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Keidel: Jones Is A Throwback At A Time When NFL Desperately Needs One

By Jason Keidel
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Tony Soprano often asked what happened to Gary Cooper -- the strong, silent type, the blue-collar nobleman who did his job, saved the day, got the girl, all without a whisper of self-obsession.

In other words, anyone but a gifted pass catcher.

Indeed, the term diva, and the high maintenance motif that comes with it, is as common with wide receivers as the No. 88, route trees, and soundbites. But in the gaggle of groin-grabbing, me-first NFL stars, one has emerged above the fold.

Julio Jones.

When talking about the holy trinity of wideouts, Jones is always recalled, but too often as honorable mention, obscured by the twin shadows of Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. It's no coincidence that Beckham and Brown are now officially on holiday after losses overshadowed by self-serving social media production got them in scalding media waters.

Yet Jones seems allergic to the very attention Beckham and Brown so ardently covet. Even during the happiest moment of his career, seconds after his trip to his first Super Bowl was stamped and laminated, he had no interest in chatting about himself, or pretending he couldn't hear the questions as a pretext to get off the dais.

Falcons WR Julio Jones
Falcons receiver Julio Jones runs after a catch for a 73-yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the third quarter of the NFC Championship game at the Georgia Dome on Jan. 22, 2017, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

It would be fatuous to say this is Jones's breakout party. He's been making a mockery of NFL defenses for years. But this is the first time the entire football spotlight will be on him. And he's making the most of his national audition, becoming the first player in NFL history to post multiple 150-yard, two-touchdown games in the playoffs.

His performance against the Packers was frightening. Not even his monstrous numbers properly represented his skill set. During his first touchdown he showed his impossible, balletic skills for a man his size, keeping his toes delicately inbounds. Then, on his second score, Jones morphed into Marshawn Lynch, going Beast Mode on Green Bay during a 73-yard romp down the sideline, with an epic stiff arm that forced a defender to grab, then wave, then crumble to the turf as Jones strolled into the end zone. The play was so impressive, it led his own teammate, Mohamed Sanu, to call Jones an "alien."

Jones does this routinely. It's not just that he's so darn divinely gifted. We've seen great players before. It's his maddening, impossible hybrid size/speed/hands that make him look like a character from "The Matrix." Or The character, "Neo," the reluctant, volcanic hero who seems almost embarrassed to flaunt his physical superiority. It's even more impressive when you consider Jones is embarrassing the best players on the planet. He can outrun you, out-jump you, out-muscle you, and out-work you. When your best player is your most humble player, and among your hardest workers, it does more than add digits to the scoreboard.

There are very few players this football fan has seen as a college freshman and walked away sure they would switch from Saturday to Sunday with equal dominance. One of them was an 18-year-old Jones, who played at Alabama and dominated the SEC, which was easily the best conference in the country at the time.

He's also simpatico with a sizzling quarterback in Matt Ryan, who is the first to throw at least three TD passes in four straight playoff games. Ryan also set an NFL record in 2016 by throwing a TD pass to 13 different receivers. As if Jones weren't hard enough to cover, he also enjoys being part of the most diverse offense in the sport.

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One week he catches one pass, the next week he becomes the sixth player in history to gain 300 yards in a single game. A few weeks later, he becomes the first NFL player with at least 465 catches in his first 75 games. He also became the first player to record at least 250 receiving yards in multiple games. This all coming off a stellar 2015, when he amassed the second-most yards in league history (1,871).

But since Jones doesn't lust for the limelight, doesn't keep a selfie stick in his locker, and buys entirely into the team ethos, we largely overlook him, at least vis-a-vis his more loquacious peers.

Brown may get a few more yards and Beckham may score a few more touchdowns, but neither has Jones's complete package of size, strength, and speed. Nor his low-key regularity.

We may use a stopwatch to measure a man's speed, but what metrics do we use to measure a man? Jones may not be the fastest wide receiver in the NFL, but he sure was fast enough to beat Brown and Beckham to this season's biggest of games.

Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasonKeidel

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