After torching Atlanta on his first Monday night stage and becoming the first Jet rookie to win AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, Geno Smith was unmoved and unflappable. It’s the same even-keeled nature that let him rebound from a wretched Week 4, and keeps him grounded going into Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh.
“I feel about the same,’’ Smith said Wednesday. “It actually doesn’t [change my confidence]. I don’t feel any different at all. Hopefully you guys understand me when I say no disrespect or anything, I’m definitely happy with the way that we played. [But] for the recognition it doesn’t make me feel any type of way.’’
Smith was stellar in guiding the Jets to a 30-28, last-second win over the Falcons, leading them down the field for Nick Folk’s game-winning field goal. He went 16-of-20 for 199 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, his 147.7 quarterback rating the best in the NFL this year.
“I think it just shows his mental toughness. He understands that if he does his job and he does his job accordingly, we’re not going to have too many problems,’’ guard Willie Colon said of Smith being unwilling to accept plaudits or rest on laurels. In other words, to paraphrase Bill Parcells, don’t take the cheese.
“I’m the starting quarterback on a day-to-day basis. My job goes one day at a time. I’m still early in my career and I’m trying to improve every day,’’ said Smith, deflecting the praise to a team-wide confidence he claims comes from Rex Ryan. “I think we’ve always carried a swagger. We’ve always believed in ourselves, and it trickles down from our head coach.’’
Smith was thrust into the starting job when incumbent Mark Sanchez — who may well have played his last game as a Jet — got hurt in the preseason. Sanchez opted to have Dr. James Andrews operate on his shoulder Tuesday, ending the quarterback’s season. Smith said Sanchez never personally told him or handed him the proverbial reins, but added that wasn’t a conversation needed or expected.
“I found out today [about the surgery]. I don’t really get into Mark’s business. I know that’s a private deal. I found out today and I wish him the best,’’ said Smith, who added he has never talked to Sanchez about handling the ups-and-downs of quarterbacking in the NFL. “ … I don’t think that conversation is really necessary at this point. I’m always going to be the same guy, [I’ll] always remain even keeled.
“That’s just how I am. My mom thought it was weird. I never really got [excited] on Christmas when I was a kid. That’s just how I was all the time. … It’s just the way I have been growing up. I don’t really get nervous, especially in football. It’s just something I love to do. I just look at it as if I was playing in the backyard, playing sandlot. You wouldn’t get nervous then.’’
That even-keeled persona is something obvious even to the Steelers.
“[The moment] is not too big for him,’’ said coach Mike Tomlin, who watched Smith star at West Virginia just 70 miles from Pittsburgh, and even went to his Pro Day. “He struck me as a guy who was very even-keeled emotionally, somewhat of a flatliner.
“It lends itself to that position because of the roller-coaster ride that people can have, that teams can have. His personality is geared towards delivering in those moments.’’
Smith hopes to have some of those moments Sunday against an 0-4 Steelers team.
“Seeing all the fronts and looks they can give you, Dick LeBeau, everybody knows about that D-coordinator,’’ Smith said. “I knew about him even before I got here. He’s going to have some things — coming off a bye with two weeks to prepare — there are going to be things I haven’t seen before. I’ve just got to be able to handle it the best way I can, take care of the ball and not put us in tough situations.’’