Geno looks bad because he is a career long back up that looked good because the Hawks made him look much better than he actually is! Now, with a bad Raiders team, Geno is the real Geno. He has what scouts call slow eyes. He doesn't process information fast enough to be an effective NFL starter as evidenced by his 7
Red Zone picks that cost us the play offs last year. His 60 million contract is a sick joke. JSN trading him to Pete and signing Sam Darnold , who is 8 years younger and 30 million cheaper, was pure genius!
SSJ and Crew never levelled unwarranted criticism at Smith. Not any that I saw, and I came here during the Russ ouster. Loaded with talent, we needed a Leader, which the Team never got. As Fans, we tried to be supportive without being stupid. I know I had to subdue my passions multiple times. I see the Team today as a creation by John Schneider and Jody Allen. I do believe they agreed with SSJ in replacing Pete with the Lion's Ben Johnson, making MM our alternate choice. It left us without a clear way forward on an already sad offense. Going 10-7 is a measure for how talented our players are. Given time for a proper search brought us Klint. And how much clarity did it take for MM and JS to bring in assistant HC Leslie Frazier? That he has stayed invisible says much on many levels. Where's he been? What does he do? Dunno. Obviously, it works.
Geno Smith took an amazing amount of blame throughout his Seahawks tenure.
Now when I read and listen to Seahawks world? What a difference. I think people realized how much of a bummer it was to constantly crush the QB.
Sam Darnold played far worse than any game Geno played in Seattle. Sam Darnold has a top defense in the league. He has a professional play caller and a good line. The run game is 100x better than last year.
But Sam Darnold recieves barely any criticism. And certainly nothing close to vehemently degrading comments.
Mike Mac talked about connecting with his players better. In my opinion, because of Geno Mike Mac has came out strongly from day 1 on SD. He has not let any hint of smoke rise, unlike last year.
After Mike Mac was hired, Geno Smith asked John Schneider if he would be a part of the future, he didn't give Geno an answer that was adequate to him. That is what prompted the "Last Dance". What has happened since SD has got here? JS has been incredibly supportive and showing a vision forward. I think JS has grown from the Geno experience.
It seems to me that the entire fan base, head coach, and the GM have progressed since the Dark Knight's three years in Seattle.
Geno Smith's worst decision was not responding to the Seahawks contract offer this offseason. But, that was his call and as much as I would love to see what he can do in this offense, I am also happy to see Sam Darnold progress in this city and offense after he was unfairly criticized throughout his career and last year in Minny, in my opinion.
I thank Geno for leading the Seahawks teams to winning records through years that are typically awful for NFL teams. The Seahawks have completely rebuilt the roster and Geno helped a winning culture through two head coaches, two offensive coordinators (that led to a third), and many important rookies. Those players and coaches are now coming together. And the Dark Knight that took the heat, is now onto other things.
I wish him only the best. But I also am rooting full throat for SD. No rearview mirror only potential good times ahead.
Well said! I honestly think that Kubiak vs. Grubb is the more significant difference to our offensive success than Sam vs. Geno. There's no way to ever know, but that's my gut feeling.
I completely agree and it's not even an argument in my mind.
Now that I am watching Kubiak's offense every week, I don't think there is a bigger competitive advantage in the NFL right now than having an under center run based offense. You see it with Detroit; you see it with the Colts. The shotgun-based pass heavy offenses are hard to watch unless you have a truly elite QB and even Mahomes is struggling.
I think people think about a OC in terms of when to call a certain pass play. Chip Kelly and Ryan Grubb were always doomed to fail because they are not built correctly. Kubiak is built off a solid foundation. This is what Mike Mac was referring to in the offseason because Mike Mac knows defense and knows what offenses he doesn't want to see.
Additionally. whether SD is or isn't better than Geno was never really the question in my mind. The question was, can moving to Sam Darnold keep the QB position competent? Because we are getting younger and cheaper at the position. So, if SD is as good as Geno or at least not a disaster, then that's probably a decent move for the Seahawks. But we saw the risk last week, as Sam's bad games are really bad (but he can improve).
But like you said, there is no way of knowing who would've been better this year for the Hawks. It's funny reading declarative statements in the media like Matt Calkins at the Seattle Times.
"Through 10 games, Darnold has soared above expectations and has proved to be a clear upgrade over his predecessor, Geno Smith" Calkins
No Matt, haha, there has not been anything "clear" about the move.
The offense around the QB this year doesn't even resemble the offense last year.
