It has been a long time — 13-plus years — since Geno Smith played for the Jets. On Friday night at Pittsburgh in the second preseason game for each team, Smith started and deftly led his offense to a TD on the opening drive.
The Jets took the opening kickoff and used 10 plays to cover 69 yards, eating 5:56 of clock time as Smith completed the drive with a pass to TE Jelani Woods. On the play, Smith faked a handoff to RB Braelon Allen, rolled to his left and lofted a perfect pass to the 6-7 Woods who sped into the end zone for the opening score.
On the drive, Smith completed passes to six receivers, including an incongruous catch by LG Dylan Parham, who caught the ball off a deflection along the Steelers’ defensive front, losing 2 yards. Smith found WR Adonai Mitchell two times, for 29 yards (14.5 per).
The Jets converted twice on third down with Smith first finding second-year TE Mason Taylor for 10 yards to Pittsburgh’s 27-yard line. Three plays later, facing third-and-6 at the 23-yard line, Smith’s short pass found WR a sliding Garrett Wilson for 10 more yards to the Pittsburgh 13.
The Jets scored on the next play.