After squaring off in some classic SEC battles, it was time for Jones to pick things back up with Patrick Peterson in the NFL as both had established themselves as stars.
A star-studded matchup between a wide receiver and cornerback will always be captivating when the cornerback is known for shadowing opposing top wide receivers. Unlike some cornerbacks, Patrick Peterson embraced the challenge of following the league’s best. He wanted to play press coverage and get physical to disrupt the wide receiver at the line of scrimmage.
It didn’t matter how big the wide receiver was. He stepped up to the challenge, especially when facing a player he was very familiar with. Peterson had plenty of history going against Julio Jones in those classic Alabama-LSU matchups. They never shied away from battling for positioning against each other from hand fighting to using different techniques.
It wasn’t the first time Peterson faced Jones in the pros, as they faced off in the Falcons’ narrow win over the Cardinals in 2012. Peterson didn’t shadow Jones in that matchup, due to Roddy White still being among the best in the league. Jones was the clear number-one wide receiver going into this matchup in 2014. Peterson entered the game brimming with confidence based on his previous success against him.
It can’t be overlooked that the Cardinals were 9-2 going into the game against a 4-7 Falcons team that hadn’t beaten anyone outside a historically abysmal NFC South. This was a matchup where the exceptional cornerback should have felt assured in his abilities to hold his own against a familiar foe and for Arizona to beat a below-average team on the road. That assurance quickly evaporated in one of the most lopsided highly-anticipated matchups between a top-tier wide receiver and cornerback in recent history.
No Contest
Silencing brash corners is something Jones did frequently over his career. Making Peterson feel like he didn’t belong on the field had to be gratifying. As much as Jones stayed composed, he had moments where he got fed up with the noise from the opposition. After every catch against Peterson, his body language was that of a player with a point to prove about who was the best man on the field.
Jones caught ten passes for 189 yards and one touchdown. Five of those receptions went for 16+ yards, with three catches gaining 26+ yards. It didn’t matter where they lined up, what the play concept was, or the route itself, Jones beat Peterson in every way. Whether it was a quick screen where Jones instantly evaded Peterson or got behind him vertically down the sideline for a 41-yard gain, what was supposed to be a classic intense battle became a colossal one-sided encounter.
Matt Ryan deserves enormous praise for elevating Jones’ memorable performance. His terrific ball placement on several throws gave Jones a greater opportunity to make plays when isolated against Peterson. The accuracy on the back-shoulder touchdown pass was outstanding, while they were on point on a few comeback designs leaving Peterson with no margin for error.
To the eight-time Pro Bowl cornerback’s credit, he humbly took the loss and praised Jones. He recently opened up about how it was one of the worst games of his career. It’s safe to say many cornerbacks can relate to Peterson when they were put in a position to cover Jones in man coverage.
Silent Statement
Jones never spent much time celebrating his success. He was very driven, always looking ahead to the next challenge. Although getting the better of Peterson was meaningful, the superstar wide receiver had plenty more to accomplish. It was the first time in his career that he played a full season for a losing team. The 2014 Falcons were a severely flawed team filled with aging stars and defensive players who wouldn’t start for most teams. Despite the team’s struggles, Jones consistently delivered to keep them competitive.
Never complaining, always getting open. Rising up to make acrobatic catches, then accelerating into the open field after the catch. That’s what Jones did to establish himself as an elite wide receiver in the league. As amazing as this performance was, it wasn’t even his best game in the 2014 season. That happened the very next week on primetime in one of the NFL’s most historic stadiums
Besides sweeping the Saints and Devin Hester making history against the Buccaneers, Jones’ performance against Peterson was the best memory from the Falcons’ 2014 season. The fanbase needed something to enjoy outside of seeing the team attempt to be the best in arguably the worst division in NFL history that year. To turn a heavyweight matchup into a squash match will be remembered as one of Jones’ more impressive feats on an incredibly long list of achievements.
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