FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Steven Jacksons latest hamstring injury is giving Jacquizz Rodgers, Devonta Freeman and Antone Smith a chance to fill the void at running back for the Atlanta Falcons. Its a tough assignment considering how far the run game has fallen, dropping from 17th in 2011 to 29th in 2012 to worst in the NFL last season. Jackson, the NFLs active career leading rusher, missed four games with a left hamstring injury and finished his first year as a Falcon with 543 yards rushing and 3.5 per carry -- the lowest numbers of his 10-season tenure. For the past several days, Jackson has been nursing a right hamstring injury, putting his three backups in competition for snaps. Rodgers and Freeman are splitting work with the starters while Smith is working with the second and third teams. Theres no immediate timetable for Jacksons return, but Rodgers says the team is prepared to move on regardless. "In this league, youve got to always be ready," Rodgers said Saturday. "Youve got to practice like youre ready to play in a game and when your time comes, youve got to prove what youve got." Over the past three years, the Falcons used the 5-foot-6, 188-pound Rodgers as a change-of-pace option to veteran power backs such as Jackson and Michael Turner. Rodgers will have the first chance to claim the starting job until Jackson is ready to return, but coach Mike Smith likes the punch that Freeman, who last season helped Florida State win the national championship, brings to the offence. Another step in Freemans growth will come Monday and Tuesday when Atlanta hosts the Tennessee Titans for joint practices. "Theyll present some different rushes and some different blitzes, but hes on a fast track to help us," Mike Smith said. "We know what he can do with the ball in his hands. In this league, youve got to be able to protect the quarterback, and the running backs are an integral part of that." The Falcons struggled in keeping Matt Ryan clean last year as the former Pro Bowl quarterback suffered a career-high 44 sacks and was pressured 203 times, most in the NFL. Antone Smith is hoping to earn snaps with the first-team offence, but he acknowledges the need to improve his blocking skills. The team already knows what he can do on special teams as Smith spent his first four years mostly working on punt and kickoff returns and coverages. Blocking in the backfield, however, has been harder to master. "Thats always been an issue for me," Antone Smith said. "Every game you have to calibrate that pass protection, and you want to be an artist at that. Everybody can run the ball. If you cant run the ball, you wouldnt be here." Coming off a 4-12 season, the Falcons cant return to respectability with a one-dimensional offence that last season averaged 20.1 run attempts per game, lowest in the league, while leading the NFC and ranking second overall with 42.2 pass attempts. Freeman hopes to help lighten the load on Ryan and his receivers and give the rushing attack some traction. "I feel like nobody can stop me but me, and when the opportunity is there, you have to seize the moment every time," Freeman said. "I feel like I was going to eventually get to this point where the coaches throw me in the fire. It happened to be during camp, so I can get reps now. When live action comes in the games, I can try to be good at everything." Notes: FS Kemal Ishmael, a seventh-round pick last year from Central Florida, began training camp with the third-team defence, but hes now working with the starters as Dwight Lowery and rookie Dez Southward nurse injuries. Lowery left Fridays scrimmage after hitting his head. Southward, a third-round draft pick from Wisconsin, hurt his knee earlier this week. Neither has an immediate timetable to return. Joe Haden Steelers Jersey .com) - Demario Richard posted four touchdowns and Kweishi Brown came up with a key late interception as No. Terrell Edmunds Jersey .C. -- Colin Kaepernick raced into the end zone, then pretended to rip open his shirt with both hands imitating Cam Newtons Superman touchdown celebration. http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-Mason-Rudolph-Elite-Jersey/ . "Its embarrassing what were doing here," leading scorer Phil Kessel said Wednesday. The most recent failed season came with even more pain than the six that preceded it. There was no hint of an impending implosion when the Leafs came roaring out of the all-star break with back-to-back games against Pittsburgh -- a 5-4 shootout loss followed by a 1-0 win the next night. Jon Bostic Steelers Jersey . The South Africa international, who rejoined the club last month on loan from Tottenham, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a powerful shot into the roof of the net. Terrell Edmunds Steelers Jersey . The Ravens werent about to let it happen again. Carleton picked up its fourth straight national mens basketball title, and 10th in the last 12 years, with a 79-67 victory over its crosstown rival on Sunday. ATLANTA -- Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons wasted no time recovering from a rare two-error inning. "Its a tough when your errors are a little costly, but (Aaron) Harang picked me up and kept us in the game," Simmons said. "The other guys got on base and we ended up winning, so its a good day after all." Simmons drove in four runs, Harang won his third straight start and the Atlanta Braves beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-4 Saturday for their season-high ninth straight victory. Justin Upton added a two-run homer and a third RBI for the Braves, who have won 11 of 12 and are 11 games over .500 for the first time this season. Harang (8-6) has a 3.00 ERA over his last three starts after allowing nine hits and four runs with one walk and one strikeout in eight innings. Arizona, which has dropped eight of 12, lost its 53rd game, most in the majors. Simmons had an RBI single in the first and a two-run double in the fourth. He appeared to turn his left ankle while running the bases in the sixth but stayed in the game. He drove in his fourth run with a groundout in the seventh to make it 10-4. It marked the third time in his career and second time this season that he had four RBIs in a game. Simmons has four straight games with at least two hits. The Diamondbacks went ahead 3-0 in the first on Goldschmidts RBI double, Monteros RBI single and Gerardo Parras RBI single. Parra got an at-bat after manager Kirk Gibson successfully challenged that Aaron Hill, the previous batter, was safe at first on Atlantas double-play attempt. "We had a rough first inning there, but nobody panicked," Harang said. "Our confidence is real high right now, and everybodys feeling good about how were swinging the bats and playing defence. We knew guys were comfortable up there and knew that wed stay right in it." Simmons, named last years Platinum Glove winner as the NLs best defender, had two errors in the first. Simmons began the game with six errors this year. "I told him that how you bounce back frrom those is whats important," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said.dddddddddddd"He made some great plays defensively after that inning and also swung the bat. He kept the line moving." After Simmons cut the lead to 3-1 in the first, the Braves made it 