Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones wants the Falcons to finish strong.
He might not practice again this week, but expect him to be on the field when Atlanta (6-9) faces Tampa Bay (5-10) Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
“He is a rare competitor and exceptional leader for us,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said on Monday.
Before facing Carolina, Jones went through a battery of tests from the team’s training staff before he was cleared to play with rib and hip injuries.
Jones had to stand with his arms raised and hands behind his head. He had to squat and chop his arms into his thighs.
Finally, he had to sprint across the field under the watchful eye of Quinn and assistant head coach/wide receivers Raheem Morris. Jones, who leads the NFL with 1,539 receiving yards, felt it was important to help the Falcons try to finish the season strong.
“We are still evaluating the character of guys moving forward,” Jones said just outside the locker room Sunday. “It isn’t just football. Life and everything. A lot of times stuff doesn’t go your way early on. You can’t let that determine how you are going to finish.”
Jones didn’t practice Wednesday and Thursday of last week, the main practice days. He was limited on Friday, which is usually a good sign for Sundays.
Jones was elated when the staff cleared him to play against the Panthers. He thanked the trainers and went over and enthusiastically shook general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s hand.
“It felt good to go out there and battle with my teammates,” Jones said.
No one would have blamed Jones if he wanted to put on a coat and watch the game of two former NFC heavyweights slugging it out.
“At the end of the day, there wasn’t any pressure on me to go out there and play,” Jones said. “It was just like being able to play and contribute to the team. Going out there and making sure that all of us, at the end of the day, are hitting on all cylinders.”
With Jones in the lineup, quarterback Matt Ryan went to him on the first play from scrimmage. Jones had a 10-yard gain as if to let the Panthers know he wasn’t just going to be a decoy.
Jones finished with four catches for 28 yards and now has 104 catches this season for 1,539 yards and seven touchdowns. His 102.9 receiving yards per game also leads the NFL.
Jones ran about 25 yards on his 1-yard touchdown catch. He got open along the baseline of the end zone with two defenders giving chase. He was clocked 21.35 miles per hour by NFL.Com’s Next Gen Stats.
“Everybody is saying that,” Jones said of the long-distance run to the touchdown. “That’s what I do, I’m a runner. I don’t care if it was 100 yards.”
Rookie wide receiver Calvin Ridley reached 20.6 miles per hour on his 75-yard touchdown catch and wide receiver Mohamed Sanu reached 20.21 miles per hour on his 44-yard TD reception.
“I’m always excited for Calvin and his success,” Jones said. “All of the guys. I love seeing guys come out there and make plays, especially when they get in the end zone.”
Sanu was elated with the team’s top three wide receivers scoring.
“Get out of here,” Sanu quipped. “That’s pretty cool. We just went out there and had a good time.”
Jones was also impressed by the play of running back Brian Hill, who rushed for 115 yards on eight carries.
“He did a great job for us,” Jones said. “All around. He’s a young player. He did a great job for us. Phenomenal job in just staying aggressive.”
Jones is glad that we as able to play and contribute.
“It felt great,” Jones said. “Everybody is happy. Everybody loves to win.”
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