Tag: Michael Turner (Page 6 of 21)

      Are the Falcons becoming a pass-first team under Matt Ryan?

      November 21, 2010 /
      NEW ORLEANS - NOVEMBER 2: Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons throws a pass against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter of the game at the Louisiana Superdome on November 2, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

      For the past two years the Falcons have largely been known as a run-first team, which makes sense because they are.

      Or were.

      For the past two weeks the Falcons have gotten away from their mantra of allowing Michael Turner and the running game to set up Matt Ryan and the passing game. In their 26-21 win over the Ravens last Thursday night, seven of their first nine plays were passes and for the most part, they stuck with the pass even after they built a two-score lead.

      In their 34-17 win over the Rams on Sunday, Turner racked up 131 yards on 28 carries but 39 of those yards came on one touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. Truth be told, Atlanta had issues running the ball with consistency for much of the game and relied mostly on Ryan’s arm to earn their NFC-best eighth win.

      Ryan was outstanding. He completed 26-of-39 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions (although he was nearly picked off in the end zone in the second half). Whenever the Falcons needed a big play, it was Ryan finding Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White and Michael Jenkins through the air – not Turner churning out first downs on the ground. That’s not to say Turner was ineffective or wasn’t a part of the game plan because he was (on both accounts). But it’s becoming clear that offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey is putting the game more on Ryan’s shoulders, which is good seeing as how well the third-year quarterback has handled the pressure.

      That said, a balanced offense remains the key to the Falcons’ success. Ryan has looked great running the no-huddle and has done his most damage when he can read the defense and to check to plays at the line of scrimmage. But Atlanta found some balance late in the third quarter against St. Louis and that’s when the Falcons were at their best offensively. There was little the Rams could do as Atlanta marched up the field methodically and dominated time of possession. The Falcons are dangerous right now because they have so many weapons that they can throw at a defense. But balance is everything.

      Next week should be fun. The Falcons host the Packers in what could be a potential playoff showdown in the Georgia Dome.

      External Sports, NFL

      Bucs may not be the best in the NFC, but they continue to compete

      November 7, 2010 /

      I didn’t believe Raheem Morris when he said the Bucs were the best team in the NFC. I don’t even think he believes that the Bucs are the best team in the NFC.

      But if they play every week as hard as they did in Atlanta on Sunday, then they’re going to stay in the thick of things in the conference.

      The Falcons beat their division foes 27-21 to take sole possession of first place in the NFC South, but it wasn’t without a couple of close calls. After Atlanta took a 27-14 lead late in the third quarter on a Matt Bryant 41-yard field goal, Michael Spurlock returned the following kickoff for an 89-yard touchdown to cut the Falcons’ lead to 27-21. Tampa Bay’s defense then shut down Atlanta’s offense after a failed onsides kick and following a Josh Freeman interception in the fourth quarter.

      But in the end, the Falcons’ defense saved the day by stopping LeGarrette Blount on 4th-and-1 from the Atlanta 2-yard line. Blount thought he had picked up the first down, but it was clear that he was stopped short and with the Bucs out of timeouts, the Falcons were able to run out the rest of the clock (roughly two minutes) after picking up a first down.

      Sunday showed that the Bucs are moving in the right direction but they also still have a ways to go – especially Freeman. He made a couple of great throws in crucial moments during the game, but he threw an interception after locking onto receiver Mike Williams early in the fourth quarter and he also mismanaged the play clock (not totally his fault, as the Bucs were having issues getting the play into him) on Tampa’s final drive. Because of that, Morris had to call the team’s last time out and therefore wasn’t able to challenge Blount’s play on 4th-and-1. (The call probably could have stood anyway, but it would have been nice had the Bucs been able to challenge.) It’s games like these that remind fans that Freeman is a talented kid but he’s just that – a kid. He should continue to get better though.

      Tampa’s run defense needs to improve as well. Atlanta is going to get its yards on the ground with Michael Turner and Jason Snelling, but the Bucs need to improve in that area if they’re going to compete down the stretch. The Falcons rushed for 130 yards and because of that, they controlled the game throughout (even the Bucs gave them a couple of scares in the second half).

      That said, Morris has something brewing in Tampa. He has his team believing that they can win every week and even though they’re often dominated in terms of time of possession and total yards, they’re rarely dominated on the scoreboard (where it counts). They produce some big plays and have that gnat-like ability to hang around late in games.

      Maybe they’ll hang around all year, too.

      External Sports, NFL

      Roddy White goes off on Bengals as Falcons’ offense finally rolls

      October 24, 2010 /
      ATLANTA - OCTOBER 24: Roddy White of the Atlanta Falcons stiff arms Chinedum Ndukwe of the Cincinnati Bengals at Georgia Dome on October 24, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      After turning in their worst performance of the year, the Falcons needed a rebound game. And after nearly giving the game away in the second half after building a 24-3 halftime lead, the Falcons hung on to beat the Bengals 39-32 on Sunday.

