Raiders Host Identifies Noticeable Tendency that Might Be Leading to Geno Smith’s Interceptions

It’s been a challenging start to the season for the Raiders and arguably their most disappointing end to a game this year came against the Chicago Bears on a blocked field goal with 38 seconds remaining in the game.

Listening to Chicago cornerback Josh Blackwell after the game, the Bears were able to identifiy a hitch from the Raiders’ long snapper Jacob Bobenmoyer that helped them anticipate the snap and block the final kick.

If Blackwell’s statement was accurate, and there is no reason to believe it wasn’t, the Raiders didn’t do a great job of scouting their own players and the Bears capitalized on something the coaching staff in Las Vegas should have picked up on before it cost them a game.

Now, listening to Raider Nation Radio host Q Myers this week, there might be another tendency the Raiders need to address with a much higher profile player than Bobenmoyer.

According to Myers, Geno Smith has developed a tell of sorts when he decides where he wants to throw the ball.

“One thing that bothers me, and I saw it a lot yesterday, I kept pointing it out, when [Geno] decides where he’s going to throw it, it’s like he rocks back on his back foot and then he lets it go,” Myers said on the Locked on Raiders Squad Show podcast.

“When he rocks back, that’s when defenders break on the ball. As soon as they see him rock back, here it comes, and then that’s when they go and they make a break, and that’s when he’s been getting picked off multiple times, and a couple of times it almost happened yesterday.”

Lincoln Kennedy, who co-hosts the podcast with Myers seemed to be in agreement with Myers’ observation on Smith.

“Good point,” Kennedy said. “That’s exactly right. That’s exactly right.”

Whether he has a hitch before throws or not, there’s no question Smith hasn’t been the quarterback in Las Vegas that he was in Seattle. Something is off and it’s probably safe to say there are a lot of factors working against Geno at this point.

The offensive line has played a role in Smith’s inability to get comfortable in the pocket, but to his credit, Smith has only pointed the finger at himself.

Through six weeks, Smith leads the NFL in interceptions with 10 and the only starting quarterback in the league anywhere near that number is Tua Tagovailoa with seven.

x: @raidersbeat

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