Know Your Enemy: Buccaneers vs. Saints
By James Yarcho
Michael Thomas has been an absolute stud so far and he seems to be getting better each week. What are your thoughts on his play? Do you think we’ve only scratched the surface and he’s got the Julio Jones/Mike Evans potential or do you think he will be somewhat under utilized given Brees’ propensity to spread the ball out to so many different guys?
No player is going to put up Jones’ or Evans’ numbers while Brees is under center. Like you said, this offense is based around spreading the ball to the open man. The Saints game against the Rams was a perfect example of this. The team put up 49 points, and yet their ostensive WR1, Brandin Cooks, went without a single target.
That said, I believe, as does the rest of the Saints fanbase, that Michael Thomas is the real deal. He may not ever be as dangerous as Julio Jones, because he doesn’t have the elite speed that Jones has. And Thomas is actually a few months older than Evans. I think the player Thomas most encouragingly compares to is Dez Bryant. They’re big, powerful receivers, with great hands, great route running, and a hard nose.
The thing about Thomas is that he can really attack you in any way. Based on the composition of the receiver group here in New Orleans, Thomas serves primarily as a slant/screen threat. But he can beat you deep, and I expect as his career goes on we’ll see more and more of that. Make no mistake, he is, absolutely, a stud. Besides his multiple fumble game against Denver, he hasn’t looked for a moment like a rookie.