The shotgun marriage between a new quarterback and an established coach who didn’t pick him was going to be tough to pull off in ideal circumstances.
And with the circumstances far from ideal, any misstep from any of them can make it a mess.
The Jets played excellent defense, and clutch-and-grab, keep-it-close offense and stayed in a game all night with the Patriots. But all the good work of the defense was undone when rookie quarterback Geno Smith threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter, and they lost 13-10.
“With the costly mistakes that were completely on me, we didn’t get it done,” quarterback Geno Smith said, via Steve Politi of the Newark Star-Ledger. “I take full responsibility for this, and I will get better from it.”
He has no choice, A) because the Jets have lashed themselves to his mast, and B) it doesn’t get much worse than his night.
Smith was 15-of-35 for 214 yards and three interceptions (27.6 rating).
“His numbers would look a lot different if we caught the football,” Jets coach Rex Ryan said.
There were drops, for sure, and they didn’t help. But after a night when the Jets defense gave him an easy opportunity to make the situation easier for everyone involved, Smith didn’t take it.
But for the Jets to get through this year with any measure of grace, or half a chance, Smith is going to have to get better.