Julio Jones Revenge? Falcons ‘Best-Ever’ Among 3 Atlanta Exes in Showdown at Bucs

When the Atlanta Falcons travel to enemy territory for Sunday's road matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they'll see several familiar faces on the opposing sideline.

The 2010s served as one of the most successful decades in Atlanta Falcons franchise history.

The Falcons went 89-71, tying them with the Denver Broncos for the eighth-best record in the NFL from 2010 to 2019. They made the playoffs five times, winning four games and making the second Super Bowl appearance in franchise history.

While Atlanta hasn't returned to the playoffs let alone posted a winning record since the 2017 season, the decade as an entity provided several memorable moments - many of which involved receiver Julio Jones.

Starting with the historic 21-pick trade-up on draft day, Jones' career never ceased to amaze. From the highest of highs - seven Pro Bowl's, five All-Pro's and a spot on the 2010s Hall of Fall team - to the lowest of lows - the Super Bowl collapse, the firing of two head coaches and the infamous interview with Shannon Sharpe where he unintentionally announced his interest in being traded - Jones took the organization on an incredible ride.

And now, at age 33, Jones is set to be a part of his first Falcons game in nearly two years - but this time, on the opposing sideline.

Atlanta will travel to Raymond James Stadium for an NFC South matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the winner taking first place in the division. Jones, who missed 14 games in the previous two seasons, has already missed a pair thus far and is questionable to play with a PCL injury.

On the season, Jones has four receptions for 76 yards on seven targets across two games. He's far from the player he once was, but he'll always be remembered for the dominating performances he put up during his time in Atlanta.

While Jones never did get a Super Bowl ring, the legacy he created will last for decades.

"He's the best Falcon in history," said Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans.

Jones is Atlanta's all-time leading receiver with 848 receptions and 12,896 yards. He's second in touchdowns with 60. His 6-3, 220-pound frame paired with his 4.39 40-yard dash speed (timed on a fractured foot) overmatched and intimidated defenders for north of a decade.

By all accounts, Jones is likely headed to Canton upon retirement. His numbers embody that of a Hall of Fame player, and his skill set more than backs it up.

"He's like a Terrell Owens type of guy," Evans declared. "He's like a Terrell Owens type of receiver – super fast, he can catch, run after catch, block, physical. His mentality is different – he's one of the best to ever do it."

For seven years, Evans watched Jones star for the Falcons from the opposing sideline. And star, Jones did. Across 16 games, the former Alabama star posted 114 catches for 1,841 yards and 11 touchdowns against Tampa Bay. In a single season against the Buccaneers alone, he'd rank fifth all-time in receiving yards - with his 1,871-yard performance in 2015 ranking two spots above.

But perhaps most importantly, beyond the on-field numbers, Jones did his best to prevent negative headlines and stay out of the spotlight off the field. He was a locker room leader and coached his younger teammates until the final game of his Falcons tenure. The legacy he created on and off the field will live on long after he hangs up the cleats.

"He's an unbelievable guy – a humble guy," Evans said. "I'm happy I got this moment to play with [one of] the greats."

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The date was Nov. 3, 2016. Trailing 33-14 on Thursday Night Football, then-Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston targeted Evans in the honey hole of the Falcons' cover 2 defense. The pass was thrown behind Evans' 6-5 frame, but he reached back with one hand and secured a spectacular grab.

And then Evans was introduced to a 21-year-old rookie safety named Keanu Neal, Atlanta's first-round pick earlier that year. Neal closed in a hurry and launched with all 211 pounds into Evans' chest.

The four-time Pro Bowl receiver managed to hold on to the football, but Neal loudly announced his presence as one of the league's biggest hitters on that play.

Neal earned a Pro Bowl nod of his own the year after, but a pair of injuries saw him play just four games in the next two seasons. He recorded 100 tackles in his fifth season, but Atlanta's new regime chose not to bring him back.

He signed with the Dallas Cowboys to reunite with former Falcons coach Dan Quinn, the Cowboys' defensive coordinator. Across 14 games, Neal totaled 72 tackles and made five starts but departed in free agency.

Now 27, Neal has made his way back to the NFC South. He's played in all four games with Tampa Bay, largely on special teams, but saw his role take a big spike last week with safety Logan Ryan going down with a foot injury. Neal has made nine tackles on the season.

Like Jones, Neal isn't the impact player he once was. However, he's still standing out in some of the same areas he did in Atlanta.

"He's patiently waited his turn," Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. "He's been tough for us when he gets in there. He's a heck of a hitter but he has a good knowledge of the game. He communicates well with the guys, and he fits right in."

No matter the team or role, Neal always has and always will be ready to hit opponents with authority. He'll get a chance to do exactly that on Sunday against the team that made his NFL dream come true.

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When Jones became a de-facto receivers coach for the Falcons in the final few games of 2020, one of the players he spent the most time with was receiver Russell Gage.

A sixth-round pick out of LSU in 2018, Gage went from a special teams ace to rock solid slot receiver in just three seasons. Over his final two years in Atlanta, Gage had 138 receptions for 1,556 yards and eight touchdowns on 203 targets.

After No. 1 receiver Calvin Ridley opted out of the season due to his mental health, Atlanta's passing attack largely went through Gage and rookie tight end Kyle Pitts.

This offseason, Gage took his talents to Tampa Bay and is now poised to face several former teammates and coaches on Sunday. He'll have at least one fan on the opposing sideline: Falcons coach Arthur Smith.

"I've got a lot of respect (and) I loved coaching Russell Gage," Smith said. "He's in a different offense and I'll be happy to see him because I appreciate what Russ did for us last year."

What Gage did was emerge as a steady presence for a team that had little in the way of consistency, ranking 29th in yards per game and leading to quarterback Matt Ryan's lowest yardage output since 2010.

Despite having the same play caller, Atlanta has several new faces on offense, including quarterback Marcus Mariota. As a result, Smith isn't concerned about Gage potentially tipping play calls, citing previous matchups with quarterback Josh Rosen (Cleveland Browns) and cornerback Teez Tabor (Seattle Seahawks).

"We've changed so much," said Smith. "(There are) certain things you may want to change that could be obvious, but trying to predict every play, some things you may get a tell on and whatever, but to think someone's going to stand on the sideline and call every play is a fantasy world."

There's a similar feeling on Tampa Bay's sideline, according to offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

"We know (the Falcons) well because they're in our division," claimed Leftwich. "Obviously, Julio was in Tennessee last year, Russ was there last year – it helps, but I think within the division, when you play divisional opponents, people know each other well enough. You get any information you can get but most of the times, teams know each other well."

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Playing twice a year, the Falcons and Buccaneers share few secrets. On Sunday, the right to hold sole possession of first place in the NFC South is up for grabs, and while the season won't even be a third of the way complete, gaining control early and sending a message is important.

But underneath the bigger storyline lays the potential for three former Falcons, all of whom were significant contributors in Atlanta, to play a key role in an important matchup against their former team.

While there may be no love lost between the two division rivals, the ups and downs that Jones, Neal and Gage endured during their time with the Falcons certainly lost on them or the organization.

It's the second year of a new era of Falcons football, and with a chance to make a big statement on Sunday fast approaching, there are still several ties serving as reminder of where the team once was, and the level to which they're fighting so hard to get back to.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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