Geno Smith throws two pick-sixes in embarrassing performance against Bengals

Geno Smith looked very much like a rookie QB against the Bengals. (David Kohl/AP) Like most rookie quarterbacks, Geno Smith of the New York Jets has been hot

Doug Farrar | Oct 27, 2013

Geno Smith throws two pick-sixes in embarrassing performance against Bengals /

Geno Smith looked very much like a rookie QB against the Bengals. (David Kohl/AP)

Like most rookie quarterbacks, Geno Smith of the New York Jets has been hot and cold this season. When he's at his best, as he was against the Atlanta Falcons and New England Patriots, he seems to be the easy future for the Jets at the game's most important position. When he's not? Well, there was the no-touchdown, three-pick debacle against the Patriots earlier in the season, and there is what he did against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. The Bengals offense set a lofty pace (it put up 28 points in the first half alone), but Smith didn't help -- he became the first quarterback this season to throw two interceptions for opponent touchdowns in the same game.

The first one came with 14:54 left in the third quarter, when Smith threw to nickel cornerback Chris Crocker, who returned it 32 yards for the score:

Then, with 13:21 left in the game, Adam Jones took Smith's second pick to the house on a 60-yard play:

(Thanks to Bleacher Report for both GIFs.)

At that point, Smith had completed 20-of-30 passes for 159 yards, no touchdowns and two picks, and the Jets were losing, 49-9. On the next series, backup Matt Simms replaced Smith under center.

Smith is an evolving quarterback with potential, but he hast to be quicker and more decisive on certain throws, especially shorter throws that can easily be jumped. This was an expensive lesson.

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Published Oct 27, 2013

DOUG FARRAR

SI.com contributing NFL writer and Seattle resident Doug Farrar started writing about football locally in 2002, and became Football Outsiders' West Coast NFL guy in 2006. He was fascinated by FO's idea to combine Bill James with Dr. Z, and wrote for the site for six years. He wrote a game-tape column called "Cover-2" for a number of years, and contributed to six editions of "Pro Football Prospectus" and the "Football Outsiders Almanac." In 2009, Doug was invited to join Yahoo Sports' NFL team, and covered Senior Bowls, scouting combines, Super Bowls, and all sorts of other things for Yahoo Sports and the Shutdown Corner blog through June, 2013. Doug received the proverbial offer he couldn't refuse from SI.com in 2013, and that was that. Doug has also written for the Seattle Times, the Washington Post, the New York Sun, FOX Sports, ESPN.com, and ESPN The Magazine. He also makes regular appearances on several local and national radio shows, and has hosted several podcasts over the years. He counts Dan Jenkins, Thomas Boswell, Frank Deford, Ralph Wiley, Peter King, and Bill Simmons as the writers who made him want to do this for a living. In his rare off-time, Doug can be found reading, hiking, working out, searching for new Hendrix, Who, and MC5 bootlegs, and wondering if the Mariners will ever be good again.