New York Jets coach Rex Ryan still refuses -- at least to the media -- to name Geno Smith his starting signal-caller for the remainder of the season.
"I'm definitely ready to say he's our starting quarterback this week against Cincinnati," Ryan said Wednesday, per Newsday.
That admission came after Rex gushed over Smith, saying the rookie passer can "make all the throws" and telling the room: "I think it's now his system."
That lines up with what NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell told us on Wednesday's "Around the League Podcast":
"I think Geno Smith has played, for the most part, very well," Cosell said. "You'd expect him to be a little uneven, which he's been, but I think there are some quarterback attributes that really stand out when you watch him. Number one, he's willing to pull the trigger, and on difficult throws -- and on difficult throws on the intermediate and deeper levels. Number two, he's willing to stand in the pocket and deliver when there's pressure, when there are bodies around him.
"Those are very positive traits," Cosell said. "And the way they call games, the way Marty Mornhinweg calls games, they clearly are developing trust in him."
From the start, Smith hasn't been afraid to fire the ball into tight windows. That's occasionally wreaked havoc on the Jets, but he's a young passer willing to take chances:
Cosell: "They came out, the first play this week against New England, in a spread set with three wide receivers to the left, Jeff Cumberland to the right. Clearly a game-planned play. They anticipated the man coverage that the Patriots have been playing a lot of; they got Cumberland matched on (linebacker Dont'a) Hightower and he made a big-time corner throw to start a game.
"You know, those are hard throws," Cosell said. "And that's the first play. So, they clearly think that he's advancing."
Here's the play, serving as another example of Gang Green's growing trust in young Geno:
The "Around The League Podcast" spoke with NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell on Wednesday. Click here to listen and subscribe.
