Within the Broncos disaster was one of the most admirable performances you'll see

DENVER — You ever see a performance in sports that just resonates with you?

It’s not one of those games that everyone will talk about for years because of some legendary stats or miraculously clutch plays, but for some reason, it just leaves you saying, “wow.”

On Sunday Night Football, in front of the entire country, the Broncos laid an egg. When the PA announcer revealed the 1,547 no-shows, he forgot to add in those wearing helmets and shoulder pads in Orange & Blue.

Amidst the fire and flames erupting from the proverbial dumpster planted over the Bronco logo at midfield, though, one of those “wow” performances was right in front of the 76,721 who did show up on the evening.

The player was No. 88 in blue, Demaryius Thomas, and of all the football I’ve watched, it was one of the most admirable performances I’ve seen.

Thomas has hardly played a healthy snap all season; he’s always dealing with something. On Sunday, he was busted up even more, at one point having to get x-rays in the middle game. As soon as they turned out negative, though, D.T., as only D.T. can, hobbled his way back onto the field, so he could hobble his way into the huddle, go 100 percent for one play at a time and hobble his way back to the group.

“If I’m able to play, I’m just gonna do it,” Thomas told BSN Denver as if there was no other choice. “I’m not gonna leave my brothers out there. Whatever happens, happens, but I’m gonna be in there with them either way. It doesn’t matter if we’re winning or we’re losing, if I can play, I’m gonna play.”

Twisted, turned, chopped and cut, on Sunday, D.T. did what he always does, he played. He played to the tune of 10 receptions for 133 yards, battling to the bitter end, even when a loss was a foregone conclusion.

“I do take pride in that,” he admitted. “I was banged up a little, had a couple bad little nicks, but I was still able to run, so I got out there and tried to do my best.”

What Thomas describes as a “bad little nick” would likely leave the rest of us bedridden.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise at this point, though, considering the Broncos third all-time leading receiver hasn’t missed a game since his sophomore season in the NFL, when he missed five games due to a broken finger. It should be noted that he broke that finger after miraculously recovering from a torn Achilles tendon that was supposed to keep him out for the whole season and nearly didn’t keep him out for any of it.

“He’s been that way his whole career here and the way he fought through his injuries tonight was special,” said fellow receiver Bennie Fowler.

Note the plural on injuries.

“Several injuries,” added receiver Jordan Taylor. “Several times he got banged up there and continued to play through it.”

For a guy who constantly catches flack from the fanbase, Demaryius Thomas is as Bronco as a Bronco can be. He puts his body on the line for the Orange & Blue like just about no other. Maybe only Derek Wolfe could say he’s played through as much.

“I love seeing that, especially out of a receiver,” said Wolfe himself. “He doesn’t complain, he just comes to work every day, that’s the kind of guy he is. You can count on him… I would say (his toughness is undervalued). He’s a big guy; everybody is trying to hit him. When you’re a good player, they’re gonna scheme up on you. They’re going to do things to try and take you out of the game, that’s just the way it is. I commend him for taking those hits. He got rolled up and twisted, got up and didn’t come out of the game. I love that guy.”

Wolfe put it best; you can count on Demaryius Thomas. You’ve been able to count on him being in the line up for more than 100 consecutive Broncos games. You’ve been able to count on him for more 100-yard receiving games than any other Bronco ever. You’ve been able to count on him to the tune of 8,084 career receiving yards, making him one of just seven active players who can say that.

Think of it this way, in the exact same amount of career games (106) Thomas has averaged just eight yards less per game than Antonio Brown, who is widely regarded as the best receiver in the league. In those 106 games, Thomas has averaged more yards per catch than Brown, the great deep threat, and reached the end zone one more time.

On Sunday, though, the day he eclipsed that prestigious 8,000-yard mark, the beastly receiver regretfully admitted it didn’t mean a thing to him.

“Not right now, man. Not right now. I’m not going to lie to you,” he said with a disappointed side smirk. “I can’t speak for anybody else, but I can speak for myself. I could have played better, especially on the fourth down. I converted on 4th-and-5, and I turned it over. That would have been big for us.”

Unfortunately, D.T. isn’t his own harshest critic. He’s not the only one who will remember this game for his costly fumble. Even more unfortunate, when he finally decides to hang ’em up, possibly as the most prolific Denver Broncos receiver of all time, many will remember Demaryius Thomas for those four words he uttered on Sunday night, “Could have been better.”

As for me, anytime Demaryius Thomas is brought up from now on, I’ll think of the warrior-like effort he put down in a Sunday Night no-hoper as the perfect microcosm of his battle-built legacy.