What Julio Jones Has Done Against Titans' 2021 Opponents
Each of the Tennessee Titans' 2021 opponents would have had to prepare for an explosive offense as it was. Running back Derrick Henry and wide receiver A.J. Brown aren’t easy asks for any defense.
Now, factor in seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones, who the Titans acquired in a trade with the Falcons on Sunday.
By now, Jones has played every NFL team except Atlanta, the one for which he has played the last 10 seasons. The Titans’ 2021 opponents have historically struggled to defend Jones. The two-time All-Pro has at least one 100-yard game against all but four clubs on Tennessee’s schedule. Titans fans should be happy to know that Jones has consistently gotten the better of AFC South opponents in his career, specifically Jacksonville and Indianapolis.
All Titans breaks down how Jones has performed against each of their 2021:
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans: The Texans are the only AFC South team that has kept Jones under wraps. His best game against Houston was in 2011 when he caught four passes for 68 yards. He had less than 43 yards in his other two games against the Texans, and he has never scored a touchdown against them.
Indianapolis Colts: Jones has played in three games against the Colts, and he has torched their defense each time. He had well more than 100 receiving yards in each game, with topped by 160 yards on nine catches in a 27-24 loss (2015). As a rookie, he had a breakout game against Indianapolis – three receptions for 131 yards, two of touchdowns in a 31-7 victory.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Jones has never had any less than 85 receiving yards in three games against the Jaguars. He scorched the Jacksonville defense for 100 or more yards twice, including in his last meeting, a 24-12 win when he had 10 catches for 166 yards. He has two career touchdowns against the Jaguars (one each in 2015 and 2011).
OTHER AFC TEAMS
Buffalo Bills: Jones has played Buffalo once in his career, and it was not his best game. He caught three passes for 30 yards before leaving with an injury in the second half. Atlanta lost 23-17.
Kansas City Chiefs: Jones went over 100 yards receiving in each of his two games against Kansas City. He had seven catches for 113 yards in a 29-28 loss in 2016 and six catches for 106 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a blowout win in 2012.
Miami Dolphins: Jones has faced the Dolphins twice in his career. In 2013, he had nine catches for 115 yards. Most recently (2017), he hauled in six passes for 72 yards.
New England Patriots: Jones never won a game against New England, but he always performed well. In 2013, he had six receptions for 108 yards. He was the lone bright spot in a lopsided loss in 2017 when he caught nine passes for 99 yards and an acrobatic touchdown late in the contest. The Falcons classically blew a 28-3 second-half lead to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI. Jones had four catches for 87 yards in that one.
New York Jets: Jones has played the Jets twice in his career and fell just short of 100 yards each time. His best showing was when he caught eight passes for 99 yards in a 30-28 loss. He has never scored a touchdown against the Jets.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Jones has faced the Steelers once (2018). In the blowout loss, he had five catches for 62 yards.
NFC TEAMS
Arizona Cardinals: Jones has 31 catches for 447 yards and two touchdowns in four games against the Cardinals. His best game was in 2014 when he had 10 catches for 189 yards and one touchdown in a 29-18 victory. In his most recent game against them (Week 6, 2019), Jones had eight catches for 108 yards. That happened to be the only game Jones lost to Arizona in his career.
Los Angeles Rams: Regular season or playoffs, Jones has been a problem for the Rams. He has never had any less than 93 yards in three games against St. Louis/Los Angeles. In a 2013 victory, Jones hauled in 11 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown. In an NFC Wild Card round victory over the Rams in 2018, Jones had nine catches for 94 yards and a score.
New Orleans Saints: None of Tennessee’s 2021 opponents have had to deal with Jones more over the past 10 seasons than the Saints. In 18 games, Jones had 102 receptions for 1,615 yards and three touchdowns. He has six career 100-yard games against New Orleans and five others of at least 93 yards.
San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have historically struggled to contain Jones. In three games, Jones caught 34 passes for 453 yards and four touchdowns. He had at least 10 receptions and 134 yards in each. He scored two touchdowns each in the 2013 and 2019 meetings.
Seattle Seahawks: Jones has enjoyed great success against the Seahawks, who typically have a stout defense. He has had at least 127 receiving yards in four of his seven career meetings. His best came last season when he caught nine passes for 157 yards. Jones has faced Seattle twice in the playoffs. He didn’t put up massive numbers in either of those games, but he scored a touchdown in the 2017 NFL divisional round meeting, which the Falcons won, 36-20.
