Nine years, 11 months. That’s how long it’s been since Oct. 16, 2014, the last time Geno Smith started an NFL game at Gillette Stadium.
This week, Smith and the Seattle offense aim to rebound from a shaky Week 1 win over Denver. But there’s a quiet confidence both inside Seahawks headquarters and throughout the NFL that Smith will reach that goal. After all, Smith isn’t just 10 years older than the 24-year-old kid given the keys to Rex Ryan’s offense back in the day at New England. According to his center, he’s a calm, mature leader.
“Obviously, I’ve seen him play around the league but never been on his team,” said Connor Williams Thursday on the team’s Huddle Up podcast.
Seattle’s offensive-line breakdowns led to not one but two second-quarter safeties. The Seahawks needed calm, mature leadership in that moment – Seattle trailed 10-9 without allowing a Broncos touchdown — and Williams took listeners into a sideline huddle led by Smith that put Seattle back on course.
“It was clear. It was clear what was going on,” said Williams, who signed with the Seahawks Aug. 12. “For him to be able to bring us together and do what he did, just being able to realign the offense and realign all of us together on the same mission, same plan, just tightening it up, he definitely earned my respect as a leader right there.”
Smith’s leadership and mental toughness was also evident to offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, especially after Smith threw an interception on the season’s second snap.
“Obviously, he threw the pick when he got kind of crunched in the back knee there,” Grubb said Thursday via Seahawks.com. “You’d love that obviously not to happen, but I think it matches everything I’ve said that I love about Geno. When you think about starting a game that way — and this guy is just one cool customer — he walks up and stays on, he doesn’t flinch at all when you’re talking to him and he’s just been there and done that and been in so many battles like that that he’s just going to be able to respond to tough situations. And he certainly did and was super-efficient with the ball.”
Williams has also responded to tough situations. The seventh-year veteran, who has snapped to Dak Prescott and Tua Tagovailoa, is a great story himself. He joined the Seahawks last month after overcoming two career ACL injuries, one in each knee.
Smith and Williams on Sunday at New England (1 p.m. ET, FOX) will anchor an offense that lost both running back Kenneth Walker and tackle George Fant to injuries against Denver. Both players missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday.