One of my greatest spelling pet peeves is when people write that a player “compliments” another player. But unless the player told his teammate that he has nice calves, then he “complements” him.
In an earlier version of today’s post, “Geno Smith is owning his moment,” I wrote that I was complementing Russell Wilson and Mr, Smith. In fact, I was complimenting them. Not on their calves, but nonetheless, I have committed this grave spelling infraction.
I apologize for this wasting your time today. I’ll be better in the future.
Geno is having the best QB come back year since Jim Plunkett, but I don't think it's fair to now compare him to Russell Wilson , who for 10 years led the NFL in hits and sacks and played for a great coach in Pete Carrol. He now labors for a soon to be fired HC Hackett and the years and hits have caught up to him physically.
Geno hasn't taken nearly the physical abuse as Russell.
The truth is the Hawks traded Russ at the rught time and their gamble on Geno paid off.
You know, Russ actually played well in the last Denver game. Not pick the team up and carry it on his back well. He didn't throw a single touchdown but his QB rating was just over 100. They didn't score a single touchdown and lost, but keep in mind they had a very limited running game, a terrible OL, only one of their starting receivers and he was on a limited snap count. Under the circumstances, I thought Russ did alright.
He's not 2016 Russ. The guy has clearly lost his quick twitch skills which allowed him to escape pressure most of the time. Top end speed looks good but it takes longer to get there. I don't see him striking fear into the fear of opposing teams or their fans. But with better support, I think he could still be quite good. Specifically, better linemen, running backs and receivers. Put him back in Seattle and he could look almost as good as Geno.
I saw a strategic difference in this last game. He was no longer pretending to be a pocket passer. Denver was relying on its running backs and then dialing up play action passes and run-pass options. He scrambled a bit here and there. Lo and behold, he looked better than in any other game this season. Hackett and his staff must have studied Seattle tape.
I guess at this point a beaten down Russ is no longer demanding to cook. Seemed relieved to do what he does well in a somewhat effective manner.
I think the "Russell gets hit a lot" when he was in Seattle was overblown. Russ invited a lot of hits by holding the ball and eschewing the easy checkdown pass. I'm not sure if the years have caught up to Russell. Would it surprise you if he pulled a complete reveral under a new coach next year? I think Russell became enamored with his brand and his fortune. He seemed to discard that humble, hard-working guy that took the league by storm. (Actually, I guess it was Sue Bird who took the league by Storm.) I'm not hating on Wilson, lord knows if I had half-a-billion dollars and Ciara for a wife, I'm pretty sure my ego would be through the roof. Life at the top is hard and great all at once.
I know the question was asked in response to Nicholas but I'll share that I'd not be surprised at all. It looks to me like he's not that far off. This last game in particular. He made some great throws, sometimes under pressure.
The offense didn't perform well overall. Didn't score a single touchdown. But some of that was scheme, some was poor route running, sometimes it was a blown throw by Russ (though that was more the exception), some was the pocket collapsing with no one open. The biggest factor of all in my view was lack of a credible run game. Play action is most effective when a defense is keying on the run.
If the Broncos can get some decent coaching, get the O line playing well as a unit, get some decent running backs, get healthy and stay mostly healthy, I could see next year being the year everyone expected 2022 to be in Denver. Maybe they contend for the division. Maybe they fight for a wildcard but make the playoffs anyway. They're not going to be favored to win it all but I could imagine a 10, maybe 12 win season followed by a playoff appearance. Once in, who knows how far they go.
Geno is outplaying out expectations from a month or two ago, let alone what we all thought in the preseason.
I go back and forth as to how I think this will shake out and how I HOPE it shakes out.
As of right now, I think Geno will age (playing wise) much better than our previous QB. His strengths aren’t based on athleticism (not that he doesn’t have it) but on a deep understanding of the game. He works within the system, not against it.
