Julio Jones set records and season highs in an epic Week 12 performance

Julio Jones defies easy explanation. On one hand, it’s easy enough to actually describe him, or to talk about his production. It’s another thing entirely to figure out how he can be better than basically anyone else who came before him in so many ways, as it has become increasingly evident he is.

He’s never going to score touchdowns at an elite clip, I’d wager, but Julio’s Sunday against the Buccaneers was emblematic of the way he’s done business throughout his career. When he’s healthy, he just dismantles defenses and continues to slowly, steadily work his way into the record books. He had his third 250 yard-plus game and surpassed every other receiver in NFL history in both receptions and yardage through his first 90 games, and he did so without seeming to break a sweat.

He’s up to 66 receptions, 1,039 yards, and 3 touchdowns now, which puts him just 17 receptions, 370 yards, and 3 touchdowns away from where he finished the 2017 season, and with five games to go. He is still averaging more yards per game than any other receiver. I don’t think we fully appreciate how insane that is, and it takes a game like Sunday’s against the Bucs to sort of shock us into seeing Julio as the alien he is.

I promise this is the last glowing article we’ll write about Julio today, but I think sometimes it’s good to remember how lucky the Falcons are to have him. Hopefully he has another huge game in him for the upcoming, crucial matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.