Geno info from FanSided. A must read for many here!

[Rainger]

Those who wanted the Seahawks to replace Geno Smith: A word, please​

Most of the mainstream media, social media, and even 12s were adamant that the Seahawks couldn’t go with Geno Smith. Could we have a word?

Come on, admit it. You were screaming that the Seahawks were doomed when they let Russell Wilson walk. You screamed even louder when the Hawks said they had their QB in camp. That it was perennial backup Geno Smith made some people lose their minds. Surely the Hawks would sign Baker Mayfield. Or failing that, Jimmy Garappolo. If I may, I’d like to have a word with you.

Now, I don’t claim that I knew Geno Smith would play this well. I can, however, attest that I thought he would be just fine as the Seahawks signal caller. Our own Michael Thompson expertly broke down why Smith would succeed this season. As for me, no, I didn’t predict Geno would lead the NFL in completion percentage. I didn’t think he’d lead the league in passer rating, either, but here we are.

Geno Smith is the quarterback the Seahawks need​

But I did say, most emphatically, that the Seahawks absolutely did not need to sign Baker Mayfield. My reasoning was that at best, he’d add maybe two games to the Seattle win column. If he did that, he’d demand a huge contract for 2023. At that point, the Hawks might as well have kept Wilson in town. The exact same issue pertained to Jimmy Garappolo.

Who cares if Seattle goes 8-9 instead of 6-11? All that would do is drop the team’s draft order. That tiny improvement wouldn’t be sustainable, because the team wouldn’t keep the rental QB in either case.

So, let’s get to the heart of the issue. I’ll throw in the Hawks former QB, future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson. You know, the guy who was going to save Denver and take them to the Super Bowl, after he led Seattle to a 7-10 record. Okay, enough of that.

Let’s get mathy! A couple of notes: the touchdown and interception rates are based on attempts. I’m sure you know YAC, but if not, it’s yards the receiver gained on their own after the catch. AY/Cmp is the average yards the ball traveled before the catch was made. Okay, 12s, guess who is who.

Player Comp% Yds/Rcp TD% INT% Sack% AY/Cmp YAC avg Pass Rating QBR

A 54.7 11.7 3.4 2.6 8.6 4.5 7.2 75.0 15.3

B 77.3 10.2 4.5 1.5 4.3 6.4 3.7 108.0 72.4

C 61.0 8.0 3.9 1.3 6.1 3.2 7.7 93.2 33.2

D 61.1 7.7 3.1 0.8 8.4 6.5 5.7 91.1 44.9

Geno Smith is playing far above most expectations​

I imagine that gaudy 77.3 percent completion rate gives it away, but if not, Player B is Geno Smith. Player A is Mayfield, C is Garoppolo, and D is Wilson. All stats are from pro-football-reference.com. One reason I included the air yards before the catch is that it helps to show who’s being helped by receivers who routinely turn short passes into big gains. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Jimmy G.

I know what you’re thinking, 12s. Sure, the passer rating is great (third in the league). Yeah, that QBR is okay, too (fifth in the NFL). But hey, look at that dismal YAC! You’re right, that 3.7-yard average is bad. Here’s the funny thing about that: the Hawks have been dismal in that department for years. Last season, their 5.4 YAC ranked 12th, but in 2020, they ranked 24th. The Hawks ranked 23rd and 25th in 2019 and 2018. Somehow, I don’t think Geno Smith had anything to do with those stats.

Let’s check a few more fun stats, shall we? I won’t be coy here; by now you should realize Geno Smith is going to look pretty good here, too. We’ll look at the percentages of passes dropped, passes deemed on target, total pressures on the QB, and average yards gained per scramble.

Player Drop% OnTrgt% Press% Scrmbl Avg

Baker 6.3 61.3 17.9 6.0

Geno 0.8 82.9 21.8 11.8

Jimmy 5.2 44.2 14.5 3.0

Russell 8.7 77.0 29.1 6.5

Geno Smith is more than a game manager​

Yup, I was lazy and just put those stats in alphabetical order the first time, too. Now, let’s dive a little deeper. That zero-point-eight percent figure for drops on Geno’s throws is not a typo. Neither is the abysmal 44.2 percent rate of Jimmy’s on-target throws.

