Dolphins vow to bring down Falcons' Turner

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Dolphins vow to bring down Falcons' Turner

By Mike Berardino South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Michael Turner, the Atlanta Falcons' Pro Bowl running back, is Mr. YAC.

Yards After Contact.

Turner led the NFL in that category (913 yards) as well as broken tackles last season.

From the sounds of it, Channing Crowder and his friends on the Miami Dolphins defense have heard enough about those tidy little factoids to make them want to, you know, yack.

Not just from the media. From a Dolphins coaching staff eager to whip them into a frenzy.

"It's inspirational," says Crowder, the Dolphins' second-leading tackler. "We're in defensive meetings, all together, and it's all about how great a running back [Turner] is and how one guy can't take him down and we've got to get to the ball."

Crowder shakes his head. His eyes bulge.

"You're already taking a shot at me as a man, saying, 'You can't take him down by yourself,' " he says. "Then you get to the linebacker meetings and [inside linebackers coach] George Edwards starts clicking that thing."

Here, Crowder lowers his voice to a coach's growl.

" 'You see that? You gotta wrap up. Gotta form tackle,' " he says, imitating Edwards. "That takes another shot at your manhood. It's like, man, you're going to tell me I can't tackle him too? It kind of gets you going with them trying your manhood, telling you what the guy does."

What Turner does, as the league found out last year, is break tackles.

Not just arm tackles and ankle swipes and weak efforts like that, but the straight-on, pads-down, form-perfect attempts as well.

At 5-foot-10 and 244 pounds, Turner is "real compact," Dolphins inside linebacker Akin Ayodele adds, with the benefit of "great vision" as well.

"You don't see that in too many backs in this league," Ayodele says. "That's just his style. He's the kind of guy that can take blows but run through most tackles. It's hard to tackle him with one blow."

Last year, in the first season of a six-year, $34 million contract after spending four years behind LaDanian Tomlinson in San Diego, Turner blew up, as the kids say. He rushed for 1,699 yards, second in the league only to Adrian Peterson, and his 17 rushing touchdowns were second only to Carolina's D'Angelo Williams.

Williams' name should be familiar to Dolphins fans since he was the one who broke four tackles during a 25-yard scoring run against the first unit in Miami's second preseason game. Three Dolphins starters missed tackles the next week at Tampa Bay on Earnest Graham's 27-yard run.

So now, the team that doesn't allow its players to all-out tackle throughout training camp and preseason practices preferring instead something called "thudding" in the interest of preventing injury is going to have to find a way to get Mr. YAC on the ground.

Good luck with that.

Right, Channing?

"Yeah, I heard it 12 times today," Crowder says in mock annoyance. "Hopefully we can take that 900- whatever yards he had after contact last year and take it down a little bit this game."

Dolphins players could remind you they did have the NFL's 10th-ranked rushing defense last season. Then again, the Falcons, in going 11-5 and making the playoffs in a similar turnaround to Miami's, had the game's No. 2 rushing offense.

"I'm an NFL linebacker," Crowder says. "I've made two or three tackles in my life. I'm pretty confident tackling the man [Turner]. He's a great player. I'm not going to take anything from him. Strong. His freaking quads are about as big as my waist. But he can be taken down. He's a running back. I'm not scared of anybody, so bring it on."

Reserve defensive end Tony McDaniel, who spent the past few years in Jacksonville, played against Turner twice last season. He suggests the Dolphins can slow Turner down by stopping him early.

"If we come out of the gate, hit him hard and put some pressure on him, I think he'll give up," McDaniel says. "He'll back down. Either he's going to back down or it's going to be a long game. I'm definitely going to try to get in his head and talk about his game a little bit."

Lord knows, the Dolphins have already heard enough about Mr. YAC.

Child Please

[Guest Gritz]

Turner "back down" or "give up?"

They sure as **** aren't talking about Michael Turner.

[Peyton]

It sounds like the Falcons are going to have some great success with play action if the Dolphins are that focused on stopping Turner.

[sporkdevil]

Sooo glad we signed Turner last year. I love just hearing about him.

[Peyton]

Check out the reserve DE talking smack. I am sure the starters appreciate that.

[dirty bird 025]

It sounds like the Falcons are going to have some great success with play action if the Dolphins are that focused on stopping Turner.

you wonder why we got gonzo?

[Guest Gritz]

It sounds like the Falcons are going to have some great success with play action if the Dolphins are that focused on stopping Turner.

Excellent point......

I think Ryan is even more equipped and prepared to hurt teams who do that....

There will still be teams who think that the way to beat us is to put it on Ryan to do so.

