Getting The Atlanta Falcons Rushing Train Back On Track

by Dave the Falconer on Oct 6, 2009 8:00 AM EDT in Falcons News Comment 36 comments

This man may be the key to revving up a stagnant rushing attack. At least, we hope so. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

While our optimism has flickered slightly in the face of a raging hurricane of difficult scheduling (?), the Atlanta Falcons are still a good football team. The next big test comes in the form of the the San Fransisco 49ers, the most numerically named team in the NFL, who just so happen to have a strong defensive front seven.

That's relevant because I don't think there's anyone here who is really all that thrilled with how the ground game has performed this season. Michael Turner was dynamic last year and the single biggest piece of our offensive success, but he's been just about average thus far in 2009. It's a bit of a puzzling and worrying problem, so it's a relief that our coaching staff made it a priority during the bye week.

Interestingly, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter D. Orlando Ledbetter writes that most of the focus was on the offensive line's performance through the first three games of the season, suggesting that Turner is not the cause of the problem at all. That suggestion isn't even raised in the article, frankly. Todd McClure sees ways the team can improve:

"We just have to concentrate on the little things," McClure said. "Whether if it's footwork or hand placement or helmet placement once you get up to the second level."

If the entire line starts stepping an inch further to the left and opening up holes so big a herd of Michael Turners can run through them, I'm going to be the last person to ridicule that statement. If making some small changes can get us going against one of the tougher run defenses in the league, that would go a long way toward opening things up against a more average Niners secondary for Matt Ryan, Tony Gonzalez and Roddy White.

Somehow, though, I think we can't lay this entirely on the feet of the offensive line. Having Jerious Norwood back to switch up the pace could be critical, and it's probably time for the coaching staff to live up to their promise of getting him prominently involved. Turner has looked just a step slow getting to the hole, and while having more room to run would help out with that, he's got to clear of the line of scrimmage a little faster. His more bruising style is well-accompanied by the threat of Norwood, and it's fair to ask if he's missed having him around. My hunch is yes.

What are your thoughts on the running game, and how will it fare against the Niners?

0 recs | Comment 36 comments | Share

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

I know this could sound very very silly.

But why dont we put Jerious in for an entire series or so maybe switch roles, mix it up some. I think having Norwood in for just one play on an 8 play drive doesn’t do all that much. I just think the coaching staff needs to re-invigorate this run game, fertilise it if you will.

New Orleans Hornets: The most inconsistent team in the NBA.

by Grayson on Oct 6, 2009 8:45 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Turner hasn’t had the same burst to the line that he had last year. Or even in the preseason for that matter. I am wondering if he is nicked up and not saying anything about it. He just doesn’t look like the same back.

by NewAgeDirtyBirdFan on Oct 6, 2009 8:47 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It's because he got FAT!!!

by mmamcneill on Oct 9, 2009 3:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We should be using Norwood like the Giants use Bradshaw

Jacobs obviously gets the majority of the carries, but Bradshaw will pick up 10 to 12 carries a game, and he’s a homerun threat waiting to happen. Bradshaw is bulkier than Jerious, but if we used him like that I feel confident that we’d see impressive results

by LetsGoFalcons on Oct 6, 2009 9:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I hate to say it but...

The curse of 370 may be real

by thisistherevolt on Oct 6, 2009 9:21 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Maybe.

I’d be wrong to say Turner arrived out of shape. He of all people should know what it’s like to stay humble and work hard.

It could just be total body fatigue. Who knows. I’m no athletic trainer, I don’t know these things.

by Zippo729 on Oct 6, 2009 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I recall that...

no one seemed to be concerned as Turner led the league in rushing attempts virtually all year in 2008. The subject was a total non-starter, at least on these forums. At least he’s young and relatively fresh with only one full season of wear on him. Hope he and his O-line can bounce back.

If it will “reverse the curse”, perhaps we should consider sacrificing an annoying (or delicious) animal as an offering to the vengeful Lord of Overused Running Backs.

by tom slick on Oct 6, 2009 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think we should sacrifice a Panther.

by Zippo729 on Oct 6, 2009 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

See... this team still has a use for Vick's "talents"

by Stevie-D on Oct 7, 2009 7:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think we have to consider the possibility

Of getting Norwood more involved in the short term. I don’t want to rob Turner of all his carries because he’s the type of back that generally improves once he gets into a groove, but at the same time we need to give teams a different look.

by Dave the Falconer on Oct 6, 2009 11:14 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Norwood's been missed

You can’t allow your rushing game to be about one man, for long. Besides Turner, our only RBs that even have a rushing attempt are Norwood (3) and Snelling (7). That means Turner has 87% of the total rushing attempts among our RBs, an unwise and unsustainable pace IMO. Last year, that number was also pretty high, 77%.