Yes, Tyler Lockett and Will Dissly definitely help Geno’s terrific drop rate. But it certainly helps that more than four out of every five passes are right where they’re supposed to be. Those are pretty much ultimate game manager numbers, right?

Here’s the thing: Smith is much more than that. Another note of interest – Smith is gaining nearly double the yardage on his scrambles as his rivals. Take a look at the stats on QB pressures. In raw numbers, Russell Wilson has been pressured 44 times compared to Smith’s 31. Wasn’t the whole problem with the DangeRuss one getting pressured so often that the offensive line was bad? Looks like he took that aspect of his game to Denver.

I didn’t set out to prove that Geno Smith is playing better than his predecessor in Seattle – although he clearly is so far this season. No, the point is that Mayfield and Garopollo have shown they wouldn’t have been any better than Smith. Sure, the season is early. We’re only 23.53 percent through the season – by the way, thanks NFL, for hating easy calculations. But so far, number 7 is looking pretty sharp.
We may not have expected this level of play from Geno Smith, but he certainly did. When asked if he’d exceeded his expectations this season, Smith sounded like a quarterback in command. In his post-game press conference after the Seahawks wild win over the Lions, Smith replied, “No, I can play better. Definitely not exceeding my expectations. I can play a lot better.” I’m pretty confident that Smith is a better answer than any of those supposedly great alternatives.

Those who wanted the Seahawks to replace Geno Smith: A word, please

Most of the mainstream media, social media, and even 12s were adamant that the Seahawks couldn't go with Geno Smith. Could we have a word? Come on, admit i...

12thmanrising.com

 

[toffee]

Most analytics had Geno up where eagles cry, on a mountain high with Mahomes and Allen.

 

[toffee]

Those who wanted the Seahawks to replace Geno Smith: A word, please​

Most of the mainstream media, social media, and even 12s were adamant that the Seahawks couldn’t go with Geno Smith. Could we have a word?

Come on, admit it. You were screaming that the Seahawks were doomed when they let Russell Wilson walk. You screamed even louder when the Hawks said they had their QB in camp. That it was perennial backup Geno Smith made some people lose their minds. Surely the Hawks would sign Baker Mayfield. Or failing that, Jimmy Garappolo. If I may, I’d like to have a word with you.

Now, I don’t claim that I knew Geno Smith would play this well. I can, however, attest that I thought he would be just fine as the Seahawks signal caller. Our own Michael Thompson expertly broke down why Smith would succeed this season. As for me, no, I didn’t predict Geno would lead the NFL in completion percentage. I didn’t think he’d lead the league in passer rating, either, but here we are.

Geno Smith is the quarterback the Seahawks need​

But I did say, most emphatically, that the Seahawks absolutely did not need to sign Baker Mayfield. My reasoning was that at best, he’d add maybe two games to the Seattle win column. If he did that, he’d demand a huge contract for 2023. At that point, the Hawks might as well have kept Wilson in town. The exact same issue pertained to Jimmy Garappolo.

Who cares if Seattle goes 8-9 instead of 6-11? All that would do is drop the team’s draft order. That tiny improvement wouldn’t be sustainable, because the team wouldn’t keep the rental QB in either case.

So, let’s get to the heart of the issue. I’ll throw in the Hawks former QB, future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson. You know, the guy who was going to save Denver and take them to the Super Bowl, after he led Seattle to a 7-10 record. Okay, enough of that.

Let’s get mathy! A couple of notes: the touchdown and interception rates are based on attempts. I’m sure you know YAC, but if not, it’s yards the receiver gained on their own after the catch. AY/Cmp is the average yards the ball traveled before the catch was made. Okay, 12s, guess who is who.

Player Comp% Yds/Rcp TD% INT% Sack% AY/Cmp YAC avg Pass Rating QBR

A 54.7 11.7 3.4 2.6 8.6 4.5 7.2 75.0 15.3

B 77.3 10.2 4.5 1.5 4.3 6.4 3.7 108.0 72.4

C 61.0 8.0 3.9 1.3 6.1 3.2 7.7 93.2 33.2

D 61.1 7.7 3.1 0.8 8.4 6.5 5.7 91.1 44.9

Geno Smith is playing far above most expectations​

I imagine that gaudy 77.3 percent completion rate gives it away, but if not, Player B is Geno Smith. Player A is Mayfield, C is Garoppolo, and D is Wilson. All stats are from pro-football-reference.com. One reason I included the air yards before the catch is that it helps to show who’s being helped by receivers who routinely turn short passes into big gains. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Jimmy G.

