Geno Smith came up favoring his right hand after taking a hit in the second half. (AP/Gregory Bull)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith left their game with the Denver Broncos early on Sunday afternoon due to apparent hand and shoulder injuries.
Smith was hit hard on a third down early in the second half, and came up favoring his right hand after throwing an incomplete pass. Smith was looked at by the team’s medical staff during the Broncos’ next drive, but he returned to the game the next time out.
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That, though, didn’t last. Smith led the Raiders into scoring position and hit Brock Bowers inside the 10 yard line on the final play of the third quarter, though he took a big hit and landed hard on his right shoulder right as he got rid of the ball. Smith hopped back up quickly and made it to the sidelines, but he did not come back out to start the fourth quarter.
Backup Kenny Pickett took his place as Smith went back to the locker room. Pickett threw a short 2-yard completion on third down, and then missed Bowers in the end zone on fourth down.
The Raiders initially said that Smith was questionable to return with a right hand injury. When he went out the second time, the team said it was a right shoulder injury. Specifics of either injury are not yet known.
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Smith went 8-of-13 for 71 yards with a touchdown before he went down with the injury. He led the Raiders on a 10-play, 70-yard drive capped with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Bowers on their first possession of the afternoon. But the Broncos, who also scored on their opening drive of the day, then ran a punt back 48 yards for a touchdown to take a 14-7 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Smith entered Sunday with 2,532 yards and 15 touchdowns to 14 interceptions this year. Pickett was traded to the Raiders earlier this fall after backup Aidan O’Connell was injured in the preseason. He is in the final year of his initial rookie contract.
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The Raiders hold just a 2-10 record, and have already been eliminated from postseason contention. The franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2002 season, and has only been to the playoffs once since relocating to Las Vegas.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
