Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it

AsylumGuido · 10-05-2020, 03:46 PM

Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it

DETROIT — As the New Orleans Saints beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday, star receiver Michael Thomas was limited to watching the broadcast and tweeting his thoughts, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he didn’t have at least a little bit of an impact on the outcome.

“Ask Tre’Quan what I texted him before the game,” Thomas tweeted midway through the game. “He doing exactly that!”

So, Tre’Quan Smith, what did Michael Thomas text you before you hauled in a pair of touchdowns and a key third-down conversion in the fourth quarter that went a long way toward clinching the win?

“Right before the game, Mike texted me and he said, ‘Ball out, bro,’ ” Smith said. “I sent him the '100' emoji.”

With Thomas sitting out for the third straight game with an ankle injury and top receiving tight end Jared Cook joining him on the shelf with an injured groin, the Saints needed a big game from Smith and the rest of the receiving corps. And they got it.

What Smith lacked in volume, catching all four of his targets, he made up for in impact. His first catch was a heavily contested 2-yarder, which he muscled into his hands for a score that gave the Saints their first lead.

He briefly left the field after getting crunched by a linebacker away from a play but returned on the next drive to make a crucial catch on a third-and-9 that kept a drive alive. He hauled in a 20-yard touchdown on the next play, giving the Saints a 28-14 lead just before the end of the first half.

And his last catch may have been his most important. The Lions rallied to close the gap to just six points late in the fourth quarter, and the Saints were facing a third an--5 from their own 27-yard line with 3:25 to go in the game. A failure to convert would have opened the window for Detroit to take the lead.

Instead, quarterback Drew Brees found Smith on a crossing route for 19 yards, keeping the drive alive so New Orleans could ultimately kneel the clock out.

“He was outstanding today,” coach Sean Payton said. “He made some contested plays in real big situations. That third down on the last drive, that was significant.”

Smith was not the only one to show up with a big day. Veteran Emmanuel Sanders more than doubled his season receiving yardage output, with a team-high six catches for 93 yards, including three of the Saints’ seven longest plays from scrimmage with catches of of 25, 19 and 18 yards.

Before Sunday’s game, Sanders had eight catches for 89 yards all season.

A few weeks ago he spoke of being about “85% comfortable” in the Saints offense after his abbreviated offseason. Earlier this week, he said he felt his touchdown catch against the Green Bay Packers served as an “icebreaker.” Sunday after the game, he said he was “all the way there.”

In the previous two games without Thomas, the Saints wide receiver corps combined to catch 19 passes for 230 yards. In just Sunday’s game, Smith and Sanders accounted for 10 catches and 147 yards.

“Both those guys played outstanding,” Brees said. “... It takes everybody. We knew the last two weeks we were not at the level of execution, we haven’t had the tempo and the rhythm that we know we can have.”

They did not lose faith though, neither the players on the field nor their teammates stuck watching while nursing injuries.

Sunday, they kept it 100.

gosaints1 · 10-05-2020, 03:53 PM

New leader’s establishing themselves, both on the field and off it. I like it, I like it a lot, and it’s definitely needed. Now, let’s see someone on the defensive side of the ball assert their unopposed will both wrt on the field dominance and leadership off.

RailBoss · 10-06-2020, 08:42 AM

3 words of wishful thinking for Saints Michael Thomas
"Come Back Soon" (when your ready of course)

Rugby Saint II · 10-06-2020, 11:44 AM

Damn! That man is so eloquent it's scary!

Flipx99 · 10-06-2020, 08:19 PM

How the hell does something like that turn into an article?

dizzle88 · 10-07-2020, 03:54 AM

Smith really stepped up, I just want to see if it continues when Mike T returns which I dont think it will.

Thats probably more fault of SP and Brees though than Smith himself.

TheOak · 10-07-2020, 05:25 AM

Originally Posted by dizzle88

Smith really stepped up, I just want to see if it continues when Mike T returns which I dont think it will.

Thats probably more fault of SP and Brees though than Smith himself.

Lets let the horses back in the pasture before we decide which one to shoot?

AsylumGuido · 10-07-2020, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by TheOak

Lets let the horses back in the pasture before we decide which one to shoot?

Come on. By now you should know how full diz's glass is, Oak.

The Dude · 10-07-2020, 06:42 PM

Hope they continue spreading it around when Thomas is back.

leilung · 10-08-2020, 10:09 AM

This passing offense's success seems to be largely predicated on establishing the run. With SP FINALLY trusting the rock to Latavius, we seem to be getting back the the 'Thunder & Lightning' days of Kamara & Ingram. Let's hope they keep it up and everyone trusts in their counterparts to do their job.

Also, kudo's to a D that was missing it's 2 starting CB's and still found a way to get after Stafford!

