WR Santonio Holmes (Super Bowl XLIII MVP)

[MaxBuck]

The rightful heir to the throne of Top Wide Receiver Diva - succession from Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson (85) - is Santonio Holmes. He'll drive his coaches nuts even as they cannot live without his extraordinary production.

He's like cocaine - the drug you need more and more of, until your heart explodes.

 

[GeorgiaBuck2]

I think that may be a little strong.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

The rightful heir to the throne of Top Wide Receiver Diva - succession from Randy Moss, Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson (85) - is Santonio Holmes. He'll drive his coaches nuts even as they cannot live without his extraordinary production.

He's like cocaine - the drug you need more and more of, until your heart explodes.

Santonio may get into trouble outside of football but he's hardly a diva like those guys. He's a team player and always has been.

 

[Buckskin86]

In Typical Fashion, Holmes Makes His Touches Count
By SCOTT CACCIOLA

CLEVELAND?Santonio Holmes detected a pattern over the course of the Jets' game against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday afternoon. He said he found that Browns cornerback Eric Wright was giving him ample space to run his routes. Mr. Wright seemed worried about the deep ball.

It was a sign of respect for Mr. Holmes, known as one of the NFL's faster and craftier wide receivers. But Mr. Holmes said he recognized that Mr. Wright was allowing him "too much leverage," and he felt he had an advantage. So he approached offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in the second half and made his case. "I need a slant route on No. 21 at some point," Mr. Holmes told him, referring to Mr. Wright's number.

It turned out to be an important conversation. Mr. Holmes ran a short slant route?his first of the game?on his 37-yard touchdown reception that lifted the Jets to an improbable 26-20 victory with just 16 seconds remaining in overtime. Mr. Holmes and his teammates have a flair for the dramatic. One week after beating the Detroit Lions in overtime, the Jets became the first team in NFL history to win back-to-back road games in overtime.

"Just want me to hit 'ditto' on three or four of our other games this year?" coach Rex Ryan said to open his postgame press conference.

He was quick to credit his team's overall effort. There was cornerback Drew Coleman stripping the ball from the Browns' Chansi Stuckey at the Cleveland 32-yard line. (A field goal would have won the game.) There was wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery injuring his groin, and then having the resolve to catch a pass from quarterback Mark Sanchez. (Mr. Ryan assessed the play as the "gutsiest" he had seen in a long time.) And there was Jim Leonhard returning a punt 18 yards into Browns territory to set up Mr. Holmes's touchdown catch. ("You can't overlook that," Mr. Holmes said.)

It has taken some time for the Jets (7-2) to feature Mr. Holmes. Acquired over the offseason from the Pittsburgh Steelers, with whom he won a Super Bowl, Mr. Holmes was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. In five games with the Jets, Mr. Holmes has caught 20 passes for 321 yards?respectable if not glamorous numbers.

Based on the stats, he was more productive last season, when he caught 79 passes for 1,248 yards, both career highs. But Mr. Holmes is working with a new quarterback and learning a new system, and his importance to the Jets?specifically, his ability to elevate his late-game play?is becoming more evident by the week. Mr. Ryan said Mr. Holmes takes on a different demeanor when the fourth quarter rolls around.

"It's an unbelievable look in his face," Mr. Ryan said. "I'll look at him and it's like, 'It's Tone time now.' And he'll be like, 'You know it, Rex.' "

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703326204575616952348858516.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Santonio Holmes praises open lines of communication between Jets receivers, coaches
Published: Monday, November 15, 2010
Conor Orr/The Star-Ledger

It was a gap Santonio Holmes had noticed all game. Just enough soft coverage between him and Cleveland cornerback Eric Wright that a slant route would work perfectly.

So, like he had done a few times before, Holmes suggested something to the coaching staff and it paid off. When asked if he felt like a coach on the field, the former Super Bowl MVP laughed, but did suggest that he likes the open lines of communication between him, Ryan and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

"I definitely like the aspect that the coaches trust the players," Holmes said Monday afternoon. "And one thing coach Ryan and I talked about from day one, when the Jets signed me, is that (I'm a) guy capable of making a play out of nothing, and I feed off of it and I live for the moment and just play football.

"This is where I dedicate all my time to regardless of family time, off the field accusations whatever it may be, I dedicate my time here in the football season and I think that it pays off, you know, in the long run."

Holmes noted that he's been watching film with Sanchez, Schottenheimer, Braylon Edwards and others where "things they could be arguing about" are solved through conversation with one another.

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2010/11/santonio_holmes_praises_open_l.html

 

[MaxBuck]

My post above reads a whole lot harsher than I intended. Tone is unquestionably an elite receiver, and I'd argue maybe the most dangerous in the league right now. But his frequent off-the-field issues have without doubt been disruptive to the teams he's played for. How can it not be disruptive to have your top offensive threat unavailable for the first four games of the season? And my definition of "diva" includes a large component of selfishness, and Holmes's behavior off the field has been selfish many times over.

My point really is that diva stars tend to be a lot like cocaine for coaches - it's almost impossible to quit them once you experience the rush. And without a doubt, Tone supplies a rush.

