Smith winning the QB battle - and related articles (merged)

[Cmartin]

By Patrick Clarke (Featured Columnist) on August 1, 2013 New York Jets rookie quarterback Geno Smith is gaining ground on veteran starter Mark Sanchez at training camp this summer, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini. Sanchez has tossed 69 interceptions in four seasons in the league, and as Cimini points out, his inaccuracy appears to be holding him back in his battle for the starting job: It was Sanchez's turn to lead the starting unit and he struggled, throwing an interception for the second straight practice. Smith has yet to throw an interception in team drills over the first five practices. News that Smith is outshining Sanchez in camp certainly comes as little surprise to Jets fans who watched the former fifth overall draft pick lead one of the league's worst offenses in 15 games a season ago. Sanchez was dreadful under center in 2012, completing just 54.3 percent of his passes for 2,883 yards, 13 touchdowns and 18 interceptions. Meanwhile, Smith has yet to take a snap in the NFL, but begins his professional career with high expectations after lighting up college football in back-to-back seasons. Although West Virginia struggled down the stretch last fall, Smith's numbers were Heisman caliber. He completed nearly 72 percent of his passes for more than 4,200 yards, 42 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He would end his college career with over 11,600 yards and 98 touchdowns through the air. Perhaps more importantly, Smith tossed just 21 picks in four years in Morgantown, demonstrating superb accuracy and football IQ. On top of his strong arm, Smith brings more athleticism to the table than Sanchez, who is best known for the infamous butt fumble incident against the New England Patriots last November. If Smith isn't throwing interceptions and adds another dimension to the offense with his legs, does Sanchez even stand a chance of winning the starting job this summer?

[faba]

The clock is ticking - some time this year Smith will take over the QB position- it is a matter of your prefernce whether we start right away or try to wean him into the job

[Lupz27]

The clock is ticking - some time this year Smith will take over the QB position- it is a matter of your prefernce whether we start right away or try to wean him into the job

 

If you (the coaching staff) think Geno can handle starting week 1 (speed of the game wise, and grasp of the offense wise, forgetting about the possible mental ramifications that might happen if he fails, if he can't handle the adversity he isn't an NFL caliber starting QB IMO so who cares, and it is a 2nd round pick with very little financial ties, if he is garbage you draft another QB next year, and toss Geno away if the new Qb is the goods) you do it, and follow the plan the Seahawks used last year with R Wilson, first half of the year R Wilson was 2009 M Sanchez esque minus the stupid turnovers, he was asked to protect the ball, and let the Defense, and running game do the heavy lifting, and as the season progressed they started putting the ball in Wilson's hands a little more each week until finally Wilson was able to command the offense as a whole, and the offensive system made all his reads, and the speed of the game so much easier for him with all the options each play, and formation gave the defense to worry about, and Wilson took his gained confidence, and flat out took over the offense with no more restrictions the last 2 months of the season including the playoffs.

 

Obviously this is a special situation with Wilson because of his skill set, but the Jets (whether they are right, or wrong) seem to want Geno to be the same type of Qb as Wilson was last season, dual threat freeze the D take what they give you in the first half of the season, and then when you get confident, and comfortable you take what you want from the D, instead of taking what they give you if that makes sense. 

[Cmartin]

