Joe Namath doesn’t believe the Jets should bench Geno Smith. The Hall of Fame quarterback, however, isn’t sure Smith is the long-term answer, either.
“From what I’ve seen, and I’ve said this before, I don’t see anything outstanding in his passing ability or his footwork or his speed or his quickness,” Namath said.
Namath, who led the Jets to their lone Super Bowl title, in 1969, stopped short of blaming Smith for the Jets’ massive offensive struggles a month into the season. Smith has committed eight turnovers and was particularly off target in Sunday’s 24-17 loss to the Lions at MetLife Stadium. Namath has seen a quarterback too frequently under a heavy rush and not being helped enough by his teammates.
“If Geno’s offensive line played a little bit better, he’ll play better. If the guys caught every ball they touched, then he’d play better,” he said. “We bring in a top-notch receiver from Denver [Eric Decker], two times he dropped the ball in the last game that would’ve kept the drive going.”
After the loss to the Lions, Smith cursed out a fan as he walked off the field, dropping an F-bomb. He later apologized through the media. Namath understands his frustration — in his rookie year, he lost his composure as well, giving a few fans the finger.
“I made that mistake,” the 71-year-old Namath said. “Emotions come out sometimes, man. It’s immature. … You don’t get a lesson until you live through it.”
Namath defended Jets coach Rex Ryan, despite the slow start. He pointed to Ryan’s 43-41 record in six seasons with Gang Green, and pointed to the limited roster with nearly $21 million cap space.
“I heard about this extra money that they have,” Namath said. “I don’t know what they’re saving it for myself, looking at the talent they have out there right now.
“I don’t think [Ryan] has been sabotaged. I think they all want to win. Knowing how to go about it is something that may need to be changed.”
Namath feels second-year general manager John Idzik still has a lot to prove in terms of his talent evaluation. Of his 12 picks in the most recent draft, two have been cut and two are on season-ending injured reserve. Last year’s first-round pick, Dee Milliner, has been a disappointment, either injured or ineffective.
“School’s out,” Namath said of Idzik. “We’d like to have seen a better team out there, better personnel out there in some spots. Wide receiver, defensive backs. Injuries get in the way, ya know, guys haven’t developed that they have picked.
“You got to find the right men to play the game, and why [is it] some teams stay in the hunt more than others year in and year out? It’s the people that are making decisions. It starts at the top.”
Namath was at the Grand Hyatt in Midtown Manhattan to announce the creation of the Joe Namath Neurological Research at Jupiter Medical Center. The research center will look to combat the debilitating effects of traumatic brain injuries sustained by concussion. Part of Tuesday’s announcement was the launch of a clinical trial to study the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat brain injury.
Namath, who last February said head injuries sustained during his playing career have adversely affected his health, has seen improvement after a series of hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments for six months.