Las Vegas Raiders starting quarterback Geno Smith was a full participant at Wednesday’s practice. The expectation is that Smith will start versus the Houston Texans in Week 16. That’s ultimately the right decision by the franchise.
Smith left the Raiders’ Week 14 loss to the Denver Broncos with an injury. He’s still listed on the injury report with right shoulder and back injuries. Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett started the Week 15 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles. That went so poorly that Pete Carroll has no decision but to go back to Smith at quarterback.
The Raiders were shut out (and embarrassed) 31-0 by the Eagles. The Raiders gained just 75 net yards of offense. Pickett completed 15-of-25 passing attempts for 64 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. The performance did a lot to arguably absolve Smith of blame for how terrible the offense has been this campaign.
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Prior to Smith sitting, the fanbase wondered if the offense would improve under a different quarterback. That clearly wasn’t the case. Smith hasn’t been perfect, or even good, but the Raiders obviously possess more issues on offense, including across the offensive line and at offensive coordinator, where Greg Olson recently replaced the fired Chip Kelly.
The matchup versus the Texans in Week 16 is incredibly difficult. DeMeco Ryans’ defense is allowing the fewest yards in the NFL per game (269.2). The Raiders are outmatched in every way imaginable, but Smith gives them the best chance to compete.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: Raiders should go back to Geno Smith in Week 16