 

[BengalsAndBucks]

Tone is unquestionably an elite receiver, and I'd argue maybe the most dangerous in the league right now.

I love a Buckeye as much as the next guy, and his SB catch was undoubtedly brilliant. But most dangerous receiver in the league? I'd take Johnson, Fitzgerald, Wayne, Moss, Marshall, White, and Jackson without thinking about it.

 

[OregonBuckeye]

I love a Buckeye as much as the next guy, and his SB catch was undoubtedly brilliant. But most dangerous receiver in the league? I'd take Johnson, Fitzgerald, Wayne, Moss, Marshall, White, and Jackson without thinking about it.

Moss? He's pretty washed up. Holmes is more of a big play guy(I'm assuming that's what dangerous means) than Wayne too, IMO.

 

[Buckskin86]

Jets receiver Santonio Holmes thrives on gift for clutch playmaking
Published: Sunday, November 21, 2010
Jenny Vrentas/The Star-Ledger

Andrew Weber/US Presswire
Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes celebrates after catching the game-winning touchdown to beat the Browns, 26-20, in overtime last week.

Santonio Holmes believes the moment will not pass him by.

This is why he replicates the exhaustion of the two-minute drill in the offseason with vigorous interval training. This is why he used to physically tug on his position coach?s shirt at Ohio State when the fourth quarter began. This is why he spent two days with legend Jerry Rice in Tampa, Fla., in the winter of 2008, as a hungry young receiver.

The product is what Jets coach Rex Ryan has dubbed ?Tone Time,? Holmes? uncanny knack for delivering clutch plays late in games when it matters most. Three times already this season he has been part of a play that directed the Jets to victory ? his common denominator in high school, in college and in Super Bowl XLIII.

Is it honed? Is it innate? Holmes? coolly confident answer was that ?it?s proven? ? and for now, it?s the very welcome property of the 7-2 Jets, who face the Houston Texans and their league-worst pass defense at 1 p.m. today at the Meadowlands.

?I really don?t talk about it a lot,? Holmes said. ?I just get out and play football, fourth quarter. When it comes down to crunch time, just know I?ll be the guy, prepared, ready to go.?

Now in his fifth year, Holmes has racked up a healthy mass of 1,350 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in the fourth quarter or overtime through in his NFL career. Four of those catches, including one unbelievable touchdown, made history for the Steelers on the game-winning drive in Super Bowl XLIII.

http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2010/11/santonio_holmes_gift_for_clutc.html

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0lN-PJdxI8"]YouTube - Santonio Holmes Story[/ame]

 

[scooter1369]

Just did it again. Wow. Clutch

 

[Tonyank]

insane!!! 3 games in a row with basically the winning catch.....

 

[Buckskin86]

Santonio's 6-yard TD catch (game winner) - NFL.com

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvzVZHYys6o"]YouTube - Mark Sanchez AMAZING Game Winning TD pass to Santonio Holmes Jets VS Texans 2010[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Big-play Santonio proves worth risk
Jets Blog
By DAN TOMASINO
November 22, 2010

The Jets took a calculated risk when they traded for Santonio Holmes in April. He?d had problems with the law, was going to be suspended for a quarter of the 2010 season and was known as a talented underachiever.

The risk is paying off big time. Holmes could be the MVP of the Jets (8-2) after yesterday?s game-winning catch ? his second in two weeks ? saved the team from a potentially humiliating collapse in front of 78,843 fans at New Meadowlands Stadium.

?When you know one play can make a difference, you never shy away from those moments,? Holmes said following the Jets? 30-27 victory over the Houston Texans (4-6).

Getty Images
HOLMES ON HOLMES: Santonio Holmes leaps into the arms of Jets fans sporting his jersey after Gang Green?s dramatic victory.

Holmes hauled in a 6-yard toss from Mark Sanchez in the back left corner of the end zone with six seconds left in the game ? tapping his toes just barely inside the field of play ? to thwart the Texans? comeback and turn a potentially devastating defeat into a thrilling triumph. Holmes finished with seven catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.

?When we made the call, I kind of licked my lips,? Holmes said. ?I knew the defender would try to strike and hit my hands down, but I just made it so he wouldn?t see my hands come up at the last [second].?

Holmes, who was suspended the first four games of the season for violating the NFL?s substance-abuse policy, scored the game-winner in overtime to beat the Browns last week in Cleveland. A week earlier, his 52-yard catch-and-run in overtime set up the winning field goal against the Lions.

?I?m not surprised,? LaDainian Tomlinson said. ?Certain players have that kind of mystique. Something about them that they make plays when it?s really time to make plays. He just has that knack.?

Holmes? penchant for the big play is what prompted the Jets to acquire him from the Steelers. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XLIII, when he made a spectacular touchdown catch late in the game to put the Steelers ahead.

?He finds a way to get open,? Sanchez said. ?He runs his routes really well and he?s always positive.?

He is fast becoming Sanchez?s favorite target among a group of receivers that includes weapons such as Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller. In six games, he has 27 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns.

