Tuesday, August 24, 1999
Smith: Something to prove
Time will tell if rookie QB can help team
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Forget blitzes and zones and interceptions.
Bengals rookie quarterback Akili Smith's first challenge when he arrives here today is proving to his skeptical teammates that he can help them this season even though they have already had 27 practices without him.
“I'll have to show them I haven't been lying around waiting for the deal to get done,” Smith said Monday night before boarding a flight from San Diego to Cincinnati.
“I've been doing my workouts. I've been doing my throwing. I've been getting into my playbook and talking to Coach (offensive coordinator Ken) Anderson,” Smith said. "From what I understand, there isn't much new that's been installed (in the offense) since I was at mini-camp. The only thing I haven't done is memorized it all.”
The Bengals are reluctant to say if he's capable right now of being Jeff Blake's backup, but they are searching for veteran quarterbacks on the waiver wire. Young reserves Eric Kresser and Scott Covington have had sub-par training camps.
In the contract negotiations last week, the Bengals were tempted to pull the voiding of the seventh and last year of Smith's deal off the table because they had figured this year was lost.
Even Smith thinks not much was expected from him this season. Although he is anxious and would love to take a few snaps against Buffalo in Saturday's home opener, he knows better.
“With the way everything went down (with the contract negotiations), they drafted me in mind with Jeff Blake being the starter or else I would have been in earlier,” Smith said.
“But I definitely think they see me as the key to the future. I want to get as many reps as possible and be ready if Jeff stumbles or I can get into some blowouts with Jeff playing real well, get a few snaps and go into next year ready.”
Back in 1995, Blake got a four-year, $12.4 million extension. On Monday, Smith got $10.8 million just to sign.
Blake has said Smith has missed too much time to contribute this year. With training camp over Friday and the regular season less than three weeks away, Smith won't get much help from Blake.
“I don't have time to take anyone under my wing. I've got to win football games,” Blake said. “If I was a backup, I could do it. He can watch and learn.
“When I was a rookie in New York, even Boomer (Esiason) didn't have time to help me. He couldn't run a play and then run over and explain it to me.”
Blake made it clear that he will help Smith as much as he can. They will no doubt have lockers next to each other at Spinney Field and they will be in meetings together. But the season brings a huge demand on a starting quarterback's time.
“If he was in camp, it'd be a different story because we spend so much time together,” Blake said. “We eat together, meet together. But during the season, I'm eating breakfast and dinner at home.”
The schedule of a starting quarterback also means that Smith will get only about 10 percent of a week's practice snaps during the regular season. Covington, Smith's fellow rookie, back, is one of the skeptics.
Covington has struggled with the game and he's been here for all 27 workouts.
“If you're a receiver or running back and you hold out, that's one thing. But if you're a quarterback, you're responsible for 10 other guys,” Covington said. “Quarterback is a position you can really be talented, but you can look really bad at the same time if you don't know what you're doing. You can look real bad, real quick. If a play breaks down, you've got to know where to go to save yourself.”
Covington shook his head when asked if he could do what Smith is about to do after a three-week absence.
“The experience I've gotten in games and being out here every day and taking tons of reps,” Covington said, “you can't do that at home.'
Bengals Stories
BRAVES 6, REDS 2
Box, runs
REDS NOTEBOOK
Best starters in Atlanta are Reds
Harnisch shoulders load
Banned Rose might be invited to Series
Mets 3, Astros 2
Musketeers lose guard to grades
Home run drama going, going, gone Daugherty column
Cooper chooses starter