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS CORTLAND — Geno Smith never quite mastered the pre-snap shaky arms, frenetic pirouettes or gratuitous finger pointing in college, but he has a lot more in common with Peyton Manning than you know. Although West Virginia’s spread offense doesn’t directly correlate to the NFL, the system strengthened Smith’s spatial-reasoning skills and gave him the freedom to put his imprint on each play. It’s why the rookie has a real chance of beating out Mark Sanchez to be the Jets’ starting quarterback in Week 1. Smith didn’t have a playbook in two years in Dana Holgorsen’s system. No pamphlet. Not even a piece of paper. He learned by watching video cut-ups of the next week’s opponents, taking copious notes to reinforce the visuals and practicing the 15 core concepts (seven pass plays, four screens and four run plays) of the offense. RELATED: WITH EYES ON HIM, SANCHEZ LOOKS LIKE A FALSE STARTER Holgorsen and Smith’s quarterbacks coach Jake Spavital ran about 10 formations out of those core plays. The rest was up to Smith, who had the freedom to channel his inner Manning and improvise whenever he saw fit. “He had free rein to check in and out of plays based on the look defenses gave him,” said Spavital, who is now the co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Texas A&M. “We put a lot of pressure on him.” Spavital said that Smith checked out of as many as 80% of called plays in any given game, an astounding total in an era of control-freak coordinators. Smith called an audible on about 50% of the plays in his 656-yard, eight-touchdown performance against Baylor last September. His ability to correctly decipher pre-snap looks and check to the right play call in college gives him an advantage over most rookie quarterbacks confined by the script. Smith faced plenty of exotic defensive looks since most teams played third-down personnel against West Virginia’s no tight-end, spread formations. RELATED: JETS INSIDER: MILLINER THINKS HE CAN SHOULDER LOAD Holgorsen’s style of teaching tested his quarterback’s ability to mentally visualize principles during the week. At first, it was a shock to Smith’s system, but it improved his study habits and note-taking skills. It ultimately sped up his ability to make site adjustments on game days, which will serve him well with the Jets. “If it wasn’t the right play, then I would check out of it,” Smith said. “If we called a run play to the left and we got (overloaded defenders) on the left, I’d either check a run to the right or throw a quick screen to the left or check into a pass play and get it blocked up on the left. So we had three options.” Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-smith-prepared-jet-offense-article-1.1414368#ixzz2ajBOmA92

[Jetsfan80]

Geno is doing exactly what he needs to do to prove he's a far superior option to Sanchez:  Not throwing picks.  He didn't do it in college and he isn't doing it in practice, while Sanchez has been doing it his whole life.  What happened to that "You just stop" mentality Sanchez was going to have this year?  lol.

 

Protect the football.  That's been the mantra for this team on the offensive side of the ball.  Yet Sanchez has been the exact opposite of what we needed him to be.  In a system that ALSO requires accuracy, Geno seems to have the skill set that is a very nice fit for the Mornhinweg system.  Start him.  Who knows, we might just be the surprise team this year?  The goal is to win, not to tank.

[The Crusher]

Nice fine.  Great read. "Geno Smith don;t need no playbook." 

[JiFtheOracle]

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS CORTLAND — Geno Smith never quite mastered the pre-snap shaky arms, frenetic pirouettes or gratuitous finger pointing in college, but he has a lot more in common with Peyton Manning than you know. Although West Virginia’s spread offense doesn’t directly correlate to the NFL, the system strengthened Smith’s spatial-reasoning skills and gave him the freedom to put his imprint on each play. It’s why the rookie has a real chance of beating out Mark Sanchez to be the Jets’ starting quarterback in Week 1. Smith didn’t have a playbook in two years in Dana Holgorsen’s system. No pamphlet. Not even a piece of paper. He learned by watching video cut-ups of the next week’s opponents, taking copious notes to reinforce the visuals and practicing the 15 core concepts (seven pass plays, four screens and four run plays) of the offense. RELATED: WITH EYES ON HIM, SANCHEZ LOOKS LIKE A FALSE STARTER Holgorsen and Smith’s quarterbacks coach Jake Spavital ran about 10 formations out of those core plays. The rest was up to Smith, who had the freedom to channel his inner Manning and improvise whenever he saw fit. “He had free rein to check in and out of plays based on the look defenses gave him,” said Spavital, who is now the co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Texas A&M. “We put a lot of pressure on him.” Spavital said that Smith checked out of as many as 80% of called plays in any given game, an astounding total in an era of control-freak coordinators. Smith called an audible on about 50% of the plays in his 656-yard, eight-touchdown performance against Baylor last September. His ability to correctly decipher pre-snap looks and check to the right play call in college gives him an advantage over most rookie quarterbacks confined by the script. Smith faced plenty of exotic defensive looks since most teams played third-down personnel against West Virginia’s no tight-end, spread formations. RELATED: JETS INSIDER: MILLINER THINKS HE CAN SHOULDER LOAD Holgorsen’s style of teaching tested his quarterback’s ability to mentally visualize principles during the week. At first, it was a shock to Smith’s system, but it improved his study habits and note-taking skills. It ultimately sped up his ability to make site adjustments on game days, which will serve him well with the Jets. “If it wasn’t the right play, then I would check out of it,” Smith said. “If we called a run play to the left and we got (overloaded defenders) on the left, I’d either check a run to the right or throw a quick screen to the left or check into a pass play and get it blocked up on the left. So we had three options.” Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/jets/mehta-smith-prepared-jet-offense-article-1.1414368#ixzz2ajBOmA92

