National Football League

Moore: Holmes not acting like a captain

Published Oct. 14, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

New York Jets veteran right guard Brandon Moore said Friday he was tired of receiver Santonio Holmes running his mouth.

Moore responded to the wideout's latest verbal attack on the offensive line, saying he was appalled that someone who had been named captain would have the audacity to say the things he said.

"It's disrespectful," Moore said. "Guys work hard. To put your teammates out to dry, guys you work with every day so on Sundays you can have a productive day, that's not really being a leader. That's not being a captain.

"But apparently he's allowed to say whatever he wants to around here now," Moore added. "Apparently someone around here told him that it's OK to do that because he keeps doing it."

Moore, who is in his ninth season with the Jets and is one of the most respected players in the locker room, said he spoke to Holmes about the comments he made after the Baltimore game two weeks ago.

"I talked to him after the last time he did it the week after the Baltimore game and he didn't see anything wrong with it," Moore said. "I don't know what he thinks about me; I don't deal with him, and I probably won't deal with him after this."

But Holmes criticized the offensive line for the second straight week after the Jets suffered a 30-21 loss, the team's third straight, to the New England Patriots last Sunday.

"I may be criticized again for saying it, but I think it starts up front," Holmes said. "The big guys know it. [If] they give Mark [Sanchez] enough time to sit in the pocket and complete passes, I think everything changes.

"The routes that are being run are short routes ... but if you can't protect the quarterback for four or five seconds, then there's no point in dropping back seven yards to throw a football when he doesn't have enough time."

The Jets offense has been mostly ineffective. The team ranks 28th in total offense and 21st in passing.

Asked Friday if he felt compelled to say anything to Holmes after his latest rant, Moore said, "I just left it alone and moved on."

Holmes and wide receiver Derrick Mason, who was exiled in a trade to Houston this week, were highly critical of the offense following the loss to the Ravens two weeks ago. In the following days, Sanchez called the offense together, and they talked about keeping complaints in-house.

Mason was traded Tuesday to the Texans, and there was speculation — denied by the Jets —that it had to do with his complaints about the offense.

"I don't put a muzzle on anybody," head coach Rex Ryan said.