Tips & Tricks » five weeks, winning three titles to climb to

METAIRIE, La. - New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton has put his players on notice.Some could be looking for jobs sooner than later.I dont rule out any changes with regard to who were asking to do what were asking them to do, Payton said Monday after reviewing video of Sundays 41-10 loss to Carolina.Guys understand, hey, this is serious. Its their profession. Its our profession. Its going to be our job and the leaders of this team to lead. This is exactly when you find out who your guys are, Payton added. If its not happening ... then were going to look at other options.Thanks to the overall struggles of all four teams in the NFC South, the Saints have had an unusually large margin for error this season. But with only three games left, that margin is thinning.Despite falling to 5-8, the Saints returned to work Monday eliminated from NFC wild card contention but very much alive in the NFC South race, just a half-game behind first-place Atlanta before the Falcons played at Green Bay on Monday night.Yet Payton seemed to be judging his teams post-season chances more by what hes seen on the field than in the standings when he said, The only reason were sitting here still with that small sliver of hope is just because the way the division has unfolded this year.The Saints, who return to action next Monday night in Chicago, have lost four of five games, with two of those losses by three or more scores. Sundays beating was the seasons worst, not only on the scoreboard but also in the context of who the opponent was and what was at stake.New Orleans entered the game tied for first in the division, preparing to play at home against a Carolina squad that had not only lost six straight, including a 28-10 loss to New Orleans on Oct. 30.Odds makers had forecast a 10-point Saints victory.Payton wasnt bothered much by the physical effort his players put forth, saying he didnt see a ton of loafs.Rather, his film review revealed myriad mental mistakes.Man, I saw alignment problems. I saw execution problems. I saw guys not aligned with leverage the way theyre supposed to be. I saw poor tackling, dropped balls, turnovers, fumbles, Payton said. Now, if youre on your guy and he makes a play, thats one thing.But too often, Payton said, that wasnt the case.Saints right tackle Zach Strief described himself as angry, adding that too many players seemed unaware of the mental intensity required on game days. He said he was also angry at himself, as a team captain, for not doing more to counter that.In practice, Strief said, the Saints consistently work hard, but too often show up for games looking too relaxed.I know what it looks like when a team is ready, Strief said, adding that he didnt see that Sunday. I dont think its guys walking in like, I dont care. ... I think its not realizing how up you have to be for every game to be successful.NFL players sometimes talk about learning to channel a sort of adrenaline-infused, temporary insanity in order to attain the requisite ferociousness to perform against equally powerful, talented and motivated athletes in a violent game.As an example, Strief described how former Saints fullback Jed Collins, now with Detroit, unleashes a primordial roar after the national anthem.For Jed, that was like a trigger transforming Collins from his laid-back, usual self to his hyped-up, game-day persona, Strief said. We dont have enough guys that have that trigger.Second-year safety Kenny Vaccaro said hed read comments by Saints veterans including quarterback Drew Brees about the need for greater maturity and professionalism across the roster. He said young players, himself included, need to take that message to heart and not be offended by it.They laid the foundation, those guys that were here before us, Vaccaro said. I wasnt here when they won the whole thing, and thats the standard. So whatever Ive got to do to get to that, Ill do it.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Discount Nike NFL Jerseys . Its the games against the leagues struggling franchises that have proved to be an issue. Cheap Jerseys From China . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the Maple Leafs have trade offers on the table for the 26-year-old, but none have been deemed acceptable by the team. http://www.jerseyscheapsale.com/ . The Bulls seem to be getting along fine without him. D.J. Augustin scored 27 points in a start for Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson matched a career high with 26 filling in for Carlos Boozer as the Bulls improved to 7-2 since trading the popular Deng with a 98-87 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. Cheap Jerseys Online . The move will give Hentgen the "time needed to support his family and his fathers current health issues," the Blue Jays said in a release. Hentgen spent 10 of his 14 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, winning a Cy Young Award in 1996. Stitched Jerseys .Murray has played 20 matches in five weeks, winning three titles to climb to fifth in the ATP Race.The two-time Grand Slam champion also seeks to qualify for next months ATP World Tour Finals.Murray said: I always wanted to qualify for it, but also I want to get back into the top 8 players in the world and it makes a huge difference for seedings in the major events. DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche have signed goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a five-year extension that goes through the 2018-19 season, worth $29.5 million. The 25-year-old Varlamov is thriving under first-year coach and Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy, posting a 26-9-5 record with a 2.43 goals-against average. Hes second in the league in saves (1,199) this season and his 26 wins already match a career high. Joe p;Sakic, the teams executive vice-president of hockey operations, says that Varlamov is "entering the prime years of his career and he wants to be part of this franchise moving forward.dddddddddddd We are very excited to have come to terms with him." Varlamov was a first-round pick by Washington before being acquired by Colorado on July 1, 2011. He will represent Russia at the Sochi Olympics next month. ' ' '