The Geno Smith Sweepstakes: Week 6 Update

Poor Geno couldn't escape Texas Tech...or the curse
of Prince's support!

How would I describe the Geno Smith Sweepstakes? Chaos. Complete and utter chaos. Just one week ago it looked like we had this thing all sorted out. Geno was a runaway #1 pick after annihilating Texas and the Browns were a mortal lock for 0-16 and the #1 pick. Now, Geno is coming off a rough outing (and a crushing loss) and the Browns random win has them in a 6 way tie for worst in the league. What will happen next? Your guess is as good as mine!

Let's sort through the wreckage after Week 6:

The Prizes (QB’s only)

Third Prize:  E.J. Manuel, Florida State
Stats:  27-34, 439 YDS, 4 TD, 2 INT in 51-7 W over Boston College
Season Stats:  1804 YDS, 14 TD, 4 INT, 72.1%, 9.9 Y/A
Breakdown:  Great bounce back game from Manuel and FSU. Never mind the 2 INT’s…they came only after Manuel had thrown three TD’s and iced Boston College. He’s still behind Barkley, but that gap is closing fast thanks to his superior physical gifts and superior production. What’s most impressive about his “breakout” season is that he’s shown a capability of being “the man” for his team. Not a game manager that runs up stats on safe throws and gimmicky plays, but a guy who can drop back and burn the defense downfield.

Second Prize:  Matt Barkley, USC
Stats:  10-20, 167 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT in 24-14 W over Washington
Season Stats:  1475 YDS, 16 TD, 6 INT, 62.7%, 7.6 Y/A
Breakdown:  Barkley’s nightmare season continues, and if there were any lingering thoughts about him still being the #1 overall pick they’re likely eradicated now. Not with how this season has gone. Not with the half season of subpar tape NFL talent evaluators will have on him.

Grand Prize:  Geno Smith, West Virginia
Stats:  29-55, 275 YDS, 1 TD, 0 INT in 14-49 L to Texas Tech
Season Stats:  2271 YDS, 25 TD, 0 INT, 75.3%, 8.8 Y/A
Breakdown:  If you aren’t already aware, let me fill you in right now; this is not Geno Smith’s fault. It’s Prince’s fault. This is what happens when Prince makes some idiotic Bold Prediction about Geno Smith throwing a million TD’s against Texas Tech. Don’t blame Geno…blame Prince.

That having been said, there’s nothing about this game that makes me second guess Geno. Did he have a great game? No. But was the loss his fault? Absolutely not. Not unless you think Geno had something to do with the 508 yards of passing offense put up by Texas Tech. Regardless, keep in mind that we’re still talking about a guy with a 25-0 TD/INT ratio. No reason to get down on Geno.

Now, onto the NFL side of the race:

Dropping Out

Washington Redskins
Record:  3-3
Last Game:  Won 38-26 vs. Minnesota Vikings
Current Starter:  Robert Griffin III
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1343	5	2	70.2	8.3	100.5

Breakdown:  I’m dropping them after a big win over Minnesota…which means they’ll almost assuredly find their way back on the list next week thanks to a soul crushing loss to the Giants.

Latecomers

Dallas Cowboys
Record:  2-3
Last Game:  Lost 29-31 at Baltimore Ravens
Current Starter:  Tony Romo
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1409	7	9	67.4	7.5	82.1

Breakdown:  Kill me now…

Pittsburgh Steelers
Record:  2-3
Last Game:  Lost 23-26 vs. Tennessee Titans
Current Starter:  Ben Roethlisberger
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1487	10	2	64.6	7.5	99.9

Breakdown:  Roethlisberger is having a huge year, which only goes to show how amazingly banged up this team is. Polomalu, Harrison, Pouncey, Gilbert, Mendenhall and other key guys have large amounts of time in street clothes, hence losing to the Titans and finding themselves on this list. Seriously though, the Titans? For real?

If Cleveland hadn’t won, we’d probably be off the list…

Detroit Lions
Record:  2-3
Last Game:  Won 26-23 (OT) at Philadelphia Eagles
Current Starter:  Matthew Stafford
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1493	4	5	62.4	6.8	79.2

Breakdown:  Certainly not the world’s most impressive victory, but sometimes gutting out a hard fought contest like this is exactly what a struggling team needs. Also more TD’s, fewer INT’s, and the ability to NOT commit 16 penalties in a single game…

Let me add that I still believe in this Lions team. It’s hard to put in words why, mostly because it’s completely illogical, but I just do. Stafford was really good last year and I find it hard to believe he’ll suck all year. Then again, Madden Curse.