This style of play should allow him to be effective longer. Maybe not as long as old man Brady, but maybe as long as Drew Brees. If this is the case, pay the man. But I’ll defer to PCJS as to whether or not they think his game will hold up.
This opinion is good for at LEAST another week. Maybe.
Seaside Joe continues to be right in that we've never seen a QB story quite like this and we don't really know what to do with Geno. It's like he's 25 years old and in the last year of his rookie contract except he's 32 and just now showing his potential. Do we sign him to a very long contract because he's going to be awesome for years and years to come, or franchise him for a year or two because he's just about go fall off of the proverbial cliff? I vote for a six year contract.
Yeah, it's such a unique story that at this point, I can't hear anymore talk of "Well, Geno will probably do this" or "The Seahawks will probably do that."
Whatever will be, will be. He's 32, but he has no wear and tear on his tires whatsoever. If Matt Ryan was 32, he'd get the same contract as Russell Wilson. Geno doesn't have to be a top-5 QB to get a top-5 QB contract, as many others, such as Joe Flacco, have once topped the market. But he could also do something that I totally do not expect, because it is up to him and mostly just him. I believe that the NFL market has proven that it will take risky expensive chances on QBs.
Unless Geno wants a DeShaun Watson contract, we will sign him. I think his demands will be reasonable (not cheap) because he only has a one year resume, he's 31, and he must know this is his best chance at a ring. Pete wants to win another Super Bowl before he hangs up the coaching cleats and his best shot is Geno and four more high draft picks. Geno might even allow a front-loaded discount so we have free-agent money. BTW, I too want Pete to win another Super Bowl in Seattle.
Could we franchise tag Geno and then trade him for a first round pick (or more)?
Forgive me for still not being entirely on the Geno Smith train. If I see him perform at a high level in the San Francisco game, with Nick Bosa bearing down and the rest of that fantastic defense defending, then I'll be all in. To the point of thinking he's worth the going rate. At this point I remain skeptical that anyone not named Mahomes, Allen or Burrow is worth anything remotely approaching $50M per year.
The way that Pete fought John tooth and nail to try and keep Bobby Wagner, it feels like despite Geno's short stint as a starter, he's as much a part of Seattle as guys who were drafted by the Seahawks and spent multiple contracts with the team. I think they'll fight to keep Geno, whatever it takes, and it would be up to Geno if he wants to explore other options. He's got a good situation going in Seattle already though, he may not want to tamper with it
One devils advocate position is that teams are clearly selling out to stop the run against the Seahawks. Whoops that wasn’t the case this week after the other Kenneth went down.
Another is that Geno isn’t as good in the red zone. Whoops again.
And that he hasn’t led the team from behind yet. Whoops! Whoopsie!
I’m running out of excuses.
Now, there are quarterbacks who had a couple good years and burned out. Brian Sipe and Ken O’Brien were two from my childhood. And realistically if your name isn’t Tom Brady it is a question how long after 32 you have at the top. But I certainly am not daring to bet against Geno now.
I didn't see Sipe or O'Brien, but let's compare him to someone like Baker Mayfield. When he had his "good" season, I thought he was pretty crappy. The numbers were inflated. When Jared Goff went to the Super Bowl, I thought he was pretty inconsequential to that whole team.
Geno feels consequential to Seattle's success, in addition to having the film and throws and chemistry with his receivers that makes him a legitimate Offensive Player of the Year nominee.
In my opinion, we give young first round QBs way too much credit for being first round picks. And we give journeyman who surprise us not enough credit because we just assume "but that guy sucks." And Ryan Fitzpatrick, we had year after year of evidence that he was just mediocre. We have no evidence with Geno! We just know that he didn't get a chance for a long time. He may not be mediocre and I don't think that Seattle is just inflating his numbers.
One of the things in Geno’s favor, and something that argues for his longevity, is that he seems to be quite good at diagnosing what the defense is giving him. He’s playing within the offense and not making a lot of mistakes. That’s Brady-like.
