Brandon Marshall says Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't responding to his texts. Local media reports it's no sure thing that the team will sign last year's starting quarterback. With each passing week, the possibility of Geno Smith being in the lineup for New York in Week 1 inches closer to reality.
If that happens, what can be expected from New York's offense? Well, they probably won't pass the ball as well or as effectively.
In Fitzpatrick's 15 full games a year ago, he averaged 22 completions on 37 attempts for 257 yards and 2 TDs per game. Smith, in 27 full games over his first three seasons (removing contests where he was benched or injured), put up much lesser numbers in every respect. He averaged 4 fewer completions, 7 fewer attempts, 46 fewer yards, and half as many TDs.
Game by game numbers for Smith are shown below. His presence in the lineup, if it works out that way, should be a notable downgrade for Marshall, Eric Decker and the rest of New York's receivers.
GENO SMITH, 2013-2015 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Opp | Com | Att | Yds | TD |
2013 | TB | 24 | 38 | 256 | 1 |
2013 | @ NE | 15 | 35 | 214 | 0 |
2013 | BUF | 16 | 29 | 331 | 2 |
2013 | @ TEN | 23 | 34 | 289 | 1 |
2013 | @ ATL | 16 | 20 | 199 | 3 |
2013 | PIT | 19 | 34 | 201 | 0 |
2013 | NE | 17 | 33 | 233 | 1 |
2013 | @ CIN | 20 | 30 | 159 | 0 |
2013 | NO | 8 | 19 | 115 | 0 |
2013 | @ BUF | 8 | 23 | 103 | 0 |
2013 | @ BAL | 9 | 22 | 127 | 0 |
2013 | OAK | 16 | 25 | 219 | 1 |
2013 | @ CAR | 15 | 28 | 167 | 1 |
2013 | CLE | 20 | 36 | 214 | 2 |
2013 | @ MIA | 17 | 27 | 190 | 0 |
2014 | OAK | 23 | 28 | 221 | 1 |
2014 | @ GB | 16 | 32 | 176 | 1 |
2014 | CHI | 26 | 43 | 316 | 1 |
2014 | DET | 17 | 33 | 209 | 1 |
2014 | DEN | 23 | 43 | 190 | 2 |
2014 | @ NE | 20 | 34 | 226 | 1 |
2014 | @ BUF | 10 | 12 | 89 | 0 |
2014 | @ MIN | 18 | 29 | 254 | 1 |
2014 | @ TEN | 16 | 28 | 179 | 1 |
2014 | NE | 17 | 27 | 210 | 1 |
2014 | @ MIA | 20 | 25 | 358 | 3 |
2015 | @ OAK | 27 | 42 | 265 | 2 |
Avg | 18 | 30 | 211 | 1 |
--Andy Richardson