To say that this season has been tough for the Las Vegas Raiders would be a huge understatement.
That’s particularly the case with Geno Smith, who has regressed in his first — and potentially only — year with the organization.
Things may have reached a new low during Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, as Smith was caught on tape making an obscene gesture toward fans as he walked off the field.
That’s why the Raiders organization had to hold him accountable for his actions.
Raiders release a statement about Geno Smith
“We are disappointed in his actions and have discussed the incident with Geno,” the team said in a statement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, via ESPN. “We hold the Raider Nation in the highest regard and take this matter seriously.”
The veteran quarterback also apologized for letting his emotions get the best of him after another tough performance:
“I would like to apologize to the fans [and] Raider Nation,” Smith told the media on Wednesday. “I made a poor judgment out of frustration. And that’s not an excuse. I’ve got to be better than that and hold myself to a higher standard. In that moment, I didn’t. I’m sincerely apologetic and very sorry for doing that. I just want to make it known that those things will never happen from me again.”
Smith finished the game with 285 passing yards and one touchdown. He was also sacked 10 times.
He’s up to a league-worst 13 interceptions and has been sacked 41 times already, the second-most in the league behind Cam Ward.
Even so, he’s not the only one to blame for the state of the team. They’ve already parted ways with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, and they will need to spend plenty of resources to rebuild their bottom-feeding offensive line in the offseason.