You’re spot on that a player’s pedigree buys a lot of goodwill or earns scorn that is never completely shaken off by performance. Labels stick. I am sure there are non Seahawk fans who are now saying I told you so about Russell now.
I’m certainly willing to be wrong about Geno and glad I’ve been wrong. He’s demolished all the easy narratives and lazy criticisms. If he has deeper issues that keep him from being top tier they’re getting harder to spot.
Geno is going to command a large salary next season and I think the Seahawks will give it to him. The question I have is do the hawks think they need a QB on a rookie salary in order to win it all again. The draft will show us what the plan is. If they use a high draft pick on a QB then I think Geno starts for another year and or two and then gets traded, allowing the youngster to start while the hawks get busy in free agency.
I don't think the QB on a rookie contract is a valuable today because other salaries have caught up. Nick Bosa or Justin Jefferson on a rookie salary approaches the cost of a QB.
Geno has been great! But, somewhere deep down inside I get the feeling that Pete is showcasing Geno because he thinks he has an ace in his pocket that is younger and has been 'pushing' Geno in practice. Hmmm, possibly fleecing another team of draft picks? Just having fun with the possibilities.
Johnny Unitas and OJ Simpson both won the award on losing teams. Had to look that one up. I think without Geno our team would be similar to the Rams at best.
Of course. I honestly do not think he will get it but I think in the perfect world he should at least be considered. Definitely come back player of the year
One of my greatest spelling pet peeves is when people write that a player “compliments” another player. But unless the player told his teammate that he has nice calves, then he “complements” him.
In an earlier version of today’s post, “Geno Smith is owning his moment,” I wrote that I was complementing Russell Wilson and Mr, Smith. In fact, I was complimenting them. Not on their calves, but nonetheless, I have committed this grave spelling infraction.
I apologize for this wasting your time today. I’ll be better in the future.
I compliment you for your journalistic integrity and I hear you have nice calves too.
Are you saying Russ has cankles?
WHY DO YOU HATE RUSSELL WILSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Geno is having the best QB come back year since Jim Plunkett, but I don't think it's fair to now compare him to Russell Wilson , who for 10 years led the NFL in hits and sacks and played for a great coach in Pete Carrol. He now labors for a soon to be fired HC Hackett and the years and hits have caught up to him physically.
Geno hasn't taken nearly the physical abuse as Russell.
The truth is the Hawks traded Russ at the rught time and their gamble on Geno paid off.
Hating on Russell is not warranted.
You know, Russ actually played well in the last Denver game. Not pick the team up and carry it on his back well. He didn't throw a single touchdown but his QB rating was just over 100. They didn't score a single touchdown and lost, but keep in mind they had a very limited running game, a terrible OL, only one of their starting receivers and he was on a limited snap count. Under the circumstances, I thought Russ did alright.
He's not 2016 Russ. The guy has clearly lost his quick twitch skills which allowed him to escape pressure most of the time. Top end speed looks good but it takes longer to get there. I don't see him striking fear into the fear of opposing teams or their fans. But with better support, I think he could still be quite good. Specifically, better linemen, running backs and receivers. Put him back in Seattle and he could look almost as good as Geno.
I saw a strategic difference in this last game. He was no longer pretending to be a pocket passer. Denver was relying on its running backs and then dialing up play action passes and run-pass options. He scrambled a bit here and there. Lo and behold, he looked better than in any other game this season. Hackett and his staff must have studied Seattle tape.
I guess at this point a beaten down Russ is no longer demanding to cook. Seemed relieved to do what he does well in a somewhat effective manner.
Definitely. I hope you did not take anything from my article as hating on Russell Wilson.
