When faced with situations you think they’re built to convert, the Falcons haven’t.
But those involved don’t want to draw a line connecting the short-yardage run game failures against the Giants in last year’s playoffs to yesterday’s inability to run the ball against the Saints.
The Falcons managed just 46 yards on 18 rush attempts against the league’s worst defense. They also couldn’t convert a third-and-1 run in the fourth quarter, and elected for two other passes from inside the 2 with a chance to win.
“That’s two totally different ballgames,” center Todd McClure said of the comparison to the playoff loss to the Giants, via Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “That’s what [ticks] me off more than anything is you guys are going to write about how bad we are up front and that we can’t get in the end zone. But there’s more to it than just blocking up front, and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
“I get really frustrated when I hear things and read things knowing there’s more to it than five guys up front but we take the brunt of the blame. I don’t want to talk about that anymore because I don’t want to say anything I regret.”
You mean, like pointing out the back who isn’t gaining the tough yards anymore?
Falcons running back Michael Turner’s been good for about a game per month this year, and Sunday wasn’t it. He finished with 15 yards on 13 carries (1.2 yards per carry).
“It is in every aspect of it,” McClure said. “But we get the ball on the one, we are expected to get it in. I just get frustrated sometimes the past couple years. There’s more to it than just lining up and blocking the guys wherever they line up. And that’s it. I can’t talk about it anymore.”
Of course, McClure recused himself from saying it was any other particular thing, but he doesn’t have to say it. Anyone who has seen Turner run this year has seen it too.