New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas finally made his return to the gridiron after missing several weeks of action ever since he appeared in their Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A nagging hamstring injury has kept him on the sidelines and only rejoined his team in Week 9 against the same opponent in the Buccaneers.
He was less than stellar in his first game back, catching five passes for 51 yards without a touchdown scored for his team. Nonetheless, his presence still helped to open things up for a Saints offense that came out firing from all cylinders. Michael Thomas then shares his mind about his return and how he felt during the weeks he was absent, per Mike Triplett of ESPN.
“It felt great just to be out there with the guys and dominate the game on all sides of the ball,” he said. “That's what we expect as an offense, that's the standard. That's how we've been trying to play the past six weeks. Unfortunately, I wasn't out there to help the guys, but I'm back out there and I'm trying to do my job to the best of my abilities, and we're all complementing each other.
“[Coach] Sean Payton calls tremendous plays. Every play he called tonight was working. So, if we protect the ball, we're gonna be a dominant offense.”
The former Ohio State Buckeye also spoke on his recent altercation with Saints cornerback Chauncey Gardner-Johnson which led to a $50,000 fine from the team.
“My emotions got the best of me in that situation, and I've grown from that. And I'm here to help my team win games and … win a championship,” said Thomas. “So, I'm just here to contribute and add value to the offense and add value to this team and help my guys win.”
Despite Michael Thomas' subpar performance, his teammates were able to pick up the slack and hit their strides offensively after leading the Bucs, 31-0, in halftime. The Saints defense also did their work as they limited the Tom Brady-led team to three scoreless quarters en route to a 38-3 victory.
The win handed the top spot of the NFC South to the Saints with a 6-2 tally while the Bucs dropped back in second place with a 6-3 record. Michael Thomas and the rest of his team will match up with the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10 festivities.
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