Jacoby Jones may not be the most technically sound dancer, but his entertainment factor could very well carry him into the "Dancing With The Stars" finals.
Jones and partner Karina Smirnoff turned in their best performance yet, posting a combined score of 59 in two dances, an Argentine Tango and Lindy Hop.
It was just one point shy of absolute perfection, and tied for the best score of the night with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and Mark Ballas.
The scores give Jones and Smirnoff a strong possibility of reaching next week's four-squad finals if they get enough support from viewer voting. The results will be announced tomorrow night on ABC, when one couple will be sent home.
"Without a doubt, I vote you the No. 1 entertainer of Season 16," judge Carrie Ann Inaba said after their second dance.
Jones and Smirnoff hadn't received a single 10 throughout the entire competition. They got straight 10s on their first dance of the night, a sleek and sensual tango.
"You two animals; the sexual tension was unbearable," judge Bruno Tonioli said. "You were like a prowling predator. At the same, you didn't stretch it. You can have control. You can be sleek, you can be refined. Best performance ever from you!"
Their second dance was a high-flying, fun-loving Lindy hop. Len Goodman was the only judge to give Jones and Smirnoff a nine, but was still complimentary.
"It was high energy, full-on, action packed," Goodman said. "That was full-on and fabulous."
Before each dancer's second dance of the night, ABC ran a feature on the five celebrities.
Jones' story focused on his small size as a child, not making his high school football team, then going to Lane College as a walk-on. Through it all, Jones showed the dedication to keep chasing his NFL dreams.
The feature went into Jones' muffed punt in the playoffs versus the Ravens in 2011, which led to a Baltimore touchdown in a close divisional playoff victory. It resulted in fervent backlash in Houston, and was followed by Jones' release from the Texans.
But Jones has found a home in Baltimore, where he scored two touchdowns in the Ravens' Super Bowl XLVII win.
"From the football field to the dance floor, he's not going to stay down long," wide receiver Torrey Smith said. "He's going to get right back up and keep fighting."
"Jacoby is Jacoby," Ray Lewis added. "So when you see how vibrant he is, it's the same way he is in the locker room. He's just that type of guy, a type of energy that you want to be around."
