Welcome back. Today’s question about the Broncos comes from Jim Anderson in Ames, Iowa.
Q: Rookie wide receiver Demaryius Thomas had a fantastic game against the Seattle Seahawks. He looked like a man among boys. With a struggling running game, and this guy’s intangibles, it seems like he could be an enormous weapon for the Broncos. Just throw the ball up and there’s probably a 70-30 chance he comes down with it. How come the Broncos don’t look to him in the red zone or on third-and-short more frequently?
A: Jim, Sunday’s home game against the New York Jets was a good indication of what the Broncos believe Thomas will be able to do over the long haul if he can stay on the field.
Right now, and coach Josh McDaniels has made reference to this several times in talking about Thomas’ involvement in the offense, the issue is simply practice reps. Thomas missed plenty of the preseason and training camp because of a foot injury and then missed a week of practice leading up to Sunday’s game because of a concussion he suffered on a kickoff return against the Baltimore Ravens.
So against the Jets, the Broncos basically picked their spots for Thomas to play. He played only a few snaps at wide receiver and did not play in the return game. But he made a top-tier catch, with Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis covering him, for a 17-yard touchdown in the third quarter. And were it not for Revis’ terrific talent — including the ability to sneak a hand in after a receiver has made a catch — Thomas would have had a really nice leaping grab in the fourth quarter. As the former Georgia Tech star was trying to make the catch, Revis got his hand up between Thomas’ hands at the last moment.
It does show, even with Thomas’ limited experience in a pro-style offense, the kind of impact he could have. He has Brandon Marshall’s strength and power when pursuing the ball in a crowd, but Thomas is faster than Marshall.
McDaniels made the point Monday that Thomas’ next step will be to stay on the practice field for the next eight to 10 weeks so he can be a bigger part of the Broncos’ game plans, including those kinds of plays you’re talking about.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
