No surprise with Jones, but Freeman a wild card in Falcons’ win
Trailing by double digits for most of Sunday afternoon didn’t seem to worry the Atlanta Falcons.
Not with Matt Ryan at quarterback, along with a healthy double dose of Julio Jones and backup running back Devonta Freeman. Jones and Freeman combined for five touchdowns in Atlanta’s 39-28 comeback victory at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys (2-1) knew what to expect out of Jones, who came in with consecutive 100-yard receiving games and is arguably the league’s best receiver.
Freeman, filling in for injured rookie Tevin Coleman, was a surprise.
“We all believe in each other. The whole program is just complete,” Freeman said.
Freeman gashed the Cowboys for career highs in yards (141) and touchdowns (three) after totaling just 43 yards rushing in the first two games.
“My offensive linemen, those guys blocked their butt off,” Freeman said. “I’m just so proud of them. They just created some huge holes for me.”
The second-year back out of Florida State had two career scores before Sunday.
“He’s just one of the most relentless competitors that’s on our club,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said of Freeman. “He just wants to battle for it and toughness just comes through.”
Jones caught 12 passes for 164 yards and two scores, the second putting the game away with about 3 minutes left to play. Jones leads the NFL with 34 receptions.
“Julio just battled for it again, just like we expected,” Quinn said. “For him, it was the kind of performance that he just keeps racking up. He’s a hard guy to deal with.”
Jones was targeted 20 times in the game.
“[Falcons offensive coordinator] Kyle [Shanahan] did a great job of moving me around in the second half, putting me inside. They didn’t have an answer for it,” Jones said. “That allowed me to get open and move around a little bit.”
The physical play of Jones and Freeman set the tone for Atlanta, especially in the second half. The Falcons finished the game with 25 unanswered points.
“They have a lot of resolve to reset, come back out and finish like we did,” Quinn said. “Clearly, we were punched in the mouth and were looking to respond.”
Durant update
Former Cowboys linebacker Justin Durant, in his first season with Atlanta, had a team-high nine tackles Sunday. Durant also leads the Falcons in stops through three games with 27.
“The speed and quickness he plays with, that helps us play the style we like to,” Quinn said.
Durant didn’t have much to say about facing his former team.
“I didn’t play too well, in my opinion,” he said. “I was just happy to get a win.”
Briefly
▪ The Falcons are 3-0 for the first time since 2012. Atlanta went to the NFC title game that season.
▪ Atlanta rushed for 158 yards after totaling 161 in the first two games.
This story was originally published September 27, 2015 at 9:17 PM with the headline "No surprise with Jones, but Freeman a wild card in Falcons’ win."