?They?ve got a great me-to-you factor,? center Nick Mangold said. ?You see that with quarterbacks and wide receivers, almost like a sixth sense of what?s going on. I think it?s a tribute to the work they put in in the offseason ? [Holmes] getting with Mark and Mark seeking [Holmes] out, and getting him ready to go. It was tough without him the first four games but things have grown pretty well.?

Holmes? first touchdown came in the third quarter on a short route that he turned into a 41-yarder by running away from the Texans defense.

?I don?t like playing Santonio Holmes,? Texans defensive end Antonio Smith said.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/big_play_santonio_Wf0LyoR4elxY6hvo9x4F4I#ixzz1610EaCE4

Santonio Holmes rewarding Woody Johnson and Rex Ryan for taking chance on troubled wide receiver
BY Kristie Ackert
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Monday, November 22nd 2010


What will Santonio Holmes do for his next act? The Jets wide receiver, who caught the winning touchdown in overtime last week in Cleveland and set up the winner the week before in Detroit, did it yet again Sunday. Holmes caught a six-yard TD pass with 10 seconds left to give the Jets a 30-27 win over the Texans at the Meadowlands.

"It's just playing football," Holmes said of his late-game heroics. "It's just pitching and catching a little bit, having a little fun."

In his fifth year in the league, Holmes is already well established as a prime-time player. He caught a 6-yard touchdown with 35 seconds to go to win Super Bowl XLIII for the Steelers. The past three weeks, he has reminded Jets fans why the team took a chance on the player who has had substance-abuse problems. After coming over in a trade from Pittsburgh, he was suspended for the first four games this year for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

In Detroit, it was Holmes' 52-yard reception in overtime that set up the winning field goal. Last week in Cleveland, he grabbed a 37-yard touchdown pass in overtime to win it.

That type of clutch mentality is ultimately why the Jets made the call to get Holmes in April, despite his off-the-field baggage, which included an arrest for possession of marijuana in 2008 while with the Steelers.

But Rex Ryan loved that Holmes was a big-play player, and that he asked for the ball with the game on the line.

"I think Woody Johnson and Rex Ryan made a great call by giving me a phone call on April 11 at about 9 p.m.," Holmes said. "I think that was the best decision that was made for myself and this team. They brought me here for one reason and that is to help this team win ballgames, bring leadership, bring character and fight to win till the end of the game."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/f...mes_cookin_in_clutch_again.html#ixzz1610fb7bs

Stapleton: Santonio Holmes is picture perfect for Jets
Monday, November 22, 2010
By ART STAPLETON
COLUMNIST

EAST RUTHERFORD ? Santonio Holmes sat alone in silence at his locker three weeks ago, lost in the devastation of lost opportunity against Green Bay.

He allowed himself to get lost in the moment again in Sunday?s 30-27 victory over Houston, only this time an entire franchise basked in the glory of his heroics.

Mark Sanchez put the football where only Holmes could catch it and he did, bringing in the decisive touchdown reception from 6 yards out with 10 seconds remaining, rescuing the Jets from an embarrassing meltdown.

The fans roared. His teammates rejoiced.

That?s when Holmes froze in front of a television camera in the far left corner of the end zone, clearly embracing the thrill of everything that came with what he had just done.

"For me to be running so clean to the back of the end zone, to get my feet down in the back of the end zone, I definitely had to stop and take a mental picture of it, that it just happened again," Holmes said. "This is something that?s happened to me before. This is something that I put myself in these situations mentally, sitting on the sideline before every last drive that we?ve taken. I?m always the one sitting on the sideline by myself just thinking, ?OK, what can I do to make a play for this team?? "

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/hs_sports/109810544_Holmes_is_picture_perfect.html

 

[BuckWrestler141]

They just interviewed Holmes about his TD catches on ESPN2. Mostly a nice fluff piece. The part I laughed about though is when they asked if him and Braylon have a bet for 'The Game' this weekend, and he said "No way I'm not going with those guys"

:osu:

 

[Buckskin86]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKKXPKHW0gY"]YouTube - Holmes Lifts Jets Again[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Can the Jets re-sign Edwards and Holmes?
November, 23, 2010
By Rich Cimini

Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards are producing big numbers for the New York Jets. After the season, the Jets will try to produce big numbers for them -- as in dollars.

The starting wide receivers will be free agents, and the Jets will have some tough decisions to make. Can they re-sign both? If not, which one do they keep? You have to figure that each player will be seeking a deal north of $6 million per year, and that might be a conservative projection.

"Obviously, they're both very important pieces to us, both priorities," GM Mike Tannenbaum told ESPNNewYork.com on Tuesday. "We want to keep as many players as we can, but a lot of questions have to be answered. We need to know what the rules are."

The free agency rules, he meant. The uncertainty with the collective bargaining agreement has put teams in a holding pattern because they don't know if there will be a salary cap in 2011 -- if there's no lockout. As Tannenbaum said, "It's wait and see."

http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/jets/post/_/id/3078/can-the-jets-re-sign-edwards-and-holmes