FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons rookie wide receiver Julio Jones, who missed last week's game against Tennessee, appeared sharp in his limited return to practice on Thursday.
“It felt good to get back out there, running routes,” Jones said. “I thought I was going to be rusty, but I wasn’t.”
Jones injured his left hamstring against Green Bay on Oct. 9, and missed games against Carolina and Detroit. He came back against Indianapolis on Nov. 6 and caught three passes for 131 yards and scored two touchdowns. However, he left the ensuing New Orleans game with an injured right hamstring, and didn’t play last week against the Titans.
Falcons coach Mike Smith credited Jones' rehabilitation to the work of athletic performance department director Jeff Fish and trainer Marty Lauzon.
“Jeff and Marty did a real good job with me on the treatments and in the weight room,” Jones said. “They were keeping me on top of things as far as flexibility and making sure my core [stomach muscles] were balanced. I think that’s how I got my hamstring issue because one side was weaker than the other. We just made sure everything was strong and equal.”
Jones, barring any setback, should be ready for action against Minnesota on Sunday.
“I feel real good about it,” said Jones, who has 30 catches for 498 yards and those two touchdowns.
Cornerback Brent Grimes (knee), left tackle Sam Baker (back), safety William Moore (quadriceps) were limited in practice. Defensive end John Abraham (rest), tight end Tony Gonzalez (rest) and center Todd McClure (rest) all returned to practice and fully participated.
Left guard Justin Blalock (ankle), middle linebacker Curtis Lofton (ankle) and defensive tackle Corey Peters (knee) fully participated in practice. Cornerback Kelvin Hayden, who suffered a dislocated toe against Tennessee, was the only player not to practice.
Red-zone issues
Before facing the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 13, the Falcons’ red-zone offense was operating at a high level. The Falcons entered that game with a clear advantage, but the Saints, who were 31st in red-zone defense, did enough to knock the Falcons out of sync.
On four trips to or inside the Saints’ 20-yard line, the Falcons scored one touchdown. Couple that with two touchdowns in six trips to the red zone against Tennessee and they are just 3-for-10 over the past two games.
“It is an area of concern,” Smith said.
Against the Titans, the Falcons had 21 plays in the red zone. Penalties and dropped passes marred the four stalled drives, according to Smith. While Matt Bryant has made 18 of 19 field-goal attempts this season, the Falcons want touchdowns when they get in the shadow of the goal posts.
“We can’t have untimely penalties that will knock you out of the red zone or put you in a situation where you are behind the sticks,” Smith said. “That has happened. We haven’t executed as well as we need to in some of the things schematically, so it’s not just one area.”
Gonzalez has scored seven red-zone touchdowns and running back Michael Turner has six. Wide receiver Roddy White also is a red-zone factor with three touchdowns.
“I don’t know that it’s strictly a personnel issue,” Smith said.
The Falcons have scored 179 points on 38 trips inside the 20-yard line. They’ve scored 20 touchdowns and made 13 field goals. The Falcons’ scoring percentage (89.4) is tied for eighth in the NFL.
Hayes fined
The NFL has fined Titans defensive end William Hayes $15,000 for his hit on Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan during last Sunday's game. Hayes was flagged when officials said he landed on Ryan using all of his body weight. Hayes said he planned to appeal the fine.
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