Turner hopes he can be better in final games

Falcons running back Michael Turner has not rushed for more than 100 yards and has averaged just 3.6 yards per carry over the last four games. He's up over 270 carries and may be wearing out down the stretch. The Falcons have dropped in the rushing rankings. They are averaging 110.6 yards per game, which ranks 18th in the league. Turner has 273 carries, which is the second-most in the league. He's third in rushing with 1,129 yards. The Saints' defense will be much stouter against the run this time around because middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who missed the last game with a knee injury, is slated to play. "He adds a whole lot to their defense," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "He's really the quarterback of their defense. He gets them in and out of coverages." The Saints are giving up 109.9 yards per game, which ranks 13th in the league. The Saints will also try to confuse the Falcons by switching between a 4-3 and 3-4 front. "They do multiple things and (Jonathan) Casillas can be out there," Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey said. "It's a good front seven. They do a lot of things; a lot of different schemes." Turner is getting ready for the multiple fronts. "They are trying to confuse you," Turner said. "We just have to make sure that we identify the guys that we need to block and we'll be fine." What happened last time: The Saints were without Vilma and the Falcons ran for 138 yards on 32 carries for a respectable 4.3 yards per carry. Turner had 96 yards on 22 carries and Jacquizz Rodgers had 30 yards on seven carries. The Saints used safety Roman Harper to help in run support. He finished with 13 tackles.