Nine days isn’t a long time. Demaryius Thomas’ talent confuses the clock. On Thursday, with five fewer practices than his teammates, Thomas converted three first downs and created mismatches on every snap.
It was easy to forget that Thomas, a 6-foot-4, 223-pound hulk with a shortstop’s hands and feet, buried his beloved grandmother Gladys a little more than a week earlier. Thomas continues to mourn, while not losing focus. It hasn’t been easy.
“It still bothers me a bit,” Thomas said. “The routine of work, of being around these teammates, these coaches, really helps.”
Thomas ranks as one of the league’s best receivers because he prepares like he’s white-knuckling a roster spot. Against the Seattle Seahawks, who spent more time Thursday taunting and pushing than mauling, Thomas excelled, catching a team-best five passes for 52 yards.
He changed the shape of the game, yet insists he’s not in top condition, still playing catch-up from his absence.
“I worked out a little bit (in Georgia), but it’s not the same. It’s hard because I was with family most of the time,” said Thomas, whose grandmother died after a brave battle with Alzheimer’s disease. “In the game, I didn’t know if I was ready. But I knew I was capable of going out and doing my job. I wasn’t at my best. I didn’t know if Peyton (Manning) was going to look my way that much. I did miss a week, and I wasn’t all the way back.”
Offensive coordinator Adam Gase predicted Thomas would excel. Even if Thomas was slightly compromised physically, he held a mental edge, given his knowledge of the offense.
Thomas performs his tasks as well as any Bronco, even if it’s overshadowed by Manning. The Broncos think enough of him that they initiated talks on a long-term contract before camp. Thomas isn’t thinking about it.
“I haven’t heard anything. I don’t worry about it,” Thomas said. “I just want to play football and help this team win.”
Manning, like Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky, can turn scarecrows into Pro Bowlers. However, Thomas complements the reigning NFL MVP, providing a presence, a V8-powered bulldozer who led the league in yards after the catch last season.
“Obviously he’s got great strength, great size. He’s a ‘hands catcher,’ so even when there is tight coverage, he can go out, extend and catch it,” Manning said. “He seems like he’s always, kind of, going forward, too, which is good. Demaryius missed the first week of training camp, obviously, with the tragedy in his family, so it was good to get him out there and get some good game reps with him. I thought he looked really good.”
For Thomas, the first game was just that — a start. He politely excused himself from Saturday night’s interview after a few questions. The weight room beckoned.
“The main thing for me right now is getting in better shape. I got a little winded in that first game. I want to be able to stay on the field longer,” Thomas said. “I need to get more consistent with my routes and stay in rhythm with Peyton. It can be hard at times, given what happened, but once I got back, I had a job to do.”
Troy E. Renck: trenck@denverpost.com or twitter.com/troyrenck