Jim Moore: Despite Geno Smith saved the game, his future will be determined in the coming month

As someone who supported switching to Drew Lock as quarterback in Baltimore last week, I was a little taken aback by the social media commotion around Geno Smith on Sunday in Seattle.

The Seahawks’ game versus the Commanders started with some audible jeers at Lumen Field in the first half. Or perhaps it was just a collective cry for Droooooo.

I love controversy around quarterbacks, especially when the backup seems to have unrealized talent and the starter has struggled for a while.

And I suppose that looking back, I could see why the supporters were upset. Smith missed a number of open receivers in the first half, one of which was on a swing pass, which is a common throw for most NFL quarterbacks.

Smith was on the field when the Seahawks were called for a delay of game on a fourth-and-one, and he was also the one who made a false start that cost them another fourth-and-one.

Even worse, with seven seconds remaining in the half, Smith was called for intentional grounding. The Seahawks are not allowed to try a field goal because of an NFL infraction that occurs late in the half, which results in a 10-second run-off.

That is not acceptable. Smith has been around long enough to realize that, in order to stop the clock, he must do whatever it takes to get rid of the ball. He is by no means a rookie anymore.

He continued a problem from earlier in the season by failing to deliver consistently on third down. He’s been the NFL’s worst quarterback on third down by most metrics this season, and he’s been largely ineffective on money down.

When former Seattle sports radio host Dave Grosby asked fans at halftime if they thought Geno should be substituted in the second half, 54% of them answered they did.

But Pete Carroll stuck with Smith, just as he had when things in Baltimore made very little sense in the second half.

By finishing 9 of 11 for 100 yards and tossing a fantastic touchdown ball to Tyler Lockett in the fourth quarter, Geno led two important scoring drives and proved his head coach was right to have faith in him.

One of Geno’s best qualities, in my opinion, is his ability to block out the outside world and move on from the previous poor pass, knowing that he will make a better one this time. He is also responsible, never placing the blame elsewhere but on himself.

The most important thing was that the Seahawks prevailed in the end, and Geno passed for a career-high 367 yards. Additionally, Smith failed to pass the ball to the Commanders even once in the previous four games, which was a contributing factor in eight turnovers.

You are welcome to bring up the fact that Washington has one of the weakest defenses in the league, but in response, I’d like to know what we would be discussing if Geno had had trouble against the Commanders.

In the grand scheme of things, Smith hasn’t played like an exceptional quarterback since the first half of the previous season, when he was a strong contender for MVP, so there are still valid concerns.

Unanswered questions still exist. There are answers for some. He has proven he is capable of leading the Seahawks to the postseason. Can he, however, be more than a one-and-done player in the postseason? Can he lead the Seahawks to yet another Super Bowl victory?

We’ll find out when the Seahawks go into a stretch when they play the 49ers, Cowboys, and Eagles twice in the upcoming month.

Geno won’t have to worry about his job security if they win 4-0, 3-1, or even 2-2. Anything less will, understandably, result in requests for Lock being made once more.