Maybe Santonio Holmes wants to be traded to the Texans.
Regardless of his motivation, Holmes is publicly complaining about the lack of deep balls in the Jets’ offense, and he once again is putting the blame on an offensive line that isn’t giving quarterback Mark Sanchez enough time to find open targets far down the field.
“I may be criticized again for saying it, but it starts up front,” Holmes said Thursday, according to Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. “The big guys know it. If they give Mark enough time to sit in the pocket and complete passes, I think everything changes.”
It’s no secret that Holmes wants the ball more. He started his public pitch after a loss to the Ravens. Before that, we’d heard that he was privately lobbying for more looks.
“The numbers speak for themselves,” Holmes said. “If you were in my shoes, what would you think?”
Holmes thinks it’s pretty simple to spot the problems with the passing game.
“If you can’t protect the quarterback for four or five seconds, there’s no point in dropping back seven yards to throw the football if he doesn’t have enough time,” Holmes said. “We pretty much have to roll with the way our offense is rolling right now.”
The criticism of the offensive line also represents, whether Holmes realizes it or not, a lament for his last quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. The line was lacking in Pittsburgh, but Big Ben could extend plays and throw the ball deep, short, and otherwise. Sanchez apparently can’t.