Reassured shoulder is OK, Earl Thomas says “I guarantee we are going to fix” defense
It’s only week 2 of the season, yet it’s already intense for Earl Thomas. Especially while having to do more in the absence of his holding-out partner at safety, Kam Chancellor
Then again, when is it not intense for Earl Thomas.
The Seahawks’ always-burning free safety admitted life was different last week for what’s been the top-ranked defense in the league the previous two seasons in the 34-31 loss at St. Louis in the opener. The 34 points -- 27 surrendered by the defense and seven by the special teams on a Rams punt return -- were the most Seattle had allowed in 35 games, back to the 34-28 loss at Indianapolis on Oct. 6, 2013. Sunday was also the most points the Seahawks had surrendered to the Rams in 27 meetings, back to Oct. 20, 2002, when Seattle finished 7-9.
In their last three games, the two-time defending NFC champions have given away a three-point lead to Green Bay in the final 1:25 of regulation in January’s NFC championship, a 24-14 lead on New England with 9 minutes left in Super Bowl 49 and a 31-24 lead over the Rams with 4 minutes to go last weekend. Next up: Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in a Green Bay rematch Sunday night.
It will be only the fifth time since 2011 the Seahawks won’t have the hitter they call “Bam Bam” playing next to their All-Pro free safety.
Asked Thursday what he noticed in the Rams game without Chancellor in there, Thomas said: “I just think the way we move with rhythm. You know, he’s a vital part of our defense.”
Then Thomas closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side.
“But we’re not focused on that,” he said. “Our whole mindset and thinking and concentration is on us, and bringing our best. And I think once we get a good feel for everybody, all the pieces that are around us right now, I think we’ll be better.”
They have to be.
The Rams ran free in the middle of Seattle’s defense for 297 yards passing by Nick Foles in his first start for St. Louis. It was the most allowed by Seattle since Drew Brees and the Saints gained 301 in the playoff game they lost to the Seahawks at the end of the ‘13 season.
The Seahawks had communication breakdowns that put them in the wrong coverages, leaving some St. Louis receivers completely unguarded. Those foul-ups weren’t all by Chancellor’s debuting fill-in Dion Bailey, the 2014 rookie practice-squad player, either. Chancellor and Thomas are usually the co-traffic cops for their teammates from the back line of the defense.
“Everything that happened was basically on us, whether it’d be communication. We just didn’t understand what the situation was,” Thomas said.
“It’s all fixable. And I guarantee we are going to fix it.”
A byproduct of Chancellor’s holdout has been Thomas getting “more into my playbook,” as he said last week. That means less freelancing than Thomas is used to doing, and more filling by-the-book assignments while taking some of Chancellor’s role of getting teammates such as Bailey in the right places before the snap.
“I just have a different understand of the game right now,” Thomas said. “I just see a lot more now.”
Last weekend was Thomas’ first game of any kind since the Super Bowl Feb. 1 and then surgery Feb. 24 to repair his separated shoulder and torn labrum. He finished with a team-high nine tackles.
“It’s feeling good,” he said. “The first time out for me was great. I got a lot of confidence from that game. I didn’t know it would feel like to tackle somebody, but it felt good once impact on my left shoulder happened. It felt really good.”
This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 2:46 PM with the headline "Reassured shoulder is OK, Earl Thomas says “I guarantee we are going to fix” defense."