Denver Broncos | News

DENVER -- The streak may be over, but don't be fooled: Demaryius Thomas is still scorching hot. The box score will show that Demaryius Thomas fell 13 yards short of tying Calvin Johnson's record of eight consecutive 100-yard games.That in itself is a tremendous accomplishment. Thomas was already one of only five players in NFL history to crack the century mark in seven straight games, during which he totaled 964 yards on 59 catches. But the box score will also show three TDs for DT: Two 5-yarders and a 14-yarder, which accounted for all of the Broncos' touchdowns until the 5:01 mark of the fourth quarter. "We talk about playing with a [ticked]-off attitude and it came out, we did that," Thomas said after the game. "I think if we can keep doing that, we’ll have a better chance every week.” Thomas certainly embodied that style Sunday, earning yards after the catch that didn't seem to exist until he created them and hauling in passes through traffic at key moments.His first score was perhaps the most impressive, coming on third-and-goal from the 5-yard line after the Broncos had already settled for a field goal on their first trip to the red zone. A questionable pass interference call against Thomas nullfied a 5-yard touchdown to Jacob Tamme, but the fifth-year receiver rebounded for his team in a big way. He caught a quick slant from Peyton Manning on second-and-goal from the 15 and fought to the 5. On the ensuing third down, Thomas ran a short crossing route and was blanketed, with a safety over the top and a linebacker underneath, but Manning trusted his receiver anyway. “Basically, he gave me a chance and I saw the ball," Thomas said. "...I saw when he released it and a guy was in front of me and a guy was behind me. The main thing was coming down with it and holding on to it.” With linebacker Jelani Jenkins draped all over him, Thomas extended and reached low to his right to grab the pass and hung on as he went to the ground for his seventh score of the year. The touchdown brought the score to 14-10 and gave the Broncos a better opportunity to maintain their balance with the run game rather than chasing a big deficit through the air.Thomas' second score again came on third down, as he snuck between a linebacker and safety on a post, elevated and snatched the ball out of the air. "He’s a big dude, very strong and got good hands," Dolphins safety Jimmy Wilson said after the game. This touchdown came with just 12 seconds remaining in the first half and again cut the lead to four, with the Broncos set to receive the second-half kickoff.The Dolphins curiously responded to Thomas' two touchdowns amid double coverage by singling him up when the Broncos visited the red zone early in the fourth quarter. Top corner Brent Grimes lined up opposite Thomas, a matchup in which the most obvious advantage for Thomas would be his size, where he has Grimes by at least five inches and 40 pounds. The call wasn't for a jump-ball fade route though. Instead, Thomas ran a quick slant that sent Grimes stumbling to the ground and left Thomas wide open for an easy score. Showing off his rare agility for his size just capped off the clinic Thomas put on for the Dolphins on Sunday. He picked up the second three-touchdown game of his career, after accomplishing the feat in San Diego last year, and would tie a franchise record with three if he can do so again in his career. Sure, it's a shame Thomas didn't tie Johnson's record and give himself the opportunity to break it next week against Kansas City. But there's nothing to be ashamed of about his electric performance, which proved essential in a crucial conference victory. "I think I kind of jinxed it in the media," Thomas said, presumably referring to when the media brought up his streak on Wednesday. "They kept talking about it."I didn’t want to talk about it no more and all I wanted to do was win the game. I came out, I had a decent game, helped my team in the situations that we needed. I think the main thing that really matters now, you know, we won the game, but try to go the next week and do the same.” Certainly, his 87 yards and three scores qualified as more than a "decent game," but Thomas' focus on the win and not the streak is important and encouraging moving forward. He clearly wasn't bothered by missing out on history, instead laughing when asked about it, like he enjoyed the ride while it lasted but is ready for any pressure to continue the streak to fade away. One thing's for sure: His hot streak is far from over. Now the league's leading receiver (1,192 yards), and with nine touchdowns on the season, Thomas shows no signs of slowing down.

Denver Broncos | News

Demaryius Thomas still very much on fire