Rex Ryan 'Pleased' With Geno, Vick In Jets' Preseason Opener
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) — Geno Smith was solid. Michael Vick showed he was still the fastest guy on the field.
Both players led scoring drives.
Overall, Jets coach Rex Ryan was happy with what he saw from his quarterbacks on Thursday night.
"I thought Geno played extremely well," Ryan said after New York's 13-10 preseason win over Indianapolis. "I'm really pleased with Geno, and also pleased with Mike, as well."
Vick was 3 of 6 for 17 yards. He also ran three times for 19 yards, including a dazzling 15-yard run on third down.
"He looked great," Ryan said. "Shoot. You can have them all covered up but you better account for the quarterback. It puts huge, huge stress on the defense."
Smith also showed off his wheels with an impressive 10-yard scramble on a read-option. Appearing to have the upper hand to keep the starting job in his second season, Smith was 4 of 6 for 33 yards in his two series with the first-team offense — including a drive capped by a 51-yard field goal by Nick Folk that hit the crossbar and bounced over — before giving way to Vick.
Smith wouldn't grade his performance, saying he "did OK," but there's room for improvement.
"It felt smooth," Smith said. "I was able to go through my reads and hit some open guys. With time, we'll get better and just continue to progress and continue to work hard."
Vick showed he's still a playmaker, leading the Jets on a touchdown drive, capped by fellow newcomer Chris Johnson's 1-yard scoring run.
The 14-play drive tied it at 10, and while it came mostly against backups on defense, the 34-year-old Vick showed his elusiveness and also converted on fourth-and-4 at the 8, hitting Tommy Bohanon for 6 yards to set up Johnson's touchdown.
Vick went three-and-out on his next possession with the Jets' backups, ending with a sack by Cam Johnson. He took a knee on the final play before halftime, ending his night.
"I did all right. It could've been better," Vick said. "I wanted to get some throws down the field, but unfortunately that didn't happen. So, let's see what happens next week."
Rookie free agent Andrew Furney kicked a 51-yard field goal with 1:08 left to put the Jets ahead in a game that appeared headed for overtime. Ikemefuna Enemkpali sacked Chandler Harnish in the closing minute and A.J. Edds recovered the fumble, sealing the win for New York.
But in the end, this game was all about Smith and Vick, who has embraced his role as mentor.
"We'll just let this thing play out," Ryan said. "This was our first preseason game. We know we have two excellent quarterbacks."
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