11 Times Julio Jones Made My Day, No. 7: Julio Torches the 49ers in 2012 NFC Championship
Before Julio Jones was known as the best wide receiver in the game, he was making a name for himself in just his second year in the league.
The Falcons have always had a potent offense, but 2012 was a different beast.
They had Roddy White, Julio, Harry Douglas, Tony Gonzalez, and Michael Turner. Pick your poision.
This offense led them to a 13-3 season and a trip to the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.
Julio knows when the bright lights are on, and at no.7 in our top 11 Julio moments, he gave the 49ers some problems.
How It All Started
Julio jumped right out of the gate with a 13-yard pass from Matt Ryan.
Minutes later, Ryan found Julio wide open down the field for a 46-yard touchdown. From there, it looked like whoever was matched up against Julio this game would be in some trouble.
From Dashon Goldson to Tarell Brown, nobody had an answer for him.
On 3r and 10 late in the first, Ryan found Julio, but Goldson was in position to intercept the ball. Julio didn’t allow that, and snatched it out of his hand for the first down.
But it gets better.
Early in the second quarter, Julio made a double move on Brown down the field and caught a 20-yard pass with Brown draped all over him.
The Falcons, and the crowd, had the Georgia Dome rocking as they went up 17-0 after Julio’s score.
A Complete 180…
Of course we all know the Falcons are bad at keeping leads, and the 49ers came back in the second half and won 28-24, advancing them to the Super Bowl.
The last play of the game was a pass to Julio, but he was nowhere near the end zone to make a play.
Despite a disappointing loss, Julio finished the game with 182 and two touchdowns, and his stock grew larger with his performance.
From then on, Julio began to cement himself as one of the top receivers in the league.
Moment No. 11: https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/news/atlanta-falcons-news-julio-jones-top-11-moments-countdown-2020-matt-ryan
Moment No. 10: https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/news/atlanta-falcons-dallas-cowboys-news-julio-jones-jeff-heath-2020-schedule
Moment No. 9: https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/news/atlanta-falcons-julio-jones-week-14-49ers-news
Moment No. 8: https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/news/atlanta-falcons-julio-jones-colts-2011-news
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