      Roddy White had a massive day, recording 11 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. He also added a two-point conversation, although it was his fumble that gave the Bengals life in the second half. Pacman Jones stripped White, then scooped it up for a 59-yard touchdown return to give Cincinnati a brief 25-24 lead.

      But White’s 11-yard touchdown reception and two-point conversation early in the fourth quarter gave Atlanta the lead back at 32-25. Michael Turner added a 3-yard touchdown run with 4:33 left on the clock and even though the Bengals got to within one score after a Chad Ochocinco 8-yard touchdown pass with under two minutes remaining, a last-second desperation drive by Cincinnati failed.

      This is the type of performance that people expect out of the Falcons’ offense every week and really, there’s no reason why they can’t duplicate this effort most Sundays. Matt Ryan averaged 9.1 yards per pass, Turner rushed for 121 yards and seven different receivers caught passes. The deep pass made several appearances today, which is something that has been missing from the Falcons’ offense much of this year.

      The bye couldn’t have come at a better time for Atlanta, which is banged up defensively and could use the rest. In the second half, the Falcons have dates with the Bucs (twice), Ravens, Packers, Seahawks and Saints, so they better get healthy.

      External Sports, NFL

      Get used to the way this Falcons team wins

      October 10, 2010 /
      Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) throws with pressure from Cleveland Browns linebacker David Bowens during the second quarter of their NFL football game in Cleveland, Ohio October 10, 2010. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      At halftime of the game between the Browns and Falcons, I was ready to start using the term “overrated” when it came to Atlanta. Before the season, many pundits said the Falcons were Super Bowl contenders, yet there they were in Cleveland on Sunday trailing 7-6 and being somewhat dominated by a more motivated Browns’ defense.

      But a 20-10 win later and I’ve started to realize that the Falcons are who they are.

      They’re not overrated – far from it. Are they a Super Bowl contender? Maybe, but don’t expect them to play as smooth and as fluid as the Saints did last year when they rolled over opponents on a weekly basis. Atlanta is heavy metal compared to New Orleans’ smooth jazz.

      This Falcons team relies on its running game and methodical passing to wear defenses down in the second half and keep the game close. Then, when they have an opportunity to strike, they take it and all of a sudden have found a way to win.

      Most teams try to have a similiar philosophy, but few pull it off like the Falcons. Thanks to Michael Turner’s 140 yards on 19 carries, Atlanta wore Cleveland’s defense out and then just when you thought Matt Ryan wasn’t going to complete a pass for more than five yards (or complete a pass period), he hit Roddy White on a 45-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter and the Falcons never looked back.

      If you’re a football fan and you’ve watched the Falcons these first five weeks, chances are you haven’t been impressed outside of their rout of the Cardinals in Week 2. You may have even wanted to use the term “overrated” yourself.

      But the fact remains that they’re 4-1, Ryan is making plays when it matters most, Turner and Snelling continue to wear teams down, White is damn near unstoppable and the defense is fast and opportunistic. (Did you see Kroy Biermann’s 41-yard interception return for a touchdown late in the game? Holy amazing play, Batman.)

      Have they been fortunate a couple of times this year? Without a doubt. Garrett Hartley’s missed field goal in Week 3, Nate Clements’ fumble in Week 4 and Seneca Wallace’s (who was playing great before coming out just before halftime) injury today has all played a huge factor in Atlanta’s strong start. But it all plays into the Falcons’ makeup in some weird, twisted way.

      “Winning Ugly” should be their philosophy the rest of the season.

      External Sports, NFL

      Saints’ issues go beyond Garrett Hartley

      September 27, 2010 /
      NEW ORLEANS - SEPTEMBER 09: Head coach Sean Payton of the New Orleans Saints looks on against the Minnesota Vikings at Louisiana Superdome on September 9, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

      When a kicker misses what would have been a game-winning field goal and sets up his opponent for victory instead, it’s not hard to figure out where to point blame.

      Garrett Hartley should have made the 29-yard field goal that cost the Saints a victory over the Falcons yesterday in overtime. But the defending champs have more than just kicking issues to worry about.

      Hartley’s kicking woes are obvious, which is why the Saints are set to work out veteran John Carney today. If they decide to make a change, then hopefully Carney will help bring some stability to the position.

      But John Carney isn’t going to solve the Saints’ inability to stop power running games or help generate a pass rush. He’s not going to fix Reggie Bush’s leg injury or help a suddenly struggling interior offensive line either.

      The Falcons have consistently proven that they can run the football. They rushed for 221 yards against the Cardinals, so for them to produce another 200-yard effort (201 to be exact) against the Saints wasn’t necessarily surprising. But it’s obviously still a concern.

      The straw that broke the camel’s back was when the Saints’ defense couldn’t stop Michael Turner and Jason Snelling on the Falcons’ game-winning drive in overtime. On that drive, Turner and Snelling combined for 46 yards on 10 carries and picked up three first downs by keeping the ball on the ground. (Although one of those runs by Turner was negated because of a penalty.)

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      External Sports, NFL

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