Falcons-Panthers: Michael Turner's Four Touchdowns Burn Carolina in 45-28 Win

At the start of the second half in the Atlanta Falcons' 45-28 win over the Carolina Panthers, Falcons head coach Mike Smith stated that he was pleased with his team's intensity and play.

Smith may have been putting it mildly.

The Atlanta fans in the Georgia Dome were ecstatic. After all, they'd just witnessed the home team lay it on the NFC South-leading, and division rival, Carolina Panthers.

The Falcons were up 17-3 at the half—a half which featured a first quarter of dominance that saw Atlanta hold the Panthers to zero yards of offense.

The first half was played nearly flawlessly for the Falcons. They got pressure on Jake Delhomme, which was an objective.

Defensive end Chauncey Davis brought the Panthers' quarterback to the ground once in the half, finishing the day with two sacks. Defensive end John Abraham's piercing sack ended a Carolina drive with less than two minutes to play before halftime.

The running game was effective, and quarterback Matt Ryan wasn't making any mistakes in the passing game, remaining efficient and patient.

The Falcons even got some contributions from some of the lesser-known names. Davis, as mentioned, finished with two sacks, but rookie wide receiver Harry Douglas stole the show.

After a disappointing first possession that saw Atlanta move the ball inside the five-yard line only to come away with a field goal, Douglas took a handoff around the right end to score from seven yards out.

But all good things come to an end, and surely no one, certainly not this Atlanta team, believed it would be so easy.

Carolina head coach John Fox said they had nowhere to go but up in the second half. When asked about the changes or adjustments they needed to make, he simply replied, "Everything."

Whatever Fox said in the locker room clearly resonated with his veteran team.

Five plays on offense and Carolina was down by a touchdown. Their second half-opening statement drive was heard loud and clear, and for a while this young Falcons team was as listless as its fans were quiet.

For the next quarter and a half, this game got very interesting.

With Carolina's momentum carrying them to within six points of the lead, Atlanta desperately needed an answer, wanting to keep their 6-0 record with a fourth quarter lead intact.

Ryan went to the trusted no-huddle, mixing passes to receivers Michael Jenkins and Douglas with the hefty running of Turner, and put together a 12 play, 80-yard, 5:30 drive that culminated with Turner's second rushing touchdown of the day.

Carolina responded by finding receiver Steve Smith within the gaps of Atlanta's zone coverage for completions of 47 and 15 yards. Delhomme scrambled in from 12 yards out for a touchdown, and a two-point conversion made the score 24-21.

On the following Atlanta drive, Douglas came up big again. On 3rd-and-11, Ryan completed a deep pass to the rookie, who was brought down at the six-yard line for a gain of 69 yards.

On 4th-and-1, in what would turn out to be a pivotal decision in the game, Coach Smith chose to chase the touchdown and not settle for the field goal, since a field goal would only provide a six-point cushion.

With potential playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Ryan called Turner's number on fourth down and he found his way, giving Atlanta a 10-point lead.

Smith said of the decision to go for it, "It was an easy decision in terms of having confidence in your football team. We had the ball down on the one-yard line and felt like we could punch it in. There was no other choice...I felt we could score a touchdown."

He was right, and suddenly, the Falcons had the momentum and Carolina on the ropes.

The Atlanta defense, as it had done most of the day in big moments, stopped the Panthers' ensuing drive behind Davis' second sack and a couple of penalties from Carolina's offensive line.

That's when Douglas stepped up one last time and provided the play that would solidify the win for the home team.

Fielding the punt at the Atlanta 39, he returned it 61 yards for a touchdown.

"When I caught it, I was going half speed to the left, but I knew what I was doing," Douglas said of the return. "The guys up front did a great job of giving me a block to follow. So, I made a quick cutback, and the middle was wide open."

The middle was wide open, and so was the view toward victory.

Carolina responded with a touchdown to receiver Muhsin Muhammad, but it was too little, too late.

The Falcons, after recovering an onside kick, took back over with 2:23 remaining, and Turner, in four plays, had his fourth touchdown of the game, giving the Falcons an impressive 45-28 win.

Turner's performance was critical in the win. In Week Four's loss to Carolina, the running back was contained, only able to provide 56 yards to Atlanta's struggling offense.

Sunday proved to be a milestone kind of day for Turner. Not only did he finish with 117 yards rushing, but his four touchdowns also tied a team record. On his third carry of the game, he surpassed the 1,000-yard plateau on the season. His 13 touchdowns so far this season have him one behind Jamal Anderson for the franchise high in one season.

This was as big of a win as Atlanta's seen in a few years. With their playoff hopes on the line, they delivered an emphatic statement to Carolina, the division, and the league that the NFC South is not exactly wrapped up.

Coach Smith, in his post-game comments, likened the game to a heavyweight fight. These young and improving Falcons went round-for-round with the veteran Panthers.

There are 11 bouts down, and five tough ones remain. But this convincing win serves as yet another confidence boost in the process of the season that Smith continues to speak of.

"At the start, guys were fired up in the locker room, and it feels even better that we were able to pull off the win," said Ryan, who finished the day 17-of-27 for 259 yards.

"The effort was great from every side of the ball today, which we were able to maintain throughout all four quarters. We will enjoy it tonight and then get ready for the San Diego Chargers next week.”