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There have been quite a few surprises throughout the NFL during the first half of the 2022 season, and the Bucs will see one of them this Sunday when they take on the Seahawks in Germany.
That surprise will be Seattle’s 32-year-old quarterback Geno Smith, who is playing at a Pro Bowl level after spending years as a backup. The 2013 second-round pick out of West Virginia took over for longtime Seahawks signal-caller Russell Wilson when he was traded to Denver this offseason. Pete Carroll’s team was left with Smith and Drew Lock, who came over in the Wilson trade. Smith ultimately won the job and there wasn’t a whole lot of hope that the Seahawks would do much this season.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Yet, here they are.
Seattle is 6-3 and leading the NFC West heading into Sunday’s game against Tampa Bay. A big reason for the team’s success has been the play of Smith, who has completed 73.1% of his passes this season for 2,199 yards and 15 touchdowns to just four interceptions. The former Jets, Giants and Chargers quarterback is playing at a high level, and that doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise to Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, who coached Smith when the two were with the Jets together in 2015 and 2016.
“We knew Geno could always spin the ball,” Bowles said Friday. “Obviously, the experience he’s had over the years has helped him greatly. He was always smart, he was always heady, he was always a hard worker. I’m glad to see it pan [out] for him – I’m happy to see the success he’s having.”
“It was a long time ago since I’ve had him,” Bowles said. “Obviously, he could always play the game – confidence was never a problem for him. You make a mistake in this league, you come back and you make some plays – he’s done that. He’s been good at it. He’s been a great fit for [the Seahawks].”
Bucs quarterback Tom Brady had high praise for Smith on Friday as well, calling out the decision making he’s seen from the veteran quarterback.
“He’s making great decisions,” Brady said. “He’s passing the football very well; guys that are open, he’s getting the ball to them. He hasn’t had too many turnovers. He has enough athletic ability to extend some plays. I think they’re doing a good job running the ball, throwing the ball. They’ve got DK [Metcalf], Tyler [Lockett] – they’ve got some really talented players.”
History Between Smith-Bucs, Brady-Seahawks
There’s not a ton of history between the Bucs and Seahawks heading into Sunday’s international matchup in Munich. However, both teams have some experience facing off against the other’s quarterback. In fact, Smith’s first NFL start came against the Bucs in the 2013 season opener. In that game, Smith completed 24 of his 38 pass attempts for 256 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also had six carries for 47 yards, with a key scramble – and a late hit penalty called on fellow rookie Lavonte David – eventually leading to a game-winning field goal for the Jets.
Bucs QB Tom Brady – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Of course, Brady’s history with the Seahawks was a little more high-profile. He played them a few times early in his career before matching up against them in Super Bowl XLIX. In that game, he threw for 328 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions on 37-of-50 passing.
Despite throwing for four touchdowns and leading the Patriots to 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, he looked destined for a Super Bowl loss. That is, until Russell Wilson threw a goal-line interception to Malcolm Butler with 20 seconds to go. New England held on and Brady won his fourth ring and third Super Bowl MVP.
Smith and Brady have their own history, of course, as they used to be division rivals. Over four meetings in Smith’s first two seasons, Brady’s Patriots got the better of Smith’s Jets three times. Every game was close, though, with two separated by three points, one separated by two points and the fourth separated by a single point.
Bowles Says Prior History With Smith Won’t Help On Sunday
Obviously, Bowles will have just about as much history with Smith as anyone on the field this Sunday, having coached him in New York. But the Bucs head coach was asked if he could use their time together to help prepare for Sunday’s game, and he gave a resounding “no.”
“Not at all – you can’t. [It was] a different system, different time, different place,” Bowles said. “He was different, I was different. He’s playing well now, I’m in a different place now. It’s good to see him playing well – hopefully not [Sunday], but other than that I like what he’s doing.”
If Bowles and the Bucs can find a way to handle Smith on Sunday in Germany, they’ll strengthen their lead in the NFC South and hit the bye week at 5-5.
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