Turner Named the FedEx Ground Player of the Week

Quarterback DONOVAN MC NABB of the Philadelphia Eagles and running back MICHAEL TURNER of the Atlanta Falcons are the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week for games played on September 4 - 8, the NFL announced today.

Donovan McNabb passed for 361 yards, scored three touchdowns and completed 21 of 33 passes in the Eagles’ 38 – 3 win over the St. Louis Rams.

Michael Turner ran for 220 yards over 22 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Falcons 34 - 21 win over the Detroit Lions. Turner’s 220 yards broke the Falcons’ record for rushing yards in a single game.

McNabb and Turner were selected from among six finalists in Air and Ground categories. The other FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week finalists were quarterbacks DREW BREES of the New Orleans Saints and JAY CUTLER of the Denver Broncos, and running backs MATT FORTÉ of the Chicago Bears and WILLIE PARKER of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Fans voted for more than their favorite players. The weekly FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards are also a win for local communities. Along with the player awards, FedEx is making a $1,000 donation in the winning players’ names to the local Safe Kids USA coalitions in Philadelphia and Atlanta to support pedestrian safety efforts. Safe Kids USA is a national non-profit organization that works to prevent accidental injury among children. This season, FedEx plans to surpass the $1 million mark in terms of charity donations they have made to deliver safe kids through the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Player of the Week Awards program.

During the week leading up to Super Bowl XLIII, FedEx plans to announce the 2008 FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year in Tampa Bay. FedEx will also make a special delivery for the Tampa Safe Kids chapter, as well as make a special donation in the winning players’ names to Safe Kids USA.

Turner Among Those Up for FedEx Player of the Week Awards

Quarterbacks DREW BREES of the New Orleans Saints, JAY CUTLER of the Denver Broncos and DONOVAN MCNABB of the Philadelphia Eagles are the finalists for the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week honors for games played on September 4 - 8, while running backs MATT FORTÉ of the Chicago Bears, WILLIE PARKER of the Pittsburgh Steelers and MICHAEL TURNER of the Atlanta Falcons are the finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week honors, the NFL announced today.

Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com/FedEx from 9 a.m. EST on Tuesday through 3 p.m. EST on Friday to determine the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week. The winners will be announced Friday evening on NFL.com.

Fans will be voting for more than their favorite player. As part of the Air and Ground program for the first time, FedEx is teaming up with Safe Kids USA - a national non-profit organization that works to prevent accidental injury among children - to deliver safer kids by making weekly $1,000 donations in the winning players’ names. The funding directly benefits local Safe Kids coalitions in that team’s city, to fund pedestrian safety improvements throughout the year. This year, FedEx celebrates its fifth year of the program and will surpass the $1 million mark in funding to create safer communities for children.

New this season, fans can tune into the “FedEx Air & Ground Lowdown” posted only on NFL.com/FedEx starting Tuesday evenings. The show examines the nominees in the Air & Ground categories through exclusive video highlights and expert analysis. NFL Network’s MARSHALL FAULK and TERRELL
DAVIS host the weekly five-minute show.

A closer look at the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week finalists:

. New Orleans’ DREW BREES completed 23 of 32 passes for 343 yards and three touchdowns in the Saints’ 24 - 20 win over AFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

. Denver’s JAY CUTLER completed 16 of 24 passes for 299 yards and threw for two touchdowns and no interceptions in the Broncos’ 41 - 14 win over the Oakland Raiders.

. Philadelphia’s DONOVAN MCNABB passed for 361 yards, scored three touchdowns and completed 21 of 33 passes in the Eagles’ 38 - 3 win over the St. Louis Rams.

A closer look at the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week finalists:

. Chicago’s MATT FORTÉ rushed for 123 yards over 23 carries and scored one 50-yard touchdown in the Bears’ 29 - 13 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

. Pittsburgh’s WILLIE PARKER carried the ball 25 times for 138 yards and three touchdowns in the Steelers’ 38-17 win over the Houston Texans.

. Atlanta’s MICHAEL TURNER ran for 220 yards over 22 carries and scored two touchdowns in the Falcons 34 - 21 win over the Detroit Lions. Turner’s 220 yards broke the Falcons’ record for rushing yards in a single game.

FedEx, the premier global provider of transportation, e-commerce and supply-chain management services, is the Official Delivery Service Sponsor of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl. Through the weekly FedEx Air & Ground Awards, FedEx recognizes those NFL players who represent the same speed, precision and teamwork that their customers have come to expect from the full range of FedEx air, ground, freight and international shipping services, delivering safer kids in the process. With thousands of trucks out on the roads each day, FedEx is committed to improving pedestrian safety for children, by funding education programs and environmental improvements, from signage and crosswalks to pedestrian walkways near schools and playgrounds.

Turner Leads Falcons to Huge 34-21 Win Over Lions

While a lot of people were concerned entering the season with a rookie QB in Matt Ryan, there is one thing the Falcons have to feel good about today, that being the running of new feature back Michael Turner. The new Falcons back may be the story of opening weekend as he rumbled past the Lions defense leading the Falcons to a 34-21 win.

Turner, who came to the team from San Diego in free agency, ran for touchdowns of 66 and five yards. He helped the Falcons build a 21-0 lead in the second quarter, a lead that at one point would get close at 21-14 before the Falcons offense got back on track scoring 13 points to put the game away.

