Of Falcons And Fireworks

Earlier in the year, it was fair to take the team's rhetoric about more downfield passing and less carries for Michael Turner with a grain of salt. After all, we had heard that particular song and dance before, and it never seemed to translate into actual changes.

At this point, though, that drumbeat has become impossible to ignore.

Most of the coaching staff is now on record as saying that they intend to go vertical more often and slash Turner's carries. What we've heard from practice thus far has indicated the same thing. It's good to be cautious about belief, because often the changes we're promised as fans are not as dramatic as we would perhaps like. But there's clearly a change in the wind.

After the jump, a quick look at how I believe the offense will change.

As I see it, there are three primary effects the new focus on vertical passing and the decreased emphasis on Turner will have. In no particular order, I present them to you now.

1. A more effective ground game. With less carries, Turner should be fresher, other defenses should get different looks from Rodgers and Snelling and everything should run a little smoother. I truly believe that.
   
2. Julio Jones, among others, should benefit. The Falcons won't throw more often, per se, but they will probably look to go deeper and do more with the screen game. That will hopefully lead to more creative passing and, because Jones should get more catches, a more effective passing game.
3. Mike Mularkey won't be on the sidelines. Continue to let that soak in.

Bring your agreement, your disagreement and your analysis to the comments.