Santonio Holmes: Why the Offensive Player Is Being Defensive

Santonio Holmes probably has all the reason in the world to act the way he did in the closing moments of the regular-season finale.  None of us are a part of what the New York Jets do on a day-to-day basis and shouldn't be so quick to make an assertive opinion.

Without judging Holmes based off his actions in a game where there really wasn't anything to play for in the final minutes, can you really blame him for his apparent frustration with Mark Sanchez and the team?  What elite receiver wouldn't be upset when he's not catching passes but running aimlessly downfield, waiting wide open for a football that seems to never come. 

Pete Carroll was irritated when Sanchez up and left USC after starting for one full year, and told reporters in a press conference that Sanchez wasn't ready for the NFL.  Carroll was condemned for his statement and was said to only be looking out for his personal benefit, being the head coach of the Trojans. 

Three years later, is what Carroll said starting to show?

Wide receivers can't do their job without actually receiving the ball.  With all due respect to Sanchez, Holmes' numbers were the worst of his career when it comes to total yards.  Holmes had his typical amount of total catches and touchdowns, but his numbers have been far from his output with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009.

Those numbers are what got Holmes recognition as a team captain, but his actions prove he isn't fit for that role on any team. 

Still, Holmes' frustration within the game and a team with Super Bowl aspirations shouldn't be overlooked and viewed as him simply being selfish.

Some are saying it's the Jets' offensive line that is problematic, but that is a shallow and common way of placing blame from Pop Warner football to the pros.  Shonn Greene seemed to do just fine running behind the O-line and averaged 4.2 yards per carry.  Combine Greene's yards with LaDainian Tomlinson, and it is totaled over 1,300.  Not bad for a supposed weak offensive line.

Critics are sold on the opinion that Sanchez is just a bad quarterback.  His numbers compared to other quarterbacks this year are somewhat validating that, as he falls in the third tier statistically.  A lot of the blame could and should be placed on Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, but football is a team sport, isn't it?  At the same time, Schottenheimer sometimes calls those plays that make you scratch your head.  Why did he call a play-action on 3rd-and-15 again? 

Even though Holmes showed pure immaturity on a big stage, we shouldn't be so quick to judge.  Anybody who has played organized sports knows that there is more going on in the locker room and on the sidelines than any camera can capture or any writer can report. 

After the way Bart Scott and Darrelle Revis acted while cleaning out their lockers, and the supposed crying of Rex Ryan, we can only imagine where Holmes' disappointment lies and what really goes on in that locker room.