Here’s where the great divide could begin: the place where a coach who needs to win now bumps heads with a general manager whose eye is on building a team for the future.
Less than 24 hours after Geno Smith’s four turnovers cost the Jets any chance of beating the Titans Sunday in Nashville, Tenn., Rex Ryan reaffirmed the rookie will remain the starting quarterback for Monday night’s game at Atlanta. Though insisting Smith must “do a much better job,” Ryan gave no indication he’s thinking of benching Smith should the second-round draft pick duplicate Sunday’s disaster, when his two interceptions and two fumbles handed the Titans 28 points in their 38-13 victory over the Jets.
No doubt, Smith will be told over and over again this week to protect the football. But the message hasn’t gotten through thus far. He is responsible for 11 of the Jets 12 turnovers with eight interceptions and three lost fumbles. If he starts to give the ball away again against the Falcons, Ryan can’t be afraid to bench Smith and give Matt Simms a shot to provide a spark and try to win a game.
The switch doesn’t have to be permanent, and Geno Smith isn’t so fragile or entitled that he can’t be benched.
But here’s where the great divide comes in.
At 2-2, the Jets still have a season, still have a chance to finish 8-8 or better and maybe salvage Ryan’s job for another season. But that might mean making a switch at quarterback if Smith’s turnovers continue. Ryan needs to win games now — not necessarily develop a quarterback that can be good in 2014 or 2015.
But that thinking could conflict with general manager John Idzik who likely prefers to keep Smith as the starting quarterback to work though his problems and gain the kind of experience that only comes from being on the field.
Idzik’s thinking might serve the long-term interests of Smith and the Jets. But that may not help Ryan keep his job in the short-term if Smith’s turnovers produce a 7-9 or 6-10 finish. Many more games like the one Smith had in Nashville, and Ryan might as well get his resume ready.
Four games into the season and the quarterback situation is still a headache for Ryan. First, it became clear he didn’t have full say on who the starting quarterback would be when Smith and Mark Sanchez were initially competing for the job during training camp.
Then, Ryan took the blame for getting Sanchez injured by putting him behind an inexperienced offensive line in the fourth quarter of a meaningless preseason game against the Giants. Sanchez, a fifth-year veteran who might have given the Jets the best chance to win this season, is now on injured reserve and contemplating shoulder surgery.
Smith, meanwhile, won the job by default but might be too much of a liability to keep on the field. At this rate, it won’t be long before the defense starts pointing fingers at the offense.
Ryan said on Monday benching Smith is “not a thought at this point right now.” But it should be if things go bad early against the Falcons. If Smith keeps turning over the ball, Ryan should give Simms a shot.
His fiery attitude might create the kind of spark the Jets need. He’s a streaky player who learned to have thick skin from the taunts he took growing up the son of Giants quarterback Phil Simms.
“Those experiences have made me a stronger man,” Matt Simms said on Monday. “I learned a lot of lessons the hard way from him.”
Sanchez, who like Smith became a starter as a rookie, wasn’t threatened with being benched until his confidence was shattered late last season. He was coddled and entitled. He never faced tough love until it was too late. The Jets shouldn’t make the same mistake with Smith. Players are benched all the time for poor performance. It should apply to the quarterback as well.