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METAIRIE, La. Cheap Custom Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys . -- Times like these are gratifying for veteran Saints right tackle Zach Strief, who brushed off doomsday story lines and continued to express faith in his team when it was winless through three games.The general world at this point in time, and our society, is as negative as we could possibly be, so what people want when youre losing is: `Lets fire, lets blame, lets point a finger, lets incriminate. Somebody wants a head to roll, said Strief, a locker room leader who is now in his 11th NFL season. The reality is, in here, if you want to be successful, if you have people in this locker room that are kind of guiding the team in the right direction, the message is you have to work harder the next day. Because all the other stuff is worthless.Increasingly, there is evidence that Striefs message was echoed by team leaders -- and heeded.Three victories in four games -- with the lone loss in that span coming down the wire -- have the Saints heading to San Francisco as road favorites this week. New Orleans (3-4) also has a chance to climb back to .500 and into the conversation in the NFC South Division race.Optimism stems from several areas.Quarterback Drew Brees consistently has put up elite passing numbers -- and his efficiency might improve now that New Orleans has recently discovered more of a running game.Meanwhile, two key defensive players -- cornerback Delvin Breaux and defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins -- are closer to returning from injury to a unit that has exhibited signs of improvement during the past month.The Saints have slowly improved in NFL defensive rankings from 31st to 28th, with its totals of yards allowed per game significantly lower during the past four games than the first three.Rankins, the Saints first-round pick last spring, has yet to make his debut because of a broken fibula during training camp. But hes eligible to return from injured reserve as early as this Sunday -- if the Saints decide hes ready. Breaux, who has not played since also breaking his fibula in Week 1, was encouraged enough by his own work in practice on Wednesday to label his health at 115 percent.I feel great, man. Got a couple reps at practice just to see how everything will go, Breaux said, but stressed that when and how much he plays will be the coaching staffs call.The Saints do not appear to be taking their recent reversal of fortune for granted.Youre constantly fighting human nature in this business, said Brees, whose 2,366 yards passing ranks third overall in the NFL, and first among quarterbacks whove played fewer than eight games. You probably overreact when you lose and you underreact when you win, and we want to make sure were not that team thats up and down -- win, loss, win, loss, win, loss -- because we fall into the trap of human nature.So far, the Saints passing offense has been consistently good, with young receivers Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Michael Thomas all thriving. But the Saints see potential for more production from tight end Coby Fleener, a key free-agent acquisition in the offseason. And it was a physical running game that received much of the credit following a victory over Seattle last Sunday as Tim Hightower became the first Saints player to rush for more than 100 yards in a game this season.We havent had our best performance yet, Brees asserted in discussing a Saints offense that ranks second in the NFL and averages 415 yards per game. Im excited about the evolution of this offense and this team. Each week I feel that we learn something new about us -- and in a good way. Thats why I get excited to step on the field just to see what steps forward we can take this week.Game notes Four players sat out practice on Wednesday: LT Terron Armstead (knee), S Kenny Vaccaro (knee), LB Dannell Ellerbe (quad) and LB James Laurinaitis (quad). The Saints have not said if any of those injuries are serious enough to sideline those players at San Francisco.---AP NFL website: pro32.ap.org and twitter.com/AP-NFL Cheap Custom Edmonton Oilers Jerseys . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. Cheap Chicago Blackhawks Jerseys . Oaklands loss to Seattle clinched the ALs best record for the Red Sox with one day to spare in the regular season. "I think everybody was kind of watching," catcher David Ross said. "emp (Ryan empster) came out before he went to the bullpen and was just yelling that they lost. www.nhldiscount.us.com/Cheap-philadelphia-flyers-gear/ . