Most NFL fans would certainly admit the QB position in the NFL is the most significant and important piece to a team. And perceptibly the foundation off of how good the team will likely be.
If you take a look at 5 top teams from last year, their starting QBs were Brady, Ryan, Peyton Manning, Schaub, and Rodgers between them, that’s 164 TDs, 22,508 YDs, and an incredible 61-19 record. Ya, I think we can all concur, the QB is pretty important to a team.
The NY Jets have obviously been struggling for several seasons with Sanchez as their starter. After having a rocky but tolerable, first 2 seasons, leading the team to a 19-13 record and 2 AFC title games, Sanchez looked like he was coming along.
Then he stopped. Over the last 2 seasons, he has thrown a whopping 36 INTs, and a massive 52 turnovers, and only putting up 204.6 YPG. Sanchez may as well be given a last ditch effort to stay the starter for a little bit, they drafted Smith for a reason, to replace Mark Sanchez, and everyone knows it. The question now isn’t if, but when.
Smith has nice speed on his throws and high-quality accuracy; the kid hit 67.4% of his passes in college for his career there, including 71.2 in his last season. Sanchez lacks accuracy, only hitting 55% of his passes over the last 4 seasons. And his ability to hit the downfield ball is terribly concerning if you’re a Jets fan. Sanchez on passes 21+ yards is around 34%.
Smith played a lot of shotgun in college, which can often cause concern for teams when they evaluate what will transfer into the NFL. Let’s also take note the Jets had Sanchez passing out of the shotgun 46% last season. I think Geno will be respectable. Great, no. Better than Sanchez, yes.
What most people have to discover about Geno Smith is he is not a “running QB” (overused phrase), but he is a guy who can move if he needs to, unlike Sanchez also. He truthfully is a pocket passer, with the nice addition of being able to take off if the line breaks down, or he has drained all of his choices to throw the ball to. His legs can get him out of trouble where as Sanchez has had the propensity to take the sack, force a bad pass, or fumble. Everything points to the obvious; he’s ready to challenge Sanchez for a role that Mark already has slipping away from hm.
But the Jets of course, lack more than just a QB stud at the moment. They lack talent and skill. RB, WRs, and TE are all weak. They cannot be expecting miracles from Geno off the start. So in some ways not having a lot of talent around him, or in this case, any reputable talent, may snag Geno’s evolution, but it might also make him speed it up. If he can make players like Jeremy Kerley and Stephen Hill become 1000 yard receivers, or 7 TD guys, and get some work from Bilal Powell to help a little, he could get a nice confidence boost for himself, the team, and the fans. There will be demands on Rex Ryan to get the rookie in; we all know this for sure. But I don’t see Smith being a week 1 starter, but I also don’t think it takes very long. Geno isn’t going to have the advantage of learning for a period of time behind a admirable QB to develop, he will have to pick the game up quick, and be ready when his number is called. Push the ball downfield; get points on the board for a team that only scored 17.6/game in 2012 (28th in the league).
I think the Bills game would be a beneficial place for Geno to get in; the Jets could be 0-2, at that point, playing a team they can beat, at home, and a beatable secondary. It would be a mild matchup for Geno. The Jets are soaring in a new direction, and Sanchez will not be the captain of the plane.
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