I know what you’re thinking, 12s. Sure, the passer rating is great (third in the league). Yeah, that QBR is okay, too (fifth in the NFL). But hey, look at that dismal YAC! You’re right, that 3.7-yard average is bad. Here’s the funny thing about that: the Hawks have been dismal in that department for years. Last season, their 5.4 YAC ranked 12th, but in 2020, they ranked 24th. The Hawks ranked 23rd and 25th in 2019 and 2018. Somehow, I don’t think Geno Smith had anything to do with those stats.

Let’s check a few more fun stats, shall we? I won’t be coy here; by now you should realize Geno Smith is going to look pretty good here, too. We’ll look at the percentages of passes dropped, passes deemed on target, total pressures on the QB, and average yards gained per scramble.

Player Drop% OnTrgt% Press% Scrmbl Avg

Baker 6.3 61.3 17.9 6.0

Geno 0.8 82.9 21.8 11.8

Jimmy 5.2 44.2 14.5 3.0

Russell 8.7 77.0 29.1 6.5

Geno Smith is more than a game manager​

Yup, I was lazy and just put those stats in alphabetical order the first time, too. Now, let’s dive a little deeper. That zero-point-eight percent figure for drops on Geno’s throws is not a typo. Neither is the abysmal 44.2 percent rate of Jimmy’s on-target throws.

Yes, Tyler Lockett and Will Dissly definitely help Geno’s terrific drop rate. But it certainly helps that more than four out of every five passes are right where they’re supposed to be. Those are pretty much ultimate game manager numbers, right?

Here’s the thing: Smith is much more than that. Another note of interest – Smith is gaining nearly double the yardage on his scrambles as his rivals. Take a look at the stats on QB pressures. In raw numbers, Russell Wilson has been pressured 44 times compared to Smith’s 31. Wasn’t the whole problem with the DangeRuss one getting pressured so often that the offensive line was bad? Looks like he took that aspect of his game to Denver.

I didn’t set out to prove that Geno Smith is playing better than his predecessor in Seattle – although he clearly is so far this season. No, the point is that Mayfield and Garopollo have shown they wouldn’t have been any better than Smith. Sure, the season is early. We’re only 23.53 percent through the season – by the way, thanks NFL, for hating easy calculations. But so far, number 7 is looking pretty sharp.
We may not have expected this level of play from Geno Smith, but he certainly did. When asked if he’d exceeded his expectations this season, Smith sounded like a quarterback in command. In his post-game press conference after the Seahawks wild win over the Lions, Smith replied, “No, I can play better. Definitely not exceeding my expectations. I can play a lot better.” I’m pretty confident that Smith is a better answer than any of those supposedly great alternatives.

A suggestion if I may, use the new table function. It's quite useful and easy to get going.

 

[scutterhawk]

Those who wanted the Seahawks to replace Geno Smith: A word, please​

Most of the mainstream media, social media, and even 12s were adamant that the Seahawks couldn’t go with Geno Smith. Could we have a word?

Come on, admit it. You were screaming that the Seahawks were doomed when they let Russell Wilson walk. You screamed even louder when the Hawks said they had their QB in camp. That it was perennial backup Geno Smith made some people lose their minds. Surely the Hawks would sign Baker Mayfield. Or failing that, Jimmy Garappolo. If I may, I’d like to have a word with you.

Now, I don’t claim that I knew Geno Smith would play this well. I can, however, attest that I thought he would be just fine as the Seahawks signal caller. Our own Michael Thompson expertly broke down why Smith would succeed this season. As for me, no, I didn’t predict Geno would lead the NFL in completion percentage. I didn’t think he’d lead the league in passer rating, either, but here we are.

