Julio Jones Suffers Hip Injury During Bills vs. Falcons

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones suffered a hip flexor injury Sunday against the Buffalo Bills, William McFadden of the Falcons' official site reported.

Jones' injury adds to Atlanta's woes, as McFadden reported a hamstring injury knocked receiver Mohamed Sanu out of the game as well.

"He had trouble just exploding, and if he can't be him, that's a unique thing for him," Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said postgame, per ESPN's Vaughn McClure. "The speed, the explosiveness—so when he wasn't able to do that, that's when we had to pull him. He definitely wanted to go."

Losing Jones for any sort of extended stretch would strip the Falcons of their most dynamic playmaker.

A force whether he's lined up along the boundary or in the slot, Jones has established himself as one of the most physically dominant receivers in the NFL since he debuted in 2011. He is one of six receivers who piled up at least 7,000 yards and 40 touchdowns between 2011 and 2016.

Three games into his seventh season with the reigning NFC champions, Jones had caught 16 passes for 265 yards.

Atlanta has the receivers necessary to withstand a brief absence from Jones, but anything more stands to sap the Falcons offense of the explosive capabilities it's become known for.

With Jones and Sanu banged up, Taylor Gabriel and Justin Hardy should operate as Matt Ryan's primary pass-catchers.