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Last week, the Falcons waited until Sunday morning to decide whether receiver Julio Jones would play despite a hip injury. This week, it’ll be the same routine.

Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Jones’ availability for Sunday’s showdown with the Saints will hinge on the Sunday morning pre-game workout.

Obviously, he wants to play. (Rarely if ever does an NFL player pull a Lee Corso with a key game coming up.) And the team desperately need Jones.

In his last two games played, Jones generated 448 receiving yards, with a whopping 259 yards coming in a Monday night loss to the Packers. Between the performances with Jones and the team’s struggles without him, the fourth-year wideout from Alabama is laying the foundation for a major payday at some point during the 2015 offseason.

Coupled with the presence of quarterback Matt Ryan, the Falcons’ head coaching job becomes perhaps the most attractive of any that woud be available in the upcoming hiring cycle. Whether the job actually is available depends in part on beating the Saints, with or without Jones on the field.