Turner the Burner returns, and the Falcons breathe easier
Here's the churnin' Michael Turner we're used to seeing. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Flowery Branch – Napoleon Bonaparte, not to be confused with Napoleon Dynamite, famously said an army travels on its stomach. A good NFL team travels via its legs, and for a while there was concern the Falcons’ legs — meaning Michael Turner — had been sapped by an expanding midsection.
Put simply, there were those who believed the big back had gotten too big. Turner insisted Wednesday such was never the case. “My weight was the same as last season — 244, 245,” he said. “I get bigger in the offseason, but I work the weight off … You notice [increased weight]; you feel sluggish. But that wasn’t the issue.”
But there was no denying the dip in production. The man who’d rushed for 1,699 yards in 2008 was, through six games of 2009, on pace to gain 1,075. He was averaging 3.4 yards per carry, down from 4.5 last season. He’d managed 30 yards in a narrow victory over Chicago and 50 in a loss at Dallas. And he was, for the first time as a Falcon, being criticized.
“I was hearing it,” Turner said. “I didn’t like it. I had to evaluate myself.”
What he found: “I wasn’t getting breaks.” But breaks, or the lack thereof, couldn’t explain the entire decline, could they? Turner again: “Some of it was situational. Some of it was runs I’d just been missing, the one tackle I didn’t break … We needed a better effort on my part.”
And that rankled more than anything. Michael Turner is a proud pro. He came here because, after four years of spelling LaDainian Tomlinson in San Diego, he wanted to carry a team on his broad back. He’d done it to spectacular effect in 2008, and now he was hearing whispers that he might just have been a one-year wonder.
“I devoted myself to putting more effort into it,” Turner said. “I wanted to be more explosive … And we had some running backs [Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling] down, and I was the only one who knew the system.”
It was a transformed Turner who showed up in New Orleans. He gained 151 yards that night and was quick and decisive and irresistible. Six days later he creased Washington for 166 yards, and after those two massive games he can say: “I’m getting my groove back.”
And that’s essential. Matt Ryan was a splendid rookie quarterback, but his burden was eased by the bashing being done by the tailback. It was no coincidence that Ryan’s mini-slump began at a time when Turner had hit a similar downtown. Now the Burner is back. Can Matty Ice be far behind?
Turner on his surge: “I felt I had to step up my game. Thirty yards here, 50 yards there … that wasn’t what I wanted. The numbers needed to improve.”
Two big games and Turner again ranks among the NFL’s leading rushers. (He’s No. 7 now; he was second to Adrian Peterson in 2008.) He has cast aside the notion that the 370 carries from last season had eroded his burst. “As soon as the season was over, I didn’t feel worn out,” he said. “And I didn’t feel any effect at the beginning of this season.”
He wasn’t too heavy. He wasn’t too tired. Still, he did go six games without running the way we’d grown accustomed to seeing Turner run, and that was troubling. But the No. 33 of the past two week … that guy we know.
“I’m the same guy,” said Michael Turner, smiling now. “I felt I’d never left.”
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89 comments Add your comment
SSG Hunter
November 11th, 2009
1:27 pm
1st!!!
Denver Bird
November 11th, 2009
1:28 pm
we’re ready now.
Lord Noobzor
November 11th, 2009
1:30 pm
Second
Delbert D.
November 11th, 2009
1:35 pm
Mark – Your front page “Icon” photo ain’t you!
F-105 Thunderchief
November 11th, 2009
1:38 pm
I’m thinking Red Ryan’s performance will improve as Turner continues to burn.
INDIAN BIRD
November 11th, 2009
1:38 pm
If you like physical football there is not a better RB to watch than Turner. The last 2 weeks I noticed for the first time this year that once he gets those legs going they don’t stop. Watching him run over people is as good as it gets.
Ryno
November 11th, 2009
1:39 pm
And Mr. Turner’s return to form will do wonders for the passing game.
The ability to move the ball on the ground won’t leave Matty Ballgame in so many lond situations and should keep him on his feet.
Get well Norwood! We miss you too!
1990_Champs_GT
November 11th, 2009
1:39 pm
They’ve got three tough games left (Eagles, Aints and Giants) and only one is on the road. If they can get Turner rolling down hill on teams, it frees up Ryan to do his thing.
But it has to happen every week. Do that and they will make the playoffs.