Miami Dolphins
Record:  3-3
Last Game:  Won 17-14 vs. St. Louis Rams
Current Starter:  Ryan Tannehill
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1454	4	6	59.6	7.3	76.5

Breakdown:  Don’t look now, but Miami has won two straight and is now at .500. Never mind that they’ve beaten such behemoths as St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Oakland. That’s beside the point.

OK, so the Miami hype is a little over the top, I’ll give you that. However, the play of Ryan Tannehill has to be exciting no matter what you think of their competition. Not only has he been far more poised and accurate than expected; he’s been more than capable of handling a large amount of responsibility in the Dolphins offense. They’re letting this guy play and he’s getting it done. Biggest shocker of the year, probably. Given that, and the fact that Miami plays the Jets, Colts, Titans, and Bills in the coming weeks, I’d say Miami is no longer a serious factor in this race.

St. Louis Rams
Record:  3-3
Last Game:  Lost 14-17 at Miami Dolphins
Current Starter:  Sam Bradford
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1337	6	5	59.5	7.2	81.3

Breakdown:  Dropped from the list after last week, but brought back on after Cleveland gave them new life. Important scheduling note – the Rams next three games are Green Bay, New England, and San Francisco. After that, the schedule lightens up a bit, but they may be in total freefall by then. Also, Sam Bradford may be dead.

We lost to the Browns…

Cincinnati Bengals
Record:  3-3
Last Game:  Lost 24-34 at Cleveland Browns
Current Starter:  Andy Dalton
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1726	12	9	66.0	8.0	91.7

Breakdown:  I don’t know what else to say here…I mean, they lost to the Browns. That’s so bad! Two weeks ago, this team had absolutely everything going for it. The offense was productive, the AFC was wide open, and they were 3-1 with games against Miami and Cleveland. How they managed to mess that up is beyond me. Leave it to the Bengals, right?

We are bad, right?

Buffalo Bills
Record:  3-3
Last Game:  Won 19-16 at Arizona Cardinals
Current Starter:  Ryan Fitzpatrick
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1210	12	8	57.9	6.6	81.5

Breakdown:  The answer is yes, the Bills are bad. Beating the ridiculously over-the-top fluky Cardinals isn’t all that much of an accomplishment, and that’s before you consider the fact that a.) John Skelton had to finish the game, and b.) Jay Feely missed a ‘gimme’ FG to win the game. But hey, three wins is three wins, and that’s a serious handicap in this race. Unless the Browns somehow get to play the Bengals a few more times, three might already be too many.

New York Jets
Record:  3-3
Last Game:  Won 35-9 vs. Indianapolis Colts
Current Starter:  Mark Sanchez
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1125	8	6	49.7	6.4	70.9

Breakdown:  Just when you think the Jets are ready to totally bottom out, they put the hammer to the hapless Colts. I know they think they’re a legit playoff contender and all, but the truth is that was a devastatingly awful win on Sunday. YOU HAVE MARK SANCHEZ AS YOUR QB! DON’T YOU KNOW THAT?! YOU NEED GENO!

Tennessee Titans
Record:  2-4
Last Game:  Won 26-23 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Current Starter:  Jake Locker
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
Dead	Dead	Dead	Dead	Dead	Dead

Breakdown:  I’m not sure what to think of the Titans at this moment. They looked so wretched up until last Thursday that any inkling of them not being an embarrassment to the league is tough to swallow. Then again, considering what they were up against, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by a sudden bounce back. After all, their four losses have all been at the hands of .500 or above teams, and they’ve faced serious health/disciplinary issues to their QB and star WR. But with Britt rounding into form, Chris Johnson showing signs of life, Jake Locker set to return soon and a remaining slate featuring seven games against fellow Sweepstakes competitors, it won’t be shocking if Tennessee is done and gone from this list before long. In fact, with the AFC being the way it is, it won’t be shocking if they’re in the playoff picture by the end of the season.

Still here, but not for long...

New Orleans Saints
Record:  1-4
Last Game:  Bye
Current Starter:  Drew Brees
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1720	14	6	58.9	7.3	90.7

Breakdown:  Alright, it’s conspiracy theory time, and this is a good one. If I were a betting man – and also a man with any spare money to his name – I’d put it all on the Saints in the next few weeks. Not because of their competition or because they’re “too good to play this bad.” I’m betting on them because they just had their bye and I think there’s a 100% chance the team held at least three covert practices with Sean Payton coaching. Can’t you picture them gathering at a secluded back country field in rural Louisiana to practice from midnight to 3am? I sure can. Don’t say you weren’t warned!

