If Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is going to beat the New England Patriots on Sunday, he’ll need to work for it, and quarterback Matt Ryan will have to take some risks.
The Patriots double-covered and bracketed Jones for most of their Super Bowl LI victory in February. He still caught four passes for 87 yards, but the fact that he only was targeted four times says the Patriots were doing a pretty good job on one of the best wide receivers in the NFL.
Jones was coming off a 12-target, nine-catch, 180-yard, two-touchdown performance in the NFC Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers. He caught six passes on eight targets for 67 yards with a touchdown in the divisional round against the Seattle Seahawks.
The Patriots didn’t entrust just one cornerback to cover Jones in the Super Bowl. Cornerbacks Malcolm Butler, Eric Rowe and Logan Ryan all took snaps against Jones in a mix of man and zone coverages. Those players typically had help from one of their two free safeties, Devin McCourty or Duron Harmon.
There even were two snaps when Jones had three defensive backs assigned to him in or near the red zone.
On this snap, facing second-and-10 at New England’s 28-yard line with 10:26 left in the third quarter, Ryan lined up across from Jones with McCourty and Patrick Chung in a two-high safety look.
All three players were close to and had eyes on Jones while Ryan tossed a 13-yard completion to wide receiver Mohamed Sanu.
Rowe lined up across from Jones on this third-and-4 play with 8:43 left in the third quarter. Jones went in motion, and Rowe and Harmon followed him.
Rowe, McCourty and Harmon all stayed behind Jones.
Ryan threw an incomplete pass to receiver Taylor Gabriel, but Butler was flagged for pass interference.
Ryan wound up hitting running back Tevin Coleman for a touchdown on the drive, putting the Falcons up 28-3. They later would blow that lead.
Jones should expect similar attention Sunday night during the Super Bowl LI rematch at Gillette Stadium, though the personnel will be different. Ryan signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent and Eric Rowe is unlikely to play with a groin injury.
The Patriots might not even have No. 1 cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who was acquired in free agency this offseason, because of a concussion and ankle injury that kept him out of practice Wednesday. That leaves Butler, Johnson Bademosi and Jonathan Jones as New England’s only healthy cornerbacks.
Though it would be nice to have Gilmore follow Jones across the field, whoever covers the All-Pro receiver will need safety help from McCourty and Harmon.
If there’s a fly in the ointment, it’s the communication issues that have plagued the Patriots’ defense all season. That communication will need to be on point to make sure Jones isn’t just single-covered but doubled at times. Otherwise, Jones and Ryan could have a massive game.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
