What a difference a week makes for Geno Smith.
At this time last week, all the talk about the Jets quarterback centered on whether or not the Jets would be forced to make a quarterback change at some point this season because of Smith’s proclivity for handing the ball over to the opposition. This week, he’s the AFC offensive player of the week.
Smith didn’t fall victim to turnovers on Monday night against the Falcons, avoiding them entirely while completing 16-of-20 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-28 win that boosted the Jets to 3-2 on the season. Smith didn’t throw a touchdown pass to win the game, but he did complete four passes and scramble for a first down to set up Nick Folk’s second walk-off field goal of the regular season.
Smith joins Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III as the only rookie quarterbacks in the last 20 years to win player of the week honors in the first five weeks of the regular season.
It has been a roller coaster start to Smith’s NFL career as he’s sandwiched a pair of dismal performances in the team’s losses between three wins that saw the Jets take the lead for good in the fourth quarter thanks in large part to Smith’s efforts. Those high points have lifted the dark cloud that hung over the Jets’ head for the entire offseason and replaced it with some hope that they may have taken a step forward at the most important position on the offense.