No team was on the receiving end of Jones’ highlight reel more times than Tampa Bay. They felt his dominance in the biggest way in 2017.
Although Julio Jones earned playoff success and individual accolades in 2017, it was one of his more challenging great years. Beating a surging Rams team on the road in the wild-card round was impressive. Earning a second-team All-Pro spot was a commendable feat. Yet there were long stretches in the season where the Falcons’ offense wasn’t in sync, preventing him from taking over games.
Jones only had two 100+ receiving yard games and one touchdown going into a Week 12 matchup against Tampa Bay. Steve Sarkisian was overwhelmed as a play-caller, struggling to put the pieces together for what was a historically great offense in 2016. For all their struggles, the Falcons were coming off two hugely encouraging wins, scoring 27 points against Dallas and 34 points against Seattle.
Facing a mediocre Tampa Bay team with some familiar faces provided a terrific opportunity for them to continue finding their groove offensively. Jones maximized every bit of the chance to get the team back to their high-scoring ways.
This edition of the legacy series will be different from the previous ones. I produced a GIF film review breakdown of Jones’ sensational performance in November 2017. Since the technical analysis piece has already been published, this review won’t be as descriptive of certain plays.
That said, there is no way this performance couldn’t be included in an all-time list of Jones’ greatest games. Catching 12 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns is a remarkable stat line. Only the best players can produce single-game numbers like that, and nobody is surprised. This performance deserves all the recognition, albeit with less technical analysis.
Man on a Mission
I spoke to Jones after the Falcons earned a narrow road win over the Jets in 2017. It was one of the first games where Jones connected with Matt Ryan downfield, as the dynamic wide receiver caught a 53-yard pass from the reigning MVP. He spoke about the challenges associated with how defenses lined up to stop them from producing explosive plays vertically.
They had to adjust accordingly while capitalizing on the moments where he was isolated in man coverage with no safety help over the top. Going against his former head coach Mike Smith, who was Tampa Bay’s defensive coordinator, it would be fascinating to see if Jones can find more openings against someone he knew well.
Forget finding more openings, Jones did whatever he wanted. Whether the catch came short, intermediate, or deep, he had his way with an overmatched Tampa Bay defense. Once Mohamed Sanu made one of the plays of the year, lined up in the Sanucat formation and threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Jones, it was full speed ahead for one of the greatest performances in the future Hall of Famer’s career.
Signature Route
As I wrote in my GIF review analysis article in 2017, Jones made multiple big plays off a pinch (later named a blaze out) route. It gradually became his signature route. How well he sells the post inside to set up his break outside is astonishing. Cornerbacks like Ryan Smith were left in no man’s land, yards away from an open Jones, who consistently produced 20+ yard receptions from it.
Creating acres of separation against a cornerback in man coverage shouldn’t be so easy, but Jones managed to do it often with this route. That was evident on his second touchdown of the game.
Sarkisian made it a greater point of emphasis to get him the ball. It was only the fifth game that season that Jones had 10+ targets, indicating how disjointed the Falcons’ offense was. With more play action and designed quick outs to get the ball to Jones in space, it all came to fruition in one of the most dominant wide receiver displays in recent memory.
Jones was unstoppable, while Smith and Brent Grimes could only marvel at his greatness, knowing firsthand in 2011 how exceptional he was entering the league. There was no solution, from attempting to press him with help over the top to running more Cover 2 looks to cover up space, that found purchase. Jones found openings frequently, with Ryan hitting him in stride. Of all three division rivals, Jones was most productive against Tampa Bay, averaging a staggering 115.1 yards per game against them in 16 matchups. He was over 115 yards by halftime in this one.
True Greatness
Despite only catching three touchdowns in 2017, Jones still made his mark with more than 1,400 receiving yards for the fourth consecutive season. He was terrific in both playoff games against the Rams and Eagles. No matter the conflict surrounding the Falcons, the superstar wide receiver remained productive. If he didn’t torch defenses, he created favorable matchups and openings for his teammates. He also developed into a formidable blocker.
Jones had to withstand a lot of noise and frustration in 2017 following the constant media discussion of Super Bowl 51. He remained as composed as ever, putting on stellar performances like this one to continue building his legacy as one of the NFL’s greatest wide receivers.
The Legend of Julio Jones: Greatest Games List
Another memorable Monday night