The Falcons took the unusual step of parking wide receiver Julio Jones last night, but they aren’t ready to put him into storage.
With a 3-9 record and their two highest-paid and highest-profile stars ailing, it’s reasonable to wonder if the Falcons are ready to give Jones and quarterback Matt Ryan time to heal — or to at least not get killed in a season gone wrong.
“I recognize fair question, but no,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said, via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com. “Part of playing and competing is going for it in the biggest way. So we’ll always take that approach.
“Now for a player that is injured like Julio, but not just him, for any of the players, to make sure, we’re always gonna make the best decisions for them.’'
The Falcons worked Jones out before the game before deciding not to play him last night. He’s been bothered by a shoulder injury, but Jones had played through a lot of stuff in the past, and hadn’t missed a game since December 2016.
For Ryan, it’s more about making sure he makes it to 2020.
He was sacked nine times last night, and has taken 15 in the last two games after a brief moment of competence from the Falcons’ line.
Ryan already led the league in sacks absorbed with 38 in the first 11 games, before taking last night’s beating (and a brutal stiff-arm).