For much of the 2009 season the Falcons running game was a sports car forced to operate without the super-charged engine.
Pro Bowl running back Michael Turner injured his ankle in a Week 9 game at Carolina and carried the ball only 13 times for 40 yards over the final seven contests. He was inactive for the last two, leaving the majority of carries to Jerious Norwood and Jason Snelling.
With that combination, the Falcons got the job done but it took a few games to find a groove.
Atlanta failed to rush for more than 100 yards as a team in the five games following Turner’s initial injury (frustrating for a team that finished 2008 No. 2 in the NFL in rushing). Three of those were losses.
But, in the final game of the season, Snelling, a seventh-round draft pick out of Virginia, found lanes behind fullback Ovie Mughelli and got the team’s running game on track heading into 2010.
Snelling’s game was drawing comparisons to that of Christian Okoye in the press box at Raymond James Stadium as he rushed for a career-high 147 yards and iced a win over the Bucs with key first-down runs in the final four minutes.
“Jason Snelling, I think, had an outstanding year,” Head Coach Mike Smith said. “With the injuries, first to Jerious Norwood early in the season, aloud him an opportunity to play. Then when Michael Turner went down he had to step in and get more reps there. He also had to play a couple of games at the fullback position when we lost Ovie Mughelli. Jason does a number of things extremely well. His skill set allows him to play both the tailback and the fullback. He’s been a very valuable member of our team this year.”
Here are details about each of the running backs on the roster (including the practice squad) at the close of the 2009 season…
Jason Snelling: A punishing runner that showed versatility and toughness. He played most of the game in Carolina after Turner went down with an injury even though he was only scheduled to get less than 20 snaps… Offense and special teams. Finished the year with 142 carries for 613 yards and four touchdowns.
Michael Turner: Maybe the “Curse of 360″ is real. Many running backs who have more than 360 carries in one season don’t do great the next. Turner had 376 in 2008 and rushed for 1,699 yards. He fought an ankle injury for much of 2009 but still led the team with 871 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Oh, what could have been…
Aaron Stecker: Signed when the team was facing injuries to Turner and Norwood, Stecker contributed on special teams and in the passing game. He carried the ball five times for 15 yards and caught five passes for 34 yards.
Jerious Norwood: Slowed by a concussion and then a hip injury, Norwood didn’t show as many flashes of his breakaway speed in 2009.
Antone Smith: Spent time on the Falcons practice squad in 2009. Originally signed by the Detroit Lions. Left Florida State ranking eighth in school history with 2,253 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns.
Ovie Mughelli: Played in 14 games for the Falcons leading the way for three different feature backs. Caught seven passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. Also got four carries, mostly in short-yardage situations.
Verron Haynes: Spent time on and off the game day roster in 2009. Veteran back and former Georgia player had three catches for 20 yards.
Now it’s your turn…
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20 Comments
I like our running backs for the most part. Olvie is one of the best fullbacks. Turner was strong when healthy. Snelling amazed us. Jerious just did not get on track this year. He will never contribute like a Micheal Turner type back. Do we look elsewhere in the future for the third down back? All teams need a strong 1-2 punch from the backfield. I am sure we should not overpay for Jerious in free agency. I say sign him and bring in some health competition.
It’s hard to say what free agency will bring for jerious. I like him but I don’t think that we are using him correctly. He’s a slot recieving speedster back. Not a power back.
Jason Snelling has proven he can play, and we need to sign him asap. We need a durable speed back to throw in the mix through free agency or the draft. This will give us the stable of backs we need. Jerious must go with his big contract number.
Jerious Norwood is good in open space; similar to Reggie Bush. Neither can take a lot of contact but they are both dangerous when they get a crack in the defense. Just as Wham-o said, sign him if he doesn’t demand a large contract. I would look in the draft for another speedy RB that could possibly take more pounding than Norwood. Overall, our running back corps is in very good shape.
we gotta keep Antone Smith for sure hes a best florida baby hes got it and the falcons will be dum as all hell to get rid of a guy like that!! he will be great for a different team if falcons get rid of him.
At some point Atlanta fans will some how figure out what it takes to have a consistent winning team. Right now that does not exist. Because we have not had it.
we need more of a speedie shifity back with great cut back abilities with great lateral movement
use norwood 4 screens, swing passes, nd tosses to get him in the open field…in punt returns 2 we need 2 resign him…use him lyk titans use chris johnson on passes
Norwood is best suited to the zone blocking scheme and not much more than just a speed guy. If the Mularky would have called more screens or swing passes would have had better stats, similar to a Reggie Bush. Above average but not great on kickoffs, which was where he was mostly effective. Overall should easily find a job could even have a role in Atl, just needs better handling.
We sould bring Dunn out of retirement. Snelling is great to back Turner but when Norwood goes out we loose that speed ground game. If the run is weak it becomes harder for Ryan to have a passing game.
Atlanta has always had a good running game no matter who it is, and not only is matt ryan workin his way up, but you got jason snelling and norwood behinde him while Turner was out, I looked at the 09 statistics and I think that turner did indeed murder the football field with his carries, but this year even though he was out Norwood and snelling proved that Turner doesnt have too be active in order to keep that running game going and thats one of the reasons why i like this team so much.
We’ve got our 1-2 punch Turner and Snelling. Draft a speedy third back in the 4th or 5th round. If Norwood projected as a slot he would already be there. You have to be able to run very good routes Norwood is not a route runner. What we really need is a fast WR /KR to open things up a bit. Would not be surprised to see a center drafted in the middle rounds Tennant played with Ryan at Boston College and McClure ain’t getting any younger. We will get a few compensatory picks also. This is the draft that puts the last few pieces into place for a Bowl run.
anyone read articles questioning ovie mughelli’s sexuality? they say an ex boyfriend is calling him out. news source asked falcons about it but they referred comments and questions towards his publicist.
I have been a Falcon Fan since Fulton County….but let us be real , the running game was only a C+…when Turner gets the ball he will at some point take a few to the house but with Jerious being hurt most team knew we did not have a break away back..a..good one ! but not the Burner. He has a tough injury and if he comes back and we get another back …yes I said it !! another back to replace Jerious our running game could be more dangerioue than b4…..I am looking for” Thunder and Lighting” …..U think we could steal one of those backs frm say ah!! Carolina to run behind our Nasty Boys !! ….oh yah…Let us not forget the D, say what you wants but I like what I saw …the numbers may not show but …I like..!!..
Get Dunn in pads
I would say the running game was in the c-c+ range. Atlanta was not moving the ball down the field the way the have in the past. fits and spurts.
I just wanna said i was looking at the way our corners ended the season and i think i like the combination of brent grimes & chris owen at corner now with a little bit more pressure on the QB they’ll be ok in coverage…I wanna what you about the way the corners ended the season.
I think we should give antone whatever his name is on the practice squad a chance. For what he did at Florida stat and a year on our practice squad let norwood go and promote the rookie. I love norwood but it is time to move on he is too fragile. Anyone know the height weight of antone.
i think we should use our second round pick for a strong running back someone to help out turner just encase he gets hurt or something we need like a bennie wells a big powerful back if we had that our run game would be unstoppable and matt ryan through the air and we got a alright defence
I agree we need to sign jason snelling as soon as we can. I think if we do sign norwood back, this should be his last year to prove himself. If he cannot we should move on
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[...] http://jmike.blogs.atlantafalcons.com/2010/01/08/lunch-break-running-back-rundown/With that combination, the Falcons got the job done but it took a few games to find a groove. Atlanta failed to rush for more than 100 yards as a team in the five games following Turner’s initial injury (frustrating for a team that … [...]