Week 15 will come and go without the services of Julio Jones.
The Falcons All-Pro receiver has been ruled out for Atlanta's game against the San Francisco 49ers because of the sprained toe that kept him out of practice all week, the team announced.
Coach Dan Quinn said Thursday that he wanted to see Jones "explode pain-free" before green-lighting him for Sunday. That obviously didn't happen, leaving Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel to operate as the team's top two receivers against the Niners.
In the thick of a playoff race, Atlanta can hardly afford to rest Jones after Week 15, but it makes plenty of sense to get him as healthy as possible for the final two weeks of the regular season -- and beyond.
