Dumbest thing I’ve read this week: Geno Smith is better than both 49ers QBs

It's Seahawks week, and we can always find plenty of Seattle fans tweeting dumb things. They seem to think that having a good team for ten years equals a dynasty, and that they somehow have surpassed the San Francisco 49ers in historical greatness.

Forget the fact that you can't have a dynasty with only one Super Bowl Championship. Seahawks fans want you to pay attention to what their team has accomplished the last decade. But, they don't want 49er fans referring to the Camelot days, when San Francisco won five Lombardi trophies.

I hate the Seahawks—that's no secret, and it's partly because of their annoying fans, most of which just started paying attention to the team in 2012. They don't like when San Francisco fans mention that the 49ers dynasty lasted almost 20 years, and produced multiple championships. They say that's history, and history should be ignored. Yes, teams with no history hate talking about history.

But one Seahawks fan really got my attention this week. And I rewarded him by giving him the "dumbest thing I've read this week" award.

Congratulations to Seahawks fan, Evan Hill, for his ridiculous statements regarding quarterbacks. Hill was bold enough to suggest Seattle backup Geno Smith is better than both 49ers quarterbacks, Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance. Personally, I don't even know that Smith is better than either C.J. Beathard or Nick Mullens.

And if that wasn't enough, when one wise Seattle fan said he'd "rather be the Niners right now," Hill disagreed, and went as far as to label Lance a bust.

Based on what, Evan? The six quarters he's played this season? Either your anger has blinded you, or you struggle to understand football, because it's way too early to judge Lance—good or bad.

We can't compare Smith to Lance, because Lance hasn't played enough yet. But we can compare Smith to Garoppolo. Let's take a look and see if Evan knows what he's talking about (spoiler alert: he doesn't).

1. Though he's had his share of issues, Garoppolo has led a team to the Super Bowl, and looks as though he may lead another team to the playoffs. Smith has never taken a team to the playoffs.
2. Garoppolo's per-game statistics are better than Smith's.
3. Garoppolo's career statistics are better, even though he's been in the league one year less, and sat behind Tom Brady for his first few seasons.
4. Garoppolo has a career passer rating of 99, compared to Smith's 75.7.
5. Garoppolo usually wins when he starts. He has a winning percentage of 72.4%. Smith's win percentage? 42.2%.
6. Garoppolo's teammates love him. They believe in him, and are willing to follow him. Smith is best known for not paying back a teammate he owed money to, and then picking a fight with the guy, who ended up breaking Smith's jaw and costing him several weeks of play time. What a great leader!

Smith, however, has played pretty well in 2021 in relief of Wilson. But he hasn't played any better than Garoppolo has, and Smith's career has been marred with much less efficiency and success than Garoppolo's.

Both Garoppolo and Smith played against the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars this season. Smith replaced Wilson against the Rams, and finished with 131 passing yards, a touchdown (which was his first since 2017), and threw an interception in the Seahawks loss to the Rams. Not too bad.

Garoppolo threw for 182 yards, two touchdowns and had a passer rating of 141.7 in a rout over the Rams.

Against the Jaguars, Smith passed for 195 yards and two touchdowns in a Seahawks win. Garoppolo threw for 176 yards, two touchdowns, and had a passer rating of 126.3 against Jacksonville.

Is Garoppolo head and shoulders above Smith? In numbers and statistics, no. But in leadership and influence within the team, yes. Garoppolo's teammates really believe in him. I'm not sure Smith's teammates could say the same.

And as for Lance, Smith has never possessed the amount of talent or upside as someone like Lance. Will Lance become the star so many are expecting him to become? Who knows. But he certainly doesn't have "bust" written all over him, as our friend Evan would have us believe.

After comparing the numbers, winning percentage, and what we know about the quarterbacks' leadership qualities, I think it's safe to say that Garoppolo is a much better quarterback than Smith. Evan deserves the award for "dumbest thing I've read this week." Well done, Evan. You can pick up your award at 4949 Marie DeBartolo Way, Santa Clara, CA.

Ask for Jimmy.

• Marc Adams
• Written by:
  Marc Adams
  Speaker. Writer. Covering the San Francisco 49ers. Host of the 49ers Camelot show.
  YouTube.com/@49ersCamelot
  Find the 49ers Camelot show wherever you listen to your podcasts!
  All articles by Marc Adams
  @49ersCamelot
  YouTube Channel