Steve Serby
There wasn't supposed to be a night like this so soon for Mark Sanchez. A night when a kid gunslinger — Geno The Kid — swaggered into MetLife Stadium and Tom Coughlin and the Giants would have no choice but to hide the women and children.
A night when Geno The Kid was looking to empty his holster and shoot down the notion there is no Joy in Jetville and fill the night air with hope for a better and brighter tomorrow.
A night when the men who cannot pull the trigger on this fair and open quarterback decision will finally be able to pull the trigger with a franchise-changing 7-gun salute instead of a 6-gun salute.
Sanchez has done precious little in the preseason games that matter to keep his job and silence a disenchanted citizenry from wanting him to get the hell out of Dodge.
Smith gets his first shot as the starter tonight and all eyes will be on him.
If he shows the kind of poise, leadership, efficiency and accuracy that too often have been missing from Sanchez over the previous two seasons, Smith deserves the job.
Does he think he has a chance to win it?
"That's what I think," Smith told The Post. "We're still working, right? We're still competing."
The Jets' decision-makers — apparently everyone but Broadway Joe and Fireman Ed will be involved — keep telling us they are waiting for one of the quarterbacks to elevate and separate.
In the final analysis, this is a matter of trust. Smith needs to give Ryan — assuming he is not bound and gagged when the Yalta Conference takes place — a reason to trust him.
Smith needs to give fellow rookie John Idzik, who drafted him, a reason to pull the rug out from under Sanchez, no ifs, ands or buttfumbles.
He needs to convince offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg and quarterbacks coach David Lee his upside trumps the edge Sanchez has in experience, and trumps it immediately, in time for Darrelle Revis on Sept. 8.
If his ankle is not quite 100 percent, if it contributes to a grievous interception, no one will care. You are an NFL quarterback and you play through these things, the way Sanchez has, and find a way to get the job done.
Smith has made his move this week, in the critical areas of leadership and footwork.
"[He's] very composed. I think he's one of those guys that takes his punches, it doesn't break him, like if you yell at him — some guys are sensitive or kind of go in a funk — I don't get that sense in him," guard Willie Colon said. "I feel like he takes it well, just gets back on course and he does his job. I'm very impressed by him, how he handles himself, does what he's told. I'm really excited about his composure, which is important for a young guy. Because a guy can get things going around him, and he can jump in a tunnel. But I never see that out of him."
"You definitely see some progression in terms of maturity, in terms of going out there and being a commanding force in the huddle," tackle Austin Howard said. " I think he has a good counterpart to kind of learn from in Mark, natural born leader guy, so I think Geno has someone to look up to and kind of learn how to follow suit."
"I haven't been around long enough in the league to actually see like a high-draft-pick rookie come in as a quarterback and knowing what they're supposed to be doing right off the bat," tight end Jeff Cumberland said, "but so far as I can see, he's been doing pretty good. He can make every throw, has a strong arm."
Smith can go a long way towards winning widespread support in the locker room with a "Wow!" performance.
"It doesn't bother me who the quarterback is," Cumberland said. "Whoever's going to help us win, I'm fine with it, but that's something the coaches have to decide."
Colon: "I think right now we just want a guy who can get it done."
The Jets have given us far too many gee whiz moments of late. They could sure use a G Wiz tonight.
steve.serby@nypost.com
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