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Atlanta LB Deion Jones against his hometown
Saints coach Sean Payton said he was expecting to see linebacker Deion Jones (pictured, catching the ball) in the field on Thursday. Historically, this has not been good news for New Orleans.
Jones, from New Orleans who studied at Jesuit High School before playing at LSU, recorded some of his greatest performances for his hometown team.
In four career games against New Orleans, Jones scored 38 tackles, five defeat tackles, three interceptions (one touchdown touchdown) and eight defensive passes. It was his fourth-quarter interception in the end zone last season that sealed a 20-17 victory for the Falcons.
Jones has not played since he broke his foot during Week 1, but he has recently been activated since the injured reserve. The Falcons prevented him from playing last week's game against Dallas, and Falcons coach Dan Quinn was cautious when asked about Jones' availability this week, but the Saints were 'expect him to be present.
When on the field, Jones adds an element of athleticism that few NFL linebackers can match.
"He has a very good instinct and the traits you are looking for in a MIKE linebacker: he can run, he can diagnose (plays), he plays extremely well, he can cover," said Payton. "But most importantly, he can pile up, take notice of your training, your set, have a half-advance on a block coming from the inside and understand the patterns.
"Whenever you have a player like that who's missing (time), it's difficult. He is an exceptional player. "
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