FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Geno Smith remembers the skeleton.
Not the proverbial skeletons of previous seasons buried, the New York Jets’ back-again quarterback remarkably void of negativity or defiance about his winding NFL journey, offensive coordinator Frank Reich says.
As an alternative, this skeleton far predates the Jets choosing Smith within the second spherical of the 2013 NFL Draft and much predates Smith shedding his beginning job in 2015 after a teammate’s punch fractured his jaw.
The skeleton Smith remembers was life-sized, a duplicate of each bone within the human physique. It stood on the entrance of his seventh-grade observational drawing class. Smith and his visible arts magnet college classmates had been instructed to attract it — each rib and vertebrae, each muscle surrounding the bones, the exact curvature of the backbone.
“We had to take a look at the skeleton after which keep in mind it and draw it to scale,” Smith advised Yahoo Sports activities in June. “Quite a lot of the artwork exams that I took had been much like that the place you had to take a look at one thing after which memorize it after which paint, draw or no matter, sketch it from reminiscence ….
“Each single bone, we had to attract it to scale. You needed to keep in mind. And it’s not such as you’re simply drawing a stick determine — an actual skeleton is a giant deal.”
And Smith’s photographic reminiscence, his two center college artwork lecturers advised Yahoo Sports activities, ensured he didn’t omit particulars.
The Jets don’t want Smith to attract skeletons as they work to bury their franchise’s many. However sitting in a hallway of the Jets facility throughout necessary minicamp in June, this decades-past artwork mission got here to thoughts when Smith was advised about Reich’s early impressions of his quarterback.
“I believe the man’s bought a photographic reminiscence, I swear,” Reich had advised Yahoo Sports activities earlier that day.
Smith didn’t argue the declare: “I’m fairly certain I do, yeah.”
He’s recognized that, he says, since center college artwork class.
That photographic reminiscence was certainly one of a number of components that helped the Jets to a s, Smith comfortably finishing 19 of 24 passes for 215 yards and no turnovers in his first sport regardless of enjoying in his third offensive system and for a 3rd workforce in three years.
Geno and Garrett Wilson convert on 4th down ‼️
NYJvsTEN on CBS/Paramount+ okay
— NFL (@NFL) 6
However Smith has additionally discovered as not too long ago as final 12 months — when his Las Vegas Raiders beat the eventual AFC champion New England Patriots of their season opener, earlier than ending the 12 months 3-14 — {that a} profitable Week 1 win doesn’t a profitable 12 months make.
As he appears to be like to guide the Jets to their first 2-0 begin in 11 years, Smith will use his deeply entrenched reminiscences of previous video games in opposition to Jonathan Gannon’s defenses to tackle the Inexperienced Bay Packers and their first-year coordinator.
However he’ll additionally discover confidence within the items round him, as his ability place and offensive line help far exceeds what Smith performed with final 12 months in Las Vegas.
“I'm tremendous aggressive and I'm tremendous motivated, but in addition I perceive it's a workforce sport,” he mentioned. “And I perceive it's a course of and it's not simply me alone.”
One key to Jets’ win vs. Titans: almost doubling their utilization of play motion
When the Raiders traded Smith to the Jets in March, Smith thought again to his conversations with former Seattle teammate and now Chiefs operating again Kenneth Walker.
Collectively, he says, they’d admired Jets operating again Breece Corridor.
“Kenneth actually has plenty of respect for Breece and I do as nicely,” Smith mentioned. “And I used to be like, ‘Man, he's good.’”
The Jets’ operating sport, in comparison with what Smith witnessed with the Raiders, is sweet, too.
Figuring out the foundation of Las Vegas’ dead-last offense in scoring and yardage is a tall process. However wherever the rot began, one place it went was clear: No workforce rushed for fewer yards than the Raiders’ 1,317. No workforce allowed extra sacks than the Raiders’ 64.
In order Smith bought his newest recent begin, in his unique NFL dwelling, he regarded to the Jets’ 10th-ranked dashing assault in 2025 and smiled.
“It’s going to be my finest buddy,” Smith mentioned.
Towards Tennessee, it was.
Beating the Titans, who additionally gained simply three video games final 12 months, isn’t any panacea. However the Titans’ run protection ranked above common final 12 months, and the Jets gashed Tennessee for 152 yards, seventh-most within the NFL’s opening weekend.
That run sport, led by Corridor’s 102 yards and a landing, opened up the play-action menace.
“Large assist to any quarterback,” Reich mentioned of the run sport in June. “It simply takes the strain off. It slows the push down. You’re in favorable down and distance extra usually. You get higher chunk performs since you’ve bought play-action go that’s arrange for the quarterback, and Geno’s bought the arm that may get the ball down the sector.
“So on a few of that play-action go stuff the place you're attempting to get the ball down the sector, that sort of feeds momentum. So I believe it's going to be a great match.”