Delbert D.
November 11th, 2009
1:40 pm
And Barnhart’s photo is “The Zooma 5K and half-marathon”. Huh?
Decatur Native
November 11th, 2009
1:40 pm
welcome back burner, we missed you
steverino
November 11th, 2009
1:43 pm
whoo hoo
Hillbilly Deluxe
November 11th, 2009
1:45 pm
Mark,
Not saying it’s the case with Turner but how many times in your sports writing career have you seen an athlete go through a slump and then find out later they were dealing with some sort of nagging injury that they and the team are trying to keep secret? A player or team obviously doesn’t want opponents knowing if they have a weakness. I’m thinking it probably happens more than we realize.
Delbert D.
November 11th, 2009
1:46 pm
Need to see more of that hop-jump that he did against the ‘Skins. The DBs have been diving at his ankles all year.
Sonny Clusters
November 11th, 2009
1:50 pm
Turner the Burner is a pretty good name. We was always careful of pet names, though. Some of the girls called us, Sonny the Honey but we was always modest about that when we was in school. They was always wanting to go out with a Clusters and we was all about playing ball back then. But, we was ripped and guess we understand what they was thinking. After the state championship they was plenty time for girls and Dairy Queen dates. Girls do like a good Dairy Queen. That may have been Turner’s problem at the beginning, a little too much Dairy Queen.
Sonny Clusters
November 11th, 2009
1:57 pm
They is more than 5,700 Dairy Queens and not many of them are in New York where a certain Dairy Queen loving ballplayer is playing ball. They is about 600 Dairy Queens in Texas and that is a long way off from Citi Field. A trade may make some sense and if that happens a Dairy Queen should be throwed in as a signing bonus.
pilgrim
November 11th, 2009
2:00 pm
That Curtis Compton photo above says it all: one guy crumpling, one guy driving.
BugKiller
November 11th, 2009
2:03 pm
Mark,
I think Turner still looked a little Andruw Jones-ish, play my way into shape. It can happen once. He had a great, Pro Bowl Season. He was nationally recognized. He probably couldn’t enter a bar without someone buying him a shot or a beer all off season. No one can blame him for getting a little fat and happy for the year he had.
The thing is, he can’t make the same mistake twice, or several times, as Jones did for years.
And Ryan is in a slump for MANY reasons that tie into the running game. I would caution you to look at Eli Manning right now, who is also missing a running game.
No running game means no respect for playaction passes. Unless you’re New England or Indianapolis, EVERY NFL offense is predicated on the running game and playaction pass.
No respect for the playaction pass makes a good offensive line suddenly look bad (like New York) and an average offensive line look terrible (like Atlanta).
It’s no secret that in those first few games, the other team still respected the playaction pass because they respected the running game. So there were no heavy blitzes.
That all changed with Dallas, who saw Turner in decline over two weeks of film study, and mercilessly came after Ryan no matter what he did: hand it off, fake the hand off, or just drop back to pass.
NO QB, unless they’re P. Manning or Tom Brady, can win without a running game. Not Big Ben (who looked terrible until Mendenhall broke out). Not Rivers (who looked bad until Sproles replaced LDT). No one.
Looking at the rest of the schedule, with a bruising Turner back to playing speed, the Falcons should finish no worse than 10-6, beating out New York for the final playoff spot, have a VERY good chance to go 11-5, and have a puncher’s chance at 12-4.
Unfortunately, 12-4 won’t win this division this year, because the Saints are going 15-1 or 14-2, so even if the Falcons surprise everyone and win out at 13-3, they’re STILL not winning the division.
But at 12-4 or 13-3, they could win the conference.
gsbid
November 11th, 2009
2:13 pm
I have really been surprised that no one else seems to have noticed that Michael Turner’s statistics have improved greatly since Ovie Mughelli is back from being injured. There was one replay in the Saints game that I remember that Turner got at least 3 or 4 extra yards because he had just enough of a wedge to squeeze through after following his lead blocker (Mughelli) through the hole. I’m really curious if Turner himself has commented on the difference that Mughelli makes.
A Rod
November 11th, 2009
2:14 pm
Just keep him off donuts and get Ryan on roids.
