Geno Smith hosts kids at Seahawks games — and asks ‘you surprised?’ at his soaring start

For years as he sat behind Russell Wilson, Geno Smith was contributing at Seahawks games.

Most people couldn’t see it. But many Seattle-area kids and their families sure did.

Quietly, the veteran quarterback has been hosting local young people “who look like me” through his charity, the 7Sunday Heroes Foundation, at Lumen Field for Seahawks home games.

“We’ve been hosting underprivileged youth at the games here in Seattle for a couple years now,” the 31-year-old Smith said Thursday.

“It’s something I’ve been adamant about my entire career, just philanthropy and giving back.”

His 7Sunday Heroes Foundation, seven matching Smith’s jersey number for the Seahawks and for the New York Jets when he entered the NFL in 2013 and ‘14, has as its tenets helping those in need with meals, mind, money, motivation, muscles and microeconomics.

He’s been hosting kids at games since he was with the Jets, then while he was a backup quarterback for the Giants, Chargers and Seahawks the last seven years.

“We do a lot of stuff in Miami, Florida, where I’m from. And looking to do more in Seattle, as well,” Smith said.

“Really, it’s just about giving back and allowing guys who look like myself and young ladies who look like myself in the area. Some people may be dealing with things. (It’s) just to show them a good time. Have them at a game with their family members to brighten their day, if we can.

“For the most part, it’s just helping people out. I have a heart for giving and I enjoy helping people out.”

His guests at games this season are getting a show that’s almost unprecedented in the NFL.

Geno Smith’s sterling start

On Sept. 12 when Smith hosted more youth and their families, and the Seahawks hosted Wilson and the Denver Broncos, Smith became the first quarterback in 50 years with at least an eight-year gap between week-one starts. That’s according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

That night amid deafening boos of Wilson and roars for Smith, the backup beat the starter. Smith completed 23 of 28 passes with two touchdowns. Seattle beat Denver 17-16.

“They wrote me off,” Smith said immediately following the win.

“I ain’t write back, though.”

He’s since applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark office to have his statement patented.

Less than a month later, Smith is preparing for his next start Sunday at New Orleans (1-3) with the chance to move the Seahawks into first place in the NFC West.

Smith has a completion rate of 77.3%. That’s the highest in league history over the first four games of a season.

The last two weeks, he’s gone from throwing the shortest passes in the NFL to the longest, and is still connecting at a rate better than Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes — and all others.

For the season Smith in NFL rankings is:

• first in completion percentage (hitting on 102 of his 132 throws)

• fourth in yards per attempt (7.9)

• sixth in touchdown passes to interception ratio (six to two)

• third in passer rating (108)
  
  

Smith is the only player in the league with a completion rate of at least 75%, at least 1,000 yards passing and at least five touchdown throws so far this season.

Oh, yes, many notice he’s outplaying Wilson.

“Listen man, it’s week four,” tight end Will Dissly said Sunday in Detroit, after his team-leading third touchdown catch this season from Smith.

“Let’s stop talking about that guy.”

That was after Smith led a zany, 48-45 win for Seattle over the Lions last weekend. Smith completed 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and three total touchdowns with another 49 yards rushing. He continually changed plays at the line of scrimmage in the formidable noise of Ford Field, including the third-down runs Rashaad Penny turned into long touchdowns in the second half.

“He just needed the opportunity,” wide receiver DK Metcalf said days after his seven catches for 149 yards in Detroit. “Now he’s just showing everybody what we already knew.

“I know I keep saying that, but everybody kept writing him off and he just never had a fair shot to just be who Geno Smith really is. And we are all seeing him come into his own and be a quarterback leading a franchise, leading an organization, how he wants it to be.”

From discarded to awarded

Smith credits his and the offense’s results the last two games to “moving the chains.” That is, converting on third downs.

Seattle is second in the NFL at 55.3% on third down. Only Buffalo, a favorite to make the Super Bowl, is barely better (55.8%).

Last season, the Seahawks were just 37.3% converting third downs. It was 38.4% in 2020 when they won the NFC West with a 12-4 record. You have to go all the way back to 2003, Mike Holmgren’s fifth season coaching Seattle’s offense and with Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun Alexander leading it, to find a Seahawks team with a conversion rate above 45% for a season.

For his latest performance at Detroit, Smith won the NFC offensive player of the week award. He last won that conference honor nine years ago, one month into his rookie season starting for the Jets.

“Obviously, you’re honored to receive that award. They donate to a charity of my choice, so that is pretty cool,” he said of the 7Sunday Heroes Foundation.

“Really, it’s more of a team offensive award. It just speaks volumes to the guys that I am playing around, the entire offense as a whole. The quarterback gets a lot of the attention, obviously, but all of the guys played well and I think all of us, we can accept that together.”

Smith has been particularly lethal against defenses that choose man-to-man coverage and blitzing, as Detroit did to disastrous results last weekend. Against man coverage, Smith has completed 21 of 31 passes for 292 yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions and a passer rating of 137.4. That is the best in the NFL against man to man.

The Saints may play more of it Sunday. Marshon Lattimore is their top cover guy.

“Lattimore does a great job in that individual man-to-man coverage and often times, he will travel with certain receivers throughout each week,” Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron said. “For DK, he has to play within himself and trust his techniques knowing that if he runs routes the right way and does things the way he is capable of.

“We like his matchup versus most guys out there.”

Lattimore was in man against Metcalf last October when New Orleans beat the Seahawks 13-10 in Seattle. Metcalf had an 84-yard touchdown catch on Lattimore early in that game — then just one catch for 12 yards the rest of the day.

“They are very good on third downs,” Smith said. “They present a lot of tough looks, some things that we have to be ready for and adjust, too. And then overall, it’s the same mentality for them (as Detroit), being aggressive. They have an aggressive style of defense. They want to be an attacking defense, and want to put a lot of pressure on the quarterback.”

Smith has handled that sublimely in his first four games as the Seahawks’ man.

“You surprised by that?” Smith said.

“That’s because you never watched me throw?”