It's pretty clear to me that Plaxico Burress thinks New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez deserves some of the blame for his underwhelming 2011 season that included just 45 receptions for 612 yards.
Burress, who will be 35 years old by the start of the 2012 season, is used to making 60 to 70 catches in a given season, with double-digit touchdown tallies and at least 900 receiving yards.
By all accounts, Burress' one season with the New York Jets can be described as mediocre at best, and a failure at worst.
His best game was a three-touchdown performance on Oct. 23 in a victory over the San Diego Chargers, but he notched just two touchdowns in the six games that followed.
It was pretty obvious that Mark Sanchez didn't have a great chemistry with Burress. On the other hand, Sanchez seems to always be on the same page with Dustin Keller.
Just by watching the games last season, Sanchez and Burress never seemed to connect when it came to locking down the passing routes on a consistent basis.
They always appeared to be just slightly out of sync with each other, and the former New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers standout wide receiver clearly sees the situation as being not all his fault.
Burress took a verbal jab at Sanchez in ESPN's "First Take," when he could have simply taken the high road.
When asked if Sanchez could lead the Jets to the Super Bowl, Burress replied, "They just paid him, so I think they believe he is."
Obviously, that was no great vote of confidence from Burress, who is currently searching for a team willing to sign him.
He also ripped into Tim Tebow, as he added "It's not Peyton Manning back there."
In my view, Burress was out of line for dropping such vicious verbal pipe bombs on Sanchez and Tebow. He should have just sucked it up and said that Sanchez is a good player, regardless of if he actually meant it.
As for his comments about Tebow, Burress never even played on the same team as him, so that was a real shocker and a cheap shot. Burress is still looking for work, so it doesn't do him any good to bash his former teammates and look classless to potential suitors.
For a guy coming off a mediocre season and creeping up in age, being a playoff-savvy veteran who can carry a locker room with a positive, classy attitude can go a long way in the NFL.
When you disrespect former teammates, NFL teams will undoubtedly take notice of such behavior and frown upon it when considering the possibility of bringing Burress on board.
Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Jets fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.
Sources
www.nfl.com, NFL, player and team stats
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