Tag: Ambry Thomas

Recently-waived former 49ers 3rd-round pick claimed by Colts

The Indianapolis Colts are a popular place for former San Francisco 49ers CBs to land.

The San Francisco 49ers on Tuesday as part of a slew of roster moves waived former third-round pick Ambry Thomas.

Thomas, a cornerback from the University of Michigan, was claimed Wednesday by the Indianapolis Colts according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

San Francisco kept Thomas on their initial 53-man roster despite a rough preseason that was further derailed by an injury. Thomas was quickly placed on IR because of a broken forearm he sustained in the team’s preseason opener. He was never activated before being placed on waivers.

Thomas is due to be an unrestricted free agent this offseason after an up-and-down tenure in the Bay Area.

He stepped into a starting role as a rookie and wound up sealing a postseason berth by intercepting Matt Stafford in overtime of a Week 18 win over the Los Angeles Rams. He wound up missing out on a starting job in Year 2 and started none of the 15 games he appeared in. Last season he was in-and-out of the starting lineup as a third CB while the team struggled to find consistency in the secondary.

His training camp and preseason left him without a role heading into 2024. Charvarius Ward and Deommodore Lenoir locked down two of the starting jobs, while Isaac Yiadom and rookie Renardo Green were the clear third and fourth CBs in some order. Thomas stayed around as an internal depth piece San Francisco never needed.

Thomas played in 42 games with 11 starts for the 49ers and posted 79 tackles, 12 pass breakups, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He’ll now get a fresh start with a Colts club that also claimed former 49ers CB Samuel Womack after he was let go at final cuts.

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49ers injuries: CB suffers broken forearm in preseason opener

The 49ers fourth-year corner suffered a broken forearm in the preseason opener against the Titans.

The San Francisco 49ers suffered a greater loss than what the scoreboard showed after their preseason-opening defeat to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, 17-13.

Following the game in Tennessee, head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed defensive back Ambry Thomas suffered a broken forearm during their loss to the Titans. Shanahan didn’t reveal a specific timeline for the corner’s return, but he did tell reporters,”it will be some time.”

Via @TracyFGSN on Twitter:

Thomas has spent three seasons in San Francisco since being drafted in third round of the 2021 draft out of Michigan. In three seasons with the 49ers, Thomas has recorded two interceptions and 79 tackles. Thomas started six games for the 49ers last season.

The former Wolverine was in competition with Isaac Yiadom, Sam Womack Rock Ya-Sin, Darrell Luter and rookie Renardo Green for the 49ers No. 3 cornerback position.

With Thomas set to miss time, Green and other corners could see an increase in reps at training camp. Green’s first preseason game was highlighted by a fumble recovery on Saturday night against the Titans.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

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Ambry Thomas has another excellent outing vs. Seahawks

Ambry Thomas’ numbers the last three weeks since he joined the #49ers starting lineup have been outstanding.

Cornerback Ambry Thomas continues to be a revelation for the 49ers’ secondary, and his insertion into the starting lineup after the bye week has been perhaps the biggest key to San Francisco’s defense getting back on track.

The addition of defensive end Chase Young has undoubtedly helped as well, but it’s hard to argue with Thomas’ production since Week 10 in Jacksonville.

In that game against the Jaguars he allowed two catches for 14 yards on three targets. The following week vs. the Buccaneers he gave up three catches for 16 yards and a touchdown on five targets.

His string of good performances continued Thursday night against Seattle where he allowed two catches for 16 yards and hauled in an interception on four targets.

In those three games Thomas has been targeted 12 times. He’s given up seven catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. He also snagged an interception. Quarterbacks have a dreadful 59.7 passer rating when throwing his way per Pro Football Focus.

This isn’t the first time Thomas had a stretch of good play. He was very good to close his rookie year in 2021 as well. This time though his play has coincided with the 49ers defense playing as well as it has all season. It’s also been a key factor in the team getting right after some defensive struggles in the middle of the schedule.

Perhaps he comes back down to Earth at some point, but if Thomas keeps playing like this there aren’t many weaknesses in the 49ers defense.

