Green Bay - No ball was thrown his way in the first quarter of one game.
"Focus."
None passed his way by halftime in another.
"Focus!"
Four catches in the third quarter.
"Stay focused!"
Have you noticed Green Bay Packers receiver James Jones talking to himself during games this year? Just walking around, on the field, on the sideline, talking to no one but the man in the mirror?
"Even some of the DBs have asked me, man, what are you talking about?" said Jones, laughing.
He's talking about catching the ball, specifically, 36 times this season. And being the target of 57 passes in all - without a single drop. He's talking about the best season in his six-year career.
This didn't just happen, some stroke of luck, with an illuminated light bulb over his head. This took work, and lots of it, starting with a steady stream of verbal self-reminders that he had to catch the ball - every ball - this year, whether he was getting a lot of passes, or none.
"In the past I've had games where I caught balls early and I would lose focus at the end," said Jones. And the other way around. "So I'm constantly talking to myself the whole game."
Jones' efforts have paid off this season and for an example, he has different, difficult catches to show for it.
In the win against the New Orleans Saints, Green Bay held a 28-27 lead when the Packers faced third down at midfield. They needed a first down or risked punting the ball back to the Saints right after the 2-minute warning.
Just two days earlier, the Packers had done something out of the ordinary, installing a new play, a seven-step hitch route. Packers coach Mike McCarthy decided to call it in this critical moment.
Jones took off after the snap and the last thing he saw was quarterback Aaron Rodgers releasing the ball. After that, Jones might as well have been looking at a solar eclipse through Saints defensive back Jabari Greer, who blocked his line of vision while committing pass interference.
"Aaron threw it inside, it was supposed to be an outside throw," said Jones. "Greer completely covered me - but I had seen Aaron throw it, so I just visualized where I thought the ball would go. I felt it hit my hand and once I felt it hit my hand, I just kind of cradled it with my bicep and my body.
"It was one of those one out of 10 catches. You need a little bit of luck on your side."
But people get lucky once in awhile. Jones has made other great catches this year, especially in Houston. After catching a 6-yard, first-quarter touchdown that had to be wrestled in, Jones hauled in another touchdown that won't be soon forgotten.
"Probably two of my favorite catches of my career," said Jones.
Jones made a diving, sliding, 18-yard, one-handed touchdown catch in the fourth quarter by completely adjusting his usual technique. He caught it at the point.
"When you catch with two hands, you want to catch the fat part of it," said Jones. "The key to catching one-handed balls is you have to catch the tip of the ball.
"It just hit my fingertips and I was able to bring it into my chest and control it and bring it back in. Nine times out of 10, if you try to catch the ball one-handed in the fat part of the ball, with the velocity that Aaron throws it with, it's going to slip out."
The TD helped to demoralize previously unbeaten Texans.
Jones and Rodgers have always had a good rapport, working out together in past seasons in San Diego. But even Rodgers said he noticed a rededication by Jones, who has doubled his film study.
"The way that he's playing is a direct correlation to the way that he's practicing," said Rodgers. "He's making a lot of those plays in practice. He's got improved practice habits and he's been getting the ball thrown his way because he's been working hard. It's transferring over in to the game."
Even if and when starting receivers Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson return from injuries, the Packers are really going to need Jones in the second half of the season. They have only two rushing touchdowns, and of Rodgers' league-leading 21 touchdowns, Jones has seven of them. That already matches his personal best of last season.
That means good gloves. He's under contract with Under Armour, and his cold-weather gloves look like smooth, perfect batting gloves.
"Your fingertips still get cold," said Jones. "You can never unfreeze the ball. That's the worst part. The ball is rock hard. It's tough to catch. It's like somebody throwing you ice cubes."
Jones is completely serious. And he hates the cold. After practice Wednesday, he pulled on a second fleece sweat shirt, a skull cap and double socks.
"You know I'm a California kid," said Jones. "I'm always cold."
But it doesn't matter. Solid coverage, tricky catches, wicked Wisconsin weather coming up after the bye.
This year, Jones is armed with focus.
Lori Nickel wrote: