How hard is it to compete when you lose your star middle linebacker? Very hard indeed, as the Falcons discovered firsthand in 2018.
After suffering an injury in the first game of the year against the Eagles, Deion Jones sat out the next three months of the season. Jones’ absence (in addition to season-ending injuries for starting safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen) was absolutely devastating for Atlanta’s defense. The previous season, the Falcons ranked in the top 10 in scoring defense. With both safeties and the play-caller missing in action, it quickly became one of the league’s worst.
By the time Jones returned for an early December matchup with the Ravens, Atlanta was 4-7 and making the playoffs was a pipe dream. Jones played well down the stretch but it wasn’t enough. In the end, they finished 7-9, missed the postseason and ranked No. 25 in points allowed.
One possible silver lining is that Jones may have a shot to win the Comeback Player of the Year award next season. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s one of the 10 best candidates.
Here’s PFF on how valuable Jones is and just how brutal missing him was for Atlanta’s linebackers in coverage:
“With Jones in the lineup during 2017, the Falcons’ linebackers collectively earned a coverage grade of 90.1, forced an incompletion on 9.4% of their targets, and allowed 38.6 yards per game. Without him in the lineup in 2018, they collectively earned a coverage grade of 53.1, they forced an incompletion on just 1.8% of their targets, and they allowed 110 yards per game.”
Yikes.
Staying healthy will be the key for Jones’ return. As long as he avoids a major injury, he should rank right up there with Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner as the top middle linebackers in football.
Jones is only one man, though. The other Falcons linebackers have to pull more weight than they did last year, whether he’s in the lineup or not.
