When you take into consideration that Tim Tebow is not known for his passing skills, Demaryius Thomas had a pretty solid season with the Broncos last year. He and Tebow developed tremendous chemistry down the stretch of the season and into the playoffs. Over the last seven games of the year (including playoffs), Thomas averaged five receptions and 106 yards per game. Not bad for a guy relying on a quarterback who many insist can’t throw.
Then, along came Peyton Manning. Since Denver signed Manning and traded Tebow, Thomas has been wrapped up in the excitement. Formerly one of Tebow’s biggest defenders, Thomas has said over the offseason that he is not sad to see Tim Tebow leave and that he will have to learn an entire route tree now. He recently changed his tune a bit.
“Me and Tim, if you look at our stats, we had a great year together,” Thomas said on the NFL Network. “And I wish he would have stayed around so maybe he could have learned some things from Peyton. But it’s over with now, and we’ve got Peyton on our side, so I’m just looking forward to the season.”
Perhaps Demaryius went back and crunched the numbers and realized that he was getting plenty of balls and making plenty of big plays in the second half of the 2011 season. He would certainly still rather have Manning than Tebow, but maybe Thomas now understands that some of his comments have downplayed his and Tebow’s accomplishments for no reason. Manning spreads the ball around, but he also develops a few unexpected favorite targets. If Thomas isn’t one of them, his tune could change in a hurry.