 

Interesting read. Among the many Sanchez flaws, presnap reads seem to give him a ton of problems.  The guy cant even see a jailhouse blitz with a safety lined up at the LOS.

 

I dont know anything about WVU's offense other than what I've read or seen of on TV but every time I've seen Geno interviewed the kid talks concepts, reads, looking off, plays, progressions...he seems to be a student of the game.  Someone who gets the X's and O's portion.  As opposed to Mark, when you see him interviewed, its all about the mental side of the game, which everyone knows damn well he's got zero grasp off.

 

Granted, some of that could be context but Geno seems to have a much greater understanding of the game. 

[slats]

Hi!

Every article doesn't need it's own thread. What we'll often do here is have a single "news of the day" thread, but please -at least- try to group similar articles together.

Thanks!

[The Crusher]

Hi!

Every article doesn't need it's own thread. What we'll often do here is have a single "news of the day" thread, but please -at least- try to group similar articles together.

Thanks!

 

LOL

[Jetsfan80]

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/08/01/art-or-football-decision-turns-out-ok-for-geno-smith/

 

Art Or Football? Decision Turns Out OK For Geno Smith Jets Rookie: 'In Art, You Really Don't Get Famous Until You're Dead'

 

August 1, 2013 7:40 AM

CORTLAND, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Geno Smith’s brothers still have his favorite piece of artwork hanging on the wall of their mother’s home.

 

It could be worth a pretty penny someday. For now, its value is solely sentimental.

 

When the New York Jets rookie quarterback was in high school, he grabbed a huge sheet of poster board, broke out a few Sharpie markers and got to work on drawing his favorite superheroes. One by one — and making sure he captured every detail — Batman, Superman, Wolverine, Captain America and Spider-Man, among others, appeared to his brothers’ amazement.

 

“Art is something I really love,” Smith said. “I have a creative mind.”

 

Smith is locked in a tight competition with Mark Sanchez for the Jets’ starting quarterback job. But the rookie wasn’t always just a star on the football field. Before he went to high school in south Florida, Smith had to make a choice between throwing touchdowns and painting pictures.

 

“I had a passion for them both,” Smith said in an interview with The Associated Press after practice Wednesday. “But I enjoy the passion for being out on the field and being with my teammates and constantly practicing and conditioning, all the challenges that come with playing football.”

Smith paused for a second, and then started laughing.

 

“And, in art,” he said, “you really don’t get famous until you’re dead.”

 

He already has the fame stuff down, especially after a record-breaking career at West Virginia University. Smith was perhaps the biggest name available in the draft in April, but slipped from the first to the second round — and the frowns from his disappointment were caught on camera at Radio City Music Hall.

 

He also made headlines when he fired his agents and signed on with hip-hop artist Jay-Z’s sports agency. Smith raised some eyebrows again when he opted to work out on his own in Florida rather than attend Sanchez’s Jets West camp in southern California.

 

It’s the kind of tumultuous few months that can create some pretty interesting and introspective artwork.

 

“I don’t draw as much anymore, but I still doodle, yeah, in my notepads,” Smith said. “I caught myself just drawing a picture the other day and it said, ‘Practice Better.’ That was kind of a message to myself.”

