Falcons vs Panthers – Who Earned Their Wings

Each week, after the game, I will name a few Falcons players who deserve recognition for their performance. We call it earning your wings. Here we go:-

• The Entire Offensive Line – The last few weeks, the pass protection has been improving (only 2 sacks in the last 3 games). Yesterday was the first time in a long time the Falcons O-Line worked well together in run blocking, especially around the goal line.

• RB Michael Turner – Turner showed today when he is given a small gap in the defense, he will capitalise. A great 139 yards off 27 carries for 2TD’s. I said this earlier in the season, he looks in the best shape of his life. His quickness is there now to go along with the power he has always had.
• DT Corey Peters – When you’re a big man and you make a big catch like Corey Peters did on the INT, you are going to get recognised on this list. His play has been very solid the past few weeks. He had a great sack last week and now an INT, good stuff from the Defensive Tackle.
• DE Ray Edwards – He may not be showing monster sack totals quite yet, but his impact is certainly being felt on this team. He has added another stout run blocker to Atlanta’s strong run defense, which is currently 8th in the NFL. Edwards came up big with a huge sack on a key third down for the Panthers, which really started the momentum swing towards the Falcons.
• WR Harry Douglass – He may have only had two catches, but they were at big times in the game. The connection between him and Ryan on a long third down was magical. I would love to see him be more involved in the offense for the rest of the season.