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations.SAN DIEGO -- Eric Stults had nothing to show for his best start of the season, though it was just what his team needed. The San Diego Padres starting pitcher couldnt have been happier after Will Venable drove home the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Wednesday night. Venables third game-ending hit scored Chris Denorfia from third to complete an improbable comeback after Padres batters struggled mightily through the first eight innings. It also allowed Stults to smile after a career-high, 12-strikeout performance where he allowed one run and three hits over eight dominant innings. "The numbers were great, but the win was the important thing," Stults said. "The end result is all that matters and Im proud of how we rallied late and were able to finish this game on top." Kyle Blanks forced extra innings in the bottom of the ninth with a one-out sacrifice fly off Mariners closer Tom Wilhemsen, who blew his second save in 13 tries by allowing just his second earned run in 23 innings. The dramatic finish followed a home run from Jason Bay off Padres closer Huston Street that gave Seattle a 2-1 lead in the ninth. Street has given up seven home runs in 20 1-3 innings this season. Stults, by contrast, was on point. "Eric pitched brilliantly," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Stults has pitched some very good games for us, but I dont know how you throw any better. All four pitches were effective and were thrown with excellent command. That was impressive." The left-hander struck out hitters in bunches, including two stretches of four straight. Stults previous strikeout best was nine, set on Aug. 17, 2007, while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Colorado Rockies. "Im not really a strikeout guy," Stults said. "I normally pitch to contact, but I felt like I could attack their aggressiveness and use all my pitches to get them out. I was able to throw off-speed pitches low in the zone, and I believed I could make them swing and miss with that game plan." The Mariners were frustrated all night by a pitcher who doesnt throw fastballs above 90 mph and has a curveball 20 mph slower. Theyve lost seven straight on the road, and have struggled to score runs during a brutal 2-10 stretch. "We have got to get the offence going," Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. "Thats what sticks with you during runs like this. Were not scoring enough runs and were inconsistent. The guys have to step up." Seeattle wasted a solid effort by starter Joe Saunders. Cheap Minnesota Wild Jerseys. Saunders continued his dominance over the Padres with one run and four hits allowed in seven strong innings, but his bullpen let him down. Saunders has allowed just one run in his last 29 2-3 innings against the Padres. Chase Headley opened the scoring with a 403-foot solo home run to left field in the first inning. Saunders kept the Padres off balance with a mix of pitches and a well-placed fastball, and pitched 6 1-3 shutout innings after Headleys blast. "When you see a guy like Stults putting up zeros, you tell yourself you have to do the same," Saunders said. "Whatever it takes, you have to keep your team in the game." Saunders did so, but the Padres wore on the Mariners bullpen in the eighth and ninth before breaking through in the 10th inning. The Padres got to Seattle reliever Yoervis Medina (1-1) to win it in the 10th. Denorfia legged out an infield hit and advanced to third on Everth Cabreras seeing-eye bloop single near second base. Headley was intentionally walked before Venables game-winner. "I was really comfortable up there," Venable said. "I got a decent pitch to hit and was able to find a spot where they couldnt make a play. Its nice to win one like that. It shows great resolve all around." Luke Gregerson (3-2) pitched a scoreless 10th to earn the win. NOTES: Padres C Yasmani Grandal didnt shed much light on his use of performance-enhancing drugs on Wednesday in his first press conference with home media since testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone in November. He did say that he took an illegal substance in order to stay healthy, not to sustain an edge over the competition. He didnt divulge further details about PED use, citing an open MLB investigation surrounding the issue. . Mariners OF Michael Morse remained in Seattle when the team left for Wednesdays game at San Diego due to a quadriceps strain suffered on Tuesday. He was examined on Wednesday, and Mariners manager Eric Wedge said he believed Morses would gone 3-5 days and that he could catch up with the team during a weekend series at Minnesota. . 1B Justin Smoak, out since Saturday with a strained oblique muscle, took batting practice and pinch hit in the eighth inning. . Padres INF Logan Forsythe, on the 60-day disabled list with plantar fasciitis, moved his minor-league rehab assignment from extended spring training to Triple-A Tucson. . Seattle 2B got his first major-league hit in the fifth inning. Cheap Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2018 China NFL Jerseys White Cheap NFL Jerseys Throwback Wholesale NFL T-shirts Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Online Cheap Jerseys Online Cheap Jerseys From China Jerseys From China China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Womens Jerseys ' ' '