The Dark Horses

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record:  2-3
Last Game:  Won 38-10 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Current Starter:  Josh Freeman
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1118	8	5	55.2	7.7	84.2

Breakdown:  I’m not ready to graduate them from the ‘Dark Horse’ group yet, but I will at least give them cream of the crop status in the group…if that even means anything. If they want more than that, they’re going to have put up a performance like this against a real team (not one with Brady Quinn at QB). Still, the victory says a lot about their candidacy. A real Sweepstakes contender would have at least hung with KC.

Indianapolis Colts
Record:  2-3
Last Game:  Lost 9-35 at New York Jets
Current Starter:  Andrew Luck
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1488	7	7	53.4	6.7	72.0

Breakdown:  I don’t know if it’s better or worse that I accurately predicted the Jets blowing out Indy. On the one hand, this was an obviously terrible matchup for the Colts. They didn’t matchup personnel-wise and things are always iffy when you have a young team going on the road. On the other hand, Mark Sanchez. The Jets. This should NEVER happen, not even to the Colts.

Carolina Panthers
Record:  1-4
Last Game:  Bye
Current Starter:  Cam Newton
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1154	4	5	58.8	8.5	80.9

Breakdown:  Good news, Panthers fans! Cam Newton is apparently “ready to lead” after a productive bye week full of haunted houses, go-karts, movies, and video games. Also, he talked to his hypocritical, lying, extorting, joke of a father and has a “deeper appreciation for his job.” This makes total sense to me because anytime I feel like an irresponsible failure I get plenty of solace from playing hours of video games and talking to people who defrauded the NCAA. Good for you, Cam.

The Favorites

Thanks to the Browns unexpected win, The Favorites is finally open to the public!

Oakland Raiders
Record:  1-4
Last Game:  Lost 20-23 at Atlanta Falcons
Current Starter:  Carson Palmer
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1434	6	3	62.6	7.4	88.7

Breakdown:  CARSON PALMER! CARSON PALMER! CARSON PALMER!

The Raiders had that game sealed; up 7, just a few minutes remaining, and down to the Atlanta 28…there was no way the Falcons were winning. Moral of the story – never doubt Carson Palmer’s ability to throw a game away. It’s entirely possible that 11 weeks from now we’ll all look back and say to ourselves, “man, that pick six was the most important play of the entire season.” It could mean that much, especially since Cleveland was simultaneously winning their first game of the year. Every race needs a seminal moment, and this could be it.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Record:  1-4
Last Game:  Bye
Current Starter:  BADGABMAXULTRA
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
796	5	3	54.8	5.5	73.3

Breakdown:  You know who the biggest Cleveland Browns fans were last weekend? The Jacksonville Jaguars, that’s who!

Cleveland Browns
Record:  1-5
Last Game:  Won 34-24 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Current Starter:  Brandon Weeden
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1519	7	10	55.8	6.6	68.1

Breakdown:  Demoted. No longer the clubhouse leader for Geno. It’s a tough existence being a Browns fan, when even a win is just another loss. However, the franchise got an actual win this week when the new owner promptly dumped Mike Holmgren for Joe Banner. While most Browns fans are incredibly happy with the long term impact of the move, they’re not even considering the very real immediate impact it will have. The current players, Brandon Weeden included, suddenly find themselves on notice. They’re not Joe Banner’s guys and they have to know how incredibly expendable they are. In short, they’re playing for their jobs. Now how do you think a group of young, under-talented players is going to respond to that? Exactly.

Kansas City Chiefs
Record:  1-5
Last Game:  Lost 10-38 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Current Starter:  Matt Cassel
Season Stats:

YDS	TD	INT	COMP%	Y/A	RATING
1150	5	9	58.5	6.5	66.2

Breakdown:  Don’t be mistaken, this move isn’t because Cleveland won a game. The Chiefs have undoubtedly earned the #1 spot in these rankings thanks to consistently awful play and the boldness to give Brady Quinn a chance. Not even the Browns wanted Brady Quinn! And once Jamaal Charles gets hurt again, the Chiefs will have literally zero ways to beat teams.

Games Matt Barkley Might Want to Watch This Week

Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers – We’ll get to see how all those video games paid off, which by itself is worth the price of admission. Seriously though, if Dallas can’t beat Carolina, we might actually have to start taking them seriously.

Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills – A battle of two teams on the fringes of the Sweepstakes. Whichever one wins is pretty much out of this thing.

Cleveland Browns at Indianapolis Colts – Could the Browns actually win two in a row? It’s possible, I guess, considering how awful the Colts were last week. Either way, the result will have a huge impact on the rankings.

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – We’ll see just how bad the Saints are…

Jacksonville Jaguars at Oakland Raiders – One of these teams will leave Week 7 with two wins and massive handicap the rest of the way.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals – This was always supposed to be an important contest, but more for the playoff picture and less for the Geno Smith picture. Oh well, you take what you can get on Sunday Night.