clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Heck, let’s go out there and get Julio Jones 2,000 receiving yards

Chase the record books if you’re not chasing wins.

NFL: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Julio Jones is having another preposterous season. He’s at 84 receptions, which puts him just behind Michael Thomas for the league lead, and he leads the NFL in receiving yards, receiving yards per game, and number of defensive backs destroyed to prevent an interception. His 84/1,305/15.5/3 line is tremendous, and his yards per reception are exactly in line with his bonkers career average. He is good, to sum it up.

In what has to be considered a lost year at this point, there’s not much to play for besides pride, an opportunity to spoil the playoff hopes of others, and maybe setting an individual mark or two along the way. That’s why I’m wholeheartedly advocating for the Falcons to do something they’d probably get close to doing by accident if they were still contending: Get Julio Jones to 2,000 yards.

Julio needs to average about 147 yards per game over the last five games to get it done. The Falcons aren’t facing many slouchy secondaries the rest of the way, though the opportunity to put up close to 300 on Tampa Bay exists. That’s going to be tough to get to just because teams can and will devote a lot of attention to Julio, but it’s a credit to his ability that it feels genuinely possible.

Dan Quinn and these players are not going to suddenly roll over—though the way they’ve been playing, I’m not sure you’d be able to tell—but there’s no particular reason not to push for a historic mark for Julio when feeding him is about the best thing this offense has going at the moment anyways.

Because you can’t just cancel the final five weeks of the season, let’s make them as fun as productive as possible and get Julio 2,000 yards. What’d you say, fellas?