Offensive Tackle Andrew Thomas
Q. A couple of the guys who have already spoken have kind of already talked about the timing of this bye week. For you, a guy who has played through some injuries and stuff, how do you reset yourself for this push in these last five game?
A: For me, the first few days of the bye week was really just getting rest. I had my family in town for a few days for Thanksgiving so just spending time with the family, letting my body recover and then later in the week just trying to get some lifts in, some recovery, some treatment, just to get my body primed to go for this last stretch.
Q. If I can take you back to the opener, how much did that injury just set you back as you look back on it now?
A: Yeah, it's tough. I mean, you train all season to be healthy, coming off a really good year, I was trying to build on it, but injuries happen. It's part of this game. You've just got to find a way to one, stay healthy and two, recover as fast as I can if something does happen.
Q. If I could quickly just follow up, would your season had been different if the moment you felt that hamstring you would've gone out the game?
A: I don't know. You can make assumptions or what ifs, but my mindset is that if I can go, I'm going to try to go. Sometimes that may be a hindrance but that's just the way that I play football and I don't think that's going to change.
Q. The bye coming so late, sometimes you have 10-12 games to go, you only have five to go so you can sort of see the finish line. What would you say, if asked like I am, what is there to play for in these last five games?
A: First, I would say football starts after Thanksgiving. We've got a lot of NFC opponents. You never know what could happen. Then, outside of the playoffs – I said this earlier in another interview, we get an opportunity to play football. This has been our dream for a long time so any time you step on the field you want to put your best foot forward.
Q. Is that enough of an incentive you think? So many teams are really in that playoff push and you know what it's like last year, you know what it's like in college. Is it enough just to kind of hope?
A: I think it is. I think, as a team, you control your own destiny. As long as you go out there and do the things that it takes to win so we're just focused on getting one win at a time.
Q. When Georgia lost that game, sorry to bring up this memory, did you think they were out of the playoffs? Or do you think they should be in?
A: I didn't. I felt like they're one of the best four teams, if that's what the criteria is – but I don't make that decision. Better luck next year.
Q. Did you watch the game? The whole game?
A: I did watch it, yeah.
Q. Any remote controls being thrown around or anything or are you pretty calm?
A: No, I got pretty hype (laughs).
Q. Any destruction? Or everything stayed okay?
A: No destruction but a lot of yelling. My neighbors were probably wondering what was going on.
Q. You've been asked about injuries, and we know that even when you came back from the hamstring injury, you've been dealing with another injury with the knee injury and I've been asked, why is he playing? Why is it important to you to continue to play even though the season hasn't gone the way you've liked it to go? You and other guys as well.
A: You only get 17 guaranteed opportunities every year so if I have the opportunity to play, I'm going to take advantage of that. You never know what can happen. The average career is three-and-a-half years. Any time I get the opportunity to play, I'm going to do it. Regardless if we're 17-0 or we haven't won a game at all, that's just the mindset. A lot of guys on the team have that mindset as well.
Q. Just as a lineman, (quarterback Tommy) DeVito being a rookie, (quarterback) Tyrod Taylor being a long-time vet, what are some of the differences you notice between the two?
A: Obviously, Tyrod, the veteran presence. He's been in the league I think it's 13 years. DeVito brings in energy, juice. He's still learning the game and that works out for him. So they're different guys, but we trust both of those guys. Whatever the coaches decide, that's what we'll go with and we're going to protect the same and we're going to block the same regardless of who's back there.
