FINALLY, A GLIMPSE OF THE REVAMP WITH ALEX SMITH
Alex Smith grinned as if he expected the question.
He knows the deal. His NFL career, now in its 14th season, has been defined by transition: three teams, five head coaches.
Change seems to make him better, yet every new beginning comes with the same concerns.
Is he the right fit? And how long will it take him to prove it?
On cue, Smith grins and says he’s ready for another debut.
“I mean, yeah, yeah, I’m confident,” Smith said this week as he prepared for the Washington Redskins’ opener Sunday in Arizona. “I am, and we’re going to find out. There really was no other choice. This date was sitting here.”
Since Washington acquired him in March, Smith has aced his pre-Redskins course. It was a breeze for him. The franchise sought a competent quarterback who wanted to be here, and Smith has impressed with his talent and enthusiasm.
It feels like he has been here for years, though most fans can refer to just 34 inconsequential preseason snaps— for evidence that he exists. It feels like he is a perfect match for the team’s low-maintenance, underrated offensive personnel, though a good portion of those teammates have missed significant prep time recovering from injuries.
Smith has elevated expectations a tad just based on a good vibe. It speaks to the caliber of person and leader he is. Now comes the real test. There are plenty of unknowns about how this new partnership will work, and Smith isn’t afraid to admit as much.
“Yeah, there’s some blind faith we all put into this,” he said of preparing to lead an offense that was on the mend until about two weeks ago.
Smith doesn’t win you over with anything he says. He gives bland answers to general questions and reserves the insight for football-specific queries that stimulate his mind. He reaches for one-liners as seldom as he reaches for junk food. But there’s something about the way that he talks, moves and interacts that defies any belief that he’s merely a dull, above-average quarterback.
In general, I don’t believe much in the simple notion that a quarterback is a winner. There are winning quarterbacks who do nothing more than live off the talent around them. There are quarterbacks with losing or mediocre records who could be winners if their franchises weren’t so incompetent. To judge a quarterback without considering all contributing factors to success or failure — especially in a sport that requires so many players to do their jobs well — is intellectually dishonest. But like with all things, there are exceptions. And when you talk to current and former teammates about Smith, they portray him as having certain intangibles — stellar communication skills, adaptability, limited ego, make-the-room-tilt charisma — that complement his talent and make him a natural winner.
So perhaps his 88-62-1 career record speaks louder than his stats and his three Pro Bowl appearances. Early in his career, Smith was a raw No. 1 overall pick transitioning from running a spread offense with the Utah Utes, and his first six seasons in San Francisco were disastrous. Then coach Jim Harbaugh arrived, built a run-first offense and helped Smith flourish. As Smith has continued to improve and refine his skills, the winning has become more dramatic. In five seasons for Kansas City, he started 76 games, and the Chiefs were 50-26 in those starts. Go back to his final two years with the 49ers, and Smith has a 69-31-1 record since 2011.
For the sake of simple comparison, Cam Newton entered the NFL in 2011 as the No. 1 pick. He has a 62-45-1 record during this span and is considered a franchise quarterback who can carry a team.
Smith is the guy you like until a younger prospect (Colin Kaepernick, Patrick Mahomes) comes along. But Washington is putting its faith in a solid 34-yearold who can command a locker room, has a low interception rate and simply wants to do his part.
“I think, to me, for a guy who was drafted No. 1 overall, a guy who has been at the pinnacle of his game for a long time, you wouldn’t have guessed he would be as down to earth and as humble as he really is,” left tackle Trent Williams said of Smith. “He’s able to connect with everybody on this team, from the bottom of the roster to the top of the roster, and I think that’s a very unique trait that a lot of people overlook. I think it was a pleasant surprise.”
Let this season of blind faith begin.