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49ers CBs shine again in new roles vs. Buccaneers

The #49ers change in the secondary worked for the 2nd consecutive week.

The 49ers, at least for now, have figured out their cornerback situation. For the second consecutive game Sunday vs. the Buccaneers their defense looked like one of the league’s top units. Their turnaround after the bye week has coincided with Ambry Thomas’ insertion into the starting lineup as an outside cornerback with Deommodore Lenoir moving down into the slot.

Thomas was very good again Sunday against Tampa Bay, allowing three catches for 16 yards on five targets. He did allow a touchdown to WR Mike Evans, but Evans is an exceedingly tough cover in the confines of the deep red zone. Beyond that small hiccup Thomas was good for the second consecutive week.

Down in the slot Lenoir was also terrific. After an up-and-down game vs. Jacksonville, Lenoir held Tampa Bay’s receivers to two catches and 14 yards on three targets per Pro Football Focus. He also tallied a pass breakup vs. Evans on the first snap of the game.

For his part, Isaiah Oliver played one snap when Charvarius Ward got hurt in the fourth quarter. Oliver got home on a blitz and was credited for a pressure and a QB hit on a fourth-down incompletion that was broken up by rookie safety Ji’Ayir Brown. For now though it appears Oliver’s role will be limited to backup duty as long as Thomas and Lenoir keep playing at a high level.

San Francisco’s pass rush is going to be the tip of the team’s defensive spear, but that pass rush is reliant on at least average coverage in the back end. If Thomas, Lenoir and Ward continue playing well at the corner spots, the 49ers might have the NFL’s best defense heading into January.

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4-Down Territory: Weird Steelers, awesome Texans, Super Bowl Lions, Worst of the Week

The Steelers make no sense, the Lions are Super Bowl contenders, the Texans have arrived, and Worst of the Week! it’s time for “4-Down Territory!”

With 10 weeks of actual football in the books for the 2023 NFL season, it’s time for Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, and Kyle Madson of Niners Wire, to come to the table with their own unique brand of analysis in “4-Down Territory.”

This week, the guys have some serious questions to answer:

  1. The Steelers are 6-3 despite having been outgained and outscored overall for the season. Is there any reason whatsoever to take them seriously?
  2. Last year, the Lions were everybody’s plucky favorite. This year, are they a legitimate Super Bowl contender?
  3. The Texans have been the NFL’s best surprise with C.J. Stroud, but quarterback aside, are they the kind of team that could shock the world in the postseason?
  4. What was everybody’s Worst of the Week?

You can watch this week’s “4-Down Territory” right here:

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You can also listen and subscribe to the “4-Down Territory” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

49ers change at CB helped spark defensive turnaround vs. Jaguars

The lineup tweak that helped spark the #49ers blowout of the Jaguars:

The 49ers defense looked more like itself in a Sunday romp over the Jaguars, but it looked more like itself thanks in part to looking a little different.

It turns out Steve Wilks’ move to the sideline wasn’t the only change for San Francisco over the bye week. They also made a change in the secondary with cornerback Deommodore Lenoir moving into the slot and CB Ambry Thomas taking over at outside CB. That pushed CB Isaiah Oliver to the bench.

Thomas played 46 of the team’s 57 defensive snaps. Ward played 54, and Lenoir played 53. Oliver was relegated to just three snaps in garbage time.

This is the second time this season the 49ers have made a tweak in the makeup of their cornerback group. It started with a timeshare between Thomas and Oliver as the third CB. That changed when Thomas struggled in Week 2, prompting the coaching staff to move Lenoir outside and Oliver to the slot full time.

Oliver struggled during the team’s three-game losing skid though. In that stretch of games he allowed 15 receptions on 15 targets for 127 yards and two touchdowns while only notching one pass breakup. He also missed three tackles – a huge issue for San Francisco during that losing streak.

It appears the change helped.

The 49ers were better in coverage against the Jags and it helped give the defensive front time to notch five sacks and 10 quarterback hits. Thomas helped hold Jaguars star receiver Calvin Ridley to two catches for 20 yards on three targets. He also forced a fumble by Jags WR Christian Kirk deep in the red zone that ultimately helped San Francisco seal their Week 10 victory late in the third quarter.

