FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. --- Forget a southern version of Thunder and Lightning, at least for now.

Michael Turner and Jerious Norwood just want to punish opponents for the Atlanta Falcons this season.

If they earn nicknames as a tandem of running backs, that's fine, but Turner and Norwood have worked together just two days in minicamp.

They still must endure organized team workouts next month, the oppressive heat of training camp in midsummer and four preseason games before the Sept. 7 opener against Detroit.

"It's going to be a dangerous backfield," Turner said Sunday. "It's going to work out well for us because we're two totally different kinds of backs. That's going to give the defense some trouble."

The New York Giants used a two-back attack with Tiki Barber and Ron Dayne to win the 2000 NFC championship, but Turner and Norwood are essentially career backups seeking to prove their abilities.

Expectations are higher for Turner, who left San Diego as a free agent and signed a six-year contract with approximately $15 million in guarantees. He earned a huge payday for a three-year veteran with one career start behind former league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson, but new Falcons coach Mike Smith believes Atlanta made a wise investment.

"When you go to tackle him, it looks like it's going to be knees and helmet because there's nothing to hit," Smith said. "He's also a guy who can go the distance. He's had three runs over 70 yards the last three years. People don't realize he can really run once he gets in the open."

Norwood, who spent his first two seasons playing behind Warrick Dunn, also seeks a more defined role. He and Turner could share the backfield in some sets, but the depth chart calls for Norwood to work in a supporting role again this year.

"I'll do whatever the team needs me to do," said Norwood, who averaged 6.0 yards on 103 attempts last year. "You just have to keep working in this league because anything can happen and you have to be ready to perform."

If the Falcons effectively use fullback Ovie Mughelli to open holes for Turner and Norwood, Smith believes his tandem could compare favorably to Jacksonville's 1-2 punch of Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew.

"When you have that kind of combination, I think it creates problems for the defense that's used to trying to tackle a certain style of runner," said Smith, the Jaguars' defensive coordinator over the past five years. "Then the next play, or the next series, you've got to go tackle a different kind of guy."

Atlanta wants to regain some swagger in a running game that nearly collapsed last year after leading the league in rushing from 2004-06.

Michael Vick, the only quarterback in history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season, landed in federal prison for his role in a dogfighting scandal.