Houston Texans: Demaryius Thomas proving his worth early

The Houston Texans trade for Demaryius Thomas during the NFL trade deadline is already paying dividends.

Houston Texans general manager Brian Gaine seems to have made the right move by trading for veteran wide receiver Demaryius Thomas. This move made a lot of the sense at the time as the Texans second wide receiver, Will Fuller, unfortunately, tore his ACL in his right knee in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins.

Thomas has proven early on in his start in Houston that he can still be an impact player for the franchise. From catching the football to being a blocker in the run game, Thomas has shown his versatility and he has become a tone-setter on the team. Through three games, Thomas has 7 receptions for 2 touchdowns and 99 receiving yards.

After being held without a catch against the Washington Redskins, he showed resiliency in Week 12 by snagging his first two touchdown receptions from Deshaun Watson. Thomas proved to be too much in the red zone and he has become into another option for Watson in the end zone.

Thomas ability to beat one on one coverage consistently has allowed him to be a reliable option whenever the team is in the red zone. Thomas quickly taught the Titans that they wouldn’t be able to roll all their coverage to the Texans premier wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins.

Thomas kept the defenses honest throughout the first three quarters and he put the game away with a contested catch in the end zone. Thomas big frame, athleticism, and good route running were all present in his touchdown receptions as he was able to beat the defensive backs to make the tough catch for six points.

Thomas was also contributing in blocking in the run game, his block on cornerback Adoree Jackson at the second level sprung running back Lamar Miller for his second 97-yard touchdown run in his NFL career.

The Texans decision to trade their 2019 fourth round pick for Thomas has shown to be paying off, and he’ll continue to provide the Texans with a receiver that can be a threat in the red zone and create running lanes for the running back.