FALCONS SORRY
November 11th, 2009
2:31 pm
TURNER BURNER! YOU ARE THE MAN! IT IS UP TO YOU TO CARRY THIS WHOLE SORRY FRANCHISE! 2009 IS YOUR YEAR TO SHINE ONCE MORE MY MAN! EVERBODY KNOW WE AINT GOT NO QUARTERBACK TO HELP US! AND THAT LOW DOWN SORRY SO CALL OWNER WE GOT IS A CHEAP SKATE WHO DONT CARE ABOUT NOTHING EXCEPT FOR HIS OWN SELF AND FOR CHASING AFTER ANY THING THAT IS WEARING A SKIRT AND PERFOOM! IT IS A WONDER BLANKS PAY CHECK TO THE FALCONS PLAYER DONT BOUNCE YET! IF BLANK TOO CHEAP AND OR TO POOR TO GET YOU SOME HELP THEN YOU ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO BE THE MAN AND DO EVERTHING THAT NEED DOING TO GET THE FALCONS TO THE PLAY OFF! YOU KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO TB! KEEP RUNNING HARD AND MAKING PLAYS! AS LONG AS YOU ARE TOATING THAT ROCK WE DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MATTY HOPELESS TURNING IT OVER! COACH SMITTY KNOW YOU ARE THE KEY TO EVERTHING ON OFFENCE! IF THE FALCONS ARE GOING TO DO ANY THING THIS YEAR TO KEEP UP WITH NEW OLEANS THEN IT WILL HAVE TO BE YOUR STRONG QUIK LEG THAT TAKE US TO THE HOUSE TB! DONT GET DOWN ABOUT ALL THESE MATTY HOPELESS SO CALL FAN THAT ONLY CHEER FOR HIM AND IGNORE EVERTHING YOU DO TO HELP THIS TEAM WHEN NO BODY ELSE CAN OR WILL TB! LET YOUR HATERS BE YOUR MOTORVATERS TURNER BURNER!
BRAD
November 11th, 2009
2:36 pm
The first few games, it looked to me that for some reason, Turner was running to the line of scrimmage very timidly. Maybe he was exspecting huge hole to run through. Now he is just running hard regardless of a hole, and if there isnt one he is running over people to make one.
chemdawg
November 11th, 2009
2:36 pm
Turner struggled against defenses that can stop the run early this season just as he did last season. The schedule was just that easy last year. The run defenses are softening up for the 2nd half this year, so expect better numbers. His frame reminds me of Jamal Anderson (the RB not the DL). He doesn’t have elite speed, so he will struggle against teams that load the box.
Falcons Sorry is a racist
November 11th, 2009
2:48 pm
Falcons Sorry — go kill yourself. It’s negros like you that ruin it for the rest of us.
Dr. Warren
November 11th, 2009
2:48 pm
It was mental. He looked like Pippy Longstockings running the ball until New Orleans. Now he’s attacking the line, an aggressor rather than a reactor. I think the one-hit wonder whispers got under his skin.
wiki
November 11th, 2009
2:53 pm
Don’t forget that most of the teams the Falcons played before New Orleans play a 3-4 defense geared to stop the run. Most of the teams they play the rest of the way employ a 4-3.
Bill
November 11th, 2009
2:56 pm
The secondary,not the offense will be the downfall of this team.Too many injuries back there.However this is the first time I have ever believed Falcon management wil address and fix this problem.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.The Falcons won’t break the thier record of fultility this year.The next 2 years they will have back to back winning seasons.
jim
November 11th, 2009
3:12 pm
You get the Michael Turner Boner!
willie martinez
November 11th, 2009
3:14 pm
Mark, would you at least put something interesting out for people to comment on? Like my abilities as a defensive coordinator?
Thanks, willie
MV7
November 11th, 2009
3:15 pm
Hi, it’s Mike, y’know? Have you seen my career?
Sonny Clusters
November 11th, 2009
3:21 pm
Not many people know that Dairy Queen is wholly owned by Berkshire Hathaway. That’s not T. Boone Pickens, that’s Warren Buffet the great singer. We was always partial to Dairy Queens and to cheeseburgers in paradise.
Singletary
November 11th, 2009
3:22 pm
Welcome back, you always were our ticket out… (with props to Welcome Back, Kotter.)
Michael Vick's Mama
November 11th, 2009
3:27 pm
Now Mikey boy, time to go clean yo room! You need to stop toying around bein a nobody now in the NFL and move on witcha life, make yo mama proud! Be home by eleven. You caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan tell time cantcha? The clock mutha clucka, 11 oclock bring yo azzzz heeeyah!
