New York Jets coach Rex Ryan is standing by his rookie Geno Smith, despite his struggles.
Ryan said he’s confident in Smith at quarterback, reiterating that he will remain the starter. Ryan said Smith needs to make some improvements after the QB was careless with the ball in their loss to the Titans last Sunday.
When asked by reporters after the game if he would give Smith a chance to watch and learn from the sideline, Ryan replied, “It’s not a thought at this point right now.”
Smith turned the ball over for a season-high four times in Sunday’s 38-13 loss to Tennessee. That brought his total to 11, which ties him with New York Giants’ quarterback Eli Manning for most in the NFL. Smith threw two interceptions and carelessly fumbled the ball twice.
“You can’t buy experience, but with that being said, we still have to do a much better job — Geno, in particular — of protecting the football at all costs,” Ryan said. “You can’t be nonchalant about it, you have to protect the ball. You can talk about it until you’re blue in the face.”
