The Falcoholic
After squaring off in some classic SEC battles, it was time for Jones to pick things back up with Patrick Peterson in the NFL as both had established themselves as stars.
A star-studded matchup between a wide receiver and cornerback will always be captivating when the cornerback is known for shadowing opposing top wide receivers. Unlike some cornerbacks, Patrick Peterson embraced the challenge of following the league’s best. He wanted to play press coverage and get physical to disrupt the wide receiver at the line of scrimmage.
It didn’t matter how big the wide receiver was. He stepped up to the challenge, especially when facing a player he was very familiar with. Peterson had plenty of history going against Julio Jones in those classic Alabama-LSU matchups. They never shied away from battling for positioning against each other from hand fighting to using different techniques.
It wasn’t the first time Peterson faced Jones in the pros, as they faced off in the Falcons’ narrow win over the Cardinals in 2012. Peterson didn’t shadow Jones in that matchup, due to Roddy White still being among the best in the league. Jones was the clear number-one wide receiver going into this matchup in 2014. Peterson entered the game brimming with confidence based on his previous success against him.
It can’t be overlooked that the Cardinals were 9-2 going into the game against a 4-7 Falcons team that hadn’t beaten anyone outside a historically abysmal NFC South. This was a matchup where the exceptional cornerback should have felt assured in his abilities to hold his own against a familiar foe and for Arizona to beat a below-average team on the road. That assurance quickly evaporated in one of the most lopsided highly-anticipated matchups between a top-tier wide receiver and cornerback in recent history.
Silencing brash corners is something Jones did frequently over his career. Making Peterson feel like he didn’t belong on the field had to be gratifying. As much as Jones stayed composed, he had moments where he got fed up with the noise from the opposition. After every catch against Peterson, his body language was that of a player with a point to prove about who was the best man on the field.
Jones caught ten passes for 189 yards and one touchdown. Five of those receptions went for 16+ yards, with three catches gaining 26+ yards. It didn’t matter where they lined up, what the play concept was, or the route itself, Jones beat Peterson in every way. Whether it was a quick screen where Jones instantly evaded Peterson or got behind him vertically down the sideline for a 41-yard gain, what was supposed to be a classic intense battle became a colossal one-sided encounter.
Matt Ryan deserves enormous praise for elevating Jones’ memorable performance. His terrific ball placement on several throws gave Jones a greater opportunity to make plays when isolated against Peterson. The accuracy on the back-shoulder touchdown pass was outstanding, while they were on point...
