The opening scene of Geno Smith's second act as the Jets' starting quarterback is in the books. For all the happy fans who made the trip to Nashville to watch Smith and the Jets open the season with their 23-10 win over the Titans, and for all the Green & White faithful back in the tristate area and around Jets Nation, it may have finally hit them that all that talk about Smith being a more accurate, productive, mature NFL signal-caller wasn't just talk.

But for any doubters, just listen to his messages and delivery during any news conferences now that the real show has begun. Such as the media availability after Wednesday's first practice of the week for the Jets' home opener against Green Bay on Sunday.

"I'm just looking forward to another opponent, to compete with the guys and try to win another game," Smith said in his brisk, focused, 14th-year veteran's voice that turns pigskin platitudes into the early lines in a potentially promising football script. "We all have a 1-0 mindset. We're preparing to go out in front of our fans and put on a good show."

Needless to say, 16 games remain on the regular season schedule. The Jets looked not perfect but crisp for almost the entire hot and humid day in Music City. Smith began by directing an opening-drive TD — the Jets' first on opening day in a decade. He kept the chains moving in their highly efficient 19-play field goal drive. He was 19-of-24 and a completion away from 80% accuracy, committed no turnovers, went unsacked and almost untouched (one QB hit by Tennessee)  and finished the day with 3 kneel downs.

Yet while the performance had the Jets crowd buzzing a bit and preparing for the fan and Jets White Out game at MetLife Stadium, Smith's stern words of wisdom kept things in perspective for those who wanted to hear.

"We'll see," he said about whether a win over the Packers would be a statement game for these Jets. "It's up to us to go out and compete and get it done. It's just another game. It's the most important game because it's the next game. We've got to stay focused on this day-to-day process, not worry about what's said on the outside. It's a consistent, never-ending mindset. and as long as we have that, we'll be fine."

Green Bay be fired up as they come off their fall-from-ahead 39-22 loss at Minnesota. No one has to tell Packers HC Matt LaFleur about taking for granted experienced signal-callers such as the Vikes' Kyler Murray and, after he left early with a concussion, 11th-year vet Carson Wentz.

Smith, LaFleur said, is "a guy who is certainly battle-tested. He's fought through some adversity and he's come out the other side. He is a really good quarterback."

Jonathan Gannon, LaFleur's new defensive coordinator, had an even closer view of Smith, from 2023-24 when Geno was Seattle's starter and Gannon was Arizona's head coach. Smith and the Seahawks won all 4 meetings, with Smith completing 70.9% of his throws, 6 for touchdowns and 2 for INTs to the tune of a combined 104.2 passer rating.

"He's a good player, man," Gannon said. "You know you're not going to trick him. He's very intelligent, he obviously has a huge arm, and he's a mobile guy even being a little later in his career. You have to be careful about doing certain things because when he gets out, he can generate explosives with his legs. So I've always bene a big fan of Geno."

"I think just watching their defense, they've got All-Pros all over the field," Smith said, returning the compliment. "They're multiple up front, they give you a lot of looks, they want to be aggressive, stop the run early. Then they have a talented back end with [safety] Xavier McKinney and their corners do a great job."

The Smith-Gannon chess match could be a superlative sidebars in this game, the first of three in the demanding NFC North portion of the Jets' early schedule — not to mention a chance for them to open 2-0 for the first time since 2015.  The Pack, meanwhile, has a tough enough schedule offits own and an urgency to prevent the 0-2 start that's been an early playoff death knell for most NFL teams over the years.

But neither the Jets QB nor his football frenemy in the Green Bay DC's office is focused on any of that. It's a tough road for both of their teams, it doesn't figure to easy for either of them ... and they wouldn't have it any other way.

"He always plays well, for whatever reason against me or us," said Gannon of Smith, "so big-time challenge ahead."

"It's another formidable opponent," Smith said, using the Packers DC's word choice: :It's going to be a challenge for us. But we're looking forward to it."

"I think just watching their defense, they've got All-Pros all over the field," Smith said, returning the compliment. "They're multiple up front, they give you a lot of looks, they want to be aggressive, stop the run early. Then they have a talented back end with [safety] Xavier McKinney and their corners do a great job."

The Smith-Gannon chess match could be a superlative sidebars in this game, the first of three in the demanding NFC North portion of the Jets' early schedule — not to mention a chance for them to open 2-0 for the first time since 2015.  The Pack, meanwhile, has a tough enough schedule offits own and an urgency to prevent the 0-2 start that's been an early playoff death knell for most NFL teams over the years.

But neither the Jets QB nor his football frenemy in the Green Bay DC's office is focused on any of that. It's a tough road for both of their teams, it doesn't figure to easy for either of them ... and they wouldn't have it any other way.

"He always plays well, for whatever reason against me or us," said Gannon of Smith, "so big-time challenge ahead."

"It's another formidable opponent," Smith said, using the Packers DC's word choice: :It's going to be a challenge for us. But we're looking forward to it."