 

The love for art began as a little kid, when he saw his sister, Kiyondra Talley, drawing things he could only dream of.

 

“She was kind of like a prodigy,” Smith said. “She could paint anything and it would look spot on. I wasn’t really that good, to be honest with you. I was a couple of years younger than her, and it made me kind of mad that she was so good.

 

“I took it upon myself to try to be better than her, so I just developed a love for it.”

 

He and his buddies started small, with cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Dragon Ball Z. Around fourth or fifth grade, Smith began trying to draw portraits of family members.

 

“I’d just take pictures in my house and sit down for hours upon hours and just draw them,” he said. “I’d ball up papers and throw them away until I got the right one.”

 

Tracey Sellers, Smith’s mother, recognized her son was talented in the classroom — at art and academics — and placed him in gifted programs. He was so advanced, it was recommended he be moved up a few grades. But Sellers wanted him to stay with his peers and not move through school too quickly.

 

“I think I have a creative mind from all the psychological tests I’ve taken and all that kind of stuff,” he said. “I’m a creative thinker, and that’s helped me out tremendously growing up.”

 

He received a scholarship to Norland Middle School’s magnet art program, which he attended from the sixth through eighth grades. While there, he mastered using pretty much anything he could put to paper: pencil, pen, charcoal pens, charcoal sticks, acrylic pens, watercolors and acrylic paints.

 

While still playing football and trying to balance it with homework and artwork, Smith put together an impressive portfolio and submitted it to two art schools in New York and two others in the Miami area.

 

He was accepted by all four.

 

“Right then and there, I had a decision to make whether it was art or sports,” Smith said. “Obviously, I chose the latter.”

 

Smith became a huge football star at Miramar High, capping his career there by leading the team as a senior to the state 6A semifinals. He then chose to attend West Virginia after also receiving offers from other big-time programs such as Alabama, Boston College, Florida State and South Florida.

 

With the Mountaineers, Smith established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the country with an eye-popping mix of skill and athleticism. He set various school records along the way, and had NFL teams drooling at the prospect of him being a part of their future.

 

And Smith, who recently told the team’s website he’d like to emulate Michael Jordan in terms of his success and leadership, attributes a lot of his success on the field to his art background.

 

“It really made me pay attention to detail,” he said. “That’s something that’s huge. It still helps me to this day because I can see things on the field: angles, geometrics, and I think that played a huge role in things with football.”

 

That echoes something his mother told the New York Times in 2012: “On the field, he’s visualizing. It’s like a puzzle, his masterpiece.”

 

A few days ago, the Jets were practicing at SUNY Cortland when quarterbacks coach David Lee told a few of the players to stop and look around at their surroundings. It took Smith back to his youth for a moment as he stared out at the green hills and trees outlining the campus.

 

“That’s usually what artists will paint,” Smith said. “They’ll take pictures of stuff like that or just sit down right there and paint it and it’ll become a great painting. It was a great reminder to me that every single thing we look at every day is tied into art.

 

“That’s what’s unique about it.”

 

He stays low key about his affection for art, and frankly doesn’t have much time for it these days. Not when he’s trying to win the starting quarterback job with the Jets.

 

“I’m pretty sure these guys have heard about it, but I don’t think they really care much,” Smith said with a big smile. “That’s really not for the cool kids, you know? The guys around here are the cool kids. Art is for the so-called nerds, and I’m one of those guys.

 

“But I love playing football and I love being a quarterback.

 

“I look at this as my art now.”

[Jetsfan80]

It's starting to get to the point where I'm not just liking Geno because he's not Mark Sanchez.  He seems like a cool guy and might be a damn good QB when he's given the chance.  I'm excited.

[NJ]

Maybe every article doesn't require it's own thread  ... but if any article does .... one for Mark Sanchez to be anything other than the Jets starting QB would be at the top of the list

[Cmartin]

Hi!

