Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones will play Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints, according to NFL reporter Tiffany Blackmon.
Jones has been nursing a hamstring injury, but Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is optimistic that Jones will be available Thursday night, according to Kevin Patra of nfl.com. "He did a walk through last night and did that today," said Quinn. "From what we saw, he's doing good and we anticipate him playing for the game."
Jones is considered to be one of the best receivers in the game, and his numbers are clearly backing that up. He has 43 receptions this season for 545 yards with four touchdowns. Jones usually requires opposing defense's top cornerbacks, and he still continually gets open or makes tough catches in traffic.
The Falcons look to be legitimate contenders this season, but they will need to keep it going against the Saints Thursday. The Falcons are 5-0, but the Carolina Panthers are only a game behind at 4-0. This makes Atlanta's game against NFC South rival the Saints that much more important. The Falcons and Panthers look like they will be fighting for the lead of the NFC South throughout the season, which will make division games that much more meaningful.
Atlanta is expecting to start Jones Thursday, but they will need to be careful with their star wide out, as he is likely crucial to their success this season.