I have to admit, I was hoping the Seahawks would extend Geno before free agency. I thought he wanted to roll it again with the Hawks and without Grubb. I didn’t realize he’d been in constant comms with PC all last year. I think the reason he never countered the Seahawks offer was he had an inkling PC was going to make a play for him with the Raiders. Maybe he knew Tom Brady would be fine with that, and hence, so would the ownership. Funny how both Russ and Geno thought the grass was greener elsewhere. I hope Darnold thinks twice about grabbing a few more dollars elsewhere when it’s his turn to think about an extension.
I am in 100% agreement on JS and the current Seahawks ownership. Even when they do the opposite of what I want like letting go of Geno, I immediately pivot and get behind the team’s decision. Who am I to think I know better. Once I saw that Darnold spent the entire 2023 season with KK in SFO, I pivoted with a giant step and drew the conclusion that KK felt Darnold was a better fit for the system he wanted to install than Geno was.
regarding moving on from DK, I wonder if any of the Steelers fans are pining the loss of Pickens. To me, he’s better at contested catches, has better hands and runs better routes. He’s also seemed to have matured and has settled down a little from a character standpoint. I like his upside vs DK.
I would also add that I think Geno was dismayed with the Hawks. He wanted to be a part of the journey but the conversation prior to the 2024 season did not make him feel a part of the Mike Mac mission.
I also agree with the second paragraph. I would've knocked on Geno's door and said what it going on and what would it take to be here? JS did not. He stood his ground and I respect him for that. Once the pivot was made I thought SD was the right guy for the job (had Daniel Jones at 2). Good nugget on KK and Darnold in SFO. didn't know that.
Without an ounce of credibility to back my thinking up, I thought Geno was trying to mimic Russ Wilson in his play, interviews, and even his personal style and it all worked against him. I often wondered if he tried to play QB with his own athletic abilities instead of thinking he could replicate Russ' he might have succeeded.
Wait, why is this an issue we Seahawk fans are spending time on here, now? Piling onto a franchise that's struggling?? What for? And the struggles didn't start for that franchise with the arrival of Pete and Geno. I'll happily spend time reading about a timetable for the Hawks to be a SuperBowl team. Happy to bash teams in our division, but bottom feeding...not feeling it...
You seem to have missed SJs point in this article, where he SPECIFICALLY SAID that he was NOT writing to bash the dismissed, but to DEFEND the Seahawks for dismissing them, in the wake of indefensible media coverage that blamed the front office for the teams woes. Please re-read SJs article without skimming.
I get where you're coming from, but my biggest take-away from the article is that the lack of success for Pete and Geno in Las Vegas is strong evidence that the Seattle Seahawks are, in fact, a well run organization that does more to lift individuals up within its ranks than most give credit for.
I agree with Rozone, think there’s lots of relevance since both Carroll and Geno leaving was such a big piece of where we find ourselves now. I myself was very disappointed when we traded Geno and feared the worst. It’s true the Raiders are a disaster but Geno in particular who took his shots at Seattle on the way out, should be showing some accountability.
I will admit to have fallen for the idea that Geno would be a lot better if not for the offensive line and someone could still make that case because his current Raider's line is terrible as well. But all I get is bad vibes from the guy now and I wonder if he hasn't parlayed a anomalous first 8 games in 2022 into a hundred million dollar payday (or however much he's getting). What is the evidence that Geno was ever good other than the start of 2022?
And have we considered that maybe Pete wasn't all that great and it was JS who did the heavy lifting?
He was the second best QB per EPA/play through the end of the 2023 season. From week 13 on he crushed defenses and almost led a bad Seahawks defense to the playoffs.
He was also the most accurate QB over his time period in Seattle.
Geno's comments reflect the feeling I got when I watched his postgame interviews last year (I don't watch any this year). Saying "it's on me" through clenched teeth. Body language on the bench after taking a sack or a receiver ran a bad route, instead of rallying the troops.
His play reflected a "Last Dance" effort at times, such as taking an ugly sack instead of an easy throw-away to pad his completion percentage and hit his contract bonus. This is why I was happy with him being traded and getting his salary off the books PLUS getting a draft pick back: his heart wasn't as into it as the prior 2 seasons.
Geno looks bad because he is a career long back up that looked good because the Hawks made him look much better than he actually is! Now, with a bad Raiders team, Geno is the real Geno. He has what scouts call slow eyes. He doesn't process information fast enough to be an effective NFL starter as evidenced by his 7
Red Zone picks that cost us the play offs last year. His 60 million contract is a sick joke. JSN trading him to Pete and signing Sam Darnold , who is 8 years younger and 30 million cheaper, was pure genius!
