Denver Broncos tight end Julius Thomas destroyed the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1.
If you extrapolated the tight end's seven receptions, 104 yards and three touchdowns that week over the entire season, Thomas was on pace for 112 catches, 1,664 yards and 48 scores.
Of course, the pass-catcher didn't come close to those mind-boggling numbers, finishing with 43 snags for 489 yards and 12 touchdowns. Injuries hindered him early in the season, forced him to miss three games from Weeks 12 through 14 and held him to just three catches for 66 yards over the final three contests.
"It was a big week for me," he said, per ESPN.com. "It was good to get some rest. Every doctor will tell you the most important thing is rest, but it's tough to do in the middle of the season. So I got a little bit of time to stay off it and get some treatment on it. It went well."
It's worth noting that following the Broncos regular season bye, Thomas had his second-best game of the season, catching six passes for 66 yards and two scores.
Thomas is a matchup nightmare for a Colts team that doesn't have the linebackers who can run with him. But the fourth-year pro expects Indy to make adjustments this time around.
"I was able to have a lot of success against them in that first game," Thomas said this week. "I would imagine they will do some things a little bit differently. So you can't say, 'I had a great game against them the first time. I'll have three touchdowns on them again.' You just never really know."
We do know that if he does repeat that performance it will spell trouble for the Colts' playoff lives.
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