Geno Smith played by far his best game of the season Thursday night against the division rival New England Patriots, but it still wasn't enough in a 27-25 loss.
Smith put the ball on point for the most part, made plays with his feet and didn't make his trademark head-scratching decisions en route to 20 of 34 passing for 226 yards and one touchdown on the night.
However, one pass that failed will be remembered the most.
After leading the New York Jets on a long touchdown drive, he couldn't connect on the two-point conversion that would have tied the game. Smith caught a low snap and rushed a fade throw to an open Jace Amaro in the end zone, sailing it well over the 6-foot-5 tight end's head.
Many questioned the play call in that spot, but Smith said he put the blame on himself for missing what should have been an easy connection in a favorable matchup.
"Jace did a great job of getting open, and I gotta give him a better ball, that's completely on me," Smith said. "He ran a great route, and I didn't give him a good enough ball."
Surely some will question why the Jets, who'd been gashing the Patriots on the ground all night, didn't go to Chris Ivory, or why No. 1 wideout Eric Decker wasn't on the field. But the play worked well. Smith needs to make that throw.
The second-year signal-caller put on a gutty performance, flashing improvements in his pocket movements and decision-making. However, the quarterback knows a loss is still a loss.
"Not good enough," Smith said of his performance, per ESPN.com. "Spotty at times. I had opportunities there but just didn't get the job done."
The latest Around The NFL Podcast recaps the Patriots' thrilling win over the Jets and previews every other Week 7 game. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.