But the defense was also moving all the time, and they were getting confused. Specifically, the intangibles of his position. Consensus around the Bengals is that Smith has the physical skills to be a successful NFL quarterback. He moves well and he has the height, the arm strength, the competitiveness and the drive. Coach Bruce Coslet said Smith has been pushed in conditioning and has been a willing pupil with the team's playbook.
Experience is what's lacking.
This has been great for Akili. We're just going to have to ride that rocky road until we get him leveled out and being consistent. When practice ended Thursday, some media members were waiting for the team's starting quarterback. He happened to be lifting weights. When he got to the locker room, the tape recorders came out and camera lights turned on.