Following the Jets’ AFC title game loss to the Steelers, Santonio Holmes made a pointed remark about his absence from the field early in the game:
“Ask coach Schottenheimer what happened. He’ll explain it,” Holmes fumed at the time, as described by Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
Holmes and Schottenheimer both haven’t said a word since until Saturday, when the impending free agent receiver didn’t back down from the comments.
“I was being critical of not starting in the game,” Holmes told Cimini. “However anybody wants to take it, whoever it was taking a shot at, that’s that. I was being critical of not starting in the AFC Championship Game and I was frustrated. I was very upset that I didn’t play for 10 plays. It probably made the biggest difference in how we played.”
We’d argue that the Jets’ pathetic tackling in the first half made the biggest difference. And the Jets offense struggled to start fast throughout the season, whether Holmes was in the game or not.
It is a little odd that Holmes sat early in the game, but he wound up unofficially playing 45 of 57 snaps.
Holmes says the mini-benching won’t affect his decision regarding whether to return to the Jets, as long as he gets a long-term contract offer.
These comments may not help his case.
