Matt Ryan, Julio Jones vs. Panthers: Stats, Highlights, Comments, Reaction

Maybe the Carolina Panthers would have been better off retaining cornerback Josh Norman, because Atlanta Falcons wideout Julio Jones torched their secondary for 12 receptions, 300 yards and a touchdown Sunday in a 48-33 win for Atlanta.

It's the sixth-highest single-game receiving total in NFL history, according to Pro Football Reference, 36 yards short of Flipper Anderson's record set in 1989.

Below is a look at where Jones sits in the record book:

Rank	Player	Yards	Team	Date
1	Flipper Anderson	336	Los Angeles Rams	Nov. 26, 1989
2	Calvin Johnson	329	Detroit Lions	Oct. 27, 2013
3	Stephone Paige	309	Kansas City Chiefs	Dec. 22, 1985
4	Jim Benton	303	Cleveland Rams	Nov. 22, 1945
5	Cloyce Box	302	Detroit Lions	Dec. 3, 1950
6	Julio Jones	300	Atlanta Falcons	Oct. 2, 2016
7	Jimmy Smith	291	Jacksonville Jaguars	Sept. 10, 2000
8	Jerry Rice	289	San Francisco 49ers	Dec. 18, 1995
9	John Taylor	286	San Francisco 49ers	Dec. 11, 1989
10	Antonio Brown	284	Pittsburgh Steelers	Nov. 8, 2015

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan finished the day 28-of-37 with a career-high 503 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.

Ryan and Jones connected on a 75-yard touchdown pass with 3:45 left that helped the Falcons open a 41-26 lead. The Falcons shared a replay of the score on Twitter:

The Panthers' Twitter account knew discretion was the better part of valor:

Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan assumed Norman would get a chuckle when he looked at the box score from the game:

Then again, having Norman didn't make a huge difference for the Panthers in 2015. Jones combined for 16 receptions, 266 yards and a touchdown in two games against Carolina last year.

Still, the Panthers' decision to rescind Norman's franchise tag isn't looking good. Entering Week 4, Carolina ranked 10th in pass defense DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), according to Football Outsiders. The team finished second in that category in 2015.

Adding to the misery for Carolina, quarterback Cam Newton exited the game after being evaluated for a possible concussion, per Max Henson of the team's official website.

Sunday's game was further evidence as to why Jones is one of the best wideouts in the league. It's also a good sign for the Falcons following his relatively underwhelming start to the 2016 season—10 receptions, 188 yards and two TDs through three games.

Ryan, meanwhile, may be building a potential MVP case. Following Week 4, he has 1,473 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Before the year, it looked like the Falcons were headed for a fourth straight season without a playoff berth. However, they sit atop the NFC South with a 3-1 record, and with the offense firing on all cylinders, the postseason is becoming more of a possibility.

Postgame Comments

Jones discussed how Sunday's performance was the result of a total team effort, per ESPN.com's Vaughn McClure:

"

People said I had the worst three games of my career, but I don't think so. I'm going out there, they're doubling me. I'm taking double coverage, and others guys are working out there. It's a brotherhood. Today was my day. They singled me, and I came through and made some plays for the team.

"

Ryan deflected credit for his big day, singling out offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

"

Well we had good matchups and Kyle did a great job of dialing up plays all day, he stayed aggressive. But at the end of the day, it comes down to Julio making some plays. I thought he played awesome, was huge for us in critical situations and showed how great of a player he is. That was fun to be a part of that.

"

"This is the first time," Ryan said of eclipsing 500 yards through the air. "Hopefully, we can do it again."