Julio Jones Is The "best Wide Receiver In Football"

[Mr.11]

That's right folks. This isn't fan talk. Our very own shiny hood ornament keeps elevating his game, and people are taking notice.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2566738-the-nfls-best-receiver-julio-jones-is-taking-his-game-to-yet-another-level

The NFL's Best Receiver: Julio Jones Is Taking His Game to Yet Another Level

ATLANTA — We saw the best wide receiver in football on Monday night. People don't call him anything cute like "Megatron" or "Dez" or "Jordy" or "OBJ."

They call him Julio Jones. And he's now become clearly the best. I'm not even sure it's close any longer. The gap between Jones and other receivers continues to widen. The distance between Jones and the second guy is now an arm's length. And as he continues to grow and dominate, get faster and stronger, that space might soon be solar system-size.

This isn't reactionary. It's not just about how Jones atomized the Philadelphia secondary in Atlanta's 26-24 win. His growth has been exponential for several years now. Against Philadelphia, what I saw different from last year was even further improved route running. That is the equivalent of giving a high-performance car a sleeker frame and more horsepower.

So now a player who was already explosive, already strong, already a solid route runner, is running better routes. This is frightening.

I caught Jones after the game and asked him if he believed he was the best receiver in football. He smiled. "That's not something I think about," he said.

Jones was too smart to bite on that one.

To me, the discussion of the NFL's best receiver comes down to five names: Antonio Brown in Pittsburgh, Dez Bryant in Dallas, Odell Beckham Jr. in New York, Calvin Johnson in Detroit and Jones.

Several sources close to Bryant told me Monday it increasingly looks like he will miss at least six weeks, and possibly closer to eight, after surgery on his broken foot.

Beckham is brilliant, but that game against the Cowboys was a little worrisome. I know it was only one game, but it could be a sign of what's to come. There's a good chance Beckham sees massive amounts of violence as teams continue to try to physically intimidate him. I see him taking a small step back this season. Not huge. But tiny enough where he can't pass Jones either in skill or production.

I pick Jones over Megatron mainly because of age, and Jones has developed into the total receiver Megatron is.

Brown is the best argument. Like Jones, he can run any type of route and destroy defenses quickly and without mercy. But, to me, Jones is even more explosive—and against Philadelphia, it was noticeable how his running and stride improved. He has the grace of A.J. Green, the power of Megatron and the speed of Beckham.

"He's as good as there is," Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said.

Jones had nine catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns against the revamped Eagles secondary. If the Falcons had kept throwing to him, he could have had a **** of a lot more.

"He doesn't back down," Atlanta head coach Dan Quinn said. "Any challenge there [is], he's ready to go. It's one of those things that I most respect about his game. He's one of those kinds of competitors that is ready for it every time. He's the guy that wants it thrown to him and wants to take the last shot. I can't say enough about him as a competitor."

You could make the case Quinn wasn't giving Jones enough respect Monday. The team kept taking him out so he could rest, but he never looked tired. Quinn explained it as the team wanting to keep him fresh because it runs such an up-tempo offense.

"We're just going to keep featuring guys," he said.

Well, that just seems **** inefficient. The way Jones was destroying Eagles corner Byron Maxwell, you don't "feature guys." You don't go with Kajagoogoo when you have Michael Jackson. It's possible that if Quinn didn't pump the brakes on Jones, he would have had 18 to 20 catches for more than 200 yards. He was that unstoppable.

And he would've been unstoppable on Monday if the Falcons had been playing the Seahawks or the Patriots or any other good team. It wasn't the Eagles. This was a new Jones, someone who wasn't just relying on his speed, but also grace and precision.

Jones had 97 receiving yards in the first half, and between the Eagles taking steps to shut him down and the Falcons coaches slowing him down, the second half was a little quieter. Then came a 44-yard catch late in the game that set up the winning field goal.

This was Jones' 20th career 100-yard receiving game. That's a pretty impressive number for a guy in just his fifth year. There is more to come. So much more.

What we know now, though, is certain. Jones is the best in football. It's as clear as his talent.

Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.

Edited September 15, 2015 by JerseyNo12

[Sipifalcon]

I agree #1

[MAD597]

Yep, pretty clear he is the best WR in the NFL at this point

[WOR]

Lol poor jordy. That's not cute.... It's his name lol

[DUB]

Hard Knocks clip is playing in my head. The convo between Roddy and Terry where Roddy brings up Julio needing a certain amount of yards for a record I think.

