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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is a dominant football player. In other news, the sky is blue, grass is green, and Dave smells like hot dog water. If you were among his detractors when the Falcons mortgaged their future by trading up for him, please find a shovel, dig a hole, and climb into it.
Pro Football Focus is an outlet you’re probably familiar with by now. They offer dynamic ratings of players, both in specific games and over the course of the season. Guess who had the highest single game rating of any NFL wide receiver this season?
Squaring up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12, Jones caught 12-of-15 targets for 253 yards and two touchdowns en route to a perfect passer rating when targeted (158.3) and a single-game grade of 99.9.
That week 12 game was special. It was particularly memorable for Buccaneers cornerback Ryan Smith, the poor DB Julio eviscerated that day. The Buccaneers only won consecutive games once in 2017, right before they faced the Falcons in week 12. After their Julio-fueled defeat, they rattled off four consecutive losses.
In short, Julio is a beast. Discuss!