Julio Jones is reportedly planning to play against the New Orleans Saints Thursday night, and his team’s undefeated record may have something to do with it.
According to Tiffany Blackmon of NFL Network, a source close to Jones said the wide receiver will play mainly because he feels the Falcons have “something special going on.”
Source with the Falcons told me Julio Jones will play tomorrow. Said "Jones feels like they've got something special going here."
— Tiffany Blackmon (@tiffblackmon) October 14, 2015
Falcons coach Dan Quinn said Thursday that he “anticipates” Jones suiting up, and Julio said he is planning to play but won’t be sure until before the game.
Very few people expected the Falcons to be a playoff team, let alone begin the season 5-0. They are one of the biggest surprises in the NFL, and they owe much of their success to the dominant play of Jones. He has been the best receiver in the league and virtually impossible to cover. The play of this highly-paid cornerback helped boost Jones’ numbers at the start of the season.
Without Jones, Atlanta could still compete for a win on Thursday against a Saints team that has been disappointing. But even if he is on a snap count and at less than 100 percent, there’s no arguing the Falcons are better off with Jones.
