Baltimore Ravens week 3 player spotlight: Earl Thomas III

Week 3 is finally here as the Baltimore Ravens head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs led by star quarterback Patrick Mahomes. If there is any player in the spotlight this week, not named Lamar Jackson, its safety Earl Thomas III.

I’m sure everyone remembers the infamous 4th and 9 play against the Chiefs last year when Patrick Mahomes converted with 1:29 left in the game. If the Ravens defense stops Mahomes one last time on that play then they win the game and Lamar Jackson is undefeated as an NFL starting quarterback.

This year is going to be a different story because the Ravens have a faster and more instinctual safety patrolling the back-end in future Hall of Famer Earl Thomas III.

Former Ravens safety Eric Weddle was an amazing leader and quarterback of the defense but in his last year in Baltimore he just wasn’t athletic enough. He was constantly out-ran or beat deep which I’m sure played a factor in his release.

Thomas is going to provide much more security in the back-end this time around and he’s confident a play like the 4th and 9 conversion last year won’t happen under his watch. In an interview with Ravens media member Ryan Mink, Thomas had this to say about the 4th and 9 play:

The confidence Thomas has in his abilities has to resonate with the coaching staff and his teammates. They may not admit it, but I’m sure cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Carr are glad to have Thomas behind them in this epic rematch.

The Chiefs will be without their star wide receiver Tyreek Hill due to an injured clavicle, but they still present some dangerous weapons. Former first round pick Sammy Watkins has seemingly flipped the switch this season and has been their best receiver which will be the defenses main focus. Along with Watkins, the Chiefs have 2016 draft prospect Demarcus Robinson who tore up the Raiders secondary last week racking up 172 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns on just six targets.

While the Ravens have Mark Andrews, the Chiefs have their star tight end in Travis Kelce. I’m not sure who the Ravens are going to task with covering Kelce, but if I’m Don “Wink” Martindale I’m putting Tony Jefferson on him. This is because they can’t risk taking Thomas away from the free safety position. I know Jefferson has had his troubles covering athletic tight ends but with the help of ultra athletic linebackers Kenny Young and Chris Board, they could get the job done.

There’s going to be a lot of pressure on Thomas in this match up and he’s going to have to be on his A-game if the defense is going to have any chance at shutting down Mahomes. The Raven’s signed Thomas to a four-year, $55 million contract this offseason for games just like this so the spotlight is on him. If Thomas can do what general manager Eric DeCosta brought him in to do then the Ravens are going to end week three with a 3-0 record and a massive win over a conference foe.