FLOWERY BRANCH — After two games, a mini-trend has been established.
The Bears and the Eagles elected to respect the speed of wide receivers Roddy White and Julio Jones by keeping their safeties deep. That opened the middle of the field for running back Michael Turner and tight end Tony Gonzalez to do damage.
Turner had 10 carries for 100 yards against the Bears, and he caught three passes for 40 yards, including a 20-yarder.
“We just couldn’t stick to the run because we got in a situation where we had to get out of it,” Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said. “I think Julio has helped to create production for some other guys, which we kind of anticipated.”
Rarely does a rookie receive such respect at the start of the season.
“I think they’ve seen some speed from him,” Mularkey said.
Gonzalez had five catches for 72 yards against the Bears. Against the Eagles, he had plenty of room to work and caught seven passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns, including a dazzling one-handed 4-yard grab.
Turner, not known for his hands, had a career-best 32-yard reception and broke a 61-yard run up the middle on the game-winning drive.
“You want to be a good balanced team so that the defense doesn’t know who’s getting the ball,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve got a Pro Bowl backfield in Turner and [fullback] Ovie Mughelli, so they have to respect run.”
Turner is enjoying the fact that teams are not lowering a safety into the box to stop him. He also had a 53-yard run against the Bears.
“It opens the middle of the field, and it depends on what formation that we’re in, too,” Turner said. “It leaves it open for Tony, and the run game is more open. We just have to be in the right play call.”
Turner’s previous long reception was a 30-yarder back in 2006 as a member of the San Diego Chargers. He caught a career-high 12 passes last season.
“As long as [quarterback] Matt [Ryan] keeps checking it down to me, I hope to keep making big plays out of it,” Turner said. “They are going to start to guard me a little bit more, and that’ll open up stuff for Roddy, Tony and Julio. That makes us more dangerous.”
Gonzalez is expecting to see a crowd when the Falcons play Tampa Bay on Sunday.
“If they take me out of the game, that’s fine,” Gonzalez said. “Julio is going to have some plays, and Roddy is one of the best receivers in the league. It’s just a matter of time before he explodes like he always does.”
White, who led the NFL with 115 catches last season, had a quiet three catches for 23 yards against the Eagles. Jones had just two catches for 29 yards.
“That’s not my forte or something I desire,” White said about his paltry stats. “I can’t complain because we’re winning. As long as we keep winning, I’ll be fine.”
Ryan, despite running for his life at times, enjoyed attacking the Eagles’ defense and getting the ball to Gonzalez, who was targeted nine times.
“You can pretty much throw it wherever you want,” Ryan said. “He seems to come down with it. He made an unbelievable catch the other night, but that’s what we’ve come to expect from him.”
Ryan said he has seen Gonzalez make that one-hand catch 50 to 70 times in practice.
“When you work with him in practice and talk to him in these meetings, he tells me all the time, if I get this guy in this position, just put it up there and I’ll come down with it,” Ryan said. “More often than not, he does that.”
Jones was sent deep on one play against the Eagles and appeared to have a step on his double coverage, but Ryan overthrew him. They believe it’s just a matter of time before they connect on some deep passes.
“I think Julio’s done a great job for us, and he’s going to continue to improve,” Ryan said.
They all seem to get a kick of Gonzalez, who’s 35 and in his 15th year in the league.
“He’s not old,” Turner said. “He’s fooling y’all. He’s faking that age. He just wants to look more amazing to y’all by saying he’s old.
“He didn’t lose his skills. He’s still very effective out there. He did go to the Pro Bowl. I think he can play three more years, at least.”
