New York Giants: Geno Smith deserves to play before end of season

Geno Smith is the only quarterback who should replace Eli Manning under center for the New York Giants before this lost season ends.

Depending on how you spent your Thanksgiving holiday and the days preceding and following what were hopefully delicious and filling meals, you may have missed Chuck Modiano of the New York Daily News generating some buzz via a lengthy, well-thought and fascinating defense of New York Giants backup quarterback Geno Smith ahead of the final month of this disastrous and lost campaign.

Modiano reviewed Smith’s impressive, albeit rocky, rookie season, and the author went so far to compare the former New York Jets flop to New Orleans Saints living legend Drew Brees. Brees already has a spot guaranteed for him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he journeys through the twilight of his career, while Smith had to overtake Josh Johnson for the right to serve as Eli Manning’s backup this past summer.

Before anybody considers voicing hot takes of any type about Modiano’s piece or about what he referred to as Smith’s “insane untapped potential,” let’s reasonably all agree the 27-year old probably isn’t Brees 2.0. Brees is a one-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP, his resume is filled with franchise and league records, and he will be enshrined in Canton not long after he hangs his cleats up for good, whenever that day arrives.

History tells us Smith won’t ever flirt with getting to such a high level, and not just because of his noteworthy injury history or because he failed to land full-time work with the Jets or any other franchise before trading Gang Green for Big Blue. Brees is a special and unique talent, one who has been fortunate to play many games inside of domes where wind, temperatures and precipitation aren’t concerns. Hoping anybody, let alone Smith, will evolve into Brees is unfair to the quarterback in question.

Push that comparison and anything regarding Smith’s past aside, and instead focus on the harsh realities of his current employer’s situation. The Giants fell to 2-9 after last Thursday’s loss to the Washington Redskins, a defeat that eliminated a once-promising roster from the playoffs with over a month of football remaining before all involved can put this season behind them once and for all. New York’s offense was, pardon the pun, downright offensive throughout that contest, as Manning threw for a paltry 113 yards in the losing effort.

Whether or not head coach Ben McAdoo can do anything to save his job past the last day of December is unknown to those of us on the outside and maybe even to individuals running the organization. General manager Jerry Reese could be on the hot seat to the point he’s shown the door in early January, if not sooner, and a new front office will, theoretically, want to hire its own coaching staff.

It’s possible McAdoo “salvaging” Smith’s career, or at least being able to take some credit for the Giants having a potential replacement for Manning, could do the trick. While Smith didn’t light scoreboards up with regularity or appear to be much more than an adequate backup this past August, it’s worth noting he completed 10 of 11 pass attempts and tossed a touchdown during the opening drive of the preseason finale versus the New England Patriots.

Yes, that game was played at half-speed, at most, by those experiencing the glorified walkthrough, but remember that New York’s first-choice offense on August 1 is now nothing more than a memory. Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall are on injured reserve. Sterling Shepard is battling migraines, and the Giants may want to shut him down until 2018. Rookie tight end Evan Engram looks like a first-year pro without those other weapons on the field.

New York’s leading receivers against the Redskins on Thanksgiving night were Engram (three catches), Roger Lewis (three catches) and Tavarres King (two catches). Rookie running back Wayne Gallman also added two receptions. Anybody still wondering why third-round pick Davis Webb remains inactive need only examine the team’s depth chart from November 23. Playing Webb, who performed like a project during summer exhibitions games, would be a disservice to everyone on the offense, as it’s clear McAdoo and others believe he isn’t ready. Otherwise, the 22-year-old would be above Smith on the depth chart.

This isn’t Smith’s first rodeo. He’s been part of some lousy offenses and curious schemes created by coaches who failed him. Maybe, just maybe, he could offer a spark to an offense that’s a shell of what it was months ago. Giving Smith snaps doesn’t mean Manning’s historic consecutive starts streak of 210 needs to end this season. Manning can still begin games, with Smith earning second-half reps.

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Manning turns 37 years old in January, and the Giants have opportunities to see what Smith is and isn’t at this point of his career. He couldn’t do much worse than what fans had to endure on Thanksgiving.

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