As for the rookie QB in Ryan, he was good enough to get the job done. He went 9-for-13 for 161 yards with a touchdown. His early throw to Michael Jenkins that covered 62 yards got the Falcons going less than two minutes into the game to make it 7-0. Turner’s two scores stunned the Lions, making it 21-0 late in the first quarter.

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Week 1 Preview: Lions at Falcons

Two teams that many feel will struggle will battle at the Georgia Dome Sunday afternoon, as the Detroit Lions, coming off a perfect preseason, take on the Atlanta Falcons.  The Lions have looked sharp in the preseason, but many still think they are a team that is going to have its issues.  The team collapsed last  year after starting off red hot, and are hoping they can use the preseason as a spring board to a big opening day win.

The Lions will attack the weak Falcons D-line with rookie back Kevin Smith, who has looked great in the preseason.  Detroit’s O-line is in transition, and will need a good effort each and evey week to open holes for Smith and keep aging QB Jon Kitna on his feet.  Kitna has played well in camp and in preseason games, and will look to Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson against the Falcons secondary.

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Talking Pigskin: Pork Recipes for the Falcons

Are you ready for some pigskin? Pork recipes, that is. Food & Wine has paired 32 of their most delicious pork dishes with each of the NFL’s 32 teams.. Find out what dish they chose for the Atlanta Falcons!

http://www.foodandwine.com/slideshows/nfl-pigskin-nfc-team-pork-recipes/5

Falcons Get Help from Local TV Stations to Sell Out Opener

If you want to sit and home and watch the Falcons on Sunday at the Georgia Dome, you’ll be able to do it.  Falcons have announced that they have sold out the opener, thanks to a couple of local TV stations that purchased the remaning tickets for the game vs the Lions.  Stations WXIA-T, WATL-TV and Comcast brought the tickets and will donate them to Atlanta chapter of the American Red Cross, as well as the city’s boys and girls clubs.

The Red Cross is distributing its tickets to Hurricane Gustav evacuees in Atlanta and evacuation volunteer workers. “We’d like to thank our friends at WXIA-TV, WATL-TV and Comcast for helping us sell out Sunday’s game,” Falcons President Rich McKay said in a written statement released by the team. “We are always proud to partner with organizations that seek to improve our community in a positive way. Because of their generous support, many deserving people will have the opportunity to see the Falcons make their 2008 regular season debut.”

Falcons Grab CB Foxworth from Denver

The Broncos have moved nickel back Dominique Foxworth to the Atlanta Falcons according CBS 4 TV in Denver.  The report says that in return for Foxworth the Broncos get a 7th round pick.  If the Falcons re-sign Foxworth this year, the pick upgrades to a sixth-rounder.

The move is not a shock, as Foxworth was not on the practice field with the team yesterday as they looked for options to moving him.  He was the teams 3rd round draft pick back in 2005.  “They didn’t have to give me a warning,” Foxworth said.  “They are being classy about it.  I’m not upset about it at all.”  Foxworth has one year left on his rookie deal that is set to make him $927,000 this season.

QB Harrington Among Those Released by the Falcons

22 players were released by the Falcons today, the biggest two names were QB Joey Harrington and TE Marcus Pollard.  Also gone are OL D’Anthony Batiste, S Eric Brock, OL Michael Butterworth, S Deke Cooper, C Doug Datish, DE Willie Evans, CB Wilrey Fontenot, OL Kynan Forney, DE Brandon Miller, DT Rashad Moore, OL Terrance Pennington, LB Mickey Pimentel, CB Glenn Sharpe, DT Montavious Stanley, S Daren Stone, LB Cameron Vaughn, WR Eric Weems, WR Chandler Williams, TE Keith Zinger.

“We are pleased about our roster heading into the 2008 season,” General Manager Thomas Dimitroff said in the team’s statement. “I’m satisfied with the process we went through to get to this point including OTAs, mini-camp, training camp and the preseason.”

Atlanta Shows They Deserve Respect; Beat Baltimore 10 to 9 to End Preseason

Atlanta finished the preseason with an even record of 2 wins and 2 losses but established the foundation of their season with confidence in their rookie starting quarterback and a defense that may become their saving grace.

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan (2/7, 17 yards) did not play much in the game but has already been named the starter for the season. Ryan finished the preseason with 34 completions on 59 attempts, getting 294 yards, 2 touchdowns, and one interception. QB D.J. Shockley (7/14, 98 yards, 1 TD) showed poise in the game when he threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to WR Brian Finneran with 26 seconds to go in the first half. Former number two pick QB Joey Harrington (2/5, 17 yards, 1 INT) was intercepted by DB Jim Leonhard in the fourth quarter to end a drive that had made it to the Ravens’ 26 yard line.

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Falcons Get Win On The Road Thursday Night

Rookie quarterback Matt Ryan leads the Falcons to a 10-9 preseason win on the road over the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night. Former UGA quarterback D.J. Shockley saw some action Thursday night, connecting with veteran wide receiver Brian Finneran on a seam route for a 20 yard touchdown that put the Falcons up 7-6. Shockley also led a 64 yard drive that ended with Jason Elam’s 29 yard field goal, sealing the win. The Falcons will have to trim the roster from 75 to 53 players by 4 p.m. Saturday. The team’s season opener comes September 7th at the Georgia Dome against the Detroit Lions. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.