Julio Jones Picks Himself Up and Dusts Himself Off
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones could have joined those dubious ranks with his ball-dropping/face plant combo against the Panthers
A player’s season can be defined by a single moment, and many a time it comes something that’s memorable for all the wrong reason – something, in fact, the player would rather forget; Lawrence Taylor breaking Joe Theismann’s leg, Jim Marshall running 66 yards the wrong way, Gary Anderson‘s missed kick, etc. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones could have joined those dubious ranks with his ball-dropping/face plant combo against the Panthers, which reached viral levels. However, Jones has been working hard to erase that memory from the collective consciousness and, at least as far as Falcons fans are concerned, he is succeeding.
Julio may have zigged when he should have zagged that one time, but he showed, against the Seahawks, the way he masters his 6-3 anatomy puts him in a class apart from even the best receivers in the league.
"“Julio Jones’s 16-yard reception on the sideline during Atlanta’s second possession shows why he is different,” says Falcons Analyst Dave Archer via the team’s official website. “The body control to go that high to make the catch, squeeze it, make sure it doesn’t move, toe tap, and then fall to the ground without the ball moving again, is just spectacular.”"
And then there was that stunning 29-yard fade for a first down in the fourth quarter, which defies even our formidable descriptive powers.
Sure, Julio may have gotten butter fingers in that one play, but people who mocked him about that should know that he can do more without the ball in his hands than most receivers can with it. Entering Monday, Jones had just one touchdown on 76 targets, and just nine targets in the red zone, in nine games.
"“I think the reality of it is you game plan, you try to put your players in the best position to be successful,” offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian said via Vaughn McClure of ESPN. “Obviously, Julio is that guy for us. And when the defense presents those opportunities, you want to take advantage of them.”"
As it turns out, a “position to be successful” for Jones is any which one when he can create a diversion, just like last week, when he was lined up in the slot and had a defender cheating his way in the red zone, the same defender who could have retraced his steps and obstruct Justin Hardy, who was on his way to scoring a three-yard touchdown.
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"“A, we haven’t gotten the best look for those [opportunities], and No. 2, we haven’t taken as good as advantage of them as I would like,” the Sark said about going to Jones on the aforementioned ESPN piece. “We keep striving for it, we keep grinding for it. But I do know this: The attention he gets makes life a lot easier for a lot of the other guys, and I think we’re seeing the benefits of that.”"
On Monday, Jones led the Falcons with 71 receiving yards.
"“You have to be able at times to take your shots,” head coach Dan Quinn said per Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today. “When the moments come up, we have such regard and respect for Julio.”"
Fans should also have great respect for Julio, especially after he made sure that one gaffe didn’t become a defining moment.