FLOWERY BRANCH -- In the Falcons' 34-20 victory over the Buccaneers on Nov. 26, wide receiver Julio Jones caught 12 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns.
The Bucs are working on a top-secret plan to slow down Jones when they host the Falcons at 8:30 p.m. Monday at Raymond James Stadium.
“We’re going to put 10 guys on him and then just leave one guy over the center," Tampa Bay coach Dirk Koetter quipped on Thursday. "You think Atlanta would do anything if we did that?"
When Jones was told that Bucs joked about using 10 players on him, he said, "Is that all?"
Koetter was the Falcons offensive coordinator from 2012 to 2014 and unleashed Jones for some mega-performances during his tenure.
So, the "Cover 10" may not be a bad plan.
"That’s about what it would take," Koetter said. "I’ve seen Julio have a couple other games like that when I was there. When Julio gets that hot… Julio is good all the time. But when he gets that hot, it’s tough to stop him.”
Koetter said he and Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Mike Smith have discussed matching cornerback Brent Grimes on Jones.
