For the first time this season, the Las Vegas Raiders had a different starting quarterback with Kenny Pickett getting the nod against the Philadelphia Eagles. Geno Smith had started every previous game, but got banged up in Week 14.
Smith returned to practice ahead of the team’s Week 16 game against the Houston Texans. Head coach Pete Carroll announced on Friday that Smith will start.
Pickett had a prime opportunity to wrestle the starting job away from Smith, but he couldn’t do anything in the 31-0 loss to the Eagles. Though he is a younger player, he’s on an expiring contract and might not be back next year, so the Raiders don’t seem motivated to give him more playing time.
At the same time, Smith might not be back next season, so it doesn’t make much sense not to give one of the younger quarterbacks a chance amid a 2-12 season. Smith is about to have a long day against the Texans.
Houston has a ferocious pass rush and one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Raiders can’t even score on bad defenses, so Smith is going to have a very hard time. That said, this would be the perfect game for Smith to prove that he’s not past his prime.
Texans DC Praises Smith
It has been a nightmare season for Smith, but he has proven to be a capable quarterback in the past. The Raiders’ offensive line and wide receiver corps lack talent, so that hasn’t made his job any easier.
Even in a rough season, Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke believes that Smith can cause problems for his defense.
“He can make every throw. Obviously, missed the game last week,” Burke said, via Raiders.com. “But looking back through the season, he’s been operating fine. Obviously, they’ve been put in some tough spots. But very dangerous still. He can move out of the pocket, make those plays that we’ve seen him make time-in and time-out. He’s still operating at a high level. I know some of the numbers have dipped a little bit, but you watch all the plays he’s making on tape, there’s still a lot there for him. We’ve got to be up to our best against him.”
DeMeco Ryans Impressed With Ashton Jeanty
Another reason why Smith has struggled is that the Raiders have the worst running game in the NFL. This is a problem considering the team used a top-10 draft pick on running back Ashton Jeanty.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans doesn’t care about stats. He thinks Jeanty is a very dynamic player.
“I know they haven’t run for a ton of yards, but when you watch the film and you watch this young man run the football, he’s probably one of the best when it comes to contact balance,” Ryans said. “He finds a way to jump through tackles and continue to make guys miss tackles. He plays tough, plays behind his pads. A really tough runner that I respect a lot. I think he has a really bright future in our league.”
Raiders Announce Geno Smith Decision Before Texans Game