FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - Coach Mike Smith keeps searching for ways to fix the Atlanta Falcons, and nothing seems to work.Since finishing 10 yards shy of the Super Bowl two years ago, the Falcons have been a model of dysfunction on the field.They are 9-21 over the last two years and have lost three of five entering Sundays game at New Orleans.Every time we go out there, we know what were up against and how were going to be evaluated, Smith said on Monday. So it hurts, but weve learned from those losses and weve learned from what happened yesterday.Victories over the Saints and Carolina would make Atlanta 7-9 and give Smith his third NFC South title in seven seasons.That might be hard to imagine considering how poorly the Falcons have played this year, but their division is one of the weakest in league history.We all understand where were at, Smith said. We know we control our own destiny. It doesnt matter what anyone else does. The first thing we have to do is go down and play very well and win the game in New Orleans.Falcons owner Arthur Blank hasnt said publicly if the coach will return next year, but Smith insists that hes not fretting about job security and is focused solely on helping Atlanta beat the Saints.It wont be easy. Smith is 1-5 at New Orleans, 4-9 in the series.The playoffs start for us right away, running back Steven Jackson said. Its going to be a tough one on the road, but well be ready for it.Smith will need to coach a nearly perfect game and avoid clock management gaffes that allowed Detroit and Cleveland to kick last-second winning field goals.Against the Steelers, Smith decided to punt from the Atlanta 25 on fourth-and-two late in the fourth quarter. Sending the NFLs most porous defence back on the field turned out to be the wrong move as the Steelers consumed the final 4 minutes, 34 seconds to win 27-20.When you dont win, its not fun, Smith said. Its not fun for the players. Its not fun for the coaches. Its not fun for our fans. Ultimately, theres one guy held accountable for it, and thats the head coach.Quarterback Matt Ryan, who threw an interception against Pittsburgh that cornerback William Gay returned for a 52-yard touchdown, could help Smiths cause by playing a mistake-free game.Ryan has thrown a pick in each of the last four games. It marked the third time this year that hes had an interception returned for a TD.It was just kind of a tough play, Ryan said. I let it go and certainly thats a decision you cant make. I cant do that. It stops there.Notes: Starting CB Robert Alford was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a broken wrist. Alford, a second-draft pick in 2013, was injured last month at Carolina and underwent surgery on Monday. ... Smith said he anticipates that WR Julio Jones, the NFLs second-leading receiver, will be ready to go Sunday. Jones suffered a hip injury late in a loss at Green Bay two weeks ago and didnt play in Sundays home loss to Pittsburgh. ... Smith wasnt sure if SS William Moore (foot) and RG guard Jon Asamoah (back) will be able to practice this week.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Paul Krause Jersey .C. - The Carolina Hurricanes hope they now have the leadership tandem in place to turn the franchise around. Chuck Foreman Jersey .Y. -- AJ Allmendingers journey is almost complete. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Yout...kings-jersey/.C. - Blair Jones scored the eventual winner in the third period as the Abbotsford Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Oil Barons 3-2 in American Hockey League action on Friday. Custom Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . You can catch all of the action LIVE on TSN2 at 6pm et/3pm pt. The Heat reached that mark Saturday night when they ruined the Philadelphia 76ers home opener. Dru Samia Womens Jersey . Heavily-criticized after allowing a dozen goals on 58 shots in two games in Boston, Luongo continued his dominance at home. Hes now allowed two goals in three home games in this series.NEW YORK -- Stuck in a batting slump all week, the New York Mets seemed unlikely to even get a hit. Scoring? That looked downright impossible. Yet somehow, they rallied. The Mets suddenly struck for three runs in the ninth inning against Philadelphias makeshift bullpen minus closer Jonathan Papelbon, then ended a five-game skid by beating the Phillies 5-4 Sunday on Ruben Tejadas single in the 11th. "Desperate? You can call it desperate if you want to, but we have to stay positive," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "I dont know, standing on the edge of the cliff probably is a better way to describe it." Down 4-1 with only three outs left, the punchless Mets fought back, sparked by Daniel Murphys two-run homer. Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said Papelbon was sore and unavailable to pitch in a third straight game. "The daily grind of the season," Papelbon said. "Its just kind of a product of the last couple of games." Lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo and Roberto Hernandez -- who started Friday night -- quickly let the Phillies lead slip away. In the 11th, Chris Young opened with an infield single, barely beating the flip from second baseman Chase Utleys glove. The Mets sent up pitcher Zack Wheeler as a pinch-hitter, and he put down a perfect sacrifice bunt that moved Young to second. Juan Lagares drew an intentional walk and Anthony Recker loaded with the bases with another infield hit stopped by diving third baseman Reid Brignac. Tejada won it with one out, hitting a sharp single to left-centre against Jeff Manship (1-1). Tejadas teammates chased him down in short right field to celebrate. "It feels pretty good after a rough week for me and the team," said Tejada, who recently lost his starting job at shortstop. Scott Rice (1-1) got Brignac on a grounder with two runners on to finish the 11th. Held to a total of nine runs in their previous five games, the Mets began their comeback in the ninth when Eric Young Jr. led off with a double and Murphy followed with a home run that made it 4-3. Chris Young ended his 0-for-18 slump by hitting a one-out double off the wall, and Hernandez emerged from the bullpen -- he threw 99 pitches in the series opener. Pinch-hitter Bobby Abreu sinngled off the glove of a diving Utley, and a slow grounder by Lagares drove in the tying run.dddddddddddd. When Tejada came up in the 11th, he said he had one thought in mind: "Finish the game." The Mets comeback denied Cole Hamels his elusive first win of the year and the 100th of his career. He struck out 10 in seven innings while throwing a whopping 133 pitches, the most by any major leaguer since San Franciscos Tim Lincecum tossed 148 in his no-hitter last July 13. The Mets started quickly when Young Jr. led off with a single and stole second, Murphy walked and David Wright hit an RBI single. NOTES: A day after making his debut, the Mets Eric Campbell singled for his first big league hit. ... Jonathon Niese struck out twice, leaving Mets pitchers 0 for 63 at the plate this year. ... The four-game Subway Series begins Monday night at Yankee Stadium with Mets RHP Bartolo Colon (2-5, 5.36 ERA) facing RHP Hiroki Kuroda (2-3, 4.43). The teams play twice in the Bronx before shifting across town for two more at Citi Field. The Mets went 4-0 against the Yankees last year. ... Lefty-hitting Curtis Granderson didnt start vs. Hamels, but Collins said the outfielder would be in the lineup Monday night. It will be Grandersons first game in the Bronx since leaving the Yankees in the off-season, signing with the Mets and saying: "A lot of the people Ive met in New York have always said that true New Yorkers are Mets fans." ... Several players swung pink bats on Mothers Day to support the fight against breast cancer. In keeping with the days theme, Mets reliever Carlos Torres asked the team to play the hip-hop song "Dear Mama" by the late Tupac Shakur over the PA system if he got into the game Sunday. Torres didnt pitch. ... It was Bark at the Park Day to support pet rescue and adoption. Many fans brought their dogs for a pregame parade around the warning track. Not barking was longtime Mets hot dog vendor Willie B, popular for his loud woofing in the second deck. He said his back was hurting, so he was carrying a lighter tray of pretzels. Real dogs are allowed to sit with their owners in the right-field porch at these Bark events -- on those days, Willie B says he instead refers to his usual wares as "frankfurters, out of respect." ' ' '