G.For most of his career, eno Smith was synonymous with the NFL’s sharpest curse word, bust. Heading into this season, nobody bought the Seattle Seahawks as a competitive franchise, even though he was quietly showing maturity on the field. There were several reasons such as
He went on to prove doubters wrong on Sunday, leading the Seahawks to a 48-45 shootout victory over Detroit. Smith was electric. He annihilated the Lions’ poor defense, throwing dimes at DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Wilde Three. Overall, Smith went 23/30 with 320 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also added 49 rushing yards and a score on the ground. Smith achieved his 300-yard streak pass his game for the first time in his NFL career.
Smith shouldn’t be here, still playing as a starter and winning games. His NFL career got off to a shocking start. Smith, who was a Virginia star and a potential top 10 pick in the 2013 Draft, was 39th overall in the second round of New York, where he lost to the Jets. Smith said all the right things, whether he was the first pick or the 39th pick, regardless of being in a good situation.
The Jets were at the tail end of Rex Ryan’s reign, lacking offensive skill players and protection. Smith’s first two of his season, with only 34 interceptions and his 25 touchdowns, New Yorkers not known for perseverance gave him up. Whether it was a matter of culture or scheme (Smith ran a spread in college), he was far from the next Joe Namath.
When Todd Bowles entered the building in 2015, he may have had a chance to get a fresh start, but then came the punches. Smith’s teammates didn’t queue to show support, and Ryan Fitzpatrick became the regular starter. I was. Smith then tore his ACL, effectively ending his Jets career.
somehow he Smith was classified as a problem because it was Smith who was hit instead of vice versa. Quarterbacks who usually start such turmoil are dead, especially young black quarterbacks in the mid-2010s. So, I got a spot chance here and there.
He did well when he needed to step up, but the Seahawks were Wilson’s team… until it wasn’t. , became a Week 1 starter for the first time in eight years.
Smith’s return from quarterback purgatory is a feel-good story in and of itself. But he’s more than just a placeholder while the team rebuilds. His decision-making was almost astounding, as we saw in Sunday’s victory over Detroit and the Wilsons upset in Week 1 against the Broncos.
As Smith said heading into the season, “I don’t have to play all the plays. I don’t have to play heroball.”
Smith now leads a stable franchise, knows the playbook, and has better protection than Wilson (the Seahawks converted a first-round pick from Wilson’s trade into a starting lineup for LT Charles Cross). ), you can rely on elite receivers.
We’re only four weeks into the season and you never know what’s going to happen. But with weak NFC, why Geno and the Seahawks?
MVP of the week
Saquon Barkley, running back, New York GiantsSAQUON IS BACK. The now healthy Barkley continued his stellar comeback, this time leading the Giants to a quirky 20-12 victory over the Chicago Bears. Barkley has 146 yards on the ground, and he leads the NFL in rushing.
And in the fourth quarter, when Daniel Jones was sidelined with an ankle injury and Tyrod Taylor suffered a helmet-to-helmet collision, Barkley grabbed the mantle and took on the quarterback role (OK, wildcat quarterback). Still, Barkley’s direct snap put the Giants in a slight lead and a 3-1 position in the surprisingly competitive NFC East.
video of the week
I’m speechless about this too. Lamar Jackson continues to work magic in ways we haven’t seen since Michael Vick.
Jackson lost 23-20 in this week’s Quarterback Battle Royale against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. The Ravens need to figure out why they lost a 20-3 lead. To make matters worse, with little more than four minutes remaining in the Ravens’ second-half offense and a 20-20 tie, John Harbaugh scored a goal in fourth instead of opting for a field goal and a near-certain three-pointer. I was. lead. Jackson instead threw the pick and helped set up the game-winning field goal for Buffalo.
This week’s stats
four. Did Trevor Lawrence know it rains heavily in Philadelphia? Has he ever played in the rain? These are the things Lawrence has us wondering after flipping the ball five times. That included Jacksonville’s four fumbles in a 29–21 loss to Philadelphia. This made Lawrence the first player of the century in which he fumbled four times in one game.
The Jaguars were leading 14-0 and looked like they might be the last remaining undefeated team. But the Eagles defense delivered another gem following his nine-sack performance last week.
quote of the week
“Sure, this is a game we had to win. We can’t afford to lose 2-2 to a three-string quarterback.” – Aaron Rodgers.
Rogers praised the “third-string quarterback,” also known as New England Patriots rookie Bailey Zappe.
What an exhilarating watch! Zappe. Rogers. with time. The rookie entered the game when backup Brian Hoyer left with a head injury. The Patriots put up a hard attack against Zappe, but he controversially made his throw for his 25-yard touchdown to Devante his Parker. After a lackluster first half, Rodgers came alive in the second half, leading the Green Bay Packers to a winning field goal deep into overtime. Because of course he did.
Elsewhere in the League
— The Tom Brady-Patrick Mahomes series went 3-3 after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41-31 on Sunday Night Football. Brady had his best performance of the season, passing for 385 yards and finishing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. However, the Bucks had no rushing game to support him as he was only three yards from six carries on the ground. Mahomes was typically great and pulled off some amazing throws, including a ridiculous effort below.
— A social media call to bench Mitchell Trubisky in place of Kenny Pickett has paid off. His Trubisky, who showed little pocket sense in his three-and-a-half games this season, was replaced by a rookie. Pickett’s first pass in the NFL was an interception (identical to Peyton Manning’s pass), and he threw two of his picks in addition to the Steelers’ 24–20 loss to the New York Jets. However, he offered more options than Trubisky, with two rushing touchdowns.
— Baker Mayfield’s career transformation in Carolina continues to underwhelm. Of course, the Panthers are a pretty poor team, and the Arizona Cardinals’ defense haunted him all day, but Mayfield’s struggles aren’t just down to others. When we lost at -16, we booed the former No. 1 overall pick as he took down a receiver, thrashed a pass, and gave three turnovers. Anyone get a chance to meet Sam Darnold for a minute?
— The Las Vegas Raiders can’t win anymore! They defeated the Denver Broncos 32-23 and logged 212 yards on the ground thanks to a rushed day. Russell Wilson played a solid game, but Denver couldn’t capitalize on their good field position.
— The Cowboys have a history of good quarterbacks. But it was Cooper Rush who topped them all in one category, becoming the first Cowboys quarterback to earn his first four starts. He pitched with presence for 223 yards and two touchdowns, completing 15 of 27 attempts. But it was the Dallas defense that swept Washington 25-10. Demarcus Lawrence took his seven-time quarterback under his pressure and continued his bid for the defensive Player of the Year.
The dominoes continue to fall after Tua Tagovailoa suffered a concussion Thursday night, four days after he re-entered a game against the Bills.The NFLPA cleared Tagovailoa last Sunday. The NFL and the NFLPA issued a joint statement saying they had not yet reached a conclusion on medical malpractice or protocol violations. From now on, players exhibiting significant motor instability will be automatically removed from the game.
— JJ Watt dropped some His own spooky-timed medical news.
I was just told that someone leaked my personal information and it will be reported today.
I got into A-Fib on Wednesday, got my rhythm back after a shock on Thursday and am still playing today.
that’s it.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) October 2, 2022
First and foremost, I am grateful that he is healthy. However, it’s a little surprising that he was allowed to play on Sunday.
— And finally, DK Metcalf showed me one of the benefits of being good at football.