ATLien
November 11th, 2009
3:27 pm
So Matt Ryan is throwing 2 picks a game because Michael Turner won’t average 150 yards a game?? Oh….that explains it. /snark
Sonny Clusters
November 11th, 2009
3:28 pm
We remember when Mark got his start writing obits in the AJC. Instead of Turner the Burner it was Go Sadly with Bradley.
chemdawg
November 11th, 2009
3:28 pm
Clusters, go away. The act is a little tired.
Turner the MVP
November 11th, 2009
3:28 pm
That whole “splendid” rookie performance by Matt Ryan was nothing more than splendid game management huh Mark Bradley?? LMAO
Geez…well Turner, you see who’ll get blamed when the golden boy’s “intangibles” dont hold up.
Webster
November 11th, 2009
3:29 pm
Please tell me Ryan and Turner werent just one season players. I enjoy watchin them get er dun, so, from the bottom of my hart, geeeeet errrr dun!!!! GO FALCONS!!!
Nativebird
November 11th, 2009
3:51 pm
The was no doubt a more timid “mosie” to the line of scrimmage early season, trying to pick holes (that were’nt there) and being too “patient” in his running. the 3-4 defense effect is also indeed a real issue, which is Mularkey’s problem to fix (let’s hope he can).
But the Burner has made the adjustment, and has flat turned it on and is awesome. The fact that we got self reflection, responsibility and ownership of the problem from him versus deflection, finger pointing, loud mouthing and blame-gaming like many other’s in this league do consistently, is a VERY reassuring sign that we have a true PRO mentally as well as physically at running back. This will bode well probably more for Falcon fans than any other feature this pro bowler brings to the table for years to come.
Roger
November 11th, 2009
3:51 pm
I like Sonny Clusters observations !
timthebrave
November 11th, 2009
4:04 pm
Turner has the most exciting runners in football when he is on his game. More than once in the last few weeks he had me jumping out of my chair screaming. Go dirty birds!
Sonny Clusters
November 11th, 2009
4:09 pm
chemdawg, we was impressed by you and then you go and spoil it. If you can get by and spray our lawn we will pay you.
leland
November 11th, 2009
4:10 pm
Dear Mr. MB–now don’t get me wrong–you’re my favorite source of news on the Falcons and my favorite writer on the AJC. I’m not kidding. But did you know they have a tv program on tv about nothing but the Falcons? “Falcons Face to Face,” is what it is. Sunday morning before the game at eleven o’clock. And, oh, irony of ironies, on channel 11, where they have Lebenalivenews. They got this guy goes by the name of Randle Walters–real funny guy, alltime laugh, alltime funny–and another guy whose name slips me at the moment. They get on there and start talking about the Falcons and everything like that, and then they get a Falcon on there. (I’ll have to say, Mr. MB, that’s something you can’t do in your column.) The guy on the left talks real fast sometimes; you can’t understand what he says, but it don’t make no difference. Leastwise, to me. And Randle sometimes interviews a Falcon who, most of the time, I can’t understand either. But I do catch a few things like “the team has a real good bonding,” and “we need to stay focus, is all it is,” and “playing Carolina might be a trap game,” and “we beat New Orleans, it’s a signature victory,” and “all we need to do is execute, is all it is,” and “we need to get in a position to win,” and “it will be decided in the trenches,” and a lot more I can’t even think of. One of them said, “It’s one game at a time, is all it is.” Check it out, you’ll like it. On channel 11 at 11 Sunday morning. One of the Falcons said, “You help a man build a fire, and he’ll be warm all night. You set him on fire and he’ll be warm the rest of his life.”
Nice to see FalconsSorry back.
Your pal, Leland
All I'm Saying Is...
November 11th, 2009
4:19 pm
“It was no coincidence that Ryan’s mini-slump began at a time when Turner had hit a similar downtown.” I think you meant to type downturn.
Now that Turner’s downturn is over going on two straight games (with one victory and one loss for the Falcons in both), what will you now blame Matt Ryan’s sub par statistics on?
When will somebody call Ryan out for forcing the ball to Tony G and not going through his reads?
Our wide receivers are not getting the ball thrown their way enough and emphasizing Tony G. too much doesn’t help Turner because TG runs his routes over the middle giving the safeties another reason to play up closer to the line of scrimmage.
