There are no weeks off in the NFL.
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After opening against All-Pro receiver Dez Bryant and the Cowboys, the Giants are tasked with limiting Julio Jones and the Falcons in Week 2. Of course, the opposite can be said for those teams when they prepare for Odell Beckham Jr.
The reigning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year vs. Jones, who led the NFC in receiving yards last year, will be one of the many subplots in Sunday's home opener for the Giants.
In anticipation of the high-profile duel, the "NFL HQ" crew on NFL Network broke down the two Pro Bowl receivers and who would come out on top.
Analyst Elliot Harrison went with Beckham, who caught a touchdown in his NFL debut last season against Atlanta.
"I'm taking OBJ in this one, even though Julio Jones I think is going to be right there with [Steelers wide receiver] Antonio Brown as the top scorers in fantasy at wide receiver," Harrison said. "The reason why is I don't trust the Falcons to be able to get to Eli Manning. I know that the Giants pass rush had a hard time getting to [Tony] Romo, but that Cowboys offensive line is a whole lot better than the Falcons offensive line. I think the Giants will be better this week at getting pressure and Julio Jones does not go off. I think OBJ does."
Meanwhile, Daniel Jeremiah, a former NFL scout, took Jones.
"I think these are two of the most dynamic players, forget position, that we have in the National Football League," Jeremiah said. "And they're two of the toughest covers. I'd hate to be these Giants secondary players. You had to deal with Dez Bryant before he got hurt and then you've got to turn around and now you've got to deal with this guy with Julio Jones."
But if it's not one, it's the other in this league.
"Every week we play the best receiver in the league, right?" Giants safety Brandon Meriweather told reporters on Wednesday at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center. "I think last week y'all said Dez was the best receiver in the league, now it's Julio, and next week it's going to be DeSean [Jackson, Washington's wide receiver who suffered a hamstring injury last week]. So every week is a good challenge and we look forward to it."
**Player** | **Height** | **Weight** | **Age** | **Week 1** | **2014 Season** |
Odell Beckham Jr. | 5-11 | 198 | 22 | 5 REC, 44 YDS | 91 REC, 1305 YDS, 12 TD |
Julio Jones | 6-3 | 220 | 26 | 9 REC, 141 YDS, 2 TD | 104 REC, 1593 YDS, 6 TD |
Playmakers on Falcons first-team offense, defense, and special teams, presented by Nike