I like our odds in that scenario.

[ltstorm2]

I hope Tony McDaniel ends up on Turner's highlight reel this Sunday.

[boxxy]

Turner's gonna get arrested for dolphin slaughtering after this game.

Somewhere Hayden Penettiere is crying.

[The Don™]

These Dolphins are some cocky mammals

[SetzerFalcon]

I respect Sparano, I really do, and personally I think Parcells gets way too much credit for the turnaround that Miami had last year but there is no way, no way in hades that you would hear Falcons players talking like this about Miami players. Crowder has about as much chance of single-handedly taking Turner down as I do and I hope his need to prove that "HE'S A MAAAAN!" causes him to try it a few times. I would think this was all in jest except he kept bringing it up and you could almost feel his eyes rolling with disrespect for Turner.

[skn]

Works for me. If we are one dimensional on the account of Miami being one dimensional on defense, Ryan should have a field day.

[JC Falcon]

Hahaha, reserve DE gonna get in Turner's head! Talk smack from the bench, b*tch.

In other news, the Dolphins long snapper has called out Abraham. "Yeah, he blocked a punt last year, but I plan to put him down."

[Ghost Rider]

Focused on him or not, Turner will bowl them dudes over on Sunday. They stack the box and Ryan will kill them. They keep 6 or 7 in the box and Turner will pound them and have them questioning their own manhood.

[Guest Gritz]

Hahaha, reserve DE gonna get in Turner's head! Talk smack from the bench, b*tch.

In other news, the Dolphins long snapper has called out Abraham. "Yeah, he blocked a punt last year, but I plan to put him down."

:lol:

[Ghost Rider]

Oh, I almost forgot, if we have this info you better believe it is sitting on a bulletin board in that locker room of ours. Maybe even posted above Turner's locker. Let them talk, I love it. Our o-line will most likely take this as a personal challenge as well. Look for them to be very physical in this game.

[Sho'Nuff]

Excellent point......

I think Ryan is even more equipped and prepared to hurt teams who do that....

There will still be teams who think that the way to beat us is to put it on Ryan to do so.

I like our odds in that scenario.

I think this will backfire on more than one coaching staff this year. I can't wait.

[pzummo]

After reading all that, there's one thing I know. Their coaches are intimidated by our running game and don't have enough confidence in their own players to not have 8 in the box while Turner is in the backfield. I hope we come out in a no-huddle splitback set to get their run d package and the box loaded. Motion Norwood out of the backfield into the slot and let Ryan pick them apart. The second they drop the secondary back after getting eaten up, Ryan audibles to Turner and then we see how Crowder does one on one when push comes to shove.

White - Gonzo - Baker - Blalock - McClure - Dahl - Clabo - Norwood - Jenkins

Ryan

Turner

As a D coordinator, how do you stop this?

[Quiksilverly]

Falcons eat dolphin infused tuna!!!!!! The dome will take their souls....They will be the first offering quenched on the killing fields!

[Tandy]

I hope the coach puts this up on the bulletin board. I hope Turner sees how tired they are of hearing about him already.

Ha! Thank goodness we don't have these kinds of players anymore. They can keep the Joey Porters and the Crowder Chowders. We do our talking on the field. Step into my office said the Falcon to the fish!

[Ghost Rider]

I think Falcon's come out and try to make as statement in this game. I think defense will play solid and the offense will be explosive. I think it will be at least a 14 point win. Maybe more.

[Quiksilverly]

I think Falcon's come out and try to make as statement in this game. I think defense will play solid and the offense will be explosive. I think it will be at least a 14 point win. Maybe more.

I know the secondary will be playing hearts on the line with new guys eager to take their spots. It's hit or quit time for a few CB's I know.

[ltstorm2]

I think this will backfire on more than one coaching staff this year. I can't wait.

Marcelus Wiley said something similiar to this after our first pre season game. It was hilarious. Baically he was saying you don't want to have the mentality of " Let my Ryan beat us" because Ryan WILL BEAT you.

Just imagine Peyton Manning under center and Adrian Peterson in the backfield. That is basically what we have or are building towards at the very least.

[nobkowski]

the doll-fins must have been out of the water too long.

Sunday Supper click to enlarge

[falconsd56]

I do hope they put 8 in the box to stop Turner because they dont have the secondary to cover, White, Jenkins and Gonzo..... not many teams do.

Then throw in smaller role players like Booker who has had a pretty good career and Peele who is a good 2nd option at TE, not to mention Norwood who is a HUGE threat running and receiving.

Yes please let them focus all the energy on Turner.