Saturday night wasn't Ambry Thomas' best outing. According to analytics site Pro Football Focus, the San Francisco 49ers cornerback was the team's worst-graded player on either side of the football.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love targeted Thomas five times, completing all five passes for 74 yards and owning a 118.8 pass rating when throwing in the cornerback's direction. Thomas' 32.0 overall, 34.1 tackling, and 30.6 coverage grades were all season-lows and his lowest marks since his rookie 2021 season.
When asked to assess his play from the game, Thomas stated, "Honestly, I just feel like I had to get back in the groove of things, me being out that timespan, not practicing. Those reps are important during this time."
Thomas underwent surgery on a broken hand ahead of the 49ers' regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams.
The cornerback continued, "This week, I'm getting them (the reps) back and just getting back in my rhythm and things."
Thomas has a difficult task ahead of him. The 49ers are preparing to host the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. That means stopping quarterback Jared Goff and this season's fifth-ranked offense. Thomas is confident that another week's worth of practice reps will help him get back into a "groove."
Defensive coordinator Steve Wilks acknowledged that Saturday's game was not Thomas' best. That doesn't mean that the coach lacks confidence in his young defender.
"Very confident [in Thomas]," Wilks told reporters on Thursday. "He didn't have his best game, as we all saw. He's pretty resilient in his demeanor, and I know he is going to bounce back strong."
Wilks believes Thomas can overcome any mental roadblocks that may persist due to his hand injury, saying, "Again, we have to be able to get over the mindset of his wrist, and he has to go out there and play. But, I'm very confident that he's going to go back out there and respond this week."
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