Finding the best three cornerbacks has been a journey for the 49ers’ coaching staff, but their ability to adapt as needed has been key to the team’s 6-3 start, and Sunday’s change might have been the biggest key in sparking a 34-3 blowout win.

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Worst of the Week for Week 10: Patriots and Giants bottom out, more bad officiating, Frank Reich

Frank Reich, the Patriots and Giants find the bottom, more horrid officiating, and one weird fumble return. It’s time for the NFL’s Worst of the Week!

Football is a wonderful, thrilling, inspiring game that can lift us to new heights in our lives.

But football is also a weird, inexplicable, at times downright stupid game that may force you to perform Keith Moon-level furniture destruction in your own living room.

So, as much as we at Touchdown Wire endeavor to write about what makes the game great, there are also times when it’s important to point out the dumb plays, boneheaded decisions, and officiating errors that make football all too human.

Folks, it’s time for the Worst of the Week for Week 10 of the 2023 NFL season.

Kyle Shanahan jokes about penalty that negated 49ers defensive TD

The #49ers nearly made a catastrophic mistake, but now head coach Kyle Shanahan can joke about it.

The 49ers averted a self-inflicted disaster Sunday.

A takeaway generated by cornerback Ambry Thomas led to a long fumble return for a touchdown for Thomas. His TD was waved off though for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty thanks to a slew of 49ers, including head coach Kyle Shanahan, leaking out onto the field during the return.

Instead of getting a TD, the 49ers had to take over at their own 19 where the ball was placed after a 15-yard spot foul. San Francisco scored on the ensuing drive which allowed Shanahan to joke about the penalty in his postgame press conference.

“I was real disappointed with getting those first two turnovers and not scoring on either of them and. having to punt,” Shanahan said. “Then when we get the third turnover, we actually score ourselves on defense, but we had to call it back. And that was strategic so we could let the offense do it. So we were finally able to do one.”

Of course the penalty wasn’t actually a strategic play by the 49ers, but their offense took care of business once they got the ball back. They went 81 yards on seven plays to effectively seal the game. Deebo Samuel capped the drive with a 23-yard touchdown run that put the 49ers ahead 27-3 late in the fourth quarter.

That turnover Thomas created wound up being a huge play in the game though. Jacksonville was down 20-3 and going in to score inside the 49ers’ 10. They were on the verge of making it a 20-10 game going into the fourth quarter. Instead Thomas stripped wide receiver Christian Kirk and recovered for the takeaway.

There was a chance the 49ers’ penalty could have been a massive swing play in the game, but they overcame the mistake and a possible disaster is now something the team can joke about.

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Watch: Ambry Thomas rips ball away from Jags’ Christian Kirk for clutch forced fumble in redzone

With the Jags threatening, Ambry Thomas stepped up for the 49ers in the red zone.

For the first time in the game, the Jacksonville Jaguars appeared to be threatening. Trailing by 17, Trevor Lawerence led a drive down the field and into the red zone in the second half with the chance to cut into the San Francisco 49ers’ lead.

However, Ambry Thomas and the rest of the 49ers’ defense had other plans. Following a catch and run from Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk, Thomas managed to dislodge the ball from Kirk, forcing a clutch fumble in near the goal line.

Via @NFL on Twitter:

Following the fumble, Thomas picked up the ball and ran all the way back for what appeared to be a touchdown after nobody from the Jags touched him down. Yet, after an extended review, the ball was ruled down where Thomas recovered it from Kirk.

After Thomas came up clutch with a forced fumble, the 49ers offense made it count, punching in another touchdown on a Deebo Samuel run.

This post originally appeared on Niners Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! 

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49ers lose Ambry Thomas fumble return touchdown on unsportsmanlike conduct penalty

Ambry Thomas made a great play and lost a TD return because of his teammates

A strange play in the San Francisco 49ers’ game with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

In the third quarter, Ambry Thomas ripped the ball from the Jaguars’ Christian Kirk and returned it for an apparent touchdown.

However …

Trevor Lawrence appeared to get away with a late hit long after Thomas was in the end zone.