Earl Thomas is not only one of the Seahawks’ best players, but also one of the most intense, but after Sunday’s loss in San Diego, the All-Pro safety realized something was missing from his own play.
Thomas said things felt “out of whack” for him and the defense in Sunday’s 30-21 loss, then added, “But that taught me a valuable lesson just to fight those negative thoughts in your head, because when you’re playing football and you’re in that arena, I think your biggest competitor is yourself, because you’re battling your thoughts and you’re battling this and thought, but you overcome those, and I think I definitely got my championship spirit back after that loss. My crave, my hunger and my desire to be unstoppable. I didn’t think I lost it, but after that game, I was like, ‘Dang, something just hit me.’ And I’ve just been focused ever sense, and it feels so good just to be feeling like this.”
“I’m honest with myself, I look at myself the in the mirror and just try to evaluate what’s going on in my world, but honestly I couldn’t tell you what was going on before. We haven’t lost in a long time, and I’m always into my work and trying to get better, and I’m thinking I’m on the right path, but I guess it’s the 2.0.
Asked if he’d felt like this in a game before, Thomas said he hadn’t.
“That game was so weird,” he said. “It was different. It just felt funny out there. Even my body language when I watch myself on film, I have no regrets from the game, but one thing I can say, just my technique and my posture wasn’t aggressive. I just think that’s part of my mindset that I need to turn on.”
Thomas said he can’t speak for the rest of his teammates about their mindset, but said, ‘I believe when I’m in this mindset, I’m going to go on a tear.”
Also interesting, Thomas noted that the Chargers had some success with concepts that beat the Seahawks in their playoff loss at Atlanta two seasons ago, and they expect the Broncos to also try a similar approach.
“Obviously (the Broncos) are going to go back and see what we had trouble with from past games, and even from previous years,” Thomas said. “Last week San Diego hit us with some concepts from that Atlanta game we lost, so we’ve got to start thinking like that. How do teams want attack us? That’s how we prepare.
Asked what San Diego did, Thomas said, “Fake bubble, backside post. I remember in the Atlanta game, they hit us twice, one where Sherm tripped, and one where Kam was in the middle of the field… we’ve definitely got to be prepared for everything we messed up since we’ve been part of the LOB.”
On what makes Peyton Manning so good, Thomas said, “He knows so much. He’s been in the league a longtime. You have to deal with the false stuff he does as far as the fake audibles, and when he recognizes indicators we’re giving him, so we just definitely have to hold the shell and not kind of show that cover three that we always show. I’m not trying say change what we do, but we definitely have to be more patient.”
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