Time to “educate” Jets’ supporters?

One of the (many) knocks against New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith prior to and after his drafting was his inability to perform in inclement weather (such as against Syracuse in his last college game)—and that couldn’t be good news heading into upstate New York to play the Buffalo Bills. However, it appears that some people could only face reality by seeing it first hand against a Bills team just hanging in there with its own quarterback problems. Smith obliged skeptics and exasperated his dwindling cadre of die-hard supporters with his worst game to date: 8 of 23 passing for 103 yards, 3 interceptions (one a pick-6), and a fumble leading to a short-field touchdown. Oh, and zero yards rushing. With a QB rating slumping to 65.1 and no improvement in sight, one suspects that the “education” of Geno has hit a wall. The question is, are Jets management, fans and the national media learning anything? 

Despite his dreadful performance, which finally persuaded coach Rex Ryan to pull Smith in the fourth quarter, it seems that many deluded Jets fans and observers look at the Jets record and see the glass “half-full.” But looks are deceiving. This is a team that is 5-5, yet has been outscored by its opponents by a lopsided 183 to 268. The Jets’ five wins have been by a combined margin of 19 points; all of their wins have been decided by a touchdown or less. Wins against Tampa Bay and New England were giftwrapped and handed to them on a silver platter by the officials on the last play of each of those games. They won by two points against a terrible Atlanta team that wasted a 75-yard drive at the end of the first half without even attempting a field goal. Nine times out of ten New Orleans would have beaten this Jets team, and this same not-great Bills team that the Jets barely escaped with a win at home slaughtered them in Buffalo. 

In their losses, the Jets have been outscored by an average of more than 20 points per game. The reality is that the Jets have been extraordinarily “lucky” to win any games this season, and “luck” doesn’t always look upon mediocre teams with such pity—or teams that deserve better. The injury-decimated 2005 Packers finished 4-12; yet despite Brett Favre playing most of the season without his two best receivers, five of their losses were by 3 points or less, and three others were by a touchdown or less. 

Jets fans “comfort” themselves by saying that Smith isn’t worse than Mark Sanchez, which besides being mirth-ready is a rationalization that has long since worn thin. Last season Sanchez was made the scapegoat for the Jets failings, even after backup Greg McElroy was sacked 11 times against San Diego; this season the offensive line is being made the scapegoat for Smith throwing dump-offs to DBs. Smith is on pace for 34 turnovers, five more than Sanchez had in his worst season. The best that can be said about Smith is that he was “worth” taking a look at. Now that Jets fans have had their “look,” why waste time with another? 

Meanwhile, that other “quarterback of destiny,” Terrell Pryor, sat out with a knee injury, although I think it was more likely a convenient excuse to see what undrafted rookie Matt McGloin can do. He threw three touchdown passes and let Rashad Jennings rush for 150 yards in leading the Oakland Raiders to a 28-23 victory over the hapless Houston Texans; whether or not this convinces any Raiders fans that a “traditional” quarterback is better than one who can run but can’t throw remains to be seen.  The truth is, as painful as it is to admit, is that the only "quarterbacks of destiny" who haven't fallen on their faces (yet) are Russell Wilson and Cam Newton, although the latter seems to be mostly treading water.