HOUSTON — We live in an era of diva wide receivers. Randy Moss, the second-best of all time behind Jerry Rice. Terrell Owens, who should be elected tonight to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Odell Beckham Jr., who is so out there that he once proposed marriage to a kicking net. Maybe even Antonio Brown, whom you might have heard has caused a few distractions for his team.
Then, there’s Julio Jones, whom many are predicting will be Super Bowl LI MVP Sunday night if his Atlanta Falcons beat the New England Patriots.
“I’m not a stat guy and I’m not a dancer,” Jones said this week. “When I score a touchdown, I like to give the ball to one of the offensive linemen. They like to spike the ball. I’d rather say thanks to those guys. All I care about is doing what my teammates need me to do to win the game.”
Imagine that.
Atlanta running back Devonta Freeman calls the Falcons offense “unstoppable.” Bill Belichick might have something to say about that Sunday night even though he spent the week reminding everyone that the Falcons led the NFL in scoring this season and averaged 40 points in their playoff wins against Seattle and Green Bay. Quarterback Matt Ryan makes it all work and should be named league MVP tonight. But Jones is Atlanta’s most dangerous player. I’ll still take Brown as the best receiver — headaches and all — but it’s clear the Falcons love their guy. Why not? Jones ranked second in the NFL this season with 1,409 receiving yards and fourth with a 17-yards-per-catch average. He had eight catches for 67 yards and a touchdown in the playoff win against Seattle and nine catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay. His numbers have been extraordinary since he came into the league in 2011 after leading Alabama to the 2009 national championship and a Capital One Bowl demolition of Michigan State in 2010.
“An alien,” Atlanta wide receiver Mohamed Sanu called Jones.
“A monster,” wide receiver Eric Weems said.
“One of the most freakish athletes I’ve ever been around,” fullback Patrick DiMarco said.
“He works as hard as a practice-squad guy,” wide receiver Taylor Gabriel said.
All of that describes Brown. But here’s what separates Jones: “He’s not a selfish guy at all,” Weems said. “He likes for the ball to be spread around so everyone gets their touches.” Added teammate Robert Alford, “I haven’t faced anyone more humble than Julio.”
Dan Quinn, in just his second season as Falcons coach, has his team in the Super Bowl because of what he calls “a brotherhood.” All of the players have bought in, none more than Jones.
“He’s really the one who’s the driving force behind the team concept,” Quinn said. “For those of you who don’t know him, the individual accolades don’t mean nearly as much to him as the team ones. In the two years we’ve been together, there’s only been one time when he came to me and said — not that ‘I need the ball’ — but basically, ‘I’ll make it happen.’ I think that story shows his humility and what he stands for.”
The Falcons can thank the Cleveland Browns for Jones. The Falcons sent Cleveland their Nos. 1, 2 and 4 picks in the 2011 draft and their Nos. 1 and 4 in 2012 to move up and take Jones with the No. 6 overall pick. It seemed like a fabulous deal for the Browns, but they did such a bad job with those draft picks that none of the five is still with the team.
Imagine that.
It was a risky trade for Atlanta. Belichick advised Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff — a close friend from their time together with the Patriots — not to make the trade. According to “War Room,” a book by Michael Holley, Belichick told Dimitroff he preferred Pitt wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin. If nothing else, that proves Belichick isn’t a genius all of the time.
“Look, here’s what happened,” Dimitroff said. “We were in a spot where we knew that we wanted an extremely explosive football player that was going to potentially keep defenses on their heels whether he caught four balls or 14 balls. In this league, it’s matchup, speed and athleticism. [Jones] has all of that. He also has toughness and competitiveness and a number of other things that have more to do than just on the field. He’s one of the best players in this league, if not, arguably, the best.”
Jones has made Falcons management look brilliant and Browns management look like fools, which really isn’t hard to do. The Falcons rewarded him before the 2015 season by making him the NFL’s highest-paid receiver with a five-year, $71.25 million contract including $47 million guaranteed. He has a chance to deliver the ultimate payoff Sunday night against Belichick’s defense — No. 1 in points against — which surely will be out to stop him first and foremost.
“We’re ready for everything,” Jones said. “I’m highly prepared for this. If my team calls for me to be that guy, I’ll be that guy.”
And if the Falcons win and Jones isn’t MVP? I loved his answer: “I’ll be just as happy. I know I don’t have to go out and make stuff up and do it by myself. I don’t have to be Superman. I’ve got my brothers to do it with me.”
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com and Twitter@RonCookPG. Ron Cook can be heard on the “Cook and Poni” show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.
First Published: February 4, 2017, 5:00 a.m.