FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan said Julio Jones is capable of reaching an NFL-record 2,000 receiving yards in a season, and while Jones agreed, he said his primary focus is on winning.

"I can, but I'm going to do what helps the team win," Jones told ESPN.com. "If that's me getting 2,000 on the way to being a great teammate, let's do it. But if it's not required for me to win games, hey, I'm all about winning."

Jones posted the second-highest single-season receiving total in NFL history last season with 1,871 receiving yards on 136 catches. Former Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson holds the league record with 1,964 yards on 122 catches set in 2012.

"Can he do it? Absolutely he can. Is it a good thing? If we've won 16 games, it's a great thing," Ryan said. "Julio will tell you the same thing. If it's going to help us win, hell yeah it's a good thing. It depends on wins. At the end of the day, that's all that's important."

The Falcons, who failed to make the playoffs the past three years, intend to take more deep shots this season, which could result in more big-play opportunities for Jones. At the same time, defenses are certain to plan for the game to stop him. But those defenses might not be able to key on Jones as much if Ryan gets more production out of other targets such as newcomer Mohamed Sanu, second-year receiver Justin Hardy, veteran tight end Jacob Tamme and rookie Austin Hooper.

Not to mention a successful running game behind the combination of Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman could open up more play-action opportunities, allowing Ryan to throw deep to Jones more often. Last season, Jones was targeted 15 times on throws of 25-plus air yards down the field and had six receptions for 270 yards with one touchdown.

Jones, who amassed 642 yards after the catch a year ago, had nine games of 100-plus receiving yards in 2015, including a season-high 178 in a 20-13 upset of the 14-0 Panthers. He'll face at least three top-notch pass defenses this season with Carolina, Denver and Seattle.