Three Reasons the Patriots Defense Won’t Stop the Falcons Offense
By John Follett
There’s No Total Solution for Julio Jones
We’ve penned more than a couple articles with mention of the Atlanta Falcons’ success despite not having Julio Jones healthy. If 2016 taught us anything, it’s that the Falcons don’t need their All-Pro receiver to carry the offense. Julio will command a lot of attention from the Patriots on February 5th, but that doesn’t mean Ryan looks elsewhere. Matt Ryan proved many of us wrong in the Divisional Round by throwing right at Richard Sherman. Ryan actually hit Jones on three passes in the Falcons’ first drive of that game.
The Patriots can expect the same at Super Bowl 51. Whether Julio is covered by Malcolm Butler or a Logan Ryan and safety combo, Matt Ryan will attack. Think back to how fired up Jones was last weekend against Green Bay. The star receiver knew the Packers couldn’t cover him and he demanded the ball. There were times the coverage was tight, but Julio was too fast and physical for was the Packers offered.