Geno Smith is the quarterback the Seahawks need​

But I did say, most emphatically, that the Seahawks absolutely did not need to sign Baker Mayfield. My reasoning was that at best, he’d add maybe two games to the Seattle win column. If he did that, he’d demand a huge contract for 2023. At that point, the Hawks might as well have kept Wilson in town. The exact same issue pertained to Jimmy Garappolo.

Who cares if Seattle goes 8-9 instead of 6-11? All that would do is drop the team’s draft order. That tiny improvement wouldn’t be sustainable, because the team wouldn’t keep the rental QB in either case.

So, let’s get to the heart of the issue. I’ll throw in the Hawks former QB, future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson. You know, the guy who was going to save Denver and take them to the Super Bowl, after he led Seattle to a 7-10 record. Okay, enough of that.

Let’s get mathy! A couple of notes: the touchdown and interception rates are based on attempts. I’m sure you know YAC, but if not, it’s yards the receiver gained on their own after the catch. AY/Cmp is the average yards the ball traveled before the catch was made. Okay, 12s, guess who is who.

Player Comp% Yds/Rcp TD% INT% Sack% AY/Cmp YAC avg Pass Rating QBR

A 54.7 11.7 3.4 2.6 8.6 4.5 7.2 75.0 15.3

B 77.3 10.2 4.5 1.5 4.3 6.4 3.7 108.0 72.4

C 61.0 8.0 3.9 1.3 6.1 3.2 7.7 93.2 33.2

D 61.1 7.7 3.1 0.8 8.4 6.5 5.7 91.1 44.9

Geno Smith is playing far above most expectations​

I imagine that gaudy 77.3 percent completion rate gives it away, but if not, Player B is Geno Smith. Player A is Mayfield, C is Garoppolo, and D is Wilson. All stats are from pro-football-reference.com. One reason I included the air yards before the catch is that it helps to show who’s being helped by receivers who routinely turn short passes into big gains. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Jimmy G.

I know what you’re thinking, 12s. Sure, the passer rating is great (third in the league). Yeah, that QBR is okay, too (fifth in the NFL). But hey, look at that dismal YAC! You’re right, that 3.7-yard average is bad. Here’s the funny thing about that: the Hawks have been dismal in that department for years. Last season, their 5.4 YAC ranked 12th, but in 2020, they ranked 24th. The Hawks ranked 23rd and 25th in 2019 and 2018. Somehow, I don’t think Geno Smith had anything to do with those stats.

Let’s check a few more fun stats, shall we? I won’t be coy here; by now you should realize Geno Smith is going to look pretty good here, too. We’ll look at the percentages of passes dropped, passes deemed on target, total pressures on the QB, and average yards gained per scramble.

Player Drop% OnTrgt% Press% Scrmbl Avg

Baker 6.3 61.3 17.9 6.0

Geno 0.8 82.9 21.8 11.8

Jimmy 5.2 44.2 14.5 3.0

Russell 8.7 77.0 29.1 6.5

Geno Smith is more than a game manager​

Yup, I was lazy and just put those stats in alphabetical order the first time, too. Now, let’s dive a little deeper. That zero-point-eight percent figure for drops on Geno’s throws is not a typo. Neither is the abysmal 44.2 percent rate of Jimmy’s on-target throws.

Yes, Tyler Lockett and Will Dissly definitely help Geno’s terrific drop rate. But it certainly helps that more than four out of every five passes are right where they’re supposed to be. Those are pretty much ultimate game manager numbers, right?

Here’s the thing: Smith is much more than that. Another note of interest – Smith is gaining nearly double the yardage on his scrambles as his rivals. Take a look at the stats on QB pressures. In raw numbers, Russell Wilson has been pressured 44 times compared to Smith’s 31. Wasn’t the whole problem with the DangeRuss one getting pressured so often that the offensive line was bad? Looks like he took that aspect of his game to Denver.

I didn’t set out to prove that Geno Smith is playing better than his predecessor in Seattle – although he clearly is so far this season. No, the point is that Mayfield and Garopollo have shown they wouldn’t have been any better than Smith. Sure, the season is early. We’re only 23.53 percent through the season – by the way, thanks NFL, for hating easy calculations. But so far, number 7 is looking pretty sharp.
We may not have expected this level of play from Geno Smith, but he certainly did. When asked if he’d exceeded his expectations this season, Smith sounded like a quarterback in command. In his post-game press conference after the Seahawks wild win over the Lions, Smith replied, “No, I can play better. Definitely not exceeding my expectations. I can play a lot better.” I’m pretty confident that Smith is a better answer than any of those supposedly great alternatives.

