Cornerbacks aren’t usually the primary concern when it comes to stopping opposing running backs, but Houston Texans defender Tavierre Thomas is looking to break the mold. In comments to the media on Tuesday, Thomas fielded a question about his role in helping slow the New York Giants’ hard-nosed ground game, and he gave a response that may surprise some fans.
He pointed to fellow defensive back Desmond King as an example of a player who he will try to emulate in his approach against the run and made it clear that though his position group’s primary concern may be defending the pass, stopping the run is a team effort.
“[Lovie Smith] is with us a lot,” Thomas explained, “but we have Coach Ilir [Emini] now. Coach Ilir, he’s been with Lovie for the longest at Illinois and whatnot, so he knows what Lovie wants. What I can say about me and Des [Desmond King], with us being the nickel, you’ve got to have a nickel that wants to be in the run gaps. I feel like with us two, we will get the job done because we will be in the run fit, and we can cover slot receivers. I feel like if we continue to just read our keys and play fast, we’ll make a lot of plays. Des has been making a lot of plays so far. Hopefully I come in and do the exact same thing.”
Many things will need to go right for Houston if they intend to beat the Giants on Sunday, but gumming up their run game led by Saquon Barkley would certainly go a long way toward putting them in a position to stay competitive into the fourth quarter. Thomas’ involvement in the defense may be a bit spotty given that he is coming back from injury, but rest assured that when he is on the field, he will be keyed in on making big tackles that slow New York down when they’re on offense.