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Julio Jones continues to feast against Bucs
The seasons change, along with the makeup of NFL rosters, but Julio Jones continues to feast against the Buccaneers. Atlanta’s fourth-year receiver tormented Tampa Bay’s defense again in Sunday’s 27-17 triumph, catching eight passes for 119 yards.
Jones did most of his damage in the middle of the field, and he could have been even more productive if Matt Ryan’s first-quarter pass into the wind hadn’t floated long enough for Bucs cornerback Johnthan Banks to bat away a potential 48-yard touchdown connection in the opening quarter. “Julio’s a great player,” Banks said. “But I think I’m good enough to go out and play anybody.”
Jones caught nine passes for 161 yards and two scores in Atlanta’s 56-14 rout of Tampa Bay at the Georgia Dome on Sept. 18. In six career games against the Bucs, he has 36 catches for 674 yards and five touchdowns. “We left a lot of plays out there, myself included,” said Jones, who was targeted on 11 of Ryan’s 30 throws. “We were making plays left and right, and everyone got a catch in the game or made a play.”
Jones has supplanted veteran Roddy White as Ryan’s go-to target, but White capitalized on all the attention sent Jones’ way to grab six passes for 72 yards, including the go-ahead score from 5 yards out.
“Once we get past the 50, we keep kicking these field goals, and we can’t do that,” White said after the Falcons ended a five-game losing streak. “We’re scoring, but we’re not executing like I think we can.”
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