Patriots' Mike Vrabel Says Jets' Geno Smith Has Been 'Fantastic' This Season

The New York Jets face the New England Patriots this week and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has been impressed with how Jets QB Geno Smith has played thus far this season. 

"He's done a fantastic job," Vrabel said about Smith. "And so, if you want to try to create turnovers, you're going to have to actually go out and force them. He hasn't made many mistakes. He's been really good with the football. He's been decisive, has been able to create some X plays. [Garrett] Wilson's playing fantastic, whether he's creating separation or if he's contested. Geno trusts him to be able to come down with those catches, big catches on third down, he's had the X plays on first and second down. So, Geno's no stranger to playing quarterback in this league, what's required of him and what the team needs of him. I think that's really important, and he's done a fantastic job at that."

The Jets are 2-3. Smith has 1,084 passing yards and six passing touchdowns thus far in his second stint with New York. The two-time Pro Bowler is completing 69.4% of his passes. 

Smith's best NFL seasons came with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022 and 2023. He made the Pro Bowl in 2022 and 2023 and won the 2022 AP Comeback Player of the Year award.

Smith entered this season with 22,168 passing yards, 124 passing touchdowns and 89 career interceptions in the NFL. Heading into the Jets' Week 6 matchup against the Patriots, Smith has a 44-59-0 record as a starter. 

Some Jets fans want to see head coach Aaron Glenn play rookie Cade Klubnik this season. That could happen once New York is officially eliminated from the playoffs, but for now, Smith has done nothing to lose his job.

Klubnik went 21-of-34 through the air for 190 passing yards in the preseason. He had no touchdown passes and threw one interception. 

Entering the 2025 college football season, Klubnik was projected as a top pick in the 2026 draft, but after he and Clemson struggled, his draft stock took a hit. 

The Jets selected Klubnik with the 110th overall pick in the 2026 draft. Although his draft fall was significant, Klubnik remains confident in his game. 

Klubnik finished the 2025 college football season with 2,943 passing yards and 16 passing touchdowns. He threw for 10,123 passing yards and 73 touchdowns in his Clemson career. 

New York went 0-2 against New England last season. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has thrown seven touchdown passes over his last two games after having just one in the first three games of the season.

According to ESPN, the Jets are playing more zone than man-to-man this season, which makes the low total even more perplexing. The Dallas Cowboys are the only team with zero interceptions.

The Jets have one interception in the Glenn era. Maye has thrown seven interceptions this season, so let's see if Glenn's defense can get one this Sunday.

New York went 0-6 in the division last season in Year 1 of the Glenn era. The Jets are 6-18 in AFC East games since drafting Wilson in 2022. From 2020 to 2022, New York lost 15 straight games in the division.