NEW ORLEANS — Before facing the N.F.L.’s last unbeaten team on Sunday, Saints receiver Michael Thomas settled in for a final film review. He cued up the clip he wanted. He watched it in awe. He felt inspired.
Thomas, at last, was ready to hide a cellphone at the bottom of a goal post.
One at the bottom of both goal posts, actually, because how awkward would it have been if he scored the touchdown that finally stifled the Los Angeles Rams, 45-35, on the most productive day of his N.F.L. career, and the phone he had secreted was 120 yards away, all alone, with no one to flip it open and pretend to answer?