Atlanta Falcons: Tomlinson, Faulk weigh-in on Michael Turner, run game

FLOWERY BRANCH – Retired running backs turned broadcasters LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshall Faulk weighed in on the Falcons running game.

Tomlinson came to the defense of his former understudy Michael Turner on Wednesday and Faulk was accused of nitpicking by the Falcons, who called him after one of his segments aired on The NFL Network.

Tomlinson, during his show with Ross Tucker on SiriusXM NFL radio, was asked about what was wrong with Turner.

“He’s going to finish the season with fewer carries than he has ever had,” Tomlinson said. “Obviously, that means that they don’t run the ball as much as they used to.”

Turner paid homage to Tomlinson earlier this season in San Diego and struck his favorite pose after scoring a touchdown.

He believes it’s harder for Turner to get into a rhythm with fewer carries. Turner had 13 carries and rushed for 15 yards against the New Orleans Saints.

On the season, Turner has 141 carries for 562 yards and four touchdowns.

“It takes rhythm,” Tomlinson said. “You have to run the football on a consistent basis to be good at it. You have to practice it in practice and you’ve got to get good at it.

“You can’t make the transition to a passing team and expect to be the same type of running team. That just doesn’t happen. A part of that is the way the Atlanta Falcons are transitioning into a passing team. Well, they don’t run the ball the same way that they used to.”

Here’s what Faulk had to say, “(Sunday) morning talking about Atlanta Falcons, they called me and said I was nitpicking because on the Marshall Plan. I said the one thing you have to do when play an offense, that’s as explosive as you are as we saw with the Saints, your run plays have to have more productive.

“Last week (Turner) had 20 carries, 102 yards. One carry was for 40 yards and the other 19 he averaged three yards a carry. If you are running it three times, fourth-and-one, you have to punt.

“If you are going to run the football, just like the Saints (on Sunday), those runs must be productive and at times Michael Turner or the offensive line or combined they don’t get that production to go along with the explosiveness of the receivers and the passing game.”

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