Roddy: Ju

Terry: who?

Roddy: Ju

Terry: who?

Roddy: yeah Ju

[Moist Words]

Lol poor jordy. That's not cute.... It's his name lol

Haha! I thought the same thing as I read it too.

[jdawg4876]

lets not forget he had about 30-40 yds get called back bc of bad calls by the refs on those screens. one was a good call the others were very ticky tacky

Edited September 15, 2015 by jdawg4876

[atlking]

but, but, but, what about the thousand threads on this messageboard that said " dont pay Julio." " Falcons gave up too much for Julio "..............them threads is CRICKETS................

[jdawg4876]

also this is my only VERY SMALL gripe he comes out the game too much, I think we need him out there even as a decoy bc defenses have to honor him not matter what. I really think hankerson can do a lot of really good things for this team

Edited September 15, 2015 by jdawg4876

[Guest facelessman07]

but, but, but, what about the thousand threads on this messageboard that said " dont pay Julio." " Falcons gave up too much for Julio "..............them threads is CRICKETS................

Let me be the first to say I was all for keeping him, at the right price. Is it such a sin to differ in opinions? I think not. But he earned his pay tonight, I pray he keeps it up. And I PRAY he avoids the injury bug

Oh, and you still feel we shoulda kept Koetter? Looks to me like Shanny knew what he was doing lining him all over the field

[atlking]

Let me be the first to say I was all for keeping him, at the right price. Is it such a sin to differ in opinions? I think not. But he earned his pay tonight, I pray he keeps it up. And I PRAY he avoids the injury bug

Oh, and you still feel we shoulda kept Koetter? Looks to me like Shanny knew what he was doing lining him all over the field

LMAO.............LMAO..............LMAO............WHAT did the Falcons offense do yesterday that they didnt do under Koetter? Same non existence power running game in short situations. Same deep passing game that was shut down because of the inability to protect Ryan in the deep passing game. Having to RELY ON Julio in the wide receiver screen game because of the pass protection issues. I said it DURING the game. The ONLY difference between this bunch and the bunch last year is the fact that the Falcons have a defense now. At LEAST, under Koetter, the offensive line had come together late during the year. Other than that, its the same ole same ole. Without Julio Jones, the Falcons would be GARBAGE on offense.........

Another thing,Koetter found ways to get the ball to Douglas. Hankerson has been a none factor in preseason and yesterday. With Julio getting all that attention, Hankerson should be getting 5 balls a game. Shanahan hasnt adjusted to this team yet.

Edited September 15, 2015 by atlking

[toadfishtom]

Think the Browns wish they had Julio right now ? Lol

[Guest facelessman07]

LMAO.............LMAO..............LMAO............WHAT did the Falcons offense do yesterday that they didnt do under Koetter? Same non existence power running game in short situations. Same deep passing game that was shut down because of the inability to protect Ryan in the deep passing game. Having to RELY ON Julio in the wide receiver screen game because of the pass protection issues. I said it DURING the game. The ONLY difference between this bunch and the bunch last year is the fact that the Falcons have a defense now. At LEAST, under Koetter, the offensive line had come together late during the year. Other than that, its the same ole same ole. Without Julio Jones, the Falcons would be GARBAGE on offense.........

I see the Falcons winning a lot of mid to low scoring games this year BECAUSE of the defense, and a offense that is going in circles if they cant get that line to run or pass block. Without Julio, that offense is GARBAGE......

You're asking what they did differently under Shanny that they didn't do with Koetter? I just told you in the previous quote

"Reading Comprehension"

[atlking]

You're asking what they did differently under Shanny that they didn't do with Koetter? I just told you in the previous quote

"Reading Comprehension"

Koetter did the SAME THING.........LMAO. The Philadelphia papers had a whole segment going into the game about how Jones was being used in different ways LAST YEAR........

http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/news/article-1/Eagle-Eye-Julio-Jones-Is-A-Lethal-Weapon/3b52c9a7-4e35-4a7a-ae85-e5eeea45d9d6

" When you look at this offensive attack, you still have to focus on the passing game when a team has a duo like Ryan and Julio Jones, who is without question one of the most physically gifted receivers in the game. His combination of size, athleticism, and ball skills make him as tough a cover as any wideout on the Eagles’ schedule. Jones’ talent is accentuated by two things - his development as a route runner and the way the Falcons use him around the formation. "

Edited September 15, 2015 by atlking

[etherdome]

It's early, but Julio was stellar. Let's hope that he can stay healthy.