SSJ and Crew never levelled unwarranted criticism at Smith. Not any that I saw, and I came here during the Russ ouster. Loaded with talent, we needed a Leader, which the Team never got. As Fans, we tried to be supportive without being stupid. I know I had to subdue my passions multiple times. I see the Team today as a creation by John Schneider and Jody Allen. I do believe they agreed with SSJ in replacing Pete with the Lion's Ben Johnson, making MM our alternate choice. It left us without a clear way forward on an already sad offense. Going 10-7 is a measure for how talented our players are. Given time for a proper search brought us Klint. And how much clarity did it take for MM and JS to bring in assistant HC Leslie Frazier? That he has stayed invisible says much on many levels. Where's he been? What does he do? Dunno. Obviously, it works.
Brennan Carroll was OC for UW and Jedd Fisch… That wagon is going places… Pete’s wagon is in TROUBLE
Geno Smith was "the Dark Knight" Seattle needed.
One of my favorites movies (and many people's) is the Dark Knight. The ending is Geno Smith
https://youtu.be/FpkZi262Wi4?si=g236EE9EgJxLMUfi
Geno Smith took an amazing amount of blame throughout his Seahawks tenure.
Now when I read and listen to Seahawks world? What a difference. I think people realized how much of a bummer it was to constantly crush the QB.
Sam Darnold played far worse than any game Geno played in Seattle. Sam Darnold has a top defense in the league. He has a professional play caller and a good line. The run game is 100x better than last year.
But Sam Darnold recieves barely any criticism. And certainly nothing close to vehemently degrading comments.
Mike Mac talked about connecting with his players better. In my opinion, because of Geno Mike Mac has came out strongly from day 1 on SD. He has not let any hint of smoke rise, unlike last year.
After Mike Mac was hired, Geno Smith asked John Schneider if he would be a part of the future, he didn't give Geno an answer that was adequate to him. That is what prompted the "Last Dance". What has happened since SD has got here? JS has been incredibly supportive and showing a vision forward. I think JS has grown from the Geno experience.
It seems to me that the entire fan base, head coach, and the GM have progressed since the Dark Knight's three years in Seattle.
Geno Smith's worst decision was not responding to the Seahawks contract offer this offseason. But, that was his call and as much as I would love to see what he can do in this offense, I am also happy to see Sam Darnold progress in this city and offense after he was unfairly criticized throughout his career and last year in Minny, in my opinion.
I thank Geno for leading the Seahawks teams to winning records through years that are typically awful for NFL teams. The Seahawks have completely rebuilt the roster and Geno helped a winning culture through two head coaches, two offensive coordinators (that led to a third), and many important rookies. Those players and coaches are now coming together. And the Dark Knight that took the heat, is now onto other things.
I wish him only the best. But I also am rooting full throat for SD. No rearview mirror only potential good times ahead.
Go Hawks
Well said! I honestly think that Kubiak vs. Grubb is the more significant difference to our offensive success than Sam vs. Geno. There's no way to ever know, but that's my gut feeling.
Thanks Grant!
I completely agree and it's not even an argument in my mind.
Now that I am watching Kubiak's offense every week, I don't think there is a bigger competitive advantage in the NFL right now than having an under center run based offense. You see it with Detroit; you see it with the Colts. The shotgun-based pass heavy offenses are hard to watch unless you have a truly elite QB and even Mahomes is struggling.
I think people think about a OC in terms of when to call a certain pass play. Chip Kelly and Ryan Grubb were always doomed to fail because they are not built correctly. Kubiak is built off a solid foundation. This is what Mike Mac was referring to in the offseason because Mike Mac knows defense and knows what offenses he doesn't want to see.
Additionally. whether SD is or isn't better than Geno was never really the question in my mind. The question was, can moving to Sam Darnold keep the QB position competent? Because we are getting younger and cheaper at the position. So, if SD is as good as Geno or at least not a disaster, then that's probably a decent move for the Seahawks. But we saw the risk last week, as Sam's bad games are really bad (but he can improve).
But like you said, there is no way of knowing who would've been better this year for the Hawks. It's funny reading declarative statements in the media like Matt Calkins at the Seattle Times.
"Through 10 games, Darnold has soared above expectations and has proved to be a clear upgrade over his predecessor, Geno Smith" Calkins
No Matt, haha, there has not been anything "clear" about the move.
The offense around the QB this year doesn't even resemble the offense last year.
Thanks for the comment Grant!
Geno could end up being part of Pete not getting fired once - BUT TWICE in the span of less than 2 years
Be careful whose wagon you hitch on to
That closing line is pure gold Kenneth!
