ATLANTA -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had quite an impressive night himself in a 56-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, setting franchise single-game records for completion percentage (87.5 percent) and passer rating (155.9). However, he was more excited to talk about wide receiver Julio Jones than his own marks.
Jones, showing no ill effects of an injured ankle he suffered last week in Cincinnati, caught nine passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns, including a falling, over-the-shoulder 40-yard touchdown grab good enough to be a "SportsCenter" Top 10 play for the next week.
"It was a hell of a catch," Ryan said. "Just his ability to adjust as the ball goes over his shoulder, as good as it gets. He had a great release on the route. It's something that we feel like we can give him a chance because he's one of those guys that has the ability to make those kind of plays. He showcased that tonight."
Jones, who missed most of last season following right foot surgery, now has 23 catches for 365 yards with three touchdowns. He did not speak to the media following Thursday's game.
But Ryan had plenty to say about his top target. Jones is expected to have a major impact on a weekly basis, but his role was even more emphasized Thursday with Roddy White (hamstring) sidelined.
The Buccaneers had no answer for Jones and didn't really alter their defensive strategy to slow him down.
"Julio is as good as he's ever been, if not better," Ryan said. "He's only going to continue to get better because he's got a better understanding of defenses that he's going against. He's got a better understanding of our offense. I think he's playing the best he's ever played."
So that would make Jones virtually unstoppable, correct?
"Yeah," Ryan said. "Defenses are going to have certain ways that they're going to try and stop him. But we feel like anytime he gets in that one-on-one situation, that's a win for us."
