–Defensive end Vic Beasley Jr. showed promise last week that he could be getting his game back together. In the midst of his second straight disappointing season, the team’s 2015 first-round draft pick had perhaps his best game of the season.
Playing against athletic Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott, Beasley was able to use his speed to collect a couple of sacks. He finished the day with three solo tackles and two sacks. The last time he had two or more sacks was Dec. 12, 2016 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Beasley had been limited to one sack in the previous nine games.
The Falcons could definitely use help bringing the heat against New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees, who was sacked just once in the first meeting and threw for 396 yards.
“Vic had one against him last year, but beating him to the punch where you can really get off (is important) because he’s very decisive about where he wants to throw,” Quinn said.
–The Falcons still aren’t ready to say whether middle linebacker Deion Jones will play on Thursday night. The veteran has participated in practice the last two weeks and was activated a week ago, but was inactive for the game.
“It’s hard to gauge,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “Because we’re not really hitting, so that’s why we have to do some extra post-practice.”
Quinn said it’s difficult to simulate the full speed at which Jones will need to play during a practice session.
“You saw the intensity that he was trying to hit with and deliver because he’s so explosive that on space you don’t feel the same kind of contact he can generate,” Quinn said. “We’re just trying to do right to make sure that every possible way that we can help train him to make him feel at his best. And when we get to that spot we’ll let him go.”
Jones hurt his foot toward the end of the game against New Orleans in Week 2. He was placed on reserve/injured a few days later and is just now getting back. De’Vondre Campbell has done a good job filling his spot, but the team needs him back – at full speed.
“It’s not a situation where maybe there would be an example of you can limit a player and he can be on a pitch count, but that’s not this kind of injury,” Quinn said. “When he’s back, he’s fully going. It’s not one play or 50 plays that will make a difference. It’s just him being him.”
BY THE NUMBERS: 46 — Number of 100-yard receiving games for Julio Jones after he had six catches for 118 yards and one touchdown last week against Dallas. It was his seventh 100-yard game of the season, tying his own franchise record. Jones surpassed Randy Moss for the most 100-yard games in his first eight seasons. Moss had 45.
