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The Ball Julio dropped wasn't a great pass, it was behind him. Other than that pretty much a perfect game for Julio. Great down field blocking by him as well. My only concern with the Falcons is why we keep putting Turner in, both of the other backs are outplaying him.

If I'm going to bash anyone, it's going to be the coaching staff for having Turner on the field on the final drive.

I don't want to rain on the Julio parade because I agree with everything that has been said about him thus far in this thread.

...But let's not forget the Bucs weren't playing Wright or Talib at CB. Julio dominated, about he typically does vs. inferior competition. I want to see more games like this against quality corners. He's had them this year, don't get me wrong, but it wasn't like he did this to Champ Bailey or anything.

hell, I wanted to sit him so he would be 100% vs the Saints.

Nobody thinks this guy aint 'tough'. I just hope he is 'durable'. He is shutting me up, playing hard even when he is not 100%. I get that.

But I am looking down the road. I know I will get flamed for this but if we knock out the Saints, and we get to the Lions game or the last Buccs game, I would use him but limit him so when the playoffs arrive he isn't 'rusty' or have leftover 'nagging injuries'. How sweet would it be to see him 100% then?

I oughta slap you, FG.

Though Matt Ryan was just two of four for 21 yards and an interception on passes under pressure, the Tampa Bay defense just didn’t get to him nearly often enough, pressuring him on just six of his 34 drop-backs.

Healthy Julio

Julio Jones (+2.9 receiving) has been battling injuries the past few weeks, though you certainly wouldn’t know that from watching his performance against the Bucs. Jones was a dangerous target from start to finish, catching six of eight passes thrown his way for 147 yards. And none was bigger than his 80-yard touchdown reception at 8:26 of the third quarter, which put the Falcons ahead, just one play after the Bucs had taken the lead on a 42-yard Connor Barth field goal.

The receiver wasn’t without a few negative plays on the day, though, as he was flagged for offensive pass interference in the end zone, dropped a pass (thrown behind him, but still very catchable), and struggled as a run blocker. Still, the Falcons will easily tolerate a few mistakes from a young player as talented and productive as Jones.

Dunta and Asante

The Falcons were able to slow down the scorching Tampa Bay offense in large part due to the outstanding play in the secondary. No player had a better day than Dunta Robinson (+4.1) with perhaps his best overall performance of the season. In coverage, Robinson was about as good as it gets, breaking up a pass and allowing just one catch for 10 yards. But his best work was done near the line of scrimmage, where he produced three stops and one of the team’s two sacks. On the opposite side of the field, Asante Samuel had a strong game as well, allowing just two of five passes into his coverage to be completed for 23 yards, though he dropped two potential interceptions in the second half.