Super Bowl 2017: Patriots doubling efforts to stop Julio Jones with 2 receivers mimicking him in practice

The top priority for the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LI is slowing the top-rated Atlanta Falcons offense and that means limiting the production of All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones. So, the Patriots are making sure to prepare as much as possible for Jones by using two receivers to mimic him in practice.

“That’s such a key guy for us, the routes and all that,” Belichick said, via Jarrett Bell of ESPN. “We have two guys doing it so we won’t wear one guy out ... You’ve got to know where he is on every play.”

The role of a scout team in practice is to copy the tendencies and habits of the opposition to help a team prepare. But Jones is New England’s prime concern so both Matthew Slater and Michael Floyd have been wearing No. 11 jerseys in practice to help the Patriots defense get ready for the four-time Pro Bowl receiver, according to Bell.

Of course, neither receiver are close to the 6’4, 220-pound human highlight reel that is Jones. Slater is a 6’0, 189-pound special teamer, while Floyd is more comparable at 6’3, 220 pounds, but was recently cut by the Arizona Cardinals and hasn’t been nearly as productive as Jones in his five seasons in the NFL.

Jones finished the 2016 season with 83 receptions for 1,409 yards in 14 games. No other receiver averaged more than 100 yards per game.

In the Falcons’ 44-21 win over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship he caught nine passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns, including a 73-yard sprint through multiple tackle attempts.

Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler will likely be the one most often tasked with slowing Jones, although the New England defense will almost certainly make sure the receiver doesn’t face single coverage often.