Every article doesn't need it's own thread. What we'll often do here is have a single "news of the day" thread, but please -at least- try to group similar articles together.

Thanks!

 

No problem. I'm new to the forum. I'll get it.

[JoeKlecko]

If you (the coaching staff) think Geno can handle starting week 1 (speed of the game wise, and grasp of the offense wise, forgetting about the possible mental ramifications that might happen if he fails, if he can't handle the adversity he isn't an NFL caliber starting QB IMO so who cares, and it is a 2nd round pick with very little financial ties, if he is garbage you draft another QB next year, and toss Geno away if the new Qb is the goods) you do it, and follow the plan the Seahawks used last year with R Wilson, first half of the year R Wilson was 2009 M Sanchez esque minus the stupid turnovers, he was asked to protect the ball, and let the Defense, and running game do the heavy lifting, and as the season progressed they started putting the ball in Wilson's hands a little more each week until finally Wilson was able to command the offense as a whole, and the offensive system made all his reads, and the speed of the game so much easier for him with all the options each play, and formation gave the defense to worry about, and Wilson took his gained confidence, and flat out took over the offense with no more restrictions the last 2 months of the season including the playoffs.

 

Obviously this is a special situation with Wilson because of his skill set, but the Jets (whether they are right, or wrong) seem to want Geno to be the same type of Qb as Wilson was last season, dual threat freeze the D take what they give you in the first half of the season, and then when you get confident, and comfortable you take what you want from the D, instead of taking what they give you if that makes sense. 

 

I know your stance on this isn't as "bad" (IMO) as that of some others.  You at least qualify if he's "ready," whereas a number of Jets fans don't seem to care, they just want to see Smith thrown to the wolves so they don't have to see Sanchez again.  So please understand that my comments are not aimed primarily at you, but others, but also somewhat to you as you show some of the symptoms that other Jets fans are showing.  While I can understand their and perhaps your frustration and impatience, I don't think rushing Smith onto the field is the wisest course of action for any of us, and you all are letting your emotions cloud your better judgment.

 

First off, as slats and several of us have pointed, 2/5 of the OL will be new.  It takes OLs a while to gel.  Why risk getting Geno hurt in the first 4-5 games while it gels?  We could then not only be stuck with Sanchez for the rest of the year due to a serious injury to Smith, but Idzik probably wouldn't have enough info on Geno to properly ascertain whether he could be the franchise QB going forward.

 

Even being drafted in the 2nd round and not having a lot invested in him contract wise, QB is still THE most important position on the team.  The Jets not only need a quality starter, but quality backup going forward as well.  You don't want to totally waste Geno.  At a bare minimum, the team needs him to be a quality backup, if not the starter; otherwise, that means they have to draft TWO QBs next year.  I think he has the potential to become an excellent starter.  We've already seen what rushing one rookie QB on the field has produced.  Granted, Geno has a real QB Coach and OC to work with and Sanchez didn't, and Geno has a lot more experience than Sanchez, but Sanchez played in more NFL style offense in college and Geno didn't, and there are some of the same questions regarding mental makeup.   Quality QBs who are intelligent, have strong, accurate arms and good mobility are precious.  

 

Draft picks are precious.  God knows the Jets have wasted enough of them over the years on lousy prospects and Tanny giving them away like politicians at a campaign rally.  That's why there was no depth and holes all over the roster before Idzik took over.  Treating draft picks and the players they take so cavalierly is a silly, non-productive approach to take.  You just can't view and treat them like that and throw them away like you suggest, particularly at QB.  Why rush Smith on the field just because fans don't want to see Sanchez?  That would be stupid on the part of Rex, Mornhinweg and Idzik.  If the fans are gonna be that unthinking and impatient then they deserve for the team to not give a rip what they think and to see a lousy product on the field.

