Palladino: The Work Will Come for Jets' Unhappy Santonio Holmes

'From the Pressbox'
By Ernie Palladino
» More Ernie Palladino Columns

Ernie is the author of "Lombardi and Landry." He'll be covering football throughout the season.

Wide receivers are funny people.

The all want the ball in their hands, all the time. And most of them, when it doesn't arrive regularly, go into a pout.

That's sort of what Santonio Holmes is doing right now. With just 22 catches for 311 yards and three touchdowns over the first seven games, he actually had to pick his words carefully the other day when asked about what appears to be a reduced role.

He eventually said the right thing -- "We're here winning games right now. We're 4-3 right now, and that's pretty much all I can ask for at this point." -- but he would have done well to drop the pregnant pause before answering.

Saying the right thing should be automatic for veterans like Holmes, especially in this day and age where a quarterback's favorite rests on game plan, coverage, productivity, and especially injury. Those priorities change every week, and Holmes, a team captain and leader, is old enough to know better.

Instead, his measured tones indicate that he's sulking, and the last thing the Jets need as they take their two-game winning streak into tough Buffalo is an unhappy receiver. So what that his 41 targeted passes rank third behind Dustin Keller's 46 and Plaxico Burress' 45? The fact is, with nine games left, Holmes is going to get more than his fair share of opportunities, especially when, or if, Mark Sanchez really heats up and gets his team consistently into the Red Zone.

After all, Burress and Keller aren't going to catch all the scoring passes.

"I think teams know about Santonio, so they know (No.) 10 is just a baller," Sanchez said. "And they want to keep him from getting the ball."

At the same time, Sanchez said he's not in the business of placating his pass-catchers.

"We're in the business of winning," he said. "Whether it's rushing 100 times a game, is that the quarterback's favorite game? No, probably not, but we win."

This is where Rex Ryan's recent proclamation that the Giants will return to the "Ground and Pound" game that took them to two AFC Championship games comes in. Perhaps he's taking a page from the Giants' book.

If you remember, they beat the Bills 27-24 while rushing for 122 yards. Ahmad Bradshaw carried 26 times for 104 yards and three touchdowns in that one. The Giants' run-pass ratio was an ideal 33-32, and it certainly helped that Eli Manning threw no interceptions and that Bradshaw popped off 30-yard run at a most opportune time in the fourth quarter.

Ryan, Brian Schottenheimer, and Sanchez could well use the same blueprint at Ralph Wilson Stadium, especially since there are some weather concerns going into the game. But that doesn't mean that Shonn Greene and Joe McKnight -- being rewarded with an increased role in the offense -- are going to be strictly ground-bound. The tight end Keller could see plenty of business, and Holmes will be looked upon to provide that occasional downfield shot. And a running back they can split wide in the passing game, will add a bit more unpredictability.

We all know what Holmes can do in the attacking zone. He would have had four touchdowns, in fact, had Nick Mangold's hold not nullified a 23-yard TD reception in the first quarter against the Chargers. He just wants more chances.

They all do, however. San Francisco great Jerry Rice was legendary for his occasional pouts when Joe Montana or Steve Young turned their affections to someone else. And he still wound up with plenty of catches -- an NFL record 1,549, in fact.

We're not putting Holmes in that class. Probably never will.

We're just saying, be of good cheer, Santonio. The work will come. In the meantime, keep the pouts down and the wins up.

Your thoughts on Holmes' comments this season? Will the work come? Sound off in the comments below...