There’s nothing like blowing a big lead in a loss to make a team question whether it needed a dramatic shift in the way it’s handling its business. Take for example the Atlanta Falcons, who relived their mini-Super Bowl collapse on Sunday by squandering a 17-point cushion in a 20-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The setback demoted Atlanta to a 3-2 record, tied with the New Orleans Saints for second in the NFC South.
Following the Miami game, Falcons head coach Dann Quinn fielded questions from reporters, and among his standout statements was about his dissatisfaction on his team’s usage of wide receiver Julio Jones, per ESPN’s Vaughn McClure.
“No,” Dan Quinn said when asked if he's satisfied with how much Julio Jones is getting the ball. “No i'm not.” Quinn mentioned that more offensive plays will help that situation, with Jones being such a dynamic player.
Jones led his team with 72 yards on six receptions, but the seven targets he got were fewer than tight end Austin Hooper and wideout Taylor Gabriel, who had nine and eight, respectively. Matt Ryan simply could just be trying to coax Miami into putting a lesser focus on covering Jones in that game, but Quinn certainly would’ve preferred his star wide receiver to get more looks based on what he said in the postgame presser.
On the season, Jones leads the Falcons in receptions (25), targets (37), and receiving yards (367), but it must be infuriating for Quinn to know that Jones has yet to record a touchdown. Perhaps increasing his involvement in the red zone will do the trick, as Jones only has received two targets inside the opponents’ 20-yard line this season, seventh fewest among all Falcons.
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