 

I can understand why the CS wants Geno to be like Wilson, but that doesn't mean he is.  Wilson is older and was better prepared for the NFL.  He had already played professional baseball.  He already had played in a professional-type offense in college whereas Geno didn't.  Even though their size may be similar, their experiences and mental makeups aren't.  To say well, if Geno is not the same as Wilson then to heck with him is just plain stupid.  He doesn't have to be Wilson.  Geno Smith is good enough if given the opportunity when he's ready.

 

Geno needs to be given every opportunity to succeed.  If we as fans have any hope of seeing the team become a serious contender for the Lombardi Trophy any time soon, with any real hope of winning it, we have to hope that Geno will be that guy and give him every opportunity to succed.  We have to set aside our desires for immediate gratification, discipline ourselves a little, and be patient.  Geno is still working on handling snaps from under center, his footwork dropping back, reading Ds, and adjusting to the speed of the game which is no easy feat.  We saw during mini camp and OTAs that the footwork issue was causing some problems with his accuracy.  Force him to start game 1 and he might start fumbling snaps from center and throwing picks.  That could cause him to start pressing and erode his confidence.  The fans would then start booing him.  He continues to struggle and it might be no better than when Sanchez was playing and you've potentially ruined Geno's chances for success, or at least greatly delayed his playing well.  What does the team do then?  Bring Sanchez back in?  Continue to let Geno struggle?  Start McElroy or Simms (whoever the 3rd QB is)?  No.

 

Did you see Pat Kirwan's report from TC yesterday?  He said that Geno is still struggling with his 2nd and 3rd reads and holding the ball too long.  That is gonna take some time to correct as well.  Thrust him into the starting lineup before he's ready and he'll become Sanchez part 2 a deer in the headlights and the draft pick the Jets used on him will be wasted.

 

The only intelligent thing to do is that unless Geno clearly proves that he is ready to start game one and play at a very high level, is to start Sanchez and give Geno the time he needs to get ready, so that when he does, the OL will have gelled, he can come in play at a high level with confidence and ease, so that he has the best chance to succeed.  Unless Mornhinweg is a miracle worker, and Sanchez suddenly becomes a quality starter, Smith will be starting by the week following the bye, and I suspect even a good bit sooner than that. Let Sanchez take whatever pounding may come as a result of the OL having to gel.  Let him have to play without Tone and perhaps some of the other banged up/missing new offensive players (Ivory, Goodson, etc.).  Give the rest of the team as well as Geno the chance to solidly learn the entire offense, not just a small chunk of it, so that they have a better chance of playing well and succeeding and so Idzik and all concerned can get a clearer picture if Geno is gonna be the guy or not.

 

There will always be adversity for a team and a QB.  That's one thing, but to intentionally create adversity for a rookie QB is insane, totally lacking in any common sense whatsoever.  Yeah, let's just force Geno to start, and to make sure he faces adversity, the starting OL will be Aboushi at LT, Vlad at LG, Schlauderaff at C, Winters at LB, and another rookie (UDFA) at RT.  While we're at it, let's start Hayden Smith at TE, McKnight or Griffin at RB, White, and the other worse WR prospects so we can make sure he has plenty of adversity.  On and by the way, Geno, you have to play left handed.  That would be ridiculous right?  Well, imo it's no more ridiculous than throwing Geno to the wolves regardless of whether he's ready just because we don't want to ever see Sanchez on the field again for the Jets. 

 

C'mon guys.  Be patient and be smart.  We'll find out soon enough if Geno is the answer at QB, and in all likelihood, this will be the last year we have to see and hear about Sanchez.  There's light at the end of the tunnel.

[Lupz27]

I know your stance on this isn't as "bad" (IMO) as that of some others.  You at least qualify if he's "ready," whereas a number of Jets fans don't seem to care, they just want to see Smith thrown to the wolves so they don't have to see Sanchez again.  So please understand that my comments are not aimed primarily at you, but others, but also somewhat to you as you show some of the symptoms that other Jets fans are showing.  While I can understand their and perhaps your frustration and impatience, I don't think rushing Smith onto the field is the wisest course of action for any of us, and you all are letting your emotions cloud your better judgment.

