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Amid a stink over the wet grass for the Germany NFL game, Tampa Bay Buccaneers star wide receiver Julio Jones joined the fray for the latest NFL controversy of grass versus turf.
“I love it. I don’t care,” Jones said told reporters on Sunday, November 13, about the field conditions. “I don’t like [artificial] turf. I love the grass. I had an injury from turf. And they make plenty of cleats [for grass, right, we have seven studs, and things like that to prevent us from slipping. And we’re great at our craft, so we just got to get our chins up. Especially as a receiver, get your chin up and things like that so you don’t slip.”
Data compiled for the NFL and NFLPA shows that injury rates on non-contact injuries to lower extremities are statistically the same on artificial turf vs. natural surfaces. Important context in the ongoing debate.
Jones showed his support for the push to have only grass fields and eliminate turf, sparked by Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp via Twitter. Numerous NFL players also voiced their opinions. Kupp notably went down with an injury at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, a stadium that has an artificial turf field.
“We just have to figure it out,” Jones said. “If you ask anybody, everybody prefers grass pretty much over turf. It doesn’t give. It’s a hard surface, especially when you’re jumping up [and] coming down, being explosive and stopping. ACLs [and] MCLs, things like that, go all the time with turf.”
Jones Makes Veiled Shot at Seahawks
Jones drove home how open he was on that 31-yard touchdown catch and run play against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. He didn’t do the Seahawks any favors in his comments.
“Not high school. Probably peewee,” Jones said. “Everybody’s contributing. We’re moving the ball around a lot. We’re running the ball. Throwing the ball to different receivers, tight ends, running backs, and for me to be wide open like that, like I said, I had to score.”
Those Julio Jones high knees rolling down the field! So fun to watch…
Jones caught the ball wide open on a 2-yard crossing route and burst 29 yards down field for the score. He blew past four Seattle defensive backs almost untouched for the touchdown.
For Jones, it marked his second touchdown of the season and the Bucs’ longest passing score of the season. He averaged 17.7 yards per catch, his second-best average of the season, amid three receptions for 53 yards.
His PCL injury in his knee hindered him for much of the first nine weeks of the season. Jones hurt it during a Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys, and he missed four games between Week 2 and Week 8 due to the injury. His limited availability the rest of the time only led to five catches for 56 yards and a touchdown in three games.
Mirror Image Play for Bucs?
Jones’ touchdown arguably resembled wide receiver Breshad Perriman’s game-winning touchdown catch and run against the Buffalo Bills last year.
JoeBucsFan.com reported the observation but noted the difference in quarterback Tom Brady’s timing between the two plays. Brady to Perriman also went further — from 58 yards out.
“It sure appears to be the same play,” JoeBucsFan.com wrote. “Only Jones was more of a primary receiver and Perriman was maybe the third option. But the result was the same. Touchdown.
The Bucs won’t want to replicate what came after the emotional 33-27 overtime win in 2021. New Orleans shut out the Bucs 9-0 the following week.
Tampa Bay didn’t need late-game heroics on Sunday against the Seahawks, but the Bucs did win a different kind of emotional game. The Bucs now have a bye week before getting back to work.
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Julio Jones Gets Honest About Trending Controversy from Germany Game