New Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith was not necessarily the focus heading into his team’s regular-season opener against the Denver Broncos. Rather, that distinction went to former Seahawks star Russell Wilson.
Minutes after hearing Wilson booed by fans in the Pacific Northwest, Smith was on the field for the Seahawks’ opening drive of the game. He responded by completing 4-of-4 passes for 71 yards, including a game-opening 38-yard touchdown strike to tight end Will Dissly.
How in the world was Smith able to avoid the pressure and find Dissly open down the field? That’s magician’s work right there. Absolutely brilliant stuff from the veteran quarterback.
Geno Smith has the confidence of the Seattle Seahawks’ brass
Smith beat out Drew Lock for the starting job during the preseason. The former New York Jets second-round pick looked good in limited action. But given his status as a journeyman, it was pretty surprising to hear Seattle’s brass throw a ton of praise in his direction.
“I expect him to be really solid. I expect him to run the offense just like he has been doing it all along. I think he’s well experienced. He’s been around a long time. He’ll be poised about it, and he’s in command of it. And he’s seen a lot of the looks throughout the time we’ve been together in this camp. So he’s ready to go. I expect him to play well.”
Pete Carroll on Geno Smith ahead of Week 1
A second-round pick of the New York Jets back in 2013, Smith has not seen a ton of action in recent seasons. In fact, he’s started a total of five games since the end of the 2014 campaign.
- Geno Smith stats (2013-21): 59% completion, 6,917 yards, 34 TD, 37 INT, 75.7 QB rating
At least for one drive, Smith looked like the quarterback we saw with West Virginia in college.