Jets Q&A: Is Geno Smith ready to start next week? He thinks so

Will Geno Smith start next week?

Geno Smith "felt ready" to replace Ryan Fitzpatrick on Sunday. And the third-year quarterback is prepared to prove his worth next week, too.

"I'm pretty confident right now. Pretty confident," Smith said after the Jets' 34-20 loss to the Raiders at O.co Coliseum.

Smith was called to action less than five minutes into the game when Fitzpatrick tore ligaments in his left thumb when he was tackled by Charles Woodson on a 12-yard scramble. "Today was my first game of the year, my first action. I think I did some decent things, but I have a lot of things to improve on," said Smith, who competed 27 of 42 attempts for 265 yards and two touchdowns.

Coach Todd Bowles said the Jets might have to sign another quarterback because of Fitzpatrick's injury. But Smith, who injured his left shoulder on a 29-yard scramble in the fourth quarter and got the wind knocked out of him on a hard hit by linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong with 1:01 to play, is ready and willing to lead the offense.

"Obviously, we've got to do all the evaluations and make sure we monitor everything, but I'm pretty confident that I've prepared myself and I will be ready to play," said Smith, adding that he had X-rays on his shoulder after the game.

Smith stressed that he "always" has confidence in his ability. When asked if he views this as his second chance to be a starter, he said: "Every chance I get to step on the field is a way for me to prove my worth to whoever's watching.

"I just want to go out there and win the game. With these guys on the team, we've got a lot to play for . . . So we just want to go out there and win. Obviously, it's tough to come away with a loss, but we have to regroup and come back strong next week."

Why won't these QBs slide?

Every time Fitzpatrick takes off on a scramble, Bowles gets nervous, and for good reason. He again failed to slide feet-first after a big gain, and the results may have been costly this time.

"It was a scramble," Fitzpatrick said, describing how he injured his thumb. "I think it was just kind of a fluke thing. [Woodson] kind of went for the ball and just got my thumb inside. I knew something wasn't right and unfortunately I just couldn't grip the ball. I couldn't really do anything with pressure and keep it in the right place."

Fitzpatrick said he'll undergo an MRI.

After the game, Smith said he should have just run out of bounds instead of trying to gain more yards on his 29-yard scramble late in the game.

Asked about both injured quarterbacks, Bowles simply said: "You've got to learn how to slide."

Anyone else get hurt?

Receiver Brandon Marshall injured his right toe and left ankle and had X-rays after the game, but he wouldn't say how serious the injuries might be.

"I'll be OK," Marshall said, adding that he "more than likely" will undergo further tests.

"We'll see how the week goes,'' he said. "It's a long week, so a lot of time to heal."

Who's Wesley Johnson?

Johnson, a fifth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2014, had never played in an NFL game until Sunday. The 24-year-old center started in place of 10-year veteran Nick Mangold (sore neck). Bowles said he went with Johnson over Dakota Dozier because Johnson had experience playing center in college.