Julio Jones’ monster NFL season falls on deaf ears
By Dan Salem
Julio Jones’ monster NFL season has fallen on deaf ears. Eclipsing 1,500 yards as a wide receiver isn’t what it once was and Jones’ presence on a lackluster Atlanta Falcons team doesn’t help. Fantasy loves him, but will NFL history remember Julio Jones? Dan Salem and Todd Salem debate in today’s NFL TD Sports Debate. Two brothers from New York yell, scream and debate the NFL and sports.
TODD:
Atlanta’s Julio Jones collected 11 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown Monday night against Green Bay. The stupendous performance brought his season yardage total to 1,428, best in the league. With three games remaining, Jones is sure to pass the 1,500-yard plateau, and it will surely mean nothing.
When we were younger, a receiver eclipsing 1,500 yards was a big deal. Historically great wide outs like Cris Carter and Andre Reed both flirted with it a couple of times but never actually got there. And the fact that they never got there seemed to meaning something.
Likewise, it was cool when someone like Rod Smith got over the line one time. It seemed to matter for him and for the league. And this wasn’t even that long ago; we’re talking the 90s into the early 2000s even.
Now, for a plethora of reasons, most notably rule changes, the number means nothing. It’s too easy to attain.
It’s not a given by any means. Not every Smith, Johnson or Thomas gets there every season. But at least someone gets there every season.
And the big receiving mark isn’t alone. 4,000 yards passing means squat, which everyone accepts. Even sack totals are inflated with how often teams are dropping back to pass.
Since football was never a big statistics sport, especially compared to baseball, does this change even matter? Nothing can be compared historically anymore, but it never really was to begin with. And “historically” wasn’t long enough ago in NFL terms to seem grand anyways.
But this change coincides with the dramatic rise in fantasy football where stats are the only things that matter. How can such a juxtaposition exist?
Instead of 1,500 yards or 4,000 yards, are we going to be remembering fondly the 35-point fantasy games? Is that where this is headed? If so, Julio Jones’ week 14 performance means more than Jones’ 2014 season will.
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DAN:
You mention a juxtaposition between the value of fantasy football stats and actual NFL stats, yet you’re forgetting the true meaning of professional football. The NFL is about money and little else. The league does great things for kids and families, as all good non-profit organizations should, but ultimately everything in professional football comes back to money. It’s why the league has been so successful and currently owns the top spot in professional sports in America. Elaborations aside, Julio Jones’ 2014 season means everything to Julio Jones and the Atlanta Falcons.
NFL statistics have gone up for several reasons, but ultimately historical comparisons can and will be made. The greats of a generation are evident and football changes every five to ten years so dramatically, that it matters little to compare actual numbers. Now back to Julio Jones, who is having an excellent season. His upcoming 1,500+ yards is no longer a hall of fame worthy accomplishment, but its a major money accomplishment.
Julio Jones has one year left on his contract, meaning that during this upcoming offseason he will either re-up with the Falcons or get traded away for a season until he hits free agency in 2016. His signing bonus for 2015 is lucrative, over 10 million dollars, so is it really surprising to see him excelling this season?
I’ve never thought of Julio Jones as one of the top five receivers in the NFL, but he’s about to be paid like one. And if it’s not by the Atlanta Falcons, then the Falcons will get quite a trade haul for Jones.
Because I love fantasy football, the inflated numbers don’t bother me. It’s the changing landscape of fantasy and of football. When we first began playing fantasy football, teams did not score over 120 points regularly. Now you are guaranteed to lose without scoring that much in a week. Julio Jones and his stellar week 14 is the epitome of how the NFL game has changed.
Personally I like change and I like how the NFL is shaping up. Fewer players being carted off the field. Dominant quarterbacks, big plays by wide receivers, and bruising running attacks still prevail. But defense is just as flashy now. The NFL is a better television product now more than ever.
I thoroughly enjoyed Julio Jones on Monday Night Football, and I enjoyed him even more in a losing effort. If the Falcons had completed the comeback, this debate would hold a different weight. But Jones’ flashy numbers did not change the ultimate outcome of the game. The better team won and that’s how it should be.
Players like Julio Jones come and go, but longevity still stands taller than the mass of league wide talent. If Jones follows up next season with another 1500 yards, then we’ll start talking historically. Until then, he’s on a football team that might set a quite different record. Winning an NFL division with more losses than wins.