Hey, you had me @ Geno Smith, Raingear, er I mean Ranger ;-)

 

[Rainger]

A suggestion if I may, use the new table function. It's quite useful and easy to get going.View attachment 54863

Yea i cut and paste and it looked right till i posted it, too hard to fix it now

 

[Rainger]

Boy

Hey, you had me @ Geno Smith, Raingear, er I mean Ranger ;-)

that one went right over my head, sorry didn't get it.

 

[BleuEyedHawk]

I was neutral but curious regarding the results of team first QB that went with the system instead of against it. And I would have been okay with a competant game manager even if a bit staid, provided that ownership and management could align with the players on a direction.

Turns out, we got so much more. Maybe Geno's thoughtful approach caused me not to recognize his abilities.

 

[m0ng0]

Sweet Jesus put him in the HALL OF FAME ASAP!!!

 

[Rainger]

Sweet Jesus put him in the HALL OF FAME ASAP!!!

Nobody is saying that. Calm down. But he is also not the worst QB in Seahawks history as some have stated. Can't you be happy that the team and the QB are not train wrecks?

 

[toffee]

Sweet Jesus put him in the HALL OF FAME ASAP!!!

Every 12 should, if not must, hope that Geno Smith earns Hall of Fame consideration. Why? For Geno to earn that consideration, he have to play at all-pro level for a few years. Please tell me, why won't a 12 not want that? Please tell me?

There is a good probability that Geno can't make it, BUT, toffee is cheering him on every step of the way. You know what? He is currently the highest rated QB on PFF, if he could play at this level for 2-3 years, he just might get consideration and we will have great winning seasons.

Why won't you want that?

 

[Torc]

This is from ESPN today:

Which one-time backup off to a hot start has the best chance to stick as an NFL starter?​

Bowen: Geno Smith, Seahawks. Smith's 77.3% completion percentage not only leads the NFL this season. It's also the highest for any quarterback with at least 125 passing attempts through four games of a season in league history. He's throwing the ball with efficiency and making smart decisions. And as we saw in Week 4, he can push the ball down the field. His 17 completions on throws at least 15 yards downfield are tied for most in the league. With Smith under center, the Seahawks can compete in the NFC West.

I confess I remain unconvinced, and it's the second halves (other than against Detroit) and the shutout (vs the 49ers) that have me still doubting. Yes, the defense stinks, but that doesn't keep our offense from scoring. What the stats make me think is that Geno is capable of turning the corner - maybe he takes on too much in the second half and pushes too much, but that's just a matter of confidence that will build as he plays well. I truly hope that is the case and I'll be cheering for him regardless of how it plays out. On paper, the Seahawks have all the offensive ingredients to be really, really good.

An ironic thought - Pete and Geno take the Seahawks to a super bowl or two, and that convinces future hall of fame voters that it really was the legion of boom that got 'that other QB' to a couple of SBs early in his career.

 

[AROS]

I couldn't be happier for Geno, truly. Count me as one in many that said a collective "meh" when he was anointed the starter. He has clearly proven that he can work within the scheme/system and he's a much better passer than I ever gave him credit for. Someone in another thread earlier was dead on when he mentioned a quote from a movie, and I paraphrase..."He may not be the best quarterback but he is the RIGHT quarterback." That sentiment couldn't be any more true.

Nobody is waking up tomorrow mistaking Smith for Mahomes or Allen. Yet, he is leading ALL quarterbacks in very key stats which we can't argue.

I hope he keeps it up every single week but I feel the hangover will come as it always does. What happens the next time he has a below average outing? Do the cries for Lock rise again? Nobody in their right minds expect either QB to take us to the promise land this year, hell even deep in the playoffs, but I fully admit I was wrong on Geno SO FAR. He has, for the most part, looked the part. I am truly happy for him and for our offense in general.

Now defense? Ya'll need to pick up the courtesy phone.

