The Las Vegas Raiders will be facing the Atlanta Falcons without one of their best players as Julio Jones has been ruled out on Sunday.
The 6-4 Las Vegas Raiders will be taking on the Atlanta Falcons without one of their biggest weapons in Julio Jones, and that bodes well for the defense. In recent weeks the defense has struggled to get stops consistently, and even going back to the New England game, have struggled to get off the field.
While the offense has shined in recent weeks, including going toe-to-toe with the Kansas City Chiefs, the defense has been the sore spot. The Raiders have allowed 33 touchdowns on the season, with 16 coming through the air.
They’re also allowing 7.3 yards per play through the air, and the secondary has been undisciplined in recent weeks.
What to do with Julio Jones out
While Julio Jones has had a down season for him, he’s still one of the best in the league. Boasting a 15 yards per catch ratio, Jones also has three touchdowns on the season with an 80% catch ratio. Matt Ryan also has a 140 quarterback rating when targeting him.
This is mostly due to his athleticism, as three of his touchdowns have come on deep routes on the left, the same place rookie Damon Arnette would be covering him. Jones has also been a third-down monster with 31 catches going for a first down and keeping drives alive.
The Falcons offense hasn’t been anything to sniff at all season long, but that doesn’t take away from Jones and his ability to take over a game. Ryan is an above-average quarterback with two fantastic receivers, but without one of them, the Raiders’ defense is going to have to shift their focus to third-year wideout Calvin Ridley.
Ridley is having a terrific season, leading the Falcons in nearly every receiving statistical category, so Trayvon Mullen is going to get a lot of work today. Mullen has proven to be a legitimate CB1 who can take away the Falcons’ best option, and that should free Arnette up to blanket Russell Gage all game long.
This week, the Raiders are looking to get to the seven-win mark as the Chiefs are pulling away with the division but they hold the last Wild Card spot in the AFC, and a win will go along way in improving their playoff chances.