Geno Smith
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Geno Smith balled out in the Raiders' win over the Patriots on Sunday.
The Las Vegas Raiders surprised many with their Week 1 road win, and Geno Smith is reaping the rewards of winning his first game in a Raiders uniform.
The first-year Raiders quarterback earned the No. 1 QB ranking in the ESPN.com writer Ben Solak’s column for his performance in Las Vegas’ 20-13 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
Smith threw for 362 yards while completing 24 of 34 passes and a touchdown, despite being sacked four times in the Raiders’ upset win.
Why Did Geno Smith Earn The No. 1 QB Ranking at ESPN.com?
Solak’s trend of the week was new QBs in new places, and Smith obviously fits the bill, since the Raiders acquired him from the Seattle Seahawks.
“Las Vegas’ offensive line looks as if it could be a limiting factor,” Solak wrote. “But for Smith’s part, the Raiders paid a third-round pick and a contract of $37.5 million per year for a solid veteran starter at quarterback; in his first start, he easily cleared that bar.”
But it was Smith’s aggressive, gun-slinger mentality — especially against pressure Sunday — that helped the Raiders rip off chunk plays.
“Smith turns his completions against pressure and blitzes into 20-plus-yard chunks and not 5-yard dump-offs, and that gives his offense the ability to have instant scoring drives,” Solak wrote. “Explosives are king in the NFL, and Smith has the sort of mentality that authors them.
“Let me summarize: The Raiders went for big plays and hit them, over and over again.”
To Solak’s point, Smith averaged 15.1 yards per completion — the highest mark in Week 1 — despite the fact the Patriots blitzed him 17 times and pressured him eight times. Even though he persevered Sunday, Solak noted he will not likely to be able to do so down the road.
“Smith’s willingness to stand in the heat of the fire and keep pushing the ball got him in trouble at times with the Seahawks, and it will again in Las Vegas,” Solak wrote. “While the Patriots had to add additional bodies with a blitz to get home, future teams won’t be as willing to create space downfield.”
What Did ESPN Say About The Geno Smith-Chip Kelly Connection?
Solak called the tandem of Kelly, the former offensive wunderkind who is back in the NFL for the first time since the San Francisco 49ers fired him as head coach in 2016, and Smith “appointment television.”
“To his credit, Kelly did a great job scheming up open receivers as the Patriots devolved into more and more coverage,” Solak wrote. “I can’t promise the Raiders will be actually good, but again, you’re going to want to get these guys on your TV screen.”
Solak explained how Smith has the physical attributes to execute the throws and make the plays Kelly wants to.
“Smith has always been a fearless field general, and Kelly played into his hand nicely, creating isolation opportunities with deep-breaking routes,” Solak wrote. “Smith is as good as any quarterback in the league at pinning the ball on routes that break deep downfield.
“But Smith also has the velocity and release speed to fire run-pass options into the intermediate levels of the field, and that works great in Kelly’s motion-heavy play-action approach.”
Yet, the Raiders will face a unique challenge in their Monday night home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, and according to Solak, Smith and Kelly will have to adjust.
“The Raiders will see a polar-opposite defense from what Smith saw on Sunday in the Chargers and defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who never blitzes and sits in deep zones,” Solak wrote. “I’m fascinated to see how this looks in Week 2 against such a different defense.”