"When Adalius Thomas received the game plan for last season’s Colts matchup, he could have been forgiven for thinking, “They paid me $35 million to do this?”

His name practically was nowhere to be seen. The coaching staff instead designed its defense around the use of safety Rodney Harrison at linebacker, so he could neutralize tight end Dallas Clark.

The plan worked. The Pats won, 24-20, and Thomas watched most of it from the bench. The move was not a reflection on the player, but on matchups. A year later, it’s fair to say the Colts should not expect a repeat performance. Thomas will be on the field. A lot.

Seven games into the season, Thomas has emerged as a legitimate game-changer. He has 5 sacks and six quarterback hits, and has spent more time in opposing backfields than any Pats linebacker. Thomas is making the kind of plays that turn momentum.

“I’m a football player. You know what I’m saying?” Thomas said. “A football player doesn’t have a position. A football player can play anywhere you ask him to play. Just tell me what you want me to do and I’ll do it if you teach me. That’s the only way I know. It’s nice to make plays, but it’s a combination of momentum from offense to defense, from one player to another. It’s just really guys doing their job.”

If last year’s near-benching bothered him, Thomas never let on. He recorded two tackles against the Colts, playing mainly end in a four-man line. He was squeezed out by a game plan that generally employed two linebackers, with five defensive backs to defend the pass and four linemen to stuff the run.

“Whatever the game plan is, it is,” Thomas said. “You go with that, whether it’s better for the team or you. As long as you win, that’s all that matters to me. Whatever the game plan is, whether it’s me playing every snap or me playing 10 snaps, those 10 snaps I want to do my best to contribute. Whatever we see fit to run against the Colts, I’ll do.”

It’s unlikely the Pats will duplicate last year’s approach. With Harrison on injured reserve, they lack a defensive back versatile enough to play a linebacker’s responsibilities in the running game while trying to cover someone like Clark, who has the quickness of a receiver."