Falcons: Turner Honored for Second Time in 2008

Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in his third career game in a Falcons uniform. The player of the week honor is the second for Turner this season after earning the award following a Week 1 meeting against the Detroit Lions in his Falcons debut.

Against the Chiefs, Turner recorded his fifth-career 100-yard game after totaling 23 carries for 104 yards and career-high three touchdowns. He sparked the Falcons first scoring drive of the game when he posted a 38-yard rush in the first quarter and capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run, his first of the day. Turner found the end zone on two more occasions logging his second-career multiple touchdown game. His three scores make him only the fifth Falcons running back in team history to tally three or more touchdowns in a game.

Turner earned his first player of the week award of the season following the 2008 home opener against the Detroit Lions where he set a Falcons single-game rushing record with 220 yards on 22 carries for a 10.0 yards per carry average. He also added two touchdowns in an Atlanta winning effort, which marked his career multiple-touchdown game.

In three contests this season, Turner leads the NFL in rushing with 366 yards while contributing with five touchdowns. His five scores match the highest total any player has registered in his first three games for a team during the NFL’s modern era (since 1933). The last player to accomplish the feat was his former teammate, LaDainian Tomlinson for the San Diego Chargers in 2001.

Turner’s NFC Offensive Player of the Week award is his second this season as he becomes the first Falcons player to earn the honor twice in a year since 2004 and the first player to earn it twice in a three-week span in the team’s history. Following his record-setting performance against Detroit in Week 1, Turner became the first Falcons offensive player to earn player of the week honors after a season opener since 1984 (Gerald Riggs).

The Falcons will hit the road for the second time this season when they battle NFC South rival, Carolina, on Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008 at Bank of America Stadium. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.

By AtlantaFalcons.com

------
www.fayettefrontpage.com
Fayette Front Page
www.georgiafrontpage.com
Georgia Front Page