This looks like the wrong time and the wrong place for the rookie quarterback of the Jets, for any rookie quarterback, to try to be a Road Warrior in Carolina and keep an improbable playoff dream alive.
This is a Panthers defense that humiliated Eli Manning and the Giants 38-0 in September, a Panthers defense (allowing 79.4 rushing yards per game) that has surpassed the Jets as the top unit against the run in the league.
This is a Panthers team that oddsmakers have established as an 11-point favorite over the Jets.
This is a Jets team that has been roadkill in its last three games away from MetLife Stadium — 49-9 in Cincinnati, 37-14 in Buffalo and 19-3 in Baltimore.
This is an angry Panthers team, trashed by the Saints in the Superdome on Sunday night, waiting in ambush for Geno Smith.
Who’s afraid of the big bad Panthers?
Not Geno Smith.
“We’re in an angry mood as well,” Smith told The Post. “So, it’ll be a good matchup.”
It won’t be a good matchup if Smith performs the way he did in his three most recent road games: 20 completions in 30 attempts for 159 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, 8 yards rushing (51.9 QB rating) against the Bengals: 8-for-22 for 103 yards, no touchdowns, three interceptions, zero yards rushing (10.1 QB rating) against the Bills; 9-for-22 for 127 yards, no touchdowns, two interceptions, 6 yards rushing (22.3 QB rating) against the Ravens.
It will be a far better matchup if Smith is able to use his read-option legs as a weapon the way he did against the Raiders.
Of course, if he is forced to run for his life from the big bad Panthers, that’s another matter entirely.
It might not be such a good idea for Smith to watch the tape of how the Panthers treated Manning (12-for-23, 119 yards, one interception) as a veritable punching bag (seven sacks).
It might be a good idea watching how fellow rookie EJ Manuel (27-for-39, 296 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 13 yards rushing) beat the Panthers on a 2-yard Week 2 touchdown pass with two seconds left to Stevie Johnson in Orchard Park. Or watching fellow rookie Mike Glennon (30-for-51, 275 yards, one touchdown) in a 31-13 Bucs loss. It might not be such a good idea watching Glennon (14-for-21, 180 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, five sacks) in the Dec. 1 rematch, a 27-6 Carolina romp.
It would be a good idea for the Jets to show up angry with every game a playoff game until it isn’t.
“Yeah, we are a [ticked] off team,” Willie Colon told The Post. “We figured 5-4, coming off a bye week, we were all optimistic, we were all riding high, and we dropped three eggs. That’s not where we’re at as a team, that’s not what we wanted, but we made that happen, that’s all our fault, so we have to hold ourselves accountable for it.
“And so, no more lifelines, time is very limited, we got to go, and that’s the reality of it. A lot of games we lost, we can all go back and like, ‘Wow, that was us!’ Until we fix it, it’s going to be the same old story, but I think Sunday [against Raiders] helps us get out of the hole as far as morale and momentum, and we got a tough game.”
Told the oddsmakers give the Jets little chance, Colon said: “I don’t care what the oddsmakers say. You know how it is. They’ve had us down in the bucket since we started so … just wear it and roll.”
Smith watched the Saints-Panthers game on Monday morning.
“Good upfront … typical NFL defense, play hard, good guys all around. … I think they lead the league in pretty much every single defensive category, so it’s going to be another tough game for us. We just got to continue to prepare and go out there and play hard.”
Smith seemed comfortable against the Raiders rolling to his right out of a moving pocket.
“Just getting the ball on the edge and getting the ball in the hands of the playmakers really helps us out,” Smith said.
Smith’s growth has given offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg more trust in no-huddle responsibilities that are built into the system.
“We’re better when we’re pushing the tempo,” Colon said, “getting on the ball, checking out of things, getting out of things affects the defense and gets us going too.”
Smith was encouraged Mornhinweg did not limit him following his early interception against the Raiders.
“We’ll try and find ways to move the chains,” Smith said. “Like I said, they’re a tough defense, but we expect ourselves to go out there and execute. We’re going to study all the tape, and find ways for us to execute and find things that we’re good at that can be effective against their defense.”
When asked why the Jets had gotten blown out on the road, and whether they can fix it, Smith said: “We haven’t executed well, and yes we can fix it, by going out and doing just that, just executing better, weathering a storm if it does happen to go wrong early, and just continuing to fight.
“I think we have a great opportunity.”