I think the "Russell gets hit a lot" when he was in Seattle was overblown. Russ invited a lot of hits by holding the ball and eschewing the easy checkdown pass. I'm not sure if the years have caught up to Russell. Would it surprise you if he pulled a complete reveral under a new coach next year? I think Russell became enamored with his brand and his fortune. He seemed to discard that humble, hard-working guy that took the league by storm. (Actually, I guess it was Sue Bird who took the league by Storm.) I'm not hating on Wilson, lord knows if I had half-a-billion dollars and Ciara for a wife, I'm pretty sure my ego would be through the roof. Life at the top is hard and great all at once.
I know the question was asked in response to Nicholas but I'll share that I'd not be surprised at all. It looks to me like he's not that far off. This last game in particular. He made some great throws, sometimes under pressure.
The offense didn't perform well overall. Didn't score a single touchdown. But some of that was scheme, some was poor route running, sometimes it was a blown throw by Russ (though that was more the exception), some was the pocket collapsing with no one open. The biggest factor of all in my view was lack of a credible run game. Play action is most effective when a defense is keying on the run.
If the Broncos can get some decent coaching, get the O line playing well as a unit, get some decent running backs, get healthy and stay mostly healthy, I could see next year being the year everyone expected 2022 to be in Denver. Maybe they contend for the division. Maybe they fight for a wildcard but make the playoffs anyway. They're not going to be favored to win it all but I could imagine a 10, maybe 12 win season followed by a playoff appearance. Once in, who knows how far they go.
Geno is outplaying out expectations from a month or two ago, let alone what we all thought in the preseason.
I go back and forth as to how I think this will shake out and how I HOPE it shakes out.
As of right now, I think Geno will age (playing wise) much better than our previous QB. His strengths aren’t based on athleticism (not that he doesn’t have it) but on a deep understanding of the game. He works within the system, not against it.
This style of play should allow him to be effective longer. Maybe not as long as old man Brady, but maybe as long as Drew Brees. If this is the case, pay the man. But I’ll defer to PCJS as to whether or not they think his game will hold up.
This opinion is good for at LEAST another week. Maybe.
Seaside Joe continues to be right in that we've never seen a QB story quite like this and we don't really know what to do with Geno. It's like he's 25 years old and in the last year of his rookie contract except he's 32 and just now showing his potential. Do we sign him to a very long contract because he's going to be awesome for years and years to come, or franchise him for a year or two because he's just about go fall off of the proverbial cliff? I vote for a six year contract.
Yeah, it's such a unique story that at this point, I can't hear anymore talk of "Well, Geno will probably do this" or "The Seahawks will probably do that."
Whatever will be, will be. He's 32, but he has no wear and tear on his tires whatsoever. If Matt Ryan was 32, he'd get the same contract as Russell Wilson. Geno doesn't have to be a top-5 QB to get a top-5 QB contract, as many others, such as Joe Flacco, have once topped the market. But he could also do something that I totally do not expect, because it is up to him and mostly just him. I believe that the NFL market has proven that it will take risky expensive chances on QBs.
Unless Geno wants a DeShaun Watson contract, we will sign him. I think his demands will be reasonable (not cheap) because he only has a one year resume, he's 31, and he must know this is his best chance at a ring. Pete wants to win another Super Bowl before he hangs up the coaching cleats and his best shot is Geno and four more high draft picks. Geno might even allow a front-loaded discount so we have free-agent money. BTW, I too want Pete to win another Super Bowl in Seattle.
Could we franchise tag Geno and then trade him for a first round pick (or more)?
Forgive me for still not being entirely on the Geno Smith train. If I see him perform at a high level in the San Francisco game, with Nick Bosa bearing down and the rest of that fantastic defense defending, then I'll be all in. To the point of thinking he's worth the going rate. At this point I remain skeptical that anyone not named Mahomes, Allen or Burrow is worth anything remotely approaching $50M per year.
The way that Pete fought John tooth and nail to try and keep Bobby Wagner, it feels like despite Geno's short stint as a starter, he's as much a part of Seattle as guys who were drafted by the Seahawks and spent multiple contracts with the team. I think they'll fight to keep Geno, whatever it takes, and it would be up to Geno if he wants to explore other options. He's got a good situation going in Seattle already though, he may not want to tamper with it
You're probably right. Your instincts on this usually are.
