Geno Smith returns to face the Raiders on Sunday after one uneven season in Las Vegas, but the Jets quarterback insists the matchup carries no extra weight. "It's another game," Smith told reporters Wednesday. "It is another opportunity for us as a team to go out there and try and start a streak and try and establish ourselves." The Jets acquired Smith and a 2026 seventh-round pick in an offseason trade that sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to Las Vegas, ending a stint in which Smith threw for 3,025 yards with 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 15 games under coach Pete Carroll.
Through seven starts this season, Smith has completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,623 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions, though the Jets enter at 2-5 following a loss to Miami. The 34-year-old veteran, originally drafted by New York in 2013, has played for five franchises and owns 23,791 career passing yards with 134 touchdowns.
Smith praised the Raiders defense, which has forced 12 turnovers — second in the NFL behind Green Bay. "They are multiple in their fronts," he said. "They are using guys in a lot of different ways. They have some hybrid players like Jeremy Chinn and just the way that they are using Quay Walker and Nakobe Dean is having himself a year." He also singled out defensive end Maxx Crosby: "He is a guy who is a game breaker... I gained a ton of respect for him from being a teammate." The Raiders, mired in a four-game skid, may start rookie guard Trey Zuhn III as they continue searching for offensive line stability.
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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