He was defiant in a soft-spoken way, which is exactly what you want to see from Geno Smith as the heat rises on whether he should remain the Jets starting quarterback.
Let the critics chatter all they want about his turnovers and why Michael Vick would be a better option, Smith made it clear on Wednesday he is the leader of the Jets and doesn't really care what anyone outside the Florham Park, N.J., facility thinks about it.
"I don't care about what anyone on the outside says in regards to anything negative about myself or this team," Smith said in the locker room following a spirited practice. "I appreciate the fans and I know they come and support us every week. They've got to understand we're working extremely hard to go out there and win. But right now, it's about getting ready for the Lions and that's all we're focused on."
And if that wasn't quite clear enough, Smith added, "I can't sit here and think about something I have no control over. My job is to continue to work hard and get better and lead this team."
I'll say this for Smith: He seems to have thick enough skin to get through his growing pains. There are times in these situations when the stress is evident even behind a calm exterior. The Jets have lost two straight games. Smith has committed five turnovers in a 1-2 start, including two costly interceptions in a 27-19 loss to the Bears on Monday night. But the second-year quarterback doesn't seem fazed by the haters.
Though the season isn't in its second month and already there are those calling for Vick, Smith seems oblivious to it all. He has the endorsement of head coach Rex Ryan, and that's all that seems to matter.
"I respect coach and what he says, because I obviously work hard and I want to be the leader of this team," Smith said. "But it's about me proving myself every single day. Nothing has changed. I've got to prove myself to my teammates. I've got to prove to my coaches as well as myself that I can go out there and get the job done. At this point of my career I'm going out there every single day with the intent to get better."
Vick reiterated his support of Smith, though the backup is confident his chance to prove himself NFL worthy will come sooner or later.
"I want success for Geno," Vick said. "I want Geno to fulfill everything that he wants to fulfill in this game and at the quarterback position, and primarily for this team. But my chance will come again. I'm thankful for that. I'm hoping for that."
Smith hasn't lost his teammates. Center Nick Mangold characterized the confidence level the team has in Smith as "great." The Jets investment in Smith has been too great to give up on him three games into the season.
"We all make mistakes," Mangold said. "I think he's learning and getting better at it. His mistakes are just more amplified than the rest of us."
The Jets rank a respectable eighth in the NFL in total offense, averaging 376 yards per game. But they have struggled in the red zone, recording just one touchdown in six trips inside the Bears 20 on Monday night.
"Turnovers and not scoring touchdowns in the red zone are big things," Mangold said. "We all have a part in it. The protection could be better. Decisions could be better. Routes could be better. We can run the ball better in the red zone. If we get those cleaned up we should be pretty good."
That's what Smith is thinking about, not the critics.
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