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Two weeks ago, wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh told me he wasn't especially happy with his role in the Ravens' offense.
Even after catching a dramatic game-winning touchdown pass in the Ravens' win over the Steelers last week, Houshmandzadeh continued to express his displeasure with his lack of playing time.
But after yesterday's win over the Broncos, in which Houshmandzadeh was targeted three times and caught two passes for 24 yards, the veteran wide receiver said he regretted his recent comments, and claimed he'll be happy as long as the Ravens continue to win.
"I said a lot of stuff and I think it came out the wrong way," Houshmandzadeh said. "I just say it the wrong way. It's just dumb. I want to contribute to the win. It doesn't matter if you win. I haven't said that, but that's how I feel.
"You want to win games. Look in this locker room. Everybody is happy. That's why we play to win and have success. If you win, everything else will come with it. Whatever else you want, it will come with it."
Quarterback Joe Flacco joked after yesterday's game that he's already seeing a different Houshmandzadeh out on the field - the wide receiver actually admitted he wasn't open on one play.
"T.J., man, he's going to tell me he's open every time," Flacco said. "I was surprised one time he came to me today and said, 'I think I might have been covered. I just wanted to let you know, good job in whatever you did.' I was like, 'Really?' I thought he was trying to tell me he was wide open, and I was about to say, 'look, I had to do this.'"
Ravens coaches and players have said that they understand where Houshmandzadeh is coming from with his recent comments. As a Pro Bowl receiver who is used to being heavily involved in the offense, it's a transition for the 10-year veteran to come off the bench and only see the ball thrown his way a few times per game.
The Ravens know that as a competitor, Houshmandzadeh just wants to make an impact on the game and help his team win.
Despite his recent comments, Houshmandzadeh says he has priorities aren't skewed toward the individual side of things, and helping the Ravens win is his No. 1 goal.
"Hey, man, I just want to play and win," he said. "After that, everything else will take care of itself. I want to play and win and that's it. I'm not too concerned about anything."
