Boos from Jets fans finally penetrate the ears of Ryan and Idzik, for at least one game

Perhaps it took a while longer than expected, but if the cascade of boos that greeted Geno Smith whenever he stepped out onto the football field yesterday means anything, it is that reality has finally set in. Gone are the days when New York media was declaring Smith the next superstar quarterback, after an official called a non-existent penalty on New England to hand the New York Jets another undeserved “victory.”  Oh sure, there are the dwindling number who still refuse to cast any dispersion upon Smith, whining that the team needs better players around him as if that will help; but then again the Jets had very much the same cast of characters on offense they did last season, so that excuse has little relevance in any case. 

The Jets’ current three-game losing streak--following another listless loss, this time to Miami 23-3--is far more emblematic of what should have been expected this season when management decided that Smith was going to fit right in with the new breed of quarterback; the problem, it seems, is that the season continues after October, and sometimes against good teams. Over the past five games, Smith has been playing like he just got out of the freezer and needs to thaw out. Even if he was thawed out before the game, arriving at the stadium in a hood and exhibiting a vacant countenance suggests that his head isn’t in the right place to begin with. The fact that Smith has every reason to reflect on his play with humility makes his arrogance just that more difficult to take.

I suspect, however, that some of those boos were directed at Rex Ryan and general manager John Idzik. Why did they stick with Smith when it was clear that he wasn’t anyone’s answer, despite some who blame the New York media hothouse environment for his failures? Smith was dropping on everyone’s draft board except the Jets, who ignored warnings from the “experts” that Smith’s college numbers were a mirage, and that he lacked the “intangibles” to be an NFL quarterback. Given the desire to replace Mark Sanchez, the Jets management simply put the blinders on and rolled the dice on a quarterback they thought would be another Wilson or Kaepernick. 

Unfortunately for the Jets, as analyst Rich Gannon noted backup Matt Simms didn’t prove to be the answer either, although in his defense he hasn’t practiced with the starters. The question now is will Ryan put his foot down and have Simms at least have reps with the starters, or will he continue to genuflect before Idzik and “maintain” with Smith? One expects this absurdity to continue.