Geno Smith Far from Perfect but Desperately Needs More Help from Jets Offense

Down by a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, the New York Jets had one last opportunity to even things up against the Denver Broncos.

At that point, the Denver defense stiffened, nearly sacking Jets quarterback Geno Smith in the end zone for a game-sealing safety. On the very next play, Smith missed a throw to Jeremy Kerley that was picked off by Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib and returned for a touchdown. 

At that point, the game was sealed, and you can bet that Smith will be forced to shoulder much of the blame thanks to his late-game gaffe with everything on the line. At the very least he is likely to be criticized for failing to make enough plays in a tight game.

In reality, it is the Jets' organization that deserves criticism for failing to surround Smith with enough talent to make those plays when it matters most.

The Jets want to see if Smith can develop into a franchise-caliber signal-caller, so it makes sense that the team has thrown its support behind the second-year quarterback instead of turning to veteran Michael Vick. However, the lack of playmaking talent has made it virtually impossible to get a handle on Smith's development.

Smith has struggled most of the season to look like a real NFL starter under center, so blaming him for New York's struggles is easy. Coming into Sunday's home contest, he was rated 34th overall among quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His six interceptions were tied for second-most in the NFL.

The Jets now sit at 1-5 as a result.

Smith's struggles, however, cannot be blamed solely on the quarterback himself. According to Pro Football Focus, the Jets entered Week 6 ranked 16th in pass blocking and 22nd in rushing offense. The offensive line was ranked 23rd in run blocking.

Failing to run the football adequately is a recipe for disaster for any young quarterback, especially if he isn't protected by topnotch pass protectors and sure-handed pass-catchers.

On Sunday, Smith himself was the Jets' leading rusher with a mere 11 yards. Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson combined for a pathetic 16 yards on 12 carries. It should go without saying that New York was forced to rely on Smith to beat the Broncos.

Unfortunately, Smith simply doesn't have the weapons to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Peyton Manning and Co. when the run game is struggling that mightily. Aside from offseason acquisition Eric Decker, the Jets don't have any big-named receivers on the roster. Rookie tight end Jace Amaro was the leading receiver against Denver with 10 catches but just 68 yards.

Game	Opponent	Net Yards Rushing	Result	Final Score
1	Raiders	212	Win	19-14
2	@ Packers	147	Loss	31-24
3	Bears	114	Loss	27-19
4	Lions	132	Loss	24-17
5	@ Chargers	91	Loss	31-0
6	Bronco	31	Loss	31-17

That's a mere 6.8 yards per reception from the leading receiver, which reflects the fact that Smith was frequently forced to settle for short and underneath throws throughout the game. The fact that Smith entered the game averaging just 6.4 yards per attempt shows just how much of a struggle it has been finding receivers with separation deep this season.

The aforementioned Decker, signed to a five-year, $35.25 million contract during the offseason, now has just 258 yards and three touchdowns through six games. 

Defensively, New York has been a mixed bag. The unit usually plays at an above-average level (ranked sixth in the league, allowing 320.8 yards per game) and did hold the mighty Manning to a pedestrian 237 yards passing on Sunday.

However, the defense is not elite and is far from the dominant unit that allowed Mark Sanchez to appear in the AFC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons. 

The Jets surrounded Sanchez with top talent when he first entered the league in 2009. While Sanchez had his struggles early, the Jets were good enough to cover his mistakes and win football games. The same cannot be said for this incarnation of the Jets and Geno Smith.

The end results have spoken loud and clear for last-place New York.