New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith is under plenty of pressure as a rookie who has been thrust into a starting role. Santonio Holmes could miss several weeks with a hamstring injury, but that didn’t stop him from putting even more pressure on the former West Virginia star earlier this week.
Holmes had only one catch for 25 yards in New York’s 38-13 loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. He was targeted five times. When discussing the game, he was quick to point out that he can’t control how many balls come his way.
“I can’t throw it to myself and catch it, otherwise I would,” Holmes said, via the NY Daily News. “I played 49 plays, and all I know is I had one catch. That’s all I can attest for. I just have to do my part, which is the position that I’m playing, which is primary X receiver, and a lot of times I get double-covered, taken out of plays, so the progression and the read from the quarterback have to go elsewhere.”
Smith has not played well in the early part of the season, as he acknowledged recently when he apologized to the Jets’ defense for putting them in compromising positions with turnovers. Does Holmes feel he deserves an apology as well?
One thing we can say for sure is that receivers always sound whiny when they pull the “I can’t throw it to myself” card. Hakeem Nicks already went down that road with the New York Giants earlier this season, and it was not well-received by head coach Tom Coughlin. Holmes needs to be supporting his rookie quarterback, not acting like a diva. That is especially true if he is expecting to miss a few games anyway.