 

First off, as slats and several of us have pointed, 2/5 of the OL will be new.  It takes OLs a while to gel.  Why risk getting Geno hurt in the first 4-5 games while it gels?  We could then not only be stuck with Sanchez for the rest of the year due to a serious injury to Smith, but Idzik probably wouldn't have enough info on Geno to properly ascertain whether he could be the franchise QB going forward.

 

Even being drafted in the 2nd round and not having a lot invested in him contract wise, QB is still THE most important position on the team.  The Jets not only need a quality starter, but quality backup going forward as well.  You don't want to totally waste Geno.  At a bare minimum, the team needs him to be a quality backup, if not the starter; otherwise, that means they have to draft TWO QBs next year.  I think he has the potential to become an excellent starter.  We've already seen what rushing one rookie QB on the field has produced.  Granted, Geno has a real QB Coach and OC to work with and Sanchez didn't, and Geno has a lot more experience than Sanchez, but Sanchez played in more NFL style offense in college and Geno didn't, and there are some of the same questions regarding mental makeup.   Quality QBs who are intelligent, have strong, accurate arms and good mobility are precious.  

 

Draft picks are precious.  God knows the Jets have wasted enough of them over the years on lousy prospects and Tanny giving them away like politicians at a campaign rally.  That's why there was no depth and holes all over the roster before Idzik took over.  Treating draft picks and the players they take so cavalierly is a silly, non-productive approach to take.  You just can't view and treat them like that and throw them away like you suggest, particularly at QB.  Why rush Smith on the field just because fans don't want to see Sanchez?  That would be stupid on the part of Rex, Mornhinweg and Idzik.  If the fans are gonna be that unthinking and impatient then they deserve for the team to not give a rip what they think and to see a lousy product on the field.

 

I can understand why the CS wants Geno to be like Wilson, but that doesn't mean he is.  Wilson is older and was better prepared for the NFL.  He had already played professional baseball.  He already had played in a professional-type offense in college whereas Geno didn't.  Even though their size may be similar, their experiences and mental makeups aren't.  To say well, if Geno is not the same as Wilson then to heck with him is just plain stupid.  He doesn't have to be Wilson.  Geno Smith is good enough if given the opportunity when he's ready.

 

Geno needs to be given every opportunity to succeed.  If we as fans have any hope of seeing the team become a serious contender for the Lombardi Trophy any time soon, with any real hope of winning it, we have to hope that Geno will be that guy and give him every opportunity to succed.  We have to set aside our desires for immediate gratification, discipline ourselves a little, and be patient.  Geno is still working on handling snaps from under center, his footwork dropping back, reading Ds, and adjusting to the speed of the game which is no easy feat.  We saw during mini camp and OTAs that the footwork issue was causing some problems with his accuracy.  Force him to start game 1 and he might start fumbling snaps from center and throwing picks.  That could cause him to start pressing and erode his confidence.  The fans would then start booing him.  He continues to struggle and it might be no better than when Sanchez was playing and you've potentially ruined Geno's chances for success, or at least greatly delayed his playing well.  What does the team do then?  Bring Sanchez back in?  Continue to let Geno struggle?  Start McElroy or Simms (whoever the 3rd QB is)?  No.

 

Did you see Pat Kirwan's report from TC yesterday?  He said that Geno is still struggling with his 2nd and 3rd reads and holding the ball too long.  That is gonna take some time to correct as well.  Thrust him into the starting lineup before he's ready and he'll become Sanchez part 2 a deer in the headlights and the draft pick the Jets used on him will be wasted.

