Tom Brady knows plenty about winning at Gillette Stadium, as his 135 victories there are the most of any quarterback at one stadium in NFL history. Geno Smith was previously just 1-2 in Foxborough, with both of his losses coming against teams led by the longtime New England Patriots quarterback.
It was fitting that the Raiders' new signal-caller began his tenure with the franchise in the minority owner's old stomping grounds, leading the team to a 20-13 victory over the Patriots. Smith had an excellent showing as well, as he set a franchise record for most passing yards in a debut game.
Smith threw for 362 yards, one touchdown and one interception while completing 70.6% of his pass attempts. But more importantly, Las Vegas began Pete Carroll's tenure with a victory. Following the game, the Raiders quarterback received a text from the seven-time Super Bowl champion Brady.
Raiders QB Geno Smith reveals what Tom Brady told him after Week 1 win
In his first game, Smith had a great individual performance as only Josh Allen threw for more yards in Week 1. He also had the most yards per completion of any quarterback, while only Lamar Jackson had more yards per attempt.
Speaking with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, the Raiders quarterback revealed that he heard from Brady after the game. The future Pro Football Hall of Famer reportedly sent him a simple text, but Raider Nation will love it.
"Good game. Get ready for the next one."Tom Brady to Geno Smith after Week 1
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Smith seemingly got the message, and the fan base may love his response even more.
"It’s just one win. It’s hard to win in the NFL. (It) takes a lot of hard work. The thing I saw with the game flow, midway through the second quarter, we hit a rut, but no one was down on themselves," Smith said. "We regrouped and executed after the half. I always look at the things we can improve on and get better at. But we all stuck together. No one was upset. That’s the markings of a Pete Carroll team."
The Raiders will need Smith to continue performing at a high level as they look to make a postseason push in the first year under Carroll. The quarterback has shown that he is more than capable of doing so.
Over the past three seasons, he ranks fourth in the NFL in both passing yards and completion percentage while ranking eighth in passing touchdowns. It is almost not even arguable that Las Vegas improved its quarterback situation more than any other team in the league.
Carroll and general manager John Spytek had to acquire Smith this offseason, and Brady was reportedly fully on board with making this move. It is clear, however, that the group is committed to establishing a winning culture, which is something the Raiders have lacked for over two decades.