I have to admit, I was hoping the Seahawks would extend Geno before free agency. I thought he wanted to roll it again with the Hawks and without Grubb. I didn’t realize he’d been in constant comms with PC all last year. I think the reason he never countered the Seahawks offer was he had an inkling PC was going to make a play for him with the Raiders. Maybe he knew Tom Brady would be fine with that, and hence, so would the ownership. Funny how both Russ and Geno thought the grass was greener elsewhere. I hope Darnold thinks twice about grabbing a few more dollars elsewhere when it’s his turn to think about an extension.
I am in 100% agreement on JS and the current Seahawks ownership. Even when they do the opposite of what I want like letting go of Geno, I immediately pivot and get behind the team’s decision. Who am I to think I know better. Once I saw that Darnold spent the entire 2023 season with KK in SFO, I pivoted with a giant step and drew the conclusion that KK felt Darnold was a better fit for the system he wanted to install than Geno was.
regarding moving on from DK, I wonder if any of the Steelers fans are pining the loss of Pickens. To me, he’s better at contested catches, has better hands and runs better routes. He’s also seemed to have matured and has settled down a little from a character standpoint. I like his upside vs DK.
I agree with your first paragraph.
I would also add that I think Geno was dismayed with the Hawks. He wanted to be a part of the journey but the conversation prior to the 2024 season did not make him feel a part of the Mike Mac mission.
I also agree with the second paragraph. I would've knocked on Geno's door and said what it going on and what would it take to be here? JS did not. He stood his ground and I respect him for that. Once the pivot was made I thought SD was the right guy for the job (had Daniel Jones at 2). Good nugget on KK and Darnold in SFO. didn't know that.
Good comment Danno! As what seems to be always!
I think the game passed PC prior to him leaving the Hawks. But he did have many good years prior to that.
With Geno….well….he was never that great IMO. An excellent back-up at best.
Without an ounce of credibility to back my thinking up, I thought Geno was trying to mimic Russ Wilson in his play, interviews, and even his personal style and it all worked against him. I often wondered if he tried to play QB with his own athletic abilities instead of thinking he could replicate Russ' he might have succeeded.
Wait, why is this an issue we Seahawk fans are spending time on here, now? Piling onto a franchise that's struggling?? What for? And the struggles didn't start for that franchise with the arrival of Pete and Geno. I'll happily spend time reading about a timetable for the Hawks to be a SuperBowl team. Happy to bash teams in our division, but bottom feeding...not feeling it...
Barbara:
You seem to have missed SJs point in this article, where he SPECIFICALLY SAID that he was NOT writing to bash the dismissed, but to DEFEND the Seahawks for dismissing them, in the wake of indefensible media coverage that blamed the front office for the teams woes. Please re-read SJs article without skimming.
I get where you're coming from, but my biggest take-away from the article is that the lack of success for Pete and Geno in Las Vegas is strong evidence that the Seattle Seahawks are, in fact, a well run organization that does more to lift individuals up within its ranks than most give credit for.
I agree with Rozone, think there’s lots of relevance since both Carroll and Geno leaving was such a big piece of where we find ourselves now. I myself was very disappointed when we traded Geno and feared the worst. It’s true the Raiders are a disaster but Geno in particular who took his shots at Seattle on the way out, should be showing some accountability.
There's a history of the Seahawks throughout the article. I found it very interesting.
I will admit to have fallen for the idea that Geno would be a lot better if not for the offensive line and someone could still make that case because his current Raider's line is terrible as well. But all I get is bad vibes from the guy now and I wonder if he hasn't parlayed a anomalous first 8 games in 2022 into a hundred million dollar payday (or however much he's getting). What is the evidence that Geno was ever good other than the start of 2022?
And have we considered that maybe Pete wasn't all that great and it was JS who did the heavy lifting?
He was the second best QB per EPA/play through the end of the 2023 season. From week 13 on he crushed defenses and almost led a bad Seahawks defense to the playoffs.
He was also the most accurate QB over his time period in Seattle.
Geno's comments reflect the feeling I got when I watched his postgame interviews last year (I don't watch any this year). Saying "it's on me" through clenched teeth. Body language on the bench after taking a sack or a receiver ran a bad route, instead of rallying the troops.
His play reflected a "Last Dance" effort at times, such as taking an ugly sack instead of an easy throw-away to pad his completion percentage and hit his contract bonus. This is why I was happy with him being traded and getting his salary off the books PLUS getting a draft pick back: his heart wasn't as into it as the prior 2 seasons.
Chef’s kiss for your last line.
You have some of the best headlines and one-liners in sportswriting. Period.