NFL: Geno Smith Ready To Make The Leap

NFL.com don't often post positive Geno Smith articles, and Greg Rosenthal (a Patriots fan) certainly doesn't go out of his way to compliment the Jets unless he absolutely has to, but todays article is very much in line with my thinking.

I've said all off-season that Geno has talent and that although I don't expect him to be a pro-bowl QB next year, I wouldn't be surprised to see him surprise a few people, especially with Gailey calling the shots and an improved supporting cast.

Greg went back to look at what made Geno so successful over the last month of the season where he recorded a 65% completion, with 6 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and over 1,000 yards, including one of the most impressive starts I've seen in a long time from a Jets QB against Miami.

I know this article is going to be greeted by the usual "Geno Stinks", "Geno Sucks" etc etc but it's good to see that a well respected writer like Greg Rosenthal, also sees a little something in Geno for 2015. Here is a selection of comments about why Geno improved over the final month of the 2014 season, but I highly recomend you going over to read the full article HERE

1. Geno excelled over the final month because of his decision-making. His biggest issue as a pro has been panicking when under duress and throwing passes up for grabs. He's prone to the brain freeze. In the final month, Smith calmly found the open receiver. When no one was open, he made plays with his legs or got rid of the ball.

2. One huge reason that Smith made good decisions: He had time. The Jets protected Smith very well over the final month, which allowed him to show off his strengths. Smith has a strong arm and methodically goes through his reads better than plenty of his young contemporaries. A big question: If protection isn't so ideal in 2015, can he still excel?

3. Geno got me fired up enough to write this because he owns skills that are difficult to teach. He has excellent pocket movement, buying time to attempt passes. Some quarterbacks never get that sixth sense in the pocket; Geno has it. He is not afraid to make difficult throws, aggressively pushing the ball down the field. He looks off defenders. The play below is an example of him stepping up in the pocket and taking a hit before delivering:

4. The Jets didn't ask Geno to do too much. He ran the offense and didn't take too many chances.

5. In Weeks 14-16, Smith played solid midlevel starter football. He mostly stayed out of the way. But in the season finale, Smith put together one of the best games by any quarterback all season, throwing for 358 yards on only 25 attempts. He threw receivers open and even his incompletions were on point. The game showed off his big arm and his touch

I may be among the few here, but I still have faith in Geno Smith.