It took just one drive for the vibes around Geno Smith to change.
After missing the preseason opener with a sore ankle, he saw his first game action during the Jets’ 17-0 preseason win over the Steelers on Friday night in Pittsburgh.
And amid outside concerns that have arisen during an unconvincing training camp, he delivered perfection.
Smith went 7-for-7 for 65 yards on his one and only drive, capping it off with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jelani Woods.
Rather than the question marks that hovered over him the past few weeks, there’s now a bit more optimism.
“I have a good vision of where we’re gonna be,” right guard Joe Tippmann said Saturday. “We’re definitely not there yet, but in practice and seeing Geno for the first time in-game, it just got me really excited about what we can do. The way he holds himself, the way he carries himself, his composure while we’re in the huddle — that’s been in practice and in the games — that’s something that just impresses me. I think it comes from his experiences in the league and the ups and downs he’s been through in his career. It gets me excited for this offense.”
Smith completed passes to six receivers and converted two third downs during his drive.
“It was exciting to see him out there and see him throwing the ball well,” tight end Mason Taylor, who caught a 10-yard pass from Smith on the drive, said Saturday. “I think he did a pretty damn good job.
“He has a great leadership role. He’s demanding; he knows what he wants. I think that’s great from a quarterback. Just being on the same page as him, he’s motivating in times like that. On third downs, when we need conversions, he’s always hyping our guys up, getting us on the right page to do our best.”
That last part — Smith’s leadership — was as big a takeaway for his teammates as was his actual production.
Entering his 13th season in the league, his experience was one of the selling points when the Jets signed him this past offseason to provide some long-awaited stability at quarterback.
It’s one thing to command a huddle during practice.
It’s another to do it in a huddle in a game.
“I think it’s something that is calming and I think it’s something that is confident,” Tippmann said. “He doesn’t need to come out there and say anything to get us to feel that he knows what he’s doing. He’s someone who can go out there and execute every play. Even if it is a play that breaks down, he’s someone that can go and make something out of it and turn it into a positive, whether it’s a 1- to-2-yard positive or something like Jelani’s touchdown [Friday]. It’s just something that gets me excited about this season and where we’re gonna be as an offense.”
Added Taylor: “I’m just learning from him, his experience, his wisdom and trying to put that in my game. He’s a vet so we know we can trust him. He’s the leader of our offense so everything goes through him.”
Perfect in the boxscore and calming in the huddle — for the moment, Smith’s arrow is pointing up.
The Jets signed DE Anthony Dunn, RB Dominic Richardson and S Tanner Wall on Sunday, The Post’s Brian Costello reported.
They waived/injured WR Caullin Lacy, RB Sam Scott and Edge Nathan Voorhis.