By means of one week, Reich’s predictions panned out.
After taking 3.7 sacks and going through 7.9 pressures per sport final 12 months, Smith was not sacked and was pressured simply as soon as in opposition to the Titans, e.
A 12 months after New York ranked 29th utilizing play motion on 19.3% of snaps final 12 months, in keeping with NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, Reich almost doubled that to 37.5% in opposition to the Titans — third-most amongst groups within the opening week.
And people chunk performs? Smith accomplished a whopping 4 passes for 20+ yards.
He aired a 40-yard go to a diving Adonai Mitchell within the purple zone within the third quarter and arrange rookie Omar Cooper Jr. on a wheel route on third-and-9 for a 30-yard achieve. Garrett Wilson caught two explosive passes from Smith: for 31 yards down the precise sideline early within the third quarter after which 22 yards hugging the left sideline over the pinnacle of a defender the following drive.
“I believed he did an impressive job,” head coach Aaron Glenn mentioned. “Pay attention, there’s some issues clearly that we’ve bought to scrub up and get higher at. However man, I believe he was dang-near 80% throwing the ball. He put the ball the place he wanted to. A few of these anticipated throws that he made, I imply the one to [Mitchell], the deep nook route, the ball was out of his hand, [Mitchell] was nonetheless truly operating his route, and that comes all the way down to belief. That’s all that’s is belief.
“That’s been a piece in progress from OTAs to coaching camp, nonetheless going into the season, and also you’re beginning to see that truly present up fairly a bit.”
Smith swapping concepts with Reich, teammates to win ‘chess sport’
Profitable one sport removed from ensures Smith’s NFL and Jets future.
Whereas the 35-year-old plans to play for some time, there’s purpose to imagine the Jets don’t plan to play with him for the lengthy haul.
The Jets personal three first-round picks within the quarterback-rich 2027 draft after buying and selling away All-Professional cornerback Sauce Gardner and All-Professional defensive deal with Quinnen Williams final 12 months.
A younger core, together with Cooper, and first-round rookie tight finish Kenyon Sadiq, who scored a landing Sunday, seem to place the membership to help its subsequent man below heart higher than its final handful.
Till then, the Jets anticipate Smith to improve their arm expertise, veteran presence and command within the huddle. He craves an opportunity to rewrite his personal profession after the Seahawks shipped him to Las Vegas in favor of Sam Darnold after which Smith threw a league-high 17 interceptions with the Raiders. Amid the instability and on-field dysfunction, Smith says he discovered final 12 months extra about his teammates’ obligations.
“I used to be round plenty of younger gamers final 12 months, plenty of rookies, and so I discovered myself teaching and possibly getting the soar on my subsequent life,” Smith mentioned. “I used to be teaching rather a lot final 12 months, and when it’s important to try this, it simply amplifies. You suppose otherwise. You see the sport in a different way.”
He goals to use these nuances about his operating backs’ steps in addition to his receivers’ splits and hip angles to help the Jets this 12 months, Smith removed from a passive observer in constructing this offense.
Relationship again to the spring, Smith and Reich have exchanged late-night voicenotes and clips to share how every has overwhelmed sure ideas up to now, and the way that informs their beliefs on technique for the 2026 Jets.
He’s despatched teammates play clips, too, that skeleton-tested photographic reminiscence coming in useful for not solely Smith however these round him.
“I’ll ship them some movies or attempt to put some stuff on their iPads and so they do the identical,” Smith advised reporters Wednesday. “I believe that open line of communication is nice. It simply breeds for a greater offense and a greater reference to the wideouts, operating backs and tight ends.”
Smith will once more name upon that reminiscence this week because the Inexperienced Bay Packers arrive at MetLife Stadium of their second week of a brand new protection below coordinator Jonathan Gannon.
Smith confronted Gannon’s defenses 4 instances when Gannon was Arizona’s head coach and Smith was enjoying for Seattle. Smith gained all 4 instances — together with a fourth-quarter comeback within the 2023 regular-season finale.
Relationship again to the spring, Smith and Reich had been exchanging messages about his 2023 fourth-quarter situational work, quarterback sending coordinator the solutions he discovered to chess matches from his prior chapters.
“Individuals don't perceive the extent of simply, you bought to virtually be considering forward in these conditions,” Smith mentioned. “And also you're virtually eager about, like, you attempt to get contained in the defensive coordinator's mind. ‘On this state of affairs, the odds are that he's going to make this name or do that factor. Properly, right here's our reply for that.’
“I really like that about soccer as a result of it’s a chess sport.”
A chess sport that Smith can, and can keep in mind as he tries to present Jets followers their first 2-0 begin in over a decade.
“Simply trying ahead to a different alternative to compete with the fellows and go on the market and try to win a sport,” Smith mentioned. “Each week, it’s about having a 1-0 mindset.”