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Seahawks QB Geno Smith Returns To New York To Face Former Team With 'Love & Respect' For Jets Organization

Geno Smith will start against the Jets in New Jersey for the first time since leaving there after the 2016 season.

Seahawks quarterback and captain Geno Smith prepares to lead the team onto the field during pregame introductions.
Seahawks quarterback and captain Geno Smith prepares to lead the team onto the field during pregame introductions.

In his first two years as the Seahawks' starting quarterback, Geno Smith has already faced the Jets, the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2013 draft, helping lead the Seahawks to victory in 2022.

And a year later, Smith returned to MetLife Stadium, his home early in his career, to help lead the Seahawks to a win over the Giants.

But on Sunday, Smith will play the Jets in their New Jersey home for the first time as a starting quarterback, a game that will have a special meaning for Seattle's quarterback, not because he's out for revenge against the team that moved on from him early in his career, but because he's grateful for the organization that gave him his start in the NFL.

"I've always had tremendous love and respect for that organization," Smith said Wednesday. "Obviously, the team that drafted me gave me a chance out of the gate. A lot of great people there, some people that I was there with, a lot of those people are now gone. So as far as the whole revenge thing, that's not on my mind. Like I said, man, there's a lot of great people in that city that I still talk to and I still love and still support me and so it's the biggest game of the year because it's the next game. But obviously, because I was drafted there it's going to be a narrative that's built."

For Smith, this week isn't about heading east to show the Jets what they missed out on by giving up on him almost a decade ago, but rather about trying to help the Seahawks win a third straight game while facing a talented Jets defense. And for Smith, that means finding ways to improve upon what has already been a very strong season.

Namely, Smith wants to eliminate the mistakes, and interceptions in particular, that have at times marred otherwise great performances.

"I'm always going to look at the things that I can do better," he said. "I think that's the way I've always approached the game. You can make the right decision on every play, but one, and that'll be the play that I'll emphasize and will look at the most. And so how do I evaluate (his play last week)? We won the game. That's what I care about the most. Other than that, how can I get better? There are many ways, everything can improve and that's something that I continue to work on daily. Where I think I am, I think I'm really a good player and I think I have a chance to be even better. So as long as I continue to work hard, continue to stay focused on my process as I talk to you guys about, I think good things will happen and I think some of that stuff that's unlucky will kind of weed itself out."

While Smith would love to never have a bad play or throw an interception, those are part of being a quarterback in the NFL, and throughout his time as Seattle's starter, one of his best traits is the way he has responded to those moments.

Two weeks ago, Smith threw an interception in the third quarter of a close game against the 49ers, then led a touchdown drive on Seattle's next possession before later leading the game-winning touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. And last week against the Cardinals, Smith threw an interception in the end zone early in the fourth quarter with Seattle looking to extend its lead, and he responded by leading a long, time-consuming drive that set up a field goal to put the game out of reach. That drive featured arguably Smith's play of the game, a third-and-8 throw in traffic to DK Metcalf, after scrambling to avoid a sack, that picked up 18 yards. Later in that same drive, Smith created another game-changing play with his football smarts, checking to a run play on third-and-4 based on the blitz look the Cardinals were showing, resulting in a 6-yard run by Zach Charbonnet that helped the Seahawks burn more clock and get into field goal range.

While some quarterbacks might get gun-shy after throwing an interception in a big moment, Smith tends to just get better in response to any adversity. Last week, Smith noted that his unusual career path, which saw him start his first two seasons before spending seven years as a backup, helps him find perspective in those type of moments.

"I think the perspective that I have, that I've gained over my career has allowed me to play that way," Smith said after leading the game-winning drive over the 49ers. "Whenever there is a mistake that's made, I never really get too down on myself, and also don't' get to high when good things happen. As long as you stay even-keeled throughout the process, I think things work out better that way."

And on Wednesday, he offered another explanation for how he's able to thrive in late-game situations even if there were some negative moments leading up to that.

"Growing up watching football, my favorite player was Brett Favre, born on the same day," he said. "And what would Brett do? Keep slinging. That's the way we play the game. I never tried to be reckless. I'm always trying to make the right decision, but I do believe in myself. I believe in my arm, I believe in my process. I always talk to you guys about and at times bad things happen. That's the way this game goes, but you can't let that affect you if you really are who you say you are, then you just go and play the next play."

No one wants to see Smith eliminate the interceptions more than the quarterback himself, but so far this season the pros have vastly outweighed the cons, and the Seahawks don't want to see their quarterback lose the playmaking edge that, while on occasion has led to turnovers, has also helped the Seahawks win a lot of games over the past few seasons

"It's not like we're losing trust in him or anything," Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said when asked about the interception last week. "We've got his back, and a lot of the things that make Geno a great player is his playmaking ability. So there is a fine line of—he arguably won us the game with the zero-check, and extending plays and commanding the line and giving him autonomy to do what he feels he needs to do in that moment. So there's a balance there. You never want to take the playmaker out of the player. So making some decisions to protect the ball in those moments, yeah, he could probably be a little more careful in those situations, but there's a fine line there."

Coaches, players and staff across the league will wear customized cleats in honor of causes that are important to them as part of 'My Cause My Cleats'. Check out the custom cleats that Seahawks players and staff will wear for this year's 'My Cause My Cleats' league-wide initiative.

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