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Jacksonville Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. sure-handed on slippery day
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- Jacksonville Jaguars' Brian Thomas Jr. sure-handed on slippery day
JACKSONVILLE — Brian Thomas Jr.'s hands got sticky in conditions when it was least expected.
The Jacksonville Jaguars ' second-year wide receiver, plagued by drops and hampered by injuries this season, turned in a performance on Dec. 7 at a soggy EverBank Stadium that reminded everyone of the dazzling prospect he seemed to be as a rookie last season when he led the team in every receiving category.
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Thomas caught three passes for 89 yards in the Jaguars' 36-19 victory over the Indianapolis Colts , including a snap that may be his best in the NFL: a one-handed catch down the right sideline in the first quarter.
"Just going out there and beating my defender," Thomas said after the game, as nonchalantly as he appeared in snaring the ball. "I got a 1-on-1. I was really hoping that [ Trevor Lawrence] would throw it to me. I saw it in the air. I had to go get it regardless. I don't care where he [defender Charvarius Ward ] was or what happens, I just had to go get it. I went out there and made a play."
Thomas has now made huge plays in his last two games since returning from an ankle injury. While he caught a modest two passes for 28 yards in the win against the Titans, he made a huge downfield block that got extra yards from Jakobi Meyers on a 50-yard reception.
The Jaguars are obviously hoping this is the version of Thomas they saw last season when he caught 87 passes for 1,282 yards and 10 touchdowns.
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Thomas spoke more about what it means for the team, which is now 9-4 and a one-game lead in the AFC South.
"We are growing as a team, and we are getting better each and every week," he said. "That's what we are going to continue to do is keep getting better and keep growing. We are going to continue to fight, keep going out there and battling, trusting each other and being the best we can be."
Thomas' receptions sparked scoring drives
Every one of Thomas' catches was crucial to scoring drives.
His first came when he high-pointed a ball for an 18-yard completion on second-and-14, with Travis Etienne scoring the first of his two touchdowns two plays later.
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Then came the highlight-reel play. Thomas raced past Ward on the right sideline on third-and-five and reached for the ball with his right hand, as Ward tried to keep him from getting his left arm up.
Thomas pulled the ball in as easy as you please for a 39-yard gain and two plays later, Lawrence connected with Meyers for a 14-yard TD pass.
Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) hauls in a pass as Indianapolis Colts cornerback Kenny Moore II (23) pressures him in the third quarter during an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. Jaguars won 36-19. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Thomas' final catch was for 30 yards on a second-and-10, pulling the ball in after beating Kenny Moore II. The Colts challenged whether Thomas had control of the ball as he was forced out of bounds but lost the challenge and Cam Little kicked a 35-yard field goal three plays later.
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Jakobi Meyers : 'That's all B.T."
Meyers, obtained in early November in a trade with Las Vegas , has been credited with stabilizing the offense with his veteran leadership. Meyers caught four passes for 39 yards and his second TD as a Jaguar and has 18 receptions for 245 yards this season.
Meyers was asked if he had anything to do with helping Thomas through the rough patch of injuries, dropped passes and accusations that Thomas was gunshy about going over the middle.
"That's all B.T. ... that's all him," Meyers said. "That's the type of talent he is, the type of football player he is. I just make the plays that come my way but I trust him to do the same."
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Jaguars went deep more often
The Jaguars also took deeper shots, both to Thomas, Meyers, Tim Patrick and tight end Brenton Strange , despite the wet conditions. Coach Liam Coen said that was an emphasis in practice last week.
"When you can attack every blade of grass ... it's something that ultimately we want to be able to do," Coen said. "To get BTJ going down the field vertically, great throws and catches from those guys. Tim Patrick made a few big plays down the field as well. That's a huge part of this game is being able to stretch people vertically."
Coen said it was more players than plays.
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"These guys just made plays today in a lot of ways," he said. "Those weren't phenomenally schemed up plays. Those were our players going out and being special."
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Brian Thomas Jr. highlights a stellar day with one-handed catch
