By Sid Saraf, FOXSports.com Geno Smith threw six interceptions during his 2012 season at West Virginia. He got halfway there in the first half on Saturday night. The Jets' rookie quarterback, given his first chance to start for the Jets, acted like a rookie against the Giants in a preseason contest. His final butcher's bill: three interceptions and one safety. The night did start out well. On the Jets' second drive of the game, Smith directed a drive that ended with him connecting with Ben Obomanu on a 22-yard touchdown pass. But that's where things quickly fell apart. First, he threw a pass that Prince Amukamara picked off. On the Jets' second drive, he served one up to Stevie Brown. Two possessions later, Smith threw his worst pass of the night. Facing a Giants blitz he got rid of the ball in a hurry, but right into the waiting hands of defensive end Justin Tuck.
Another INT by Geno Smith. Tuck picks it on a zone blitz. Your opening day starter ... Mark Sanchez. #Jets — Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) August 25, 2013
Here's the worst kept secret in JetLand: Geno Smith has lost the QB competition to Mark Sanchez. #nyj — Manish Mehta (@MMehtaNYDN) August 25, 2013
You can't blame Jets fans for having this reaction:
Things looked up for a moment when Smith led a scoring drive punctuated by a Bilal Powell touchdown run. But the coup de gras came in the fourth quarter with the Jets buried deep in their own territory. Smith dropped back to pass, rolled out right and forgot where his feet were. He wound up stepping out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
Who will win the starting quarterback job? It's tough to tell at this point ... how about Greg McElroy? Questions? Comments? Send them to lacesoutmail@gmail.com and we might respond in our weekly mailbag!
