Look for the Falcons to attempt to get the running game rolling as they head into the playoffs. The Panthers allow 125.5 yards a game. The Falcons need to feed Michael Turner, who was held to 48 yards on 17 carries by the upstart Saints on Monday night. Excluding his 27-yard romp, Turner averaged 1.3 yards on the other 16 carries. The Saints put eight defenders in the box and dared Matt Ryan to beat them, and he couldn’t. The Panthers can’t do the same thing because they are not as talented in the secondary as New Orleans. The Falcons will not take the 2-13 Panthers for granted, especially after watching Minnesota upset Philadelphia. Panthers DE Charles Johnson has had a sack in six straight games, and Falcons RT Tyson Clabo will have his hands full. Johnson has 11.5 sacks on the season. The Falcons need to return to dominating the time of possession and converting on third down, something they failed to do against the Saints. The Saints limited the Falcons to just 3-for-12 in that department on Monday of Week 16.
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