By Tyson Rauch

One of the biggest stories to come out of the New York Jets 27-19 loss to the Chicago Bears was the sub-par performance from quarterback Geno Smith. The Jets second year signal caller threw two terrible interceptions and seemed to regress with his decision making. With the game on the line, Smith overthrew wide receiver Jeremy Kerley in the end zone to seal New York’s fate.

With the New York Jets sitting at a record of 1-2 there is a notion that Gang Green should bench Geno Smith in favor of veteran Michael Vick. The feeling amongst some is that Vick gives the Jets the best chance to win. In my opinion that is not the case and there are several reasons why.

One bad game does not warrant a benching.

Every quarterback in the NFL has a bad game or two and last Sunday was one for Geno Smith. Lets not forget the first two games of the season where Smith played fairly well displaying marked improvement, strong leadership, and resiliency. Geno gave his team an excellent chance to win in Green Bay and even kept Gang Green in the hunt against Chicago despite some mistakes. Is that not what you want from a young quarterback who has only played in 19 NFL games?

The offense is still developing.

Now that Geno Smith has a year under his belt, offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg is able to expand the playbook while incorporating new players. The first quarter of the season is about getting acclimated to the offense and developing game chemistry with the receivers and tight ends. To pull the plug on Geno before giving him a significant chance to maximize his opportunity within the offense seems quite foolish. Let Smith establish a rapport with Eric Decker, Chris Johnson, Jeff Cumberland and Jace Amaro before we start selling the kid short.

What exactly does Vick bring to the table?

When people speak of Michael Vick you would think that he was a human highlight reel for the last 10 years. The fact of the matter is that in his last 42 games Vick had 49 turnovers. Let’s also not forget that the last time Michael played a full season was in 2006.

Michael Vick is a solid veteran quarterback that has a propensity to turn the ball over and get injured. Why exactly would you bench a young quarterback for this type of player? Because he has the ability to make a splash play here and there? Because he was on the cover of Madden? A name does not make a player, his actions on the field do. Over the last three seasons Vick has not exactly lived up to the reputation he established in Atlanta and early on in Philadelphia.

Let the kid learn and play.

At this point the New York Jets are better off sticking with Geno Smith and seeing what the kid has to offer. It is still early in Smith’s career and there are several promising signs, including his relentless work ethic, an ability to make every throw on the field, and a refuse to lose attitude. The Jets quarterback is improving and will continue to do so with game reps.

The ghost of Mark Sanchez.



It is unfair to assess Geno Smith after only 19 games when many quarterbacks get two or three years to prove themselves. You cannot let the poor experience with Mark Sanchez taint your thinking when developing a young signal caller. Geno Smith has a ton of ability, give him a chance to show what he can do. You would hate to throw away a potential franchise quarterback because of a short sighted way of thinking.

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Tyson Rauch is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.