 

The only intelligent thing to do is that unless Geno clearly proves that he is ready to start game one and play at a very high level, is to start Sanchez and give Geno the time he needs to get ready, so that when he does, the OL will have gelled, he can come in play at a high level with confidence and ease, so that he has the best chance to succeed.  Unless Mornhinweg is a miracle worker, and Sanchez suddenly becomes a quality starter, Smith will be starting by the week following the bye, and I suspect even a good bit sooner than that. Let Sanchez take whatever pounding may come as a result of the OL having to gel.  Let him have to play without Tone and perhaps some of the other banged up/missing new offensive players (Ivory, Goodson, etc.).  Give the rest of the team as well as Geno the chance to solidly learn the entire offense, not just a small chunk of it, so that they have a better chance of playing well and succeeding and so Idzik and all concerned can get a clearer picture if Geno is gonna be the guy or not.

 

There will always be adversity for a team and a QB.  That's one thing, but to intentionally create adversity for a rookie QB is insane, totally lacking in any common sense whatsoever.  Yeah, let's just force Geno to start, and to make sure he faces adversity, the starting OL will be Aboushi at LT, Vlad at LG, Schlauderaff at C, Winters at LB, and another rookie (UDFA) at RT.  While we're at it, let's start Hayden Smith at TE, McKnight or Griffin at RB, White, and the other worse WR prospects so we can make sure he has plenty of adversity.  On and by the way, Geno, you have to play left handed.  That would be ridiculous right?  Well, imo it's no more ridiculous than throwing Geno to the wolves regardless of whether he's ready just because we don't want to ever see Sanchez on the field again for the Jets. 

 

C'mon guys.  Be patient and be smart.  We'll find out soon enough if Geno is the answer at QB, and in all likelihood, this will be the last year we have to see and hear about Sanchez.  There's light at the end of the tunnel.

I know you stated this wasn't directly stated towards me because I stated IF the coaches think he can handle it. Your other points are very fair except the offensive line, the Jets have 3 returning starters, 2 pro bowlers, 1 (center the most important position as far as helping the QB make calls, and reads at the line of scrimmage) in Mangold who is considered arguably the best C in all of football, Sanchez made that offensive line look bad, it wasn't all his fault because nobody could get open, but every time he would try to extend a play he either ran directly into the pursuing players, or abandoned the pocket to early, or failed to recognize stepping up was the correct action, I think Geno will be much better at knowing where, and when to leave, or step up, there isn't many worse than Sanchez at that so it's not asking for much.

[cr726]

If the Jets can't run the ball it will not matter who plays QB.

[shhwagah]

I thought this vid deserved its own thread. I would have done it if I didn't think the mods would've deleted it lol. Its a Geno highlight vid but so well put together, its a stand out.

 

[shhwagah]

Interesting read. Among the many Sanchez flaws, presnap reads seem to give him a ton of problems.  The guy cant even see a jailhouse blitz with a safety lined up at the LOS.

 

I dont know anything about WVU's offense other than what I've read or seen of on TV but every time I've seen Geno interviewed the kid talks concepts, reads, looking off, plays, progressions...he seems to be a student of the game.  Someone who gets the X's and O's portion.  As opposed to Mark, when you see him interviewed, its all about the mental side of the game, which everyone knows damn well he's got zero grasp off.

 

Granted, some of that could be context but Geno seems to have a much greater understanding of the game. 

 

Yeah yeah Geno student of the game. Mark not so much. How many games you comin out to this season? We are going to watch the HOF game Sunday at a bar near the beach. 

[JoeKlecko]

I know you stated this wasn't directly stated towards me because I stated IF the coaches think he can handle it. Your other points are very fair except the offensive line, the Jets have 3 returning starters, 2 pro bowlers, 1 (center the most important position as far as helping the QB make calls, and reads at the line of scrimmage) in Mangold who is considered arguably the best C in all of football, Sanchez made that offensive line look bad, it wasn't all his fault because nobody could get open, but every time he would try to extend a play he either ran directly into the pursuing players, or abandoned the pocket to early, or failed to recognize stepping up was the correct action, I think Geno will be much better at knowing where, and when to leave, or step up, there isn't many worse than Sanchez at that so it's not asking for much.

 

Thanks for receiving my post in the spirit in which it was meant.

 

I am in agreement with you regarding Sanchez and the OL.  Sanchez makes everyone look worse.