10-05-2020, 03:46 PM	#1
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,703	Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it DETROIT — As the New Orleans Saints beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday, star receiver Michael Thomas was limited to watching the broadcast and tweeting his thoughts, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he didn’t have at least a little bit of an impact on the outcome. “Ask Tre’Quan what I texted him before the game,” Thomas tweeted midway through the game. “He doing exactly that!” So, Tre’Quan Smith, what did Michael Thomas text you before you hauled in a pair of touchdowns and a key third-down conversion in the fourth quarter that went a long way toward clinching the win? “Right before the game, Mike texted me and he said, ‘Ball out, bro,’ ” Smith said. “I sent him the '100' emoji.” With Thomas sitting out for the third straight game with an ankle injury and top receiving tight end Jared Cook joining him on the shelf with an injured groin, the Saints needed a big game from Smith and the rest of the receiving corps. And they got it. What Smith lacked in volume, catching all four of his targets, he made up for in impact. His first catch was a heavily contested 2-yarder, which he muscled into his hands for a score that gave the Saints their first lead. He briefly left the field after getting crunched by a linebacker away from a play but returned on the next drive to make a crucial catch on a third-and-9 that kept a drive alive. He hauled in a 20-yard touchdown on the next play, giving the Saints a 28-14 lead just before the end of the first half. And his last catch may have been his most important. The Lions rallied to close the gap to just six points late in the fourth quarter, and the Saints were facing a third an--5 from their own 27-yard line with 3:25 to go in the game. A failure to convert would have opened the window for Detroit to take the lead. Instead, quarterback Drew Brees found Smith on a crossing route for 19 yards, keeping the drive alive so New Orleans could ultimately kneel the clock out. “He was outstanding today,” coach Sean Payton said. “He made some contested plays in real big situations. That third down on the last drive, that was significant.” Smith was not the only one to show up with a big day. Veteran Emmanuel Sanders more than doubled his season receiving yardage output, with a team-high six catches for 93 yards, including three of the Saints’ seven longest plays from scrimmage with catches of of 25, 19 and 18 yards. Before Sunday’s game, Sanders had eight catches for 89 yards all season. A few weeks ago he spoke of being about “85% comfortable” in the Saints offense after his abbreviated offseason. Earlier this week, he said he felt his touchdown catch against the Green Bay Packers served as an “icebreaker.” Sunday after the game, he said he was “all the way there.” In the previous two games without Thomas, the Saints wide receiver corps combined to catch 19 passes for 230 yards. In just Sunday’s game, Smith and Sanders accounted for 10 catches and 147 yards. “Both those guys played outstanding,” Brees said. “... It takes everybody. We knew the last two weeks we were not at the level of execution, we haven’t had the tempo and the rhythm that we know we can have.” They did not lose faith though, neither the players on the field nor their teammates stuck watching while nursing injuries. Sunday, they kept it 100. gosaints1 likes this.
	“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill

10-05-2020, 03:53 PM	#2
gosaints1 500th Post Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 576	Re: Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it New leader’s establishing themselves, both on the field and off it. I like it, I like it a lot, and it’s definitely needed. Now, let’s see someone on the defensive side of the ball assert their unopposed will both wrt on the field dominance and leadership off. RailBoss likes this.
gosaints1 500th Post Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 576

10-06-2020, 08:42 AM	#3
RailBoss 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: South Of The Mason Dixon Line Posts: 7,113	Re: Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it 3 words of wishful thinking for Saints Michael Thomas "Come Back Soon" (when your ready of course)

10-06-2020, 11:44 AM	#4
Rugby Saint II Bounty Money $$$ Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 5800 Airline Dr. Metairie, LA. Posts: 24,179	Re: Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it Damn! That man is so eloquent it's scary! dam1953 likes this.

10-06-2020, 08:19 PM	#5
Flipx99 100th Post Join Date: Jun 2020 Posts: 153	Re: Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it How the hell does something like that turn into an article? iceshack149 and dizzle88 like this.
Flipx99 100th Post Join Date: Jun 2020 Posts: 153

10-07-2020, 03:54 AM	#6
dizzle88 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 11,541	Re: Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it Smith really stepped up, I just want to see if it continues when Mike T returns which I dont think it will. Thats probably more fault of SP and Brees though than Smith himself.

10-07-2020, 05:25 AM	#7
TheOak 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Cypress Tx. Posts: 19,051	Re: Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it Originally Posted by dizzle88 Smith really stepped up, I just want to see if it continues when Mike T returns which I dont think it will. Thats probably more fault of SP and Brees though than Smith himself. Lets let the horses back in the pasture before we decide which one to shoot? Rugby Saint II and gosaints1 like this.

10-07-2020, 07:29 AM	#8
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,703	Re: Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it Originally Posted by TheOak Lets let the horses back in the pasture before we decide which one to shoot? Come on. By now you should know how full diz's glass is, Oak.

10-07-2020, 06:42 PM	#9
The Dude 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 9,063	Re: Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it Hope they continue spreading it around when Thomas is back. Rsanders24 and K Major like this.
The Dude 5000 POSTS! + Join Date: Jul 2011 Posts: 9,063

10-08-2020, 10:09 AM	#10
leilung Booty Bandit Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: The Wastelands that are NJ Posts: 1,430	Re: Michael Thomas had 3 words of advice for Saints WRs in Week 4; here's how they followed it This passing offense's success seems to be largely predicated on establishing the run. With SP FINALLY trusting the rock to Latavius, we seem to be getting back the the 'Thunder & Lightning' days of Kamara & Ingram. Let's hope they keep it up and everyone trusts in their counterparts to do their job. Also, kudo's to a D that was missing it's 2 starting CB's and still found a way to get after Stafford! Rsanders24 and gosaints1 like this.