FLOWERY BRANCH – Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones vs. Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie will be one of the key matchups when the Falcons (1-3) host the New York Jets (2-2) on “Monday Night Football” at 8:40 p.m. at the Georgia Dome.

“They have great and talented guys in the skill positions from Matt Ryan to the running backs like (Jason) Snelling to Julio Jones and Roddy White,” Cromartie said. “What I’m seeing from them is just their guys being playmakers.”

Cromartie is looking forward to his showdown with Jones, who leads the league with 481 yards receiving and the NFC with 33 receptions.

“You see Julio Jones, who’s being double-covered, still averaging over 100 yards a game,” said Cromartie, who played at Florida State. “It just shows you what kind of guy he is and what kind of talent (he has)."

He may spend some time on White, too.

“Roddy has been battling through a high ankle sprain,” Cromartie said. “It just shows you a guy who’s trying to be healthy and still be out there for his team.”

Jets coach Rex Ryan made a point that Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan is getting the ball off in two seconds on a lot of pass plays. That’s not enough time to get the pass rush to him, but Cromartie and his secondary cronies may have some opportunities to jump some routes, get an interception and score.

“You’ve got to play it respectfully and understand that Matt Ryan does get the ball out quick and you have to understand that there are going to be chances for us to make plays,” Cromartie said. “We just have to be sure that we go out and capitalize when we can.”

Here are the three key matchups for the game:

Jets CB Antonio Cromartie vs. Falcons WR Julio Jones: Cromartie is a two-time Pro Bowler. Cromartie is highly respected by Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Jones is off to a great start this season and was able to get open deep last week against New England despite double and triple coverage at times. “Guys try to double when we get it the redzone a lot,” Jones said. “Sometimes three guys are on me. We just have to find the best matchup.”

Jets TE Kellen Winslow vs. LB Jolplo Bartu and FS Thomas DeCoud: Winslow has revived his career with the Jets. He leads the team in catches with 16. He is second on the team with 168 yards-receiving and had a touchdown catch. The Falcons are playing tight ends much better although New England’s Mike Mulligan caught a touchdown pass last week on them. Bartu and DeCoud shut down St. Louis tight end Jared Cook. DeCoud, a Pro Bowler, has been staying over the top with underneath help from the linebackers.

Jets RB Bilal Powell vs. Falcons LB Stephen Nicholas: With wide receivers Santonio Holmes (hamstring) and Stephen Hill (concussion), the Jets are expected to lean heavily on Powell, who’s entered Week 5 tied for the AFC lead with 292 rushing yards, following his second consecutive game of over 100 yards of total offense. Against Tennessee, Powell rushed 14 times for a game-high 66 rushing yards and caught three passes for 42 yards. Nicholas, a former starter who was demoted this season, returns to the line-up with injuries to Sean Weatherspoon, Akeem Dent and Paul Worrilow. The Falcons have to clamp back down against the run after allowing New England to rush for 132 yards on 31 carries. They were the first team to break the 100-yard mark against the Falcons this season.

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