Norwood’s a free agent in 2010 and will almost certainly be gone, as you’ve mentioned. I hope The Comrade is scouting college RBs very effectively, we’ll need considerable help soon.

by tom slick on Oct 6, 2009 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's too bad

Jahvid Best won’t fall down to where we will be in the draft.

Any back out of Florida would do well for the Falcons.

I really hope we keep Norwood for a couple more years. If we have a Super Bowl run in us, he’s gonna be an important part of it. I firmly believe it.

by Zippo729 on Oct 7, 2009 1:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd love to keep Norwood too

but not at the price he will command as a free agent next year. One of the precepts of the Patriots/Dimitroff system is getting value for the dollar.

by tom slick on Oct 7, 2009 2:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think part of the problem is being over looked

White’s average yards per catch is 7.9. That means our deep threat isn’t catching balls very far out of out of the box. That keeps at least one safety up to shadow the run and a safety covering White that isn’t much deeper and can quickly respond to a running play.

Stretch the defense out with some deeper passes and that should help the running game.

by mwalex on Oct 6, 2009 1:33 PM EDT reply actions 5 recs

Rec'd

We have the personnel to go deep, and I’m hoping we’ll start doing it more often.

by Dave the Falconer on Oct 6, 2009 1:41 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

good point, rec'd

In Dimitroff we trust

by Bonhoffer on Oct 6, 2009 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

he makes a very valid point

last season opened with a deep pass

how many touchdowns do we have from deep passes this season?
my point exactly.

know what you believe in and why you believe in it

by MentallyMIA on Oct 6, 2009 4:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

have to say...

does anyone else feel a little better about the Falcons loss after watching the Patriots beat the Ravens? i thought the Ravens were arguably the best team in football, so if they can’t beat the Pats in NE, that makes our less there way easier to swallow.

by cheshire falcon on Oct 6, 2009 1:49 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with you

I wish we hadn’t looked as bad as we did, but it does wonders for the old comfort level.

by Dave the Falconer on Oct 6, 2009 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

but the ravens had the same problem we do.

Defense. For some reason the ravens don’t have that defense they used to since Rex Ryan left. Maybe they are having an off year, but the Ravens have given up 20 points in every game except the anemic Browns. Of course the Ravens have a better offense for the moment so that’s why it looked closer.

by brotherbrown on Oct 7, 2009 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Another aspect of Norwood is

that he can help the running game by catching passes out of the backfield on checkdowns. Getting Norwood into open space and out from behind the line of scrimmage is when he is MOST dangerous. A few catches and 10-15 YAC would definitely make Turners job easier. This would make a LB have to follow Jerious out to the flat, therefore making it only 6-7 in the box after the snap for Turner to face, much easier to open holes when theres less defenders to plug them up!!
I think you’ll see some more open playcalling this week. The offense has been very vanilla so far, almost like they don’t want to tip their hand yet. We will see.
LETS GO FALCONS!!
L-DAWG

by ATLsince1972 on Oct 6, 2009 1:50 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs

Norwood's awesome doing that

The Falcons used him pretty effectively that way last year, he just hasn’t had a chance to get out of the gate yet with the injuries. With Free Agency looming, Norwood’s GOT to be motivated to have a killer year. If the Falcons are smart, they should let it all hang out using him while they can,

by tom slick on Oct 6, 2009 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

There are a few things that puzzle me

1. Turner looked good in the preseason. He had a few long runs, but I’m pretty sure the coaching staff kept him out to make sure he was fresh for the regular season. I really don’t think its the curse of 370. It just seems like our line can’t open up holes and get down field to block.
2. It seems like our line has gotten much better at pass protection. I haven’t looked at any numbers, but it seems like Ryan has had a fair amount of time to throw the ball. It seems like our line’s strength (run blocking) has become its weakness, and vice versa. I can’t understand why that would be though.

We definitely need to stretch the field. In the NE game, Jenkins looked pretty good going long too. I feel like both he and Roddy could be potential deep threats. If that could open up the running game just a bit, I think the offense will find a groove.

Its true. I'm a Falcoholic! I just can't live without Falcohol!

by phoenix falcoholic on Oct 6, 2009 2:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Only number you need to know

Matt Ryan has been sacked twice through three games. That’s pretty impressive.

by Dave the Falconer on Oct 6, 2009 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

agreed...

it’s really strange. the line looks fine and Turner looks fine, but something’s not clicking.

a friend of mine made an observation that i thought was a valid one, namely that they don’t seem to be sticking with the run as much they used to. it seems like it doesn’t work in the first quarter or so, and then they just sorta stop going to it consistently. i remember a lot of games last year where Turner would start slow and then heat up in the 2nd half, so if we stop going to him halfway through the game, that’s certainly a problem.

someone may have numbers that contradict what i’m saying, but that did seem like a valid point to me based on the games i’ve watched.

by cheshire falcon on Oct 6, 2009 2:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It certainly seems that way...

