If Geno is not the answer, who is?

 

TERRY  MOSHER

 

TOP OF THE TOWN – Seahawks suffered a wakeup call last Sunday when Baltimore used them as a battering ram. I don’t remember them having a worse loss, although my memory has gone downhill as much as the Hawks went there against Baltimore. They may rebound this Sunday (Nov. 12) against Washington, but they have a problem. Quarterback Geno Smith is not a gifted signal-caller in the Burrow, Mahomes, Hurts, Allen territory. He is a backup who learned in his years as the second guy to be slightly better. In baseball parlance, Geno is a four-A quarterback. Too good for triple-A but not quite good enough to be the main guy. His shortcomings to me are he’s too much a system guy. He doesn’t seem to know when he should deviate from script. Quarterbacks normally have three or four options on a pass play and it appears to me that he seldom goes through the progression when his first, and main, option isn’t there. Sure, there is always the outlet receiver along the sidelines when all else fails, but what about the second and third options? He also doesn’t appear to have a functioning radar, and he’s not real mobile. That leads to unnecessary sacks. I don’t think he’s the leader he needs to be. Most good quarterbacks you can tell if they have good standing with their teammates. Being a leader can’t be forced. You acquire leadership by being you, making plays that show your teammates you can be counted on. I was a quarterback as a youngster and I knew that I had to be as good or better than anybody on our team. If we were third and four my teammates counted on me to make the right play, including putting my head down and barreling into the line. I just don’t see that recognition from Geno’s teammates. If Geno is the problem what is the solution? Coach Pete Carroll has made clear that it is not backup Drew Lock. If Lock is not the solution, why the heck is he the backup?  That’s enough for today. Stay safe.

Be well pal.

Be careful out there.

Have a great day.

You are loved.