Jets QB Geno Smith is a dedicated creature of routine, which has served him well over his 13-year NFL career, and particularly this season during his second stint with the Green & White. His professional approach each and every day has not gone unnoticed.
"It's been pretty amazing to watch and have firsthand knowledge of how he goes about his week and how early he gets here and he's in the training room and he's working out and he does this weight room deal that he does that's pretty amazing," HC Aaron Glenn said. "It's a lot of different techniques that I think a lot of quarterbacks utilize to help strengthen them as they go out through the year, but it's every day. It's at the same time every day."
"The same time" means early. Body work as the sun begins to rise, a weight-room routine that has been embraced and emulated by players like rookie QB Cade Klubnik, and then the intelligence and experience that he takes into the meeting room. His approach carried over this week into his game-planning ahead of Sunday's AFC East clash between the Jets (2-7) and first-place Buffalo (7-1) at MetLife Stadium.
"Those guys are playing really well; they're mixing it up on the backend," Smith said of the Bills. "As you know, [DC] Jim [Leonhard] was a safety, so he's a coverage guy, so they're going to mix it up on the back end and then try and put pressure on you up front. They're going to try to keep everything in front of them, limit the big plays, and make you have to matriculate down the field to get yards."
Smith turned 36 years old last month on Oct. 10, and with age has come a sage-like serenity, not to mention impressive on-the-field performance that has placed him among the top performers at QB so far this season.
Across the board, according to statistics among 30 QB with 150 or more attempts, Smith's numbers are impressive: No. 5 in completion percentage (67.5%), No. 7 in passer rating (100.14), tied at No. 7 for completions of 20-plus yards (24), No. 2 for completions of 40-plus yards (9), tied at No. 4 in fewest INTs (3), No. 10 in passing yards (2,078) and No. 11 in yards per attempt (7.7). After 9 games, 5 of which were losses by one score, Smith has sprayed the ball to 13 receivers, and two of the top four in receptions are rookies -- TE Kenyon Sadiq (21) and WR Omar Cooper Jr. (20).
"I think we have a tremendous group of skill players," Smith said. "I think, again, we're all developing. No matter if you're a young guy or a veteran guy, you're still in the developmental phase because we can always get better." At Kansas City last Sunday when Smith was sacked 5 times and hit 7 times, Smith's frustration was caught by cameras on TV and became a media talking point. OC Frank Reich on Thursday acknowledged what happened, but put it down to passionate players being passionate.
"That's just what happens, it's a heated game, we're passionate, we're trying to win, you get upset, you get frustrated for a moment and 99.9 percent of the time you contain that but every now and then it gets the best of us all," Reich said on Thursday. "It just so happens when you're the starting quarterback or the starting right tackle -- it's going to be out for the world to see."
For his part, Smith respects Reich and knows the OC is in his corner and has his back.
"Coach Reich, he's a guy when you get to get around him and [get] to know him, you just love the guy," Smith said. "So many guys on this team do and so many guys on this offense really appreciate him. Just been really a treat to work with him. Really enjoying every single day. He's pushing me and we're pushing each other to be the best versions of ourselves."
