Michael Vick Replaces Geno Smith: Stats, Comments and Reaction

Updates from Monday, Oct. 27

Rex Ryan named Michael Vick the starting quarterback following Geno Smith's benching on Sunday, via Adam Schefter of ESPN:

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News and NFL.com's Around the League passed along comments from Ryan following the decision:

Original Text

New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith threw three interceptions in the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills. As a result, backup Michael Vick took over under center early in the game.

The fans in MetLife Stadium were thrilled to see the change, as Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday points out:

Vick was unable to turn the game around for the Jets but contributed in both the passing and rushing game. Here's a look at his full statistics from Sunday:

Comp-Att	Pass Yds	TD-INT	Rush Att-Yds	Rush TD
18-36	153	0-1	8-69	0

During his first series, Vick made a statement. After admitting he was not prepared earlier in the season, the veteran drove the team down the field for its first touchdown of the afternoon.

Though it was Chris Ivory who ultimately ran for the touchdown, it was Vick who led the drive. Mike Rodak of ESPN.com noted the strong drive:

Ivory would get another touchdown and Nick Folk kicked a field goal to put the score at a manageable 24-17 at the half, but matters would quickly change for Vick afterward.

Fumbles and an interception for Vick would change the outlook of the game as Buffalo ran away in the second half. The Bills ultimately scored 19 points after halftime for the 43-23 win.

Following the game, Rex Ryan spoke about the quarterback situation, via the Jets' official Twitter account:

The veteran was brought in this offseason to be an experienced backup for Smith. Facing a stout defense against the Bills, Vick had a chance to prove himself again but had issues of his own, leaving his status moving forward up in the air.

New York is now 1-7 and drops even further down in the division after all three other teams in the division earned a win on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how things shape up at the quarterback position moving forward.

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