Houshmandzadeh not flashy but is 'solid as hell'

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- I don't know if Chad Johnson thinks he's the best wide receiver in the NFL, but I do know he thinks he's the best wide receiver on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Only he's not. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh tied Wes Welker with an NFL-best 112 receptions last season. (US Presswire)

He makes more catches. He scores more touchdowns. And he's infinitely more reliable -- on and off the field.

"The quarterback trusts him," offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said, "so he's going to get extra balls thrown his way."

That doesn't mean the quarterback doesn't trust Ocho Cinco, but I did see him chewing out the guy one game last season. And I couldn't help but notice that it was Houshmandzadeh, not Johnson, who had a NFL-best 112 receptions, tying him with New England's Wes Welker.

That earned him his first Pro Bowl selection. Chad Johnson has five. But over the past three seasons, Houshmandzadeh has more catches and more touchdowns than his more famous teammate.

So how come he doesn't have more recognition?

"Because T.J. is not about flash," Bratkowski said. "He's just solid as hell. He makes the tough catch, and he's unbelievable after the catch. He's not super flashy, but he is super quick."

Johnson is super fast, the team's deep threat and an 11 p.m. highlight waiting to happen -- whether it's burning a cornerback for a 65-yard touchdown, choreographing an end-zone celebration or demanding to be traded.

It's always something with Johnson. It's always something good with Houshmandzadeh. He's the go-to receiver for Carson Palmer, and he's the go-to quote for reporters after the game. Win or lose, Houshmandzadeh is there to field questions and explain what happened.

I wish I could say the same for Chad Johnson. I can't. Yet it's Johnson, not Houshmandzadeh, who steals the headlines -- often for all the wrong reasons.

"It doesn't really bother me," Houshmandzadeh said. "At the end of the day, I know what I do; I know what I mean to this team. And that's just how it is.

"Do I talk a lot? I think I talk a lot. But I don't talk a lot before a game and during games because I get too emotional during games. That's not me. So I think that's why it happens that way because (Johnson) gives (the media) stuff you guys like to write and talk about.