SHAMARKO THOMAS
Strong Safety
The Steelers drafted him because they saw him as a safety capable of playing well against the run, and also as a safety they can use in coverage depending upon the offensive personnel and the down-and-distance. On Monday night at FedEx Field, Shamarko Thomas showed he can be up to the task.
On a second-half running play, Thomas knifed into the backfield and hit RB Chris Thompson to force a fumble that Terry Hawthorne recovered. On the subsequent series, on a third-and-8, Thomas was in man-to-man coverage on WR Nick Williams. When Williams caught a short pass on a crossing route, Thomas made the tackle for a 2-yard gain to force a punt. Thomas finished with six tackles and the forced fumble.
Shamarko Thomas is the* Steelers Digest* Player of the Week.
Also considered were WR Emmanuel Sanders, who made two acrobatic catches for a total of 39 yards in limited playing time; Jonathan Dwyer, who carried 14 times for 68 yards and added another 12 yards on two catches, but he also lost a fumble; LaMarr Woodley recorded a sack on a third-down play to force a punt; Jarvis Jones, who had a couple of tackles and forced a fumble; and Devin Smith, who had an interception with 2:14 left in the fourth quarter.