[And, by the way, some people have one act and it works for them for years: Evel Knievel, Soupy Sales, and Sonny Clusters with corn-pone bromides. If you don't like them, then don't read them.]
LET’S GO FALCONS!
SamInAtlanta
November 11th, 2009
4:19 pm
Mark. You have a gift of getting to the center of a situation. Yes, the Falcons are like a finely tuned machine. All the parts need to work together or the engine does not run well. We have no superstars yet and if any part of our team lags behind, the entire effort suffers. When everyone does their part. the Falcon’s can be quite a good team.
Sonny Clusters
November 11th, 2009
4:26 pm
Sonny Clusters is feeling the love. We was never one to blog where we was not wanted. Being a state championship we has unique perspectives not held by all. Good thing Mark can understand us because it’s his blog.
willie martinez
November 11th, 2009
4:33 pm
Mark makes room for everyone in his blog. he will even take comments from overworked, underpaid defensive coordinators.
tryin to learn how to walk like the heros,we thought we had to be.
November 11th, 2009
4:59 pm
Clusters is dang funny. Not laugh out loud funny- but I read all his posts. We wuz always that way.
tryin to learn how to walk like the heros,we thought we had to be.
November 11th, 2009
5:09 pm
Chemdawg is cool, but he proly never hung out at Dairy Queen, sippin PBR, in an old F-150. Or was they F-100 back then. Dont matter- if you had a menbers only jacket-T-top ride, and could buy beer from the bootlegger on Sunday, you was cool. Clusters Rocks.
Hillbilly Deluxe
November 11th, 2009
5:28 pm
Geez I didn’t know Warren Buffet owned Dairy Queen. I’ll never eat there again.
Barry
November 11th, 2009
5:34 pm
Hey Y’all:
It is midseason and our FALCONS are in “GREAT” mid season form. THE PROCESS IS STIL CONINUING AND EVERYTHING IS LOOKING GOOD. Yes, Turner did start off slow, but I attribute that to his not usually being a “premier back” in the leauge, this being his second season as a starter in the NFL. I believe now he understands he really is a “priemer back”, for a damn good football team, and HE GOT’S TO BRING IT AND ENJOY IT EVERY GAME. He is a “HEARTBEAT” and he has to “BEAT” them up everygame as “ONE HEARTBEAT!!” with the rest of the team. THEY ALL HAVE TO CLICKING IN ONE MOTION. I guess TURNER just woke up from a bad dream. Now he is running with a vengeance as if he making up for lost time. I AM LOVING IT MAN. THE “NAYSAYERS” ARE ALL CHOKED UP. The team is clicking in “ONE HEARTBEAT!!” mode again, with all parts in tune and ready for action, and are getting “STRONGER” with each game. THE COACHING, THE OFFENSE, THE SPECIAL TEAMS, THE FANS, AND THE MEDIA ARE INTO THE SEASON IN “ONE HEARTBEAT!!” fashion. We are together with this.
Our ATLANTA FALCONS are establishing a wonderful football foundation in this city and it starts with Coach Mike Smith. He has this team playing SMART, INTELLEGENT, TEAM ORIENTED, PHYSICAL, NASTY FOOTBALL. They have each others back and we the fans, the community and the media have theirs. They represent our town. And they play for us, THE FANS, and themselves. I am starting to feel that “FALL” football aptmosphere where we wilL be watching football with our families and friends during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays with our FALCONS in the hunt for the SUPERBOWL. This is just getting started and it won’t be pretty because our FALCONS are going to be playing some PHYSICAL, NASTY, DIRTY, INNOVATIVE footbalf down the stretch. NOW ARE YOU READY TO RUMMBBBLLLEE!!! THE “PROCESS” CONTINUES, AND I AM LOVING IT. I AM LOVING IT IN “ONE HEARTBEAT!!” THE BEAT IS GETTING LOUDER! CAN YOU HEAR IT? THUMP! THUMP!! THUMP!!!…………………. IT’S TOO LOUD!! AND I LOVE IT.
NOW ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!!??????
LET”S GO FALCONS!!! LET’S KICK SOME BUTT!!!
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a SECRET from a FALCN FAN. TELL EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!
……………………….”ONE HEARTBEAT, BABY!!!”……………