He was mentioned in Peter King's MMQB column this morning -
Stats of the Week
I
“Duty and honor, mostly.”
Cleveland tackle Joe Thomas is getting into Cal Ripken Jr., territory with his consecutive games played streak. Those are the words he used the other day to describe why he thinks it’s so important to play every game from beginning to end. He knows no other way. Since being drafted in 2007, Thomas has started all 128 Cleveland games. That’s not a big story. This is: He’s played all 7,917 offensive snaps for the Browns in his nine NFL seasons.
This is despite three strained or torn knee ligaments along the way, and two high ankle sprains, and despite the Browns trying to get him a respite a few times when they know he’s ailing a bit. The closest The Streak came to ending was last Oct. 14, midway through the fourth quarter of a surprising 31-10 Browns win over Pittsburgh. Offensive line coach Andy Moeller, who knew nothing about Thomas’ streak, sent backup tackle Vinton Painter on the field to replace Thomas with a couple of series (likely) left to play.
Joe Thomas (Diamond Images/Getty Images)
“What are you doing out here? Get back! Get back!” Thomas said to Painter, shooing him off the field. Later, Thomas went to Moeller and to the offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, and told them he had never missed an NFL play and, with all due respect, wasn’t going to start now, particularly not in a very rare moment of triumph against the rival Steelers.
In all, 7,917 straight offensive plays averages out to 880 offensive plays per season, 55 offensive plays per game, in 44 wins and 84 losses. Twice in nine years the Browns have been in serious contention in December, but no matter. Thomas played every snap in probably 40 games that were borderline or truly meaningless to anything except Thomas’ pride and the streak.
Not your traditional Stat of the Week, but the Ripken of the NFL deserves some credit for it, to be sure.
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/08/16/chip-kelly-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-monday-morning-quarterback
Stats of the Week
I
“Duty and honor, mostly.”
Cleveland tackle Joe Thomas is getting into Cal Ripken Jr., territory with his consecutive games played streak. Those are the words he used the other day to describe why he thinks it’s so important to play every game from beginning to end. He knows no other way. Since being drafted in 2007, Thomas has started all 128 Cleveland games. That’s not a big story. This is: He’s played all 7,917 offensive snaps for the Browns in his nine NFL seasons.
This is despite three strained or torn knee ligaments along the way, and two high ankle sprains, and despite the Browns trying to get him a respite a few times when they know he’s ailing a bit. The closest The Streak came to ending was last Oct. 14, midway through the fourth quarter of a surprising 31-10 Browns win over Pittsburgh. Offensive line coach Andy Moeller, who knew nothing about Thomas’ streak, sent backup tackle Vinton Painter on the field to replace Thomas with a couple of series (likely) left to play.
Joe Thomas (Diamond Images/Getty Images)
“What are you doing out here? Get back! Get back!” Thomas said to Painter, shooing him off the field. Later, Thomas went to Moeller and to the offensive coordinator, Kyle Shanahan, and told them he had never missed an NFL play and, with all due respect, wasn’t going to start now, particularly not in a very rare moment of triumph against the rival Steelers.
In all, 7,917 straight offensive plays averages out to 880 offensive plays per season, 55 offensive plays per game, in 44 wins and 84 losses. Twice in nine years the Browns have been in serious contention in December, but no matter. Thomas played every snap in probably 40 games that were borderline or truly meaningless to anything except Thomas’ pride and the streak.
Not your traditional Stat of the Week, but the Ripken of the NFL deserves some credit for it, to be sure.
http://mmqb.si.com/mmqb/2015/08/16/chip-kelly-philadelphia-eagles-nfl-monday-morning-quarterback
