Julio Jones is always the focal point of Atlanta's offense. The attention he draws oftentimes creates opportunities for teammates like Calvin Ridley.
Now that Ridley is out for the rest of the season, Russell Gage, Christian Blake, Olamide Zaccheaus and Justin Hardy will get the chance to benefit from the attention Jones draws.
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Ridley was placed on injured reserve with an abdominal injury following Atlanta's 40-20 win over the Carolina Panthers. The second-year receiver put together another impressive season catching 63 passes for 866 yards and seven touchdowns. Jones acknowledged his running mate isn't someone who is easily replaceable but does have the utmost confidence in the other guys in his position room.
"Next man up; you can't replace a Calvin but at the same time guys have to come in and play up to their abilities," Jones said. "We don't put pressure on guys, we just expect guys to do what they do."
Facing former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan
When the Falcons face the 49ers on Sunday at Levi's Stadium, Jones will be going up against his former offensive coordinator. Kyle Shanahan was Atlanta's offensive coordinator from 2015-16.
Under Shanahan's leadership, Jones enjoyed the most productive season of his career. In 2015, Jones caught 136 passes for 1,871 yards and eight touchdowns.
He was also a key player in one of the best offense's in NFL history when Shanahan had the Falcons playing at an elite level in 2016.
The Falcons finished the 2016 season with 540 points which tied the 2000 Rams for the seventh-most an NFL club has ever scored in a single season.
After losing 34-28 to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI, Shanahan took over as head coach in San Francisco. After a 4-12 season in 2018, Shanahan has the 49ers (11-2) playing as one of the best teams in the NFL.
