Turner burning with a little more fire

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FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – Michael Turner did some self-scouting last week to find out why he wasn’t breaking off big runs for the Atlanta Falcons.

What was wrong with the Pro Bowl running back?

“I just had to run with the same determination I had last year,” Turner said Thursday. “Run with kind of a chip on my shoulder.”

After rushing 20 times for 151 yards and one touchdown in a Week 8 loss at New Orleans, Turner is feeling confident again.

The sixth-year NFL veteran was noticeably more upbeat in the locker room than he seemed the previous two weeks after totaling just 80 yards on a combined 31 carries during a win over Chicago and a loss at Dallas.

“It’s been pretty frustrating because you work hard every week and you want to see the results,” Turner said. “You go back and say, ‘What am I doing wrong? What am I doing differently?’ The touchdowns have been there. I just had to get the big running plays in.”

All that’s missing now is for Turner to produce big results in an Atlanta win. Just once in the first six games did he rush for 100 yards – when the Falcons beat Carolina in Week 2.

Scoring, however, has come easier for Turner, who has eight rushing touchdowns

Turner’s biggest gains against the Saints covered 37, 24 and 22 yards, but just one of them resulted in a touchdown. In his first season with the Falcons last season, Turner gained 1,699 yards – second only to Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson – and scored 17 touchdowns.

“The guys needed me to spark ’em, and I haven’t been satisfied with the way I’ve been playing, so I had to go back and look at it to see what was different, see what was missing,” he said. “Just little things that make a difference, you know?”

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