The Atlanta Falcons squeezed by for a 23-17 win in the season opener against Chicago Bears with the offense leading the way.
It featured Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones putting together a respectable performance by hauling in four catches for 66 receiving yards. That said, his five targets ranked third on the team behind Mohamed Sanu and Tevin Coleman, which has led head coach Dan Quinn to state that there could have been more balls thrown in the 28-year-old's direction.
“I thought we could have had some [more],” Quinn said. “Maybe [even] an opportunity or two for some big ones to him. It’s something he’ll never say because that’s the type of teammate he is but yeah we thought maybe there was a few more opportunities for him in the game. He’s always a factor in what we do.”
This indirect shot at Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian should lead to a greater involvement of Jones in the passing game in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers.
Regardless of these comments from Quinn, there will be a bigger emphasis getting him the ball early and often in the game given his ability on the field.
Jones is regarded as one of the league's best wide receivers that is coming off three consecutive seasons with more than 1,400 receiving yards and 80 receptions that include two campaigns with more than 100 receptions. If he's able to remain relatively healthy, he should add another highly productive campaign.
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