NFL

Geno making a late charge for Jets QB job

The change could be coming.

With the Jets’ quarterback competition approaching its end, Geno Smith completed 15-of-16 passes with two touchdowns during yesterday’s team drills and may have put himself in position to rip the starting job away from Mark Sanchez in Saturday’s preseason game against the Giants. It marked the rookie’s second straight strong practice and his best performance of training camp.

Though Sanchez kept it competitive, connecting on 10-of-14 passes with three sacks, Smith’s sensational showing stole the spotlight with a variety of well-thrown balls in his third consecutive day working with the starters. Smith’s right ankle, which kept him out of the Jaguars game, showed no sign of trouble.

“It wasn’t brutal, that’s for sure,” coach Rex Ryan joked about Smith’s effort after yesterday’s practice in Florham Park, referring to his comments about the 22-year-old’s four-interception performance in practice last week. “That was a great day. I don’t know if it was his best day because he’s had a lot of good ones, but he had a great one today.”

Ryan still would not announce the starter for Saturday’s game, but a source confirmed Smith will open the game unless he suffers a setback with his ankle.

Smith said he is still undergoing treatment for the ankle, which continues to get better, but is still not 100 percent. It is, however, good enough to allow him to do what he wasn’t able to do after injuring the ankle in his first game with the Jets, against Detroit on Aug. 9.

“Well, last week I would say it hurt me a bit with velocity on my throws,” said Smith. “I wasn’t able to step into it as much. This week has been better because now I’m able to plant that foot in the ground and explode off of it. So I’ve been doing better with it. It’s still not 100 percent, but it’s manageable and it’s only going to get better.”

As the ankle has improved, so has Smith. After missing last weekend’s game against Jacksonville and then having a poor practice on Monday, Smith is 26-of-28 with no turnovers over the past two days.

The second-round pick, still entrenched in competition, wasn’t going to get too excited about another solid day. It’s a step in the right direction, but a step he expected to take.

“I wouldn’t say it was my best day,” Smith said. “Like I said, overall, every single day I’ve been getting better. Whether it’s been a good day or a bad day, it’s a progression and something I take very seriously.”

Though Smith and Sanchez both said they haven’t been informed who will be under center on Saturday, the reigning four-year starter said he assumes he will start on the sidelines.

Sanchez then said all the right things, noting that he would be ready to play regardless of the situation, but Smith showed how much it would mean to get his first start.

It could mean starting in Week 1.

“It does matter. If I get a chance to play, if I get a chance to start, it’s going to be big for me,” said Smith. “I’ve been working extremely hard and I just want to go out there and play well.

“I’m ex-tremely excited, especially since I didn’t get to play last week. So, I get an opportunity to go out there and play and try and win the game with my teammates.”

howard.kussoy@nypost.com