The problem is, Turner’s YPC isn’t where it was last year. I don’t have numbers in front of me, but if I remember right, Turner had somewhere around 25 carries in the NE game with a YPC of about 2.5 or 3. It was low, and it’s been rather low this year. I could be wrong so don’t hold me to that, but I think that’s about what Turner’s been doing per game this year.

Most of his runs are between the tackles, but that’s the kind of runner he is. The OL has come out and said they’re not doing everything right, so maybe it’s just a little technique fix.

by Zippo729 on Oct 7, 2009 1:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pats game

He had 15 carries for a 3.7 average.
Overall he has 65 carries for a 3.5 average.

by orang3b on Oct 7, 2009 9:47 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Something I have noticed

Most of the runs Turner has been getting seem to be going LG/C or RG/C, I may be wrong but would it not be a wise idea to maybe try a few outside the tackles? Maybe some power sweeps or long tosses might be enough of a monkey wrench to confuse opposing defenses into getting the safeties to go left or right and let Turner power through them instead of the d-line so much. Just my opinion, but has anyone else noticed?

by thisistherevolt on Oct 6, 2009 9:09 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Nobody

Really does toss-sweeps much anymore in the NFL. Most Linebackers are so fast now, they can crash in as soon as they see the toss, and gum up the whole works. They certainly don’t have to respect the play-action pass once the ball’s out of the QB’s hands… Not saying they should never try it, though.

by orang3b on Oct 7, 2009 9:58 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

One more thing

I’m not sure where to put this, so I’ll just reply to myself: According to early O-Line stats from Football Outsiders, the problem doesn’t seem to be the Offensive Line. They are ranked #8 in Adjusted Line Yards, and they’re average or above in every direction except straight up the middle. The big problem is the lack of 10+ yard runs – they’re ranked #28 there. Turner has a 49% Success Rate, good for #19 in the league. He’s pushing ahead for decent yards on first downs, picking up third and 2’s, etc… but he’s not breaking off any long runs. Yet. I think he’ll be ok.

by orang3b on Oct 7, 2009 10:05 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with the guy above

I’ve been jumping on forums and no one seems to be talking about the fact fact that we dont ever seem to take throws downfield and getting the deep ball working. In fact, i honestly dont remember a time they did. Even last year, the big pass play yardage came mostly after the catch, on quick slants and short posts. Thats what im most concerned about. LET RYAN LOOSE, still seems like he’s being babied.

by qthaballa on Oct 6, 2009 11:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

uh...

I think when you consider teams game planning against the falcons, they already know Turner was the second leading rusher in the league last year. So seeing eight or nine in the box is going to be a given even if it isn’t. I think the falcons need to actually have a screen game for the RB’s and WR’s. If we stop being predictable we’ll be awesome.

Atlanta will win a championship....someday

by maxxj3 on Oct 7, 2009 11:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

NO TOSS SWEEPS WITH TURNER!

He has tried that a few times and lost yardage EVERY time. He is not fast enough to get to the corners before the linebackers, BUT Norwood IS!!

And yes I think that Ryan is being held back bigtime, and because (now listen) he is throwing the ball VERY quickly, reason for the low sacks as well(2 so far this year), and our receivers are not breaking these quick slants for more than 7-12 yards.
There are a few things that they need to correct before they will get better on offense.
We’ll see how they look Sunday, I got a feeling we may go into SF and crush them, like 24-10, with a late td BY THEM TO MAKE THE SCORE LOOK BETTER!! LOL

LETS GO FALCONS
L-DAWG

by ATLsince1972 on Oct 7, 2009 11:11 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ok never mind the toss sweep

What about a draw play? Or A straight up, play-action fake then a deep one to White on a fly route, Roddy is pretty fast, and Nate Clements is not, so maybe this is the time to show off Ryan’s arm. And don’t I remember Mike Mularkey supposedly being some sort of gimmick master?

by thisistherevolt on Oct 8, 2009 12:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I hope

You’re not asking for more trick plays from Mularkey (j/k)… Actually, I don’t really remember that many gadget-type stuff yet. One or two direct snaps to Norwood in the Dolphins game, that weird behind-the-back handoff (to Snelling?), and maybe something else I can’t remember. I know if HD wasn’t hurt, we would’ve run about 6 end-around/reverse plays already, though…

I definitely agree that opening up the field with a few more deep passes can only help the running game.

by orang3b on Oct 8, 2009 8:12 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs