CHICAGO — Geno Smith’s record-setting accuracy disappeared Sunday as the New York Jets fell to the Chicago Bears, 23-12, in a game marked by an offense that could barely get off the ground.
Smith entered the contest leading the NFL in completion percentage at 75.5 percent through three games. Against the Bears, that number collapsed. He finished 8-for-15 for 119 yards and one touchdown, completing just 53.3 percent of his passes.
“I think it was not my best game,” Smith said. “I think I could have done a lot better, executed a lot better in the passing game. There’s always room for improvement, as I always tell you, and I look forward to that.”
The outing was a sharp turn from the previous week, when Smith threw three touchdowns against the Detroit Lions and nearly rallied New York to a win. Against Chicago, the Jets offense could not find any footing. The team held the ball for only 17 minutes total, including just 45 seconds in the fourth quarter, and ran a franchise-low 32 plays.
The trouble started early. In a strange first quarter, the Jets managed only four plays from scrimmage, three of them pinned deep inside their own 10-yard line.
“It was definitely not a normal situation,” Smith said. “For us as an offense, no matter if we get it at the 25, the 35 or at the 1, you’ve got to think score. We’ve got to execute and do whatever we can to keep our defense off the field. That’s a part of playing complementary football. I think we can do a lot better job in that area.”
New York went 0-for-7 on third-down conversions, and Smith missed throws at a rate that had not been a problem for him earlier this season.
“I’m with you on that,” Jets coach Aaron Glenn said of Smith’s missed throws. “I know he’s going to look at himself and know he should have made those plays too — that’s every player in that locker room right now. Each guy wants to be at his best every time, and sometimes, man, things can be a little off.”
Smith appeared to be favoring some soreness in the second half but said afterward he was fine. He expressed confidence the team can recover.
“You’ve got to get back to work and you’ve got to demand it from yourself,” Smith said. “It starts with the man in the mirror. You’ve got to demand it from yourself. Obviously, as a group, we can all play a lot better. I’m just looking forward to getting back to work with the guys. I have a lot of belief in this team and this offense, as well.”
