Two of the best offensive talents in the league will be in action on Monday night when Odell Beckham Jr and Julio Jones share the same field.
But while the wide receivers are game-changers, their impact has come, for the most part, away from the end zone.
Beckham has only scored one touchdown, which came in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers, while Jones has yet to find pay dirt.
It’s not as if the star wideouts have been marginalised in their respective offences – Beckham and Jones are both in the top 10 in the league in targets (69, 69), receptions (45, 44) and receiving yards (506, 708).
Yet end-zone visits have been almost non-existent as opposing defences have focused on limiting them inside the 20-yard line.
The drought is uncharacteristic for Beckham, who had 38 scores in 47 games coming into the season.
Jones, however, has strangely never had many touchdowns in his career, reaching double-digit scores in just one of his seven seasons before this year.
Facing a crippled Atlanta Falcons defence on Monday, Beckham has a golden opportunity to have an explosive performance, with Atlanta allowing the fourth-most passing yards per game at 295.8, while being tied for the most passing scores surrendered with 16.
Beckham and running back Saquon Barkley can do much of their damage underneath, where the Falcons have been particularly vulnerable, allowing 1,675 yards on throws under 20 yards, which is second-most among all teams this season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Injuries and rough play on the defensive side of the ball have throw Atlanta’s season into disarray and put them firmly on the outside of the playoff picture.
