Super Bowl: Time for Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas to step up

Super Bowl: Denver Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas must step up his game in Super Bowl 50 against Panthers star CB Josh Norman…

Demaryius Thomas has made some incredible grabs in his career with the Denver Broncos. He’s also made a seemingly similar amount of incredibly frustrating drops.

Against the New England Patriots, Thomas was silenced once again by Logan Ryan, who might be a nice up-and-coming player and what not, but we expect Thomas to compete and go toe-to-toe with the best of the best in the NFL…and win.

For $70 million, you had better make catches that Thomas has not been making this season. His 105 catches this past season were the 2nd most in his NFL career (111 last season) but what happened to the Demaryius we saw in 2012 and 2013? Has the deteriorating play of Peyton Manning affected him this badly?

Thomas, according to multiple statistic sites, has dropped nine passes this season, the third most in the NFL. He’s got a 5.1 percent drop rate on passes thrown his way, which doesn’t seem bad until you see the list of players whose drop rate is less than that, and you see fellow Broncos receiver Emmanuel Sanders at 2.2 percent.

DeAndre Hopkins, the Houston Texans receiver who was targeted 192 times by nearly the same number of different quarterbacks this season, dropped just three passes.

For Thomas this season, it’s been perhaps the most quiet 1,300 yard season I can ever remember from a wide receiver in the NFL. I can hardly believe it actually happened.

Now in the Super Bowl, Thomas is going to be up against one of the best in the NFL right now, Carolina’s Josh Norman. Like Richard Sherman over the last couple of years, Norman has become known for his ability to shut down an entire side of the field, and Demaryius Thomas simply can’t allow that to happen.

Against some of the best receivers in the league this year, Norman had his way. Despite the numbers that Odell Beckham Jr. put up in their duel, Norman nearly got Beckham kicked out of the game because he got into his head so quickly and easily. Beckham lost his cool, and lost the game (albeit barely).

The Broncos don’t need to be forcing passes the way of Norman. That would not be wise. However, they are going to need to devise ways to get Demaryius Thomas some confidence early on so he doesn’t have a disadvantage mentally with Josh Norman, who has been able to dominate opponents this year.

On the eve of a new contract, we know Norman is going to bring his best. Not even a year removed from signing his spanking new $70 million deal, Demaryius Thomas should also show up in a big way.

Find a way to win the one-on-one battles. Find a way to be the one who gets the jump balls. Out-muscle defensive backs for position. Fight for the football.

Nothing is going to come easy. It’s time for DT to make those necessary adjustments and impose his will on the Panthers’ secondary like we all know he’s capable of doing.