The Houston Texans will visit the New Orleans Saints to help close out Week 1 of the 2019 NFL regular season, lining up against the black and gold inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in the first Monday Night Football game of the year. And when the Texans coaches sit down to review their game plan, head coach Bill O’Brien and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel know exactly who they’re prioritizing — after quarterback Drew Brees, of course.
Wide receiver Michael Thomas has had quite the year. It started with well-earned recognition as a first-team All-Pro, alongside Texans star DeAndre Hopkins. Then Thomas became the NFL’s highest-paid wideout and a $100 million man. On Monday, he’ll get to suit up for his first meaningful football game since January.
“He’s a great player,” O’Brien said of Thomas during his Tuesday press conference. “He’s got good size, good speed, very, very good route runner. He’s got great chemistry with the quarterback — on the same page. The ball is in the air many times before he comes out of his break. He understands coverage, he understands leverage, he’s got excellent hands, he’s got it all. He’s a great player and it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
O’Brien wouldn’t divulge which of the Texans’ top cornerbacks will line up against Thomas, which is reasonable. But it will fall to either Jonathan Joseph (a tenured veteran), or Bradley Roby (a free agent acquisition, and Thomas’s old college teammate with the Ohio State Buckeyes) to try and corral Brees’ favorite target. The Texans signed slot specialist Aaron Colvin in free agency a year ago, but it’s unclear whether he even has a role with the starting defense in his second season in Houston. If so, he’d likely end up with the short straw against Thomas in the slot — where he’s often done his best work.