 

[Rainger]

I couldn't be happier for Geno, truly. Count me as one in many that said a collective "meh" when he was anointed the starter. He has clearly proven that he can work within the scheme/system and he's a much better passer than I ever gave him credit for. Someone in another thread earlier was dead on when he mentioned a quote from a movie, and I paraphrase..."He may not be the best quarterback but he is the RIGHT quarterback." That sentiment couldn't be any more true.

Nobody is waking up tomorrow mistaking Smith for Mahomes or Allen. Yet, he is leading ALL quarterbacks in very key stats which we can't argue.

I hope he keeps it up every single week but I feel the hangover will come as it always does. What happens the next time he has a below average outing? Do the cries for Lock rise again? Nobody in their right minds expect either QB to take us to the promise land this year, hell even deep in the playoffs, but I fully admit I was wrong on Geno SO FAR. He has, for the most part, looked the part. I am truly happy for him and for our offense in general.

Now defense? Ya'll need to pick up the courtesy phone.

Well said. But it is guaranteed that there will be some ugly games. However all teams/QBs have them, but my prediction (woops I shouldn't make them, always wrong), is that by the end of the year the Hawks will have a top 10 offence. It will come down to how the D improves to determine record, but I still think they are on target for 8 or better.

 

[AROS]

If they can sustain this pace? Top 5 is easy. Sustaining this pace? Not so much. Still, as a diehard, I hope they do.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

I hope they do too. But I still need to see geYES do this against very good defenses. That being said, my confidence now is completely different than it was before the season.

 

[scutterhawk]

Boy

that one went right over my head, sorry didn't get it.

Sorry man, I was just agreeing with your stats page, and thumbing my nose @ the Media 'Think They Know-it -Alls' who had him rated at #33 before game 1 of the regular season.
Anyone actually believing that he had already shown his best, was because they were harboring a big disliking for the guy right from the get-go, and/or comparing him to Russ & believing that he wasn't up to putting HIS OWN stamp on running a kick-butt system like he has.
I think both he and Waldron have made huge strides & together with his O-Line, Receivers, and RB's all buying in, they are going to get better & better as the season wears on, (barring injuries).

 

[CalgaryFan05]

Those who wanted the Seahawks to replace Geno Smith: A word, please​

Most of the mainstream media, social media, and even 12s were adamant that the Seahawks couldn’t go with Geno Smith. Could we have a word?

Come on, admit it. You were screaming that the Seahawks were doomed when they let Russell Wilson walk. You screamed even louder when the Hawks said they had their QB in camp. That it was perennial backup Geno Smith made some people lose their minds. Surely the Hawks would sign Baker Mayfield. Or failing that, Jimmy Garappolo. If I may, I’d like to have a word with you.

Now, I don’t claim that I knew Geno Smith would play this well. I can, however, attest that I thought he would be just fine as the Seahawks signal caller. Our own Michael Thompson expertly broke down why Smith would succeed this season. As for me, no, I didn’t predict Geno would lead the NFL in completion percentage. I didn’t think he’d lead the league in passer rating, either, but here we are.

Geno Smith is the quarterback the Seahawks need​

But I did say, most emphatically, that the Seahawks absolutely did not need to sign Baker Mayfield. My reasoning was that at best, he’d add maybe two games to the Seattle win column. If he did that, he’d demand a huge contract for 2023. At that point, the Hawks might as well have kept Wilson in town. The exact same issue pertained to Jimmy Garappolo.

Who cares if Seattle goes 8-9 instead of 6-11? All that would do is drop the team’s draft order. That tiny improvement wouldn’t be sustainable, because the team wouldn’t keep the rental QB in either case.

So, let’s get to the heart of the issue. I’ll throw in the Hawks former QB, future Hall of Famer Russell Wilson. You know, the guy who was going to save Denver and take them to the Super Bowl, after he led Seattle to a 7-10 record. Okay, enough of that.

Let’s get mathy! A couple of notes: the touchdown and interception rates are based on attempts. I’m sure you know YAC, but if not, it’s yards the receiver gained on their own after the catch. AY/Cmp is the average yards the ball traveled before the catch was made. Okay, 12s, guess who is who.

