### Geno Smith's Performance Draws Comparison to Kirk Cousins

Since stepping into the role of the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback in 2022, Geno Smith has seen a remarkable career resurgence. Smith has earned Pro Bowl honors for the past two years and maintained an above-average performance, punctuated by moments of excellence. Despite his achievements, opinions on the 34-year-old veteran's standing in the NFL quarterback hierarchy remain varied, especially this season.

Smith currently leads the league with an average of 274.6 passing yards per game and holds the seventh spot with a 68.8% completion rate. However, his statistics are a mixed bag; he has managed only eight touchdown passes over eight games and thrown seven interceptions, tying him for the sixth-most in the league. His QBR, a key performance metric by ESPN, places him 14th, marginally above average.

Aaron Schatz of FTN Fantasy, also known for founding Football Outsiders and contributing to ESPN.com, offered an intriguing comparison for Smith. During a guest appearance on Seattle Sports' Bump and Stacy show, Schatz compared Smith to 36-year-old veteran Kirk Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowler currently in his first season with Atlanta after 12 years with Washington and Minnesota.

"I think Geno is good, but he's not great and he's never going to be great," Schatz remarked. He likened Smith's play to that of Cousins, noting, "With Geno you get a Kirk Cousins level of play, but in a very different way. He has more athletic gifts, so the highs are higher, but the mistakes are more frequent. You end up with a quarterback akin to the 11th-best in the league."

Statistics over the past three seasons bolster Schatz’s comparison. Smith boasts a 67.7% completion rate with 252.6 passing yards per game, 58 touchdown passes, and 27 interceptions. Cousins' corresponding numbers are 67.3% completion, 272.2 passing yards per game, 61 TDs, and 26 interceptions. The significant divergence lies in rushing yards; Smith has accumulated 698 while Cousins trails with just 130. These figures contribute to Smith's higher QBR of 62.8, compared to Cousins' 52.3.

Despite these differences, both quarterbacks are closely matched in QBR rankings as full-time starters. Since 2022, Smith has held rankings of seventh, 14th, and 14th—averaging an 11.7 QBR ranking. In comparison, Cousins averages a 12.9 QBR ranking since becoming Washington’s starter in 2015.

Addressing the potential for such quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl, Schatz concluded, "If you've got a strong defense and good receivers, you can win with that, absolutely. But I don't think Geno's necessarily a guy who carries you to the promised land on his own."

For more insights, Aaron Schatz’s opinions can be heard on Seattle Sports' Bump and Stacy or located on the Seattle Sports app.