Underappreciated part of Geno Smith's game is saving the Seahawks
By Lee Vowell
The header photo of this article is a rare one. Not because a photo of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith throwing a pass cannot be easily found with a search on Google, but because Smith actually has a pocket to throw from. Nearly half the time, he is forced to throw dimes with the pocket collapsing around him.
There are some who will never agree that Smith is a good quarterback. He will always be a backup in their minds because those people might not have watched the Seahawks play football in two-plus seasons. Smith has ranked in the top 13 of the league in Total QBR over that time. He was even seventh in 2022.
Just imagine if Smith had more time to throw, however. Surely, though he would never say it to the media, he dreams of a life where he doesn't get hit by opposing defenders as much. But Smith is also good at avoiding rushing defenders, too.
Geno Smith's mobility is keeping the Seahawks afloat
Smith has an escapability that a lot of quarterbacks do not. Kirk Cousins is a fine quarterback, but he does not have Smith's athleticism. If Cousins were the quarterback of Seattle, he would get sacked a lot more than Smith, and the offense would be far more limited. Smith's ability to move around the pocket and make plays keeps the Seahawks afloat even when the team otherwise wouldn't.
Smith had back-to-back plays on a Seattle scoring drive. On the first play, he was flushed from the pocket and, while running toward the right sideline, was able to throw across his body and hit Noah Fant for a 28-yard gain. On the next play, Smith was forced to his left and found AJ Barner for a five-yard gain.
dark. Next. Richard Sherman says the quiet part out loud about Geno Smith. Richard Sherman says the quiet part out loud about Geno Smith
The problem is Smith has to make those kinds of plays more than any other quarterback except for one in 2028. He has faced the second-most pressures in the league. According to ESPN's analytics, Seattle is 28th in pass-block win rate at only 52.2 percent. Still, Smith leads the league in completions (173) and is sixth in completion percentage (68.9).
A less mobile quarterback - and yes, a less talented QB - would not be able to produce those kinds of numbers. The team would not be 4-3 as the offense would be more limited. The bottom line is that if Geno Smith did not play for the Seahawks, the team would not be anywhere nearly as good as they are.
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