Geno sacks Rex for rip job, calling ex-coach ‘coward’
OAKLAND — Geno Smith overshadowed an encouraging performance in his first Giants start on Sunday by blasting his former Jets coach Rex Ryan as a “coward” for criticizing him on ESPN’s NFL coverage Sunday morning.
Smith unloaded on Ryan when asked if he had seen pre-game reports that Giants coach Ben McAdoo would be fired.
“No I didn’t see that, and I love Coach Mac,” Smith said. “I think we all do. I love playing for him. I want to continue playing for him. But I did see one of my ex-coaches say he didn’t want me to be his quarterback. And that really upset me, ya know? A guy that we saved his job in 2013 when we fought our ass for him both years. And for him to come out and say that shows you how much of a coward he is.”
Smith grew tense as he laced into Ryan. Who, one reporter asked, was he talking about specifically?
“Rex Ryan,” Smith said, as if there had been any doubt.
Smith, 27, said he saw Ryan, now an ESPN analyst, rip him while watching TV in his hotel room.
“I was just sitting in my room watching, because we have the time difference,” Smith said. “So I am just watching a little bit of football, and you know (I) see that happen and it is like, ‘Wow.’ The guy, first of all, you drafted me. Second of all, you started me. Third of all, I went out there and I gave you everything I had, and then you go out and say that. It’s unfortunate.” Asked if Smith would want to see Ryan and speak his mind to him in person, Geno added: “No, I don’t care to speak to him again.”
Smith’s anger erupted partially out of his frustration that the Giants had lost the game, despite Smith directing a nine-play, 88yard drive capped by a 10-yard TD pass to tight end Evan Engram. It drew the Giants within 17-14 with 5:16 to play, only to watch the defense crumbled and let the Raiders march right back down the field.
“I mean I just hate to lose,” Smith said. “I don’t want to lose at all, at anything. I was upset that we lost.”
Later, Smith took to Twitter to make an apology.
“Will be better next week in all areas I apologize to #GiantsNation for my postgame comments and not getting it done today,” Smith
tweeted.
Smith completed 21 of 34 passes for 212 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions but did lose two fumbles on sacks surrendered by left tackle Ereck Flowers and right tackle Chad Wheeler, respectively. He was therefore victimized by some of the same difficult situations that Eli Manning endured this season.
Smith also added three rushes for 13 yards and showed mobility in his first start since tearing the ACL in his right knee as a Jet on Oct. 23, 2016, against the Baltimore Ravens at MetLife Stadium. He started and finished a game for the first time since Dec. 28, 2014, when he threw for 358 yards, 3 TDs and one fumble in a Jets win in Miami coached by Ryan.
Before that, Smith helped save Ryan’s job as a rookie in 2013 by beating the Dolphins, 20-7, throwing for 190 yards in Week 17 of 2013. He had a difficult ride with the Jets, culminating with the ACL surgery on Nov. 9, 2016, and then free agency.
McAdoo strangely would not commit postgame to another start for Smith, saying “we need to put our heads together and make a decision,” adding that he would “bounce” the decision off of GM Jerry Reese.
But in Sunday’s first quarter, even amid the controversy of Manning’s benching and McAdoo’s impending firing, Smith managed an 11-play 74-yard scoring drive lasting 5:16 capped by a one-yard Orleans Darkwa TD run.
It was impressive given the circumstances and probably marked Geno’s return to NFL relevance. But before he went any further, he couldn’t let Ryan’s insults slide.