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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 (including just once in last Sunday's win over the Browns). 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.
Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason and Houshmandzadeh have all had seasons where they've made over 100 catches. They've all posted a season of over 1,100 receiving yards. And they've all made at least nine touchdown grabs in a season at some point in their careers.
Now, those three receivers are all competing for catches and playing time, which is bound to cause, at the very least, some minor issues.
"I'm a competitor. Period," Houshmandzadeh says. "Anybody that's a competitor, if you're not getting the ball, or you're not getting opportunities to get the ball, and you're not even playing, something's wrong with you if you're cool with that. So I'd be lying if I said I was cool with it, because I'm not. But going in and expecting very little, which I did initially, it's not as troubling so to speak."
So how does Houshmandzadeh deal with the frustration? Would he consider going to head coach John Harbaugh or offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and expressing his displeasure with how he's been utilized so far?
"I haven't done that, and I've never been one to approach my coaches about getting the ball," Houshmandzadeh said. "I've never done that in my entire career. Ever. I don't know if I will. I can't say I never will, but I've never done it. So, we'll just see how things play out.
"They wanted me to come here, I assume, for a reason. And hopefully, we'll see what that reason is."
