Malcolm Butler is finally getting his wish to go up against Julio Jones

New England Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler has wanted to test his coverage skills against Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones for years. He said so himself back in 2012.

Butler is a member of the Patriots secondary that allowed just 237.9 passing yards per game this season. He contributed four interceptions and 17 pass breakups. This postseason, Butler had one pass deflection against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But Jones presents a unique challenge for any cornerback. The combination of his 6’3, 220-pound frame and blazing speed alone make Jones a difficult matchup for Butler, who is 5’11 and 190 pounds.

Butler is a talented corner, but he could have a long day against Jones, who went off for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the Falcons’ NFC Championship win over the Green Bay Packers. The scope of Jones’ talent gives him the ability to dominate the competition.

Butler’s finest postseason moment was perhaps his late-game interception to seal a Patriots win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. The Seahawks called a pick route passing play from the 1-yard line, and Butler intercepted Russell Wilson’s pass in the end zone.

That play, or a version of it, is definitely in Atlanta’s playbook. They ran something that looked very similar in their Divisional round win over the Seahawks this season. That pass went to Jones, and it resulted in a touchdown.

If the Falcons are smart, though, they may want to steer clear of calling that play in the Super Bowl with Butler covering Jones. Atlanta’s head coach and former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn surely remembers how badly that could go.