/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/5765969/gyi0061808885.0.jpg)
It would have made Kansas City Chiefs fans feel much better had Geno Smith come out and just dominated that bowl game against Syracuse. That didn't happen, obviously. Not that all Chiefs fans were on the Geno Smith wagon before but it still would have helped his PR cause for this off-season around Kansas City.
More: The case for Geno Smith
Smith finished the game 16-24 for 187 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Whether you were a Geno Smith fan before the game or not one thing is for certain and cannot be denied. One game does not determine a NFL prospects future, not even two games. It's the course of a career that determines a players' worth to a NFL team. If you don't believe me than listen to a former NFL scout.
It's very early in the draft process but everyone that studies tape will tell you that U can kill every projected Top 10 pick in a game or 2
— Dan Shonka (@Ourlads_Shonka) December 29, 2012
The bottom line is this game didn't change any fans' minds on what they had already believed going into this game. I wrote my case for Geno as the No. 1 pick and that was based on watching every play he made in 11 different games. They weren't just highlight reels. It was every pass of every game. I'm not an expert on anything by any means, but I watched enough of Smith in those games to get a strong enough opinion that it's not going to change based on one game in the snow.
Sure, Saturday's game is part of the discussion but it doesn't determine the discussion. Before the game I liked Smith's accuracy and decision-making. I like that he doesn't force passes into coverage and throw costly interceptions. Neither of those things you can knock from a game that, based on twitter, you'd think he completed < 50% of his passes and had three INT's. But when a buzz is created about a guy possibly being the No. 1 pick then he's looked at with a certain microscope.
He did have two safeties and my opinions on them will be contested I'm sure, but I'm not sure why they were throwing the ball in that situation on the first one. I was critical of Smith 'not protecting the ball' on that play but it was going to be a safety regardless. He had nowhere to go on a play that took way too long to develop that deep in their own territory. The second one was a combination of footwork and getting tripped. Between those two plays and an errant throw on 3rd and 1 (being picky) and short-arming an outside-hash out-route, I can't knock any other individual play he made.
The throw he short-hopped to the outside he then came back and completed at least three times later in the game. But those two throws were 1/4 of his incompletions during the game. For a game that is considered awful by so many, I'll take that kind of awful compared to what we've seen this season from the Chiefs. (Just sayin)
It was stated from a couple of people on twitter very well during the game. This draft will ultimately come down to a preference and will ultimately depend on the offensive system the Chiefs run next season.
On one hand you have a gunslinger in Tyler Wilson (and to some extent Mike Glennon fits in here too), and then you've got the west-coasters (scheme) in Geno Smith and Matt Barkley.
I prefer a guy who takes care of the ball compared to a 'more dynamic' arm that trusts it too much sometimes. That's it. Pretty simple. I wouldn't hate any of those other guys because I think they're upgrades to our current situation.
Talking with the theme of this season and how often we said 'if we just had decent QB play we'd be winning more games'. We said that because of the amount of turnovers we had and the bad spots we were constantly putting our defense in time and time again.
The idea that this game completely changed the draft stock of Geno Smith is ridiculous. If anything it causes people to go back and watch more tape on him. That's a good thing in his case. It's like saying that a players' stock will completely change based on their combine workout. Also completely ridiculous for anything other than medical red flags (Jarvis Jones).
Geno Smith's WHOLE body of work is enough for me to support taking him with the No. 1 overall pick. It's not a slight on anyone out there because there are a lot of good players available, but you don't mess around at the quarterback position and waiting till #33 is WAY TOO big of gamble for the current state of the position on this team. Wilson and Glennon will almost assuredly NOT be there at 33.
I will soon have a write-up for Tyler Wilson in the same manner I did one for Geno Smith. He's another very talented quarterback the Chiefs could be looking at in the upcoming NFL draft.
This thread will undoubtedly become a thread of people stating the same things they felt before the game. It's kind of like a Presidential debate. People took what they wanted to take from it and both sides will declare victory. I won't go as far to say victory but if this is what you consider awful, I'll take it.
For all the talk about West Virginia's losses and how some believe Smith didn't 'rise to the occasion' and help his team win, are those same things being said about Wilson at Arkansas this year?
And finally what's worse, John L. Smith as a coach or West Virginia's defense?