The Seattle Seahawks’ starting quarterback Geno Smith has performed admirably since replacing Russell Wilson, who left the Seahawks ahead of the 2022 NFL season to join the Denver Broncos.
Seattle currently has Smith on the lineup, leading the team’s offense. Smith, who has been in the Seahawks QB depth chart since 2019, was named as the team’s starting QB when coach Pete Carroll chose him over Drew Lock.
Geno Smith is cookin' for the @Seahawks pic.twitter.com/Miyf8pI9pA
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) October 5, 2022
Smith has thrown 1,101 yards, seven passing touchdowns, and a 77.3 percent completion rate with a passer rating of 108 through four games this season.
In comparison, Wilson had five touchdown passes and 1,031 yards passing. Carroll noted that Wilson’s completion rate was not great, with only 61.1 percent and a 91.1 passer rating.
Smith’s completion rate is reportedly the highest in NFL history by any quarterback in four games and currently sits at third rank in the NFL, trailing behind the Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa and the Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes.
Geno Smith in Week 4:
🟢 23/30
🟢 320 passing yards
🟢 49 rushing yards
🟢 3 total TDs
🟢 132.6 passer rating— PFF SEA Seahawks (@PFF_Seahawks) October 2, 2022
According to NFL reporter Doug Kyed, Smith is the PFF’s top-graded quarterback and could replace Wilson.
“He could be playing his way into a contract extension with the Seahawks as Russell Wilson’s replacement,” Kyed said.
On the other hand, John Laghezza of the Athletic noted that Smith’s efficiency (0.12 EPA per play) ranked fourth in the league, sitting behind Tagovailoa, the Buffalo Bills’ QB Josh Allen and Mahomes.
Despite being listed as 16th overall among QBs in passing attempts (132), he is ranked seventh in completions (102), making him one of the league’s most accurate starting QBs with 77 percent of completions thrown.
Smith is one of the league’s best quarterbacks, according to Laghezza. He claimed that the combination of him as QB and the Seahawks wideouts could create “nightmares” for the opponents every week.
Metcalf praises Smith’s contribution to Seahawks’ offense
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that Smith’s teammate, wide receiver DK Metcalf, applauded his performance in leading the Seahawks’ offense.
“I knew he was going to be great from the moment he got his chance,” Metcalf said. “He just needed the opportunity. Now he’s just showing everybody what we already knew.
Question: You’re in the midst of sumn unprecedented: backup for 7 years now near top league in passer rating & just won POW…
Geno: “You surprised by that?”
Reply: If you’d told me that before the season, I’d been a bit surprised
Geno: “That’s cuz you never watched me throw.” pic.twitter.com/DeWzzuhZQh
— Dugar, Michael-Shawn (@MikeDugar) October 6, 2022
Metcalf also mentioned that, despite the lack of recognition, Smith could be the Seahawks’ starting quarterback.
“It’s just exciting to just see him be more vocal after the games, during the games, and how he interacts with the younger players and everybody else,” Metcalf said.
So far, Metcalf has racked up 23 receptions for 284 yards and one touchdown when Smith led the team’s offense in four NFL games.
Smith was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week when he led the Seahawks to win the game against the Detroit Lions, 48-45. He racked up 23 out of 30 passing completions for 320 yards and ended the game with a 132.6 passer rating. In addition, he added two passing touchdowns to the Seahawks’ scorebook.
As reported by ESPN, Smith started the Seahawks-Lions matchup Thursday, leading the league with a 77.3 percent completion throughout Week 6 of the 2022 season. He was sitting third among other quarterbacks with a 108.0 passer rating, ranked fifth with an average of a 72.4 QBR per game, and listed 10th in passing yardage with 1,037 yards.
The Seahawks will travel to the Caesars Superdome to have their road game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.