Wide receiver Torrey Smith has been around the NFL long enough to know not to panic. He is staying the course in the face of missed opportunities that moved him to tweet an apology.
In the middle of the worst stretch of my career...I'll bounce back...proud of the team — Torrey Smith (@TorreySmithWR) October 1, 2017
On Wednesday, Smith talked to a group of reporters at the NovaCare Complex and further discussed his state of mind and his dedication to improving his pass-catching consistency.
"It's frustrating because I had a great (Training) Camp, a great offseason, period," said Smith, who has 10 catches for 134 yards in the Eagles' 3-1 start. "I was building off of that momentum. It wasn't a bad start to the season versus the Skins (Smith had one reception for 30 yards on three targets in the opening-day win at Washington) and then these last few weeks I've left some plays on the field that really hurt us in those games.
"I've just got to back on track, which I will. I'm not panicking; I'm not in the tank or anything. I'm a little embarrassed by it more than anything. It's not the start that I wanted. I've let my teammates down."
Smith hopes that Sunday, the start of the second quarter of the season, represents a fresh start. He said there is no "common theme" to his drops, which he counts as two in Kansas City – although Smith said the league came back and said that on both plays pass interference should have been called – one on a short dart route against the Giants, and one on a throw from quarterback Carson Wentz down the seam in Los Angeles on Sunday.
"Those are plays I should make and that I will make," said Smith, who graded himself as a D in the first four games of the season.
"I know who I am. That's the biggest thing. I never lose sight of that. It's not the first or last time that I'm going to fail to make a play. For me, I know who I am, my teammates know who I am and that probably means more to me than anything. I just know what I need to do to pick it up. Sometimes, it's not just a magic fix."
To that end, Smith has not changed his routine. He "trusts" his routine. He's not isolating himself. He's not "in the tank."
Smith is confident he will break out of his self-described slump.
So is his quarterback.
"I have all the confidence in the world in him," Wentz said. "You know, drops happen, things happen, I miss throws. The first couple of weeks I was overthrowing and then underthrowing and so those things happen. I don't get too caught up in it.
"I talked to him today to make sure we are on the same page and we are. Those things happen. I'm always very optimistic about those things and kind of keep pressing on. At the same time, I know Torrey. I know he's a competitor, so to some extent, you don't talk and harp on it too much because I know he'll take care of what he needs to take care of."