Geno is playing better than everyone except Mahomes and maybe Jalen Hurts.
I think the Hawks have found their QB for the next 4-6 years and should get him signed. The draft is a crapshoot. Geno is doing the job, now. Pay him.
One devils advocate position is that teams are clearly selling out to stop the run against the Seahawks. Whoops that wasn’t the case this week after the other Kenneth went down.
Another is that Geno isn’t as good in the red zone. Whoops again.
And that he hasn’t led the team from behind yet. Whoops! Whoopsie!
I’m running out of excuses.
Now, there are quarterbacks who had a couple good years and burned out. Brian Sipe and Ken O’Brien were two from my childhood. And realistically if your name isn’t Tom Brady it is a question how long after 32 you have at the top. But I certainly am not daring to bet against Geno now.
I didn't see Sipe or O'Brien, but let's compare him to someone like Baker Mayfield. When he had his "good" season, I thought he was pretty crappy. The numbers were inflated. When Jared Goff went to the Super Bowl, I thought he was pretty inconsequential to that whole team.
Geno feels consequential to Seattle's success, in addition to having the film and throws and chemistry with his receivers that makes him a legitimate Offensive Player of the Year nominee.
In my opinion, we give young first round QBs way too much credit for being first round picks. And we give journeyman who surprise us not enough credit because we just assume "but that guy sucks." And Ryan Fitzpatrick, we had year after year of evidence that he was just mediocre. We have no evidence with Geno! We just know that he didn't get a chance for a long time. He may not be mediocre and I don't think that Seattle is just inflating his numbers.
One of the things in Geno’s favor, and something that argues for his longevity, is that he seems to be quite good at diagnosing what the defense is giving him. He’s playing within the offense and not making a lot of mistakes. That’s Brady-like.
You’re spot on that a player’s pedigree buys a lot of goodwill or earns scorn that is never completely shaken off by performance. Labels stick. I am sure there are non Seahawk fans who are now saying I told you so about Russell now.
I’m certainly willing to be wrong about Geno and glad I’ve been wrong. He’s demolished all the easy narratives and lazy criticisms. If he has deeper issues that keep him from being top tier they’re getting harder to spot.
Geno hasn't taken the physical abuse a starting QB endures.
Panthers have a tough defense. Geno will do his bit will our defense?
This CBS Twitter link says it all about the difference between Geno vs Russ so far this season... https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS/status/1599850091640246272
The Bronco fans probable feel they got shafted about now, with the Russel W. trade ??
Geno is going to command a large salary next season and I think the Seahawks will give it to him. The question I have is do the hawks think they need a QB on a rookie salary in order to win it all again. The draft will show us what the plan is. If they use a high draft pick on a QB then I think Geno starts for another year and or two and then gets traded, allowing the youngster to start while the hawks get busy in free agency.
I don't think the QB on a rookie contract is a valuable today because other salaries have caught up. Nick Bosa or Justin Jefferson on a rookie salary approaches the cost of a QB.
Put Geno in at OLB! Maybe he can hold his edge, shed blocks and tackle.
Geno has been great! But, somewhere deep down inside I get the feeling that Pete is showcasing Geno because he thinks he has an ace in his pocket that is younger and has been 'pushing' Geno in practice. Hmmm, possibly fleecing another team of draft picks? Just having fun with the possibilities.
Could Geno win an MVP this season?
Strictly speaking from the perspective of people who vote, the story probably won't overcome the games that the Seahawks have lost.
Johnny Unitas and OJ Simpson both won the award on losing teams. Had to look that one up. I think without Geno our team would be similar to the Rams at best.
I am not attempting to argue for or against Geno Smith as an MVP. I just wanted to give you my honest answer.
Of course. I honestly do not think he will get it but I think in the perfect world he should at least be considered. Definitely come back player of the year