Matt Ryan hasn't forgotten any of the mistakes that cost the Atlanta Falcons a chance to make the Super Bowl. He's not the only one motivated by falling short in the Georgia Dome.
"We haven't forgot," Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas said Tuesday on NFL Network's "NFL AM" in reference to the team's divisional round loss. "That is the biggest thing around the locker room. We haven't forgotten what happened in Atlanta. Guys are very motivated, and this is definitely my best offseason I've had, so I'm really excited. Looking forward to the season."
The Seahawks have a great blend of maturing young talent. Thomas is a perfect example. He's proven to be one of the better safeties in football in his first three seasons, but there's still a sense he can take his game to a higher level. A transcendent level.
"There's no end to the potential Earl has because he's so fast and he's so tough, but more than that, he's just so driven to be great. He's just driven to be great. He's really just kind of hitting it now. He's just getting going," coach Pete Carroll told Danny O'Neil of KSPN-AM on Monday.
Thomas was all business on "NFL AM." He's clearly a player who takes his enormous potential seriously. Richard Sherman might have gotten more headlines last year, but Thomas still feels like the key player to the Seahawks' defense.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
