ATLANTA -- Michael Turner isn't one for flamboyant end zone celebrations. But the mild-mannered running back couldn't help celebrate a bit after a fourth-down touchdown run with 7:13 remaining in Sunday's victory over the Panthers.
An approving Georgia Dome crowd roared as the running back scored his third touchdown of the day. The gutsy play gave the Falcons a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead and sparked an exciting close to a 45-28 victory. Atlanta (7-4) scored 28 fourth-quarter points in the win.
“It was an attitude thing," said Turner, who rushed for a team record-tying four touchdowns. "We had to get it in there. We didn’t want to settle for a field goal at that time because they were still in the game.”
Attitude was everything for the Falcons, who got off to an early ,17-0 lead, withstood a Panthers surge and put the game away when it counted. It mattered most after Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme rushed for a 12-yard touchdown with 10:57 left in the game. Carolina (8-4) pulled within three, 24-21, with a two-point conversion.
Matt Ryan and the offense faced a quick third down on the next possession, but the quarterback found rookie wide receiver Harry Douglas on a 69-yard pass play to the Panthers 6. Four plays later Turner got his key, fourth-down touchdown.
Head Coach Mike Smith said he didn't think twice about gambling on the goal line.
“It was an easy decision in terms of having confidence in your football team," Smith said. "We had the ball down on the 1-yard line and felt like we could punch it in. There was no other choice. A field goal would have only given us a six-point lead. I felt we could score a touchdown.”
The Panthers faced an energized defense and a raucous crowd on the next possession. Defensive end Chauncey Davis recorded his second sack of the day and back-to-back false start penalties backed Carolina into the shadow of its own goal line. The Panthers punted from the end zone, giving Douglas a chance for a big return.
The rookie brought the kick back up the middle 61 yards for a touchdown.
“When I caught it, I was going half speed to the left, but I knew what I was doing," said Douglas, who also had a rushing touchdown in the game. "The guys up front did a great job of giving me a block to follow. So, I made a quick cut back, and the middle was wide open.”
Delhomme found Muhsin Muhammad for a touchdown on the next series but the Falcons had already done plenty of damage. Still, Turner found the end zone for a final time with just 54 seconds to play.
The NFL's leader in rushing touchdowns (13) also surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the 2008 season. He rushed for 117 yards Sunday as the Falcons pulled within one game of the NFC South lead.
“It is great to have a guy that can run and break tackles like Mike," Ryan said. "His effort was phenomenal out there and all of us were behind him. His four touchdowns speak for itself. It’s a joy to hand the ball off. He continues to run the ball hard play after play and he is hard to bring down. It’s a huge advantage for us to hand the ball to Mike on fourth down plays like the fourth-quarter play.”
Atlanta out-gained Carolina 162-0 in the first quarter thanks to solid defense and ball-hogging offense.
The Falcons darted down the field on the first series of the game but settled for a field goal. That was followed by touchdowns from Douglas and Turner.
“It was great to get off to a good start and score 17 points," said Ryan, who managed the game with 259 passing yards on a 94.5 passer rating. "For the most part, we were able to maintain our ebb and flow on the offensive side of the ball. Our defense stepped up and did a heck of a job keeping Carolina from making big plays. I didn’t think we would score 45 points, but I’ll take that any day.”
Carolina scored 10-straight points in the third quarter negating some of the work the Falcons did in the opening half. But, when it mattered most, the team found a way to hit the accelerator.
“We stayed strong and we really set the tone at the beginning of the game," linebacker Keith Brooking said. "We came out in the second half and were a little bit slow. It’s frustrating, but you have to give those guys (Carolina) credit. But at the end of the day, when they (Carolina) had a little momentum we were able to get it back. That says a lot about this football team and the character of these guys.”
"We knew they would come back, have their surge and counter," added Smith. "We were able to withstand that in the second half. When it became 24-21, our guys came out and took care of business. It was a good win for our football team.”
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-PANTHERS GAME:
- GAMEDAY LIVE: Complete coverage from AtlantaFalcons.com
- GAME CENTER: Stats and more from NFL.com
- GAME RECAP: Falcons use big plays to send Panthers home with loss
- GAME NOTES: Official game notes directly from the Georgia Dome press box
- J. MIKE'S MISSIVES: Thoughts and news from the AF.com managing editor
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Ryan | Turner | Douglas | Davis | Coleman
- TRANSCRIPTS: Head Coach Mike Smith | Falcons | Panthers
- NFL NETWORK: Highlights | Can't Miss Play | Douglas Punt Return | Scoreboard
- TOURING THE TAILGATES: "Falcon Al" checks in on Falcons fans
- INACTIVES: Inactives and starters from the Falcons-Panthers game
- REVIEW AND RESPOND: Ask questions via Voices Heard
- RING OF HONOR: Vote for the next member of the Falcons Ring of Honor
- DISCUSS: Talk about the game with other fans on FalconsLIFE
- PHOTOS: Images from the Falcons victory over Carolina