Player Comp% Yds/Rcp TD% INT% Sack% AY/Cmp YAC avg Pass Rating QBR

A 54.7 11.7 3.4 2.6 8.6 4.5 7.2 75.0 15.3

B 77.3 10.2 4.5 1.5 4.3 6.4 3.7 108.0 72.4

C 61.0 8.0 3.9 1.3 6.1 3.2 7.7 93.2 33.2

D 61.1 7.7 3.1 0.8 8.4 6.5 5.7 91.1 44.9

Geno Smith is playing far above most expectations​

I imagine that gaudy 77.3 percent completion rate gives it away, but if not, Player B is Geno Smith. Player A is Mayfield, C is Garoppolo, and D is Wilson. All stats are from pro-football-reference.com. One reason I included the air yards before the catch is that it helps to show who’s being helped by receivers who routinely turn short passes into big gains. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Jimmy G.

I know what you’re thinking, 12s. Sure, the passer rating is great (third in the league). Yeah, that QBR is okay, too (fifth in the NFL). But hey, look at that dismal YAC! You’re right, that 3.7-yard average is bad. Here’s the funny thing about that: the Hawks have been dismal in that department for years. Last season, their 5.4 YAC ranked 12th, but in 2020, they ranked 24th. The Hawks ranked 23rd and 25th in 2019 and 2018. Somehow, I don’t think Geno Smith had anything to do with those stats.

Let’s check a few more fun stats, shall we? I won’t be coy here; by now you should realize Geno Smith is going to look pretty good here, too. We’ll look at the percentages of passes dropped, passes deemed on target, total pressures on the QB, and average yards gained per scramble.

Player Drop% OnTrgt% Press% Scrmbl Avg

Baker 6.3 61.3 17.9 6.0

Geno 0.8 82.9 21.8 11.8

Jimmy 5.2 44.2 14.5 3.0

Russell 8.7 77.0 29.1 6.5

Geno Smith is more than a game manager​

Yup, I was lazy and just put those stats in alphabetical order the first time, too. Now, let’s dive a little deeper. That zero-point-eight percent figure for drops on Geno’s throws is not a typo. Neither is the abysmal 44.2 percent rate of Jimmy’s on-target throws.

Yes, Tyler Lockett and Will Dissly definitely help Geno’s terrific drop rate. But it certainly helps that more than four out of every five passes are right where they’re supposed to be. Those are pretty much ultimate game manager numbers, right?

Here’s the thing: Smith is much more than that. Another note of interest – Smith is gaining nearly double the yardage on his scrambles as his rivals. Take a look at the stats on QB pressures. In raw numbers, Russell Wilson has been pressured 44 times compared to Smith’s 31. Wasn’t the whole problem with the DangeRuss one getting pressured so often that the offensive line was bad? Looks like he took that aspect of his game to Denver.

I didn’t set out to prove that Geno Smith is playing better than his predecessor in Seattle – although he clearly is so far this season. No, the point is that Mayfield and Garopollo have shown they wouldn’t have been any better than Smith. Sure, the season is early. We’re only 23.53 percent through the season – by the way, thanks NFL, for hating easy calculations. But so far, number 7 is looking pretty sharp.
We may not have expected this level of play from Geno Smith, but he certainly did. When asked if he’d exceeded his expectations this season, Smith sounded like a quarterback in command. In his post-game press conference after the Seahawks wild win over the Lions, Smith replied, “No, I can play better. Definitely not exceeding my expectations. I can play a lot better.” I’m pretty confident that Smith is a better answer than any of those supposedly great alternatives.

Nice write up! Thanks!

 

[Rainger]

Nice write up! Thanks!

Sorry but thank you I didn't write it. It was from fansided I though I had given the link will edit it. I can't take credit.

 

[CalgaryFan05]

Sorry but thank you I didn't write it. It was from fansided I though I had given the link will edit it. I can't take credit.

well nice find anyhow.

 

[DaveG]

Hi all. I've been lurking on this board off and on for years, but for some reason I've never posted. I thought I would come out of hibernation to say this about Geno. Sorry if it's already been mentioned. Remember that Geno is a 10 year veteran who has less than three years of wear and tear on his body, so he's not all beat up. And he's been backing up and learning from some really good quarterbacks for those years. That has to count for something.

Also, remember that he has put up all these stats while playing against two defenses every week.