The incongruity of Julius Thomas remains striking. He stands 6-foot-5, weighs 250 pounds and moves like Usher.
When it was suggested a few days ago that he might play slot on Sunday night against the Indianapolis Colts in Wes Welker’s absence, nobody laughed. If you ever wondered what LeBron James would look like in football pads, Thomas is a good place to start.
He is a walking mismatch. The season opener provided a vivid reminder. Thomas caught three touchdown passes in the first half, toying with Colts’ linebackers and defensive backs.
He tied the Broncos record for scoring catches by a tight end, a mark he shares with Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe.
His focus stood out during warmups. He walked the perimeter of the field nearly four hours before game time, headphones on, laser stare forward. Usually jovial after practice, Thomas struck a serious tone, recognizing the importance of elevating his performance with Welker banned by the NFL.
“Absolutely. Like I said, we treat everybody like brothers. When your brother is going through something, everybody else in the family has to do a little bit more, put a little bit more on their plates,” Thomas said. “As a guy—as a veteran, and hopefully a leader on this team—I’m going to look to do all I can to help fill that void.”
He finished with seven catches for 104 yards.
It seems odd to even suggest following the Broncos’ historic offensive performance last season, but Thomas had room for growth, perhaps as much as anyone on the unit. He entered this season determined to prove his Pro Bowl performance was a pattern, not an aberration.
The first half provided a testament to an offseason designed to produce improvement. Quarterback Peyton Manning is nothing if not resourceful, and his adoration for tight ends is well known (see Clark, Dallas). In last season’s opener, Thomas experienced a Manning moment. The quarterback instructed Thomas in the preseason to run a route to a specific spot. Don’t cut it short.
The first time the play was called against the Ravens, Thomas didn’t run far enough. He was smoked by a defender.
“I understood what he was saying after that,” said Thomas, whose lone mistake Sunday was mishandling an onside kick.
The pair were in rhythm in the first half, camouflaging a pedestrian final 30 minutes by the Broncos’ offense. With the Broncos leading 3-0 in the first quarter, Thomas caught a 3-yard touchdown pass. The Colts were perplexed, spending the rest of the half trying to figure out how to guard the tight end.
A linebacker proved inefficient. Thomas created a sleepless night for Jerrell Freeman and D’Qwell Jackson with a first-half that wrecked fantasy league teams. He caught five passes for 90 yards.
His final two scores grew in significance as the Broncos clumsily navigated the second half. Jackson noticed Thomas across the line in the second quarter. He figured he was going vertical. When Thomas cut, Jackson tried to grab his jersey. He couldn’t even get the tag. Thomas caught Manning’s pass in stride, leaving Jackson flailing in his wake.
PHOTOS: Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos in 2014 season opener
His final score of the first half seemed unfair when considering his position. Tight ends, at least ones not named Jimmy Graham, aren’t supposed to shimmy. Thomas lined up opposite free safety LaRon Landry. Landry should be able to blanket a tight end. Thomas gave a head fake, dropping Landry’s jaw, if not a vital organ.
It was affirmation of his spring. Thomas sought out Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, who lives near him in Los Angeles. He made no attempt to befriend complacency.
“I still have so much learn,” Thomas said.
The ceiling, he insists, hasn’t been reached. That should be chilling to opponents after Sunday’s performance.
Troy E. Renck: , trenck@denverpost.com or
