Atlanta Falcons: Julio Jones Will Not Play Against Steelers
The Atlanta Falcons’ star receiver, Julio Jones, will sit out Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to ESPN, the Falcons player suffered a hip pointer during Monday night’s match-up against the Green Bay Packers. It was during that game that the Atlanta Falcons player caught 11 passes for 259 yards. But Jones left the fourth quarter with a hip injury and did not return.
Even though Jones missed the last quarter of his team’s 43-37 loss against the Packers, the Atlanta Falcons player topped the Steelers’ Antonio Brown as the NFL’s leading receiver.
An earlier tweet from NFL Network’s Jim Darlington indicated that the Atlanta Falcons receiver was listed as questionable until today. Jones arrived at the Georgia Dome, but the team took some time to decide if he would play or not.
Julio Jones just arrived at Georgia Dome. He’s still planning to test hip to see if he can play. Team sources stressing no decision yet.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) December 14, 2014
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was then seen walking out of the locker room, and Jones was not beside him.
#Falcons QB Matt Ryan arrives on the field at 11:04 am — No Julio. pic.twitter.com/6PTnn3uSqb
— D. Orlando Ledbetter (@DOrlandoAJC) December 14, 2014
Last year, the Atlanta Falcons player had to sit out for the remainder of the season after he injured his right foot. As the Inquisitr reported, Jones previously injured his foot during the 2011 NFL scouting combine. But it was during the October 2013 game against the New York Jets that the Falcons player re-injured his foot. A CT scan revealed that the Falcons receiver had fractured his foot in the same location of the injury he received in 2011, and he had to undergo surgery for the injury.
Jones is not the only Atlanta Falcons player to miss Sunday’s game. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Falcons safety William Moore, who suffered a foot injury during the loss against the Packers, will also sit out against the Steelers.
The Atlanta Falcons and Pittsburgh Steelers are both vying for the playoffs. According to SB Nation, the 5-8 Falcons are tied with the New Orleans Saints for first place in the NFC South division. As one of this season’s weakest NFL divisions, the NFC South winner will have no better than a.500 record. Meanwhile, the 8-5 Steelers are coming off a 42-21 win against rival Cincinnati Bengals last week, but they still trail the team by half a game.
Analysts are having a difficult time picking who will come out victorious in the Falcons-Steelers matchup. SB Nation has four picks for the Falcons, while the other four are going with the Steelers. The CBS Sports panel has a 5-4 decision, with the Falcons winning, and the ESPN panel heavily favors the Steelers 10-2.
With Jones and Moore out, how do you think the Atlanta Falcons will do against the Pittsburgh Steelers?
[Image via FalcFans and thebaltimorewire.com]
