Geno Smith’s opening stretch as the Las Vegas Raiders‘ starting quarterback hasn’t gone according to plan. Despite offseason hype, Smith is 1-4 as the starter and leading the NFL with nine interceptions.
Derek Carr had his lumps when he was the Raiders’ starting quarterback for nine years, but the team hasn’t been able to find an adequate replacement for him. While Smith hasn’t been playing well, he also hasn’t gotten much help in every game.
There have been a number of tipped passes that were intercepted, and the Raiders’ defense played very poorly in Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts. Many fans and pundits are ready to write Smith off, but Carr made sure to send some words of encouragement to the Raiders quarterback.
âLet me say this to Geno Smith,â Carr said on a video posted to social media. âGeno, I understand the frustration. I understand the tip ball. Itâs like, really, another tip ball that gets picked? Really, like, I understand the heart, the boiling, I understand. But guess what, Geno? Youâre a good football player, all right? Donât forget how well you played in some of these games. Donât forget some of these throws that youâve made, right? And hereâs the most beautiful part about it all.
“On Wednesday, they put that ball down, and you practice again. On Thursday, they put the ball down. On Friday, they put it down. On Saturday, they may put a ball down or a tennis ball, but youâre doing a walkthrough. And on Sunday, most importantly, all right, theyâre putting that ball down. And you get to go out there and lead that football team again. And guess what?”
Carr Believes in Smith
Smith is a confident player, but it’s gotta be a difficult stretch for him right now. The Raiders traded for him and paid him a lot of money, but he hasn’t been making many plays.
Though Carr isn’t a member of the Raiders organization anymore, he’s doing what he can to make sure Smith stays confident.
“Nobody believes in you more than me, right? I believe in you, I know the type of player you are, and I always said this when I was the Raidersâ quarterback: âI will never be the Raiders quarterback that leaves and bashes the one thatâs playing.â Iâm telling you right now that I believe in you. I believe in you, I know that you can do it,â Carr said.
Smith Has to Have Bounceback Game in Week 6
There won’t be any excuses for Smith to have a bad game in Week 6. The Raiders are hosting the Tennessee Titans. The Titans have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, so this is a chance for Smith to get right.
Now, if he plays poorly again, that’s a very bad sign for the Raiders. Smith usually plays a lot better against bad teams, but struggles against good teams. If he can’t even beat or at least play well against a bad Titans team, it could mean Las Vegas has to make a change at quarterback.
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