Geno Smith was already on thin ice as far as job security goes and his performance against the Baltimore Ravens certainly did not help his case. The rookie completed just 40.9 percent of his passes while the New York Jets mustarded up just three total points in the loss. Now, Smith will have to wait and see if he starts again as Rex Ryan remains coy on the decision.
"I'm not going to talk about any individual," Ryan said, via the New York Daily News. "Starter, backup, whatever. I want to watch the tape."
When Ryan watches the tape, he will see just how much Smith has struggled lately as the starting quarterback. The rookie went 9-of-22 for 127 yards while notching two more interceptions. In the past six games, Smith has thrown one touchdown and 10 interceptions as his turnover woes show no signs of stopping. While the argument can be made the Jets' offense is certainly not helping out, Smith has appeared to be regressing as a starter rather than progressing.
All Ryan would say was that the quarterback has "had better days" and would not state what his status moving forward is. When asked if he would remain the starter, Smith responded, "I know I am."
"I'm not going to sit here and say that my job is 100% secure because every single guy in this locker room has to prove themselves daily," Smith said.
Smith's teammates also remained coy about the status of the quarterback. Willie Colon and Santonio Holmes both declined to comment on the play of Smith as the team earned their second-straight loss, slipping out of playoff contention. Sitting at 5-6, the Baltimore Ravens hold the tiebreaker and can leapfrog the Jets for the Wild Card spot. Colon notes the team is out of lifelines at this point and has to step up.
So what happens at the quarterback spot? With Sanchez nowhere to be found, Matt Simms and David Garrard remain the lone options. Ryan has said in the past that the Jets brought Garrard back from retirement to simply be a mentor to Smith. That has not worked out, but it seems unlikely the team will play him. Simms will be the one to get the starting nod against the Miami Dolphins if Ryan makes a change. Simms has seen limited action in place of Smith, but after getting increased reps in practice, he could be poised to start in Week 13.