[jdawg4876]

LMAO.............LMAO..............LMAO............WHAT did the Falcons offense do yesterday that they didnt do under Koetter? Same non existence power running game in short situations. Same deep passing game that was shut down because of the inability to protect Ryan in the deep passing game. Having to RELY ON Julio in the wide receiver screen game because of the pass protection issues. I said it DURING the game. The ONLY difference between this bunch and the bunch last year is the fact that the Falcons have a defense now. At LEAST, under Koetter, the offensive line had come together late during the year. Other than that, its the same ole same ole. Without Julio Jones, the Falcons would be GARBAGE on offense.........

Another thing,Koetter found ways to get the ball to Douglas. Hankerson has been a none factor in preseason and yesterday. With Julio getting all that attention, Hankerson should be getting 5 balls a game. Shanahan hasnt adjusted to this team yet.

we had a couple of great deep balls to julio and roddy. roddy was avg over 20 yds a catch

[jdawg4876]

as far as shanny I agree he needs to try and use hankerson and tamme more. I think they both had 3 catches

[atlking]

we had a couple of great deep balls to julio and roddy. roddy was avg over 20 yds a catch

Thats true. Its the consistency in the protection on the deep passes, AND, the blitz pickup that the Falcons are not comfortable with yet. Thats why they MOSTLY went with wide receiver screens all game. To be honest, the line didnt play that bad yesterday in the passing game. Im more worried about the lack of run blocking. They HAVE to find a run game, or we gonna see more games where a jittery Ryan is throwing 2 and 3 interceptions. He HAS to have a run game to keep the corners and safeties on their heels.

Edited September 15, 2015 by atlking

[zekeyboy1]

Ive never heard ANYONE say Julio wasnt a great player..smh..His health was always the concern..If I were you, I think I'd wait to see how many games he can play this year, before the I told you so threads.. Btw, Would you rather have the best wr, the best oline, or the best defense in the NFL? I mean CJ has had that title for a while, and they're pretty much an after thought every year..Just sayin.

[jdawg4876]

Thats true. Its the consistency in the protection on the deep passes, AND, the blitz pickup that the Falcons are not comfortable with yet. Thats why they MOSTLY went with wide receiver screens all game. To be honest, the line didnt play that bad yesterday in the passing game. Im more worried about the lack of run blocking. They HAVE to find a run game, or we gonna see more games where a jittery Ryan is throwing 2 and 3 interceptions. He HAS to have a run game to keep the corners and safeties on their heels.

those screens worked better this yr than last yr. the one flag was a good call by the refs but the rest were really ticky tacky. we ran them very well. the thing we should have done was stayed with was the play action pass bc we had a run game, and they had to respect it.

[octoslash]

It's folly to call a single player 'The Best', when so many factors make up that player's results (Dan Marino is 'The Best' QB I ever saw, from a pure ability standpoint....but how many rings is he wearing?)

Now, having said that...can you name any receiver in the NFL that you would rather have on your team than Julio Jones? I didn't think so.

[Theyhateme : )]

Well...right here, on this board, it was argued that he did not deserve Bryant and Thomas money, if fact, AB wouldn't offer it. I argued that JJ have more value to the Falcons and that's why he'll get paid. JJ is already 5th in franchise history in receiving yardage and he went out and proved it last night on MNF.....again.

[jaschart]

but, but, but, what about the thousand threads on this messageboard that said " dont pay Julio." " Falcons gave up too much for Julio "..............them threads is CRICKETS................

I will be the first to admit that I thought we gave up too much initially, referring to the five draft picks. If JJ stays healthy I'll donate blood, bone marrow, whatever it takes.

Edited September 15, 2015 by jaschart

[ki46dinah]

to put odb in that top 5 after 3/4's a season? i dont agree

[MD-FalconFan13]

Let me be the first to say I was all for keeping him, at the right price. Is it such a sin to differ in opinions? I think not. But he earned his pay tonight, I pray he keeps it up. And I PRAY he avoids the injury bug

Oh, and you still feel we shoulda kept Koetter? Looks to me like Shanny knew what he was doing lining him all over the field

He's been earning it for a while. That's no opinion, it's fact.