Smith Rips Giants LB's 'dirty Play' That Injured Knee

Jordan Raanan, ESPN Staff Writer Oct 3, 2023, 1:54am ET
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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith limped off the field Monday night and missed two series late in the first half after New York Giants linebacker Isaiah Simmons made a questionable tackle near the sideline.

Smith injured his knee in the game. He remained in the game for one more game before being treated in the medical tent.

“A dirty game. Dirty play,” Smith told ESPN’s Lisa Salters after returning in the second half for Seattle’s 24-3 win. “You can see it. It was a dirty game. There’s no place for that in this sport and hopefully something happens, but other than that the grace of God has allowed me to get back into this sport and I’m happy to be back out there.

Smith immediately expressed his displeasure. He was later cited for taunting when he returned to the game in the third quarter.

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He was still upset after the game, even though the Seahawks (3-1) entered the bye week with a win. Smith completed 13 of 20 passes for 110 yards and a touchdown.

“I just don’t respect things like that,” Smith said. “Such things are not necessary. It’s a hard-fought game. We are all fighting, but there is no reason to shoot at players who are running out of bounds on the sideline.”

Smith appeared to be somewhat limited in his return, moving cautiously on the knee. But he insists it’s nothing big.

“I’m doing well. I’m doing well. God is good,” he said.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s biggest criticism seemed to be how Smith was defeated, rather than where. The play took place near the Giants’ sideline after Smith had his pass bounced back to him.

It was actually a reception for minus 2 yards on the play.

“Yeah, that looked so dangerous,” Carroll said. “I don’t know why we didn’t see it differently. It just looked so dangerous. The whole effect of a horse-collar tackle kicked in, with the momentum of the body pulling the back of the legs down, and he “I hurt myself on that play.” A penalty couldn’t have changed that, but it just looked like such a dangerous game that it would have been worth a second look.”

The Giants didn’t feel the same way about the hit. They thought it was clean.

“I really can’t say much about that. We play football. He’s angry that he got hit? What do most quarterbacks do when they don’t want to get hit? They go down. “I don’t really know what else is going to happen.” Tell him about it.
Giants LB Isaiah Simmons

Simmons says he was just trying to make a tackle. Smith ran for yards after catching his own pass.

“I really can’t say much about it,” Simmons said. “We play football. He’s angry that he got hit? What do most quarterbacks do when they don’t want to get hit? They go down. I don’t really know what else to say to him about it.”

Simmons insists it was clean and that he started the tackle downfield.

“Yeah, no one’s out there trying to hurt anyone. I want everyone to be well, you know what I mean? Nobody is trying to hurt anyone, so I would hate anyone who intentionally tried to hurt me,” Simmons said. “None of this was intentional. We’re just trying to play hard and win.”

Smith originally thought it was safety Xavier McKinney who made the questionable tackle. The two chatted on the field later in the series.

McKinney didn’t seem too worried about the play in retrospect.

“I don’t know it. I really don’t care to be honest about what he says or what he does,” McKinney said. “It doesn’t really matter.

“Yeah, I thought the hit was okay.” He chuckled. “He’ll be fine.”