In a 16-9 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, fans crowded into the Georgia Dome to see the Falcons offense wreak havoc on the ground behind a breakout rushing performance from Michael Turner.
The offense sputtered to a halt in the red zone, but that wasn’t before Turner scampered to get them there. His “Burner” moniker was in full effect on Saturday, with Turner so fleet of foot on his four carries for 113 yards he scorched himself an early trip to the bench. Turner sprinted 52 yards on the Falcons’ first play from scrimmage and all but called it a night on the team’s second possession. After settling for a Jason Elam field goal, on the second possession’s first play Turner broke loose again for 63 yards. In four carries, the 244-pounder turned his first half into a scene reminiscent of an Olympic 100 meters. Sure, Turner’s no Usain Bolt, but he could have brought home a silver medal after his 28.3 yard-per-carry performance.
“The offense did a great job of opening holes and they made my job easy,” Turner said. “It was just my lucky night. Once you get hot, you want to stay out there and keep it going until the coaches take you out, but it was good to see that when we [offensive line and running backs] do the right things, we get results.”
Don’t blink. If you look away, “the Burner” is gone.
KICK ME
Turner’s early success, unfortunately, didn’t translate to points for the Falcons. Jason Elam was sharp in his indoor debut but the offense trickled to a halt once in the red zone. Three-for-10 (on third down) and five (turnovers) tell the story for an offense that steadily regressed as Turner’s dominance was shelved. The Falcons certainly didn’t cut any corners when it came to turning the ball over, giving it up in every conceivable way, from bobbled passes-turned-interceptions from Harry Douglas and Keith Zinger, to a fumble on a punt return by Adam Jennings, to the only touchdown of the game, a backbreaking 67-yard “pick six” tossed by Matt Ryan.
“I made a poor decision,” the rookie said. “I probably should have put some more zip on the ball, but that’s something you learn from. He [Colts defensive back Kelvin Hayden] made a good play on the ball, credit to him, but you have to forget about it and keep being aggressive.”
Ryan did see the majority of the snaps (8-for-16, 62 yards) and showed his ability to make plays out of the pocket with some accurate passes running both left and right: positive signs for a Falcons offense that only needs to finish the drill with the goal line in sight.
D.J. STAYS UP
If standing ovations determined playing time, D.J. Shockley would be the first-team quarterback. Shockley came out to rousing applause in the fourth quarter but was relegated to trying to lead a stagnant Falcons offense down the field with 11:11 to play. He was not helped by an average starting position of the 16-yard-line. With his back to the goal line, down by three, Shockley fell prey to turnovers on consecutive drives that ceased the Falcons’ comeback chances. The second-year quarterback remains confident, however, and insists that each week is neither a validation of his roster spot or a cry to get reps with the first team.
“Even though you go out and you don’t perform the best you want to, you still have to believe in what you can do,” Shockley says. “I really try to take what’s given to me; I line up to take advantage of every chance I get.”
Shockley, who is fighting for his roster spot in the four-ring quarterback circus, even had two chances (albeit slim ones) to become the hero. After he was intercepted on a Zinger bobbled ball, the Falcons defense clamped down and defensive back Darren Stone came up with an interception. Shockley, however, had the ball stripped on the following drive to quell any comeback thoughts on a night of turnover turmoil.
The verdict: Turner’s presence in a full game will counter the turnovers and red-zone misery come regular season time. With the Falcons’ stalls and stops within scoring distance, his value has been amplified even more after Saturday night.
Horne can be reached at ekhorne@scoreatl.com.
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