Santonio Holmes says he’s still not fully healthy

New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes (10) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

New York Jets No. 1 wide receiver Santonio Holmes had a monster game in Sunday’s victory over the rival Buffalo Bills, and he took full advantage of a weak matchup against Bills cornerback Justin Rogers. Holmes posted 154 receiving yards on five receptions, including a touchdown, and he simply had it too easy against Rogers, who looked awful and allowed Holmes to speed by Rogers.

Whether or not you believe Holmes at this point is up to you, but we all know how slow his recovery from last year’s season-ending Lisfranc injury has been. According to the New York Daily News, Santonio Holmes still doesn’t believe that he is fully healthy, “I still have a long way to go.”

The Jets are not dinking and dunking with rookie quarterback Geno Smith, as they are trying to take full advantage of his ability to make vertical throws. Holmes has the speed to beat guys deep, and he and Stephen Hill certainly benefited from facing a porous and banged up Bills secondary. Smith has been throwing a higher percentage of deep passes than anybody else in this league, therefore he is also completing as many deep balls as any other QB. That benefits Holmes, who is averaging 24.2 yards per reception this season (on just nine catches, though) thanks to the Jets and Smith’s willingness to take shots deep.

It’s interesting to hear Holmes reiterate that he doesn’t feel 100%, but he should be at 100% very soon. The percentages don’t matter anyway, because the real issue is whether or not Holmes is productive and shows more consistency in 2013 than in years past; part of that comes with motivation.

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