T.J. Houshmandzadeh isn't necessarily unhappy, he isn't throwing a fit, he isn't demanding a trade, he isn't parading around the Ravens locker room causing a scene. The veteran wide receiver is just a little confused as to why he's not a bigger part of the Ravens' offense at this point. "It's different," Houshmandzadeh told me yesterday. "I've got the offense, for the most part, I would say. There's certain things where I still make a mistake here or there, but for the most part, I know what's going on. I'm just not getting the opportunities, really, for whatever reason. I told myself going in I wasn't expecting much the first three weeks, because obviously, they had a few things set in stone before I got here. And I'm not saying I'm expecting more this week, but I know the first few weeks I didn't expect a lot. Hopefully that will change, because that's why I came here. So, we'll see how it goes." Houshmandzadeh was released by the Seahawks in early September in their final roster cuts, and signed with the Ravens the Monday leading up to Baltimore's regular season opener. Three weeks later, and three games into the regular season, Houshmandzadeh has two catches for 31 yards and has been targeted 11 times, but it's not the minimal catches or yardage that seems to be frustrating the Pro Bowl receiver, it's the lack of playing time. "I knew it would take time, and I was willing to say to myself, 'If I don't get the ball, then I'm not gonna make a big deal,' so to speak," Houshmandzadeh said. "It mattered, but it didn't matter, because I was new. But I didn't even play, let alone get the ball, so that's different for me. And I didn't expect that. Hopefully, things will change. Is it frustrating? Yes and no, because the only time it becomes frustrating is when you expect things and look forward to things, and I didn't expect them. So it's still frustrating, but it's not as frustrating [as it would have been] had I been on this team all training camp and things of that nature." As great as it is for the Ravens to have three Pro Bowl wide receivers on their team, they also must realize that it's going to be a challenge managing those players' personalities and personal expectations. Source: MASN Sports.com
