said. "Whether it was because he was taking hits, I feel he never had the feel he normally does. The fact that he got hit, and hit hard a few times, might have had something to do with it."
Smith recorded a 10.1 quarterback rating on Sunday, the lowest since Mark Sanchez put up an 8.3 his rookie season. That has led the Jets to give Simms more practice time, just in case. Veteran David Garrard sits in the No. 3 spot on the depth chart, but Ryan says he prefers Simms over Garrard. He noted that right now, the veteran's job is mainly to serve as a mentor and he has no plans on playing him in the near future.
Smith's job as a starter is far from secure. The Jets do not have a lot of money invested in him considering he was a second-round draft pick and Sanchez is quietly waiting in the wings for next season. Ryan is trying to remain patient with the rookie, but likely cannot hold out much longer if the turnovers continue.
"We have to protect the football better, first and foremost on offense. And it hasn't happened."
