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Jets still deciding Week 13 starter
Rex Ryan weighing options after brutal loss
By: Antonio D'Arcangelis | Nov 25 2014, 8:37 am
| Not that either quarterback made a compelling case for the job, but Jets coach Rex Ryan said after Monday's 38-3 loss to the Bills that he isn't sure if Geno Smith or Michael Vick would start next Monday night at home against Miami.
"We'll address that later," Ryan said. "I don't know yet. We'll figure it out. I want to see how they look (after evaluating the tape of Monday's game). Sometimes, you can have a feel and a sense of it on the field. When you watch the tape, maybe you see a different opinion. We'll take a look at it and do what we think is best."
Smith replaced Vick with 4:57 remaining in the third quarter, when the Jets trailed 31-3. Smith did not play in either of the past two games, a loss to the Chiefs and a win over the Steelers. Ryan benched Smith in favor of Vick after Smith threw three first-quarter interceptions Oct. 26 against the Bills.
At the time of his benching for the Kansas City game, Smith had committed 37 turnovers in his 24 career NFL games.
On Monday night, Vick completed 7 of 19 passes for 76 yards and an interception. Vick almost threw two other picks. Smith completed 10 of 12 passes for 89 yards.
Facing the Bills' formidable defensive line, Vick was sacked five times. Smith was sacked twice, though one was on the game's final play, when he ran out of bounds for a 4-yard loss while under pressure.
"We also had some shots where I thought we really could've completed some passes," Ryan said when asked about Vick's lackluster stat line. "But it wasn't just (Vick). The protection, he was under duress almost the whole game."
The Jets are 2-9, so their final five games will just be a slow trudge to the finish for Ryan, who almost certainly will be fired after the season.
Will the Jets use these final five games to take one last look at Smith, and determine if he has a future with them? Or will they turn back to Vick, who hopes to prove he can remain on this team in 2015 and contend for the starting job?
When Ryan benched Smith for Vick during the first Buffalo game, the coach named Vick the starter the next day for the following week's game at the Chiefs. Ryan is scheduled to speak with reporters Tuesday afternoon.
Vick sustained a minor calf injury Monday night, but he could have continued to play.
"I saw that he was hobbled a little bit, it looked like," Ryan said. "He was taking some hits, and I wanted to give Geno some shots out there, give him a chance. It wasn't told to me that (Vick) could not play. I just saw that he was hobbled a little bit there."
Said Vick: "I got kicked in the calf, but it wasn't that bad. I could've come back, but coach told me I got knocked around a little bit and he just didn't want me out there." (NJ.com)
FFToday's Take: Neither Vick nor Smith is a recommended fantasy option at this point, but it could have an impact on how the other skill positions (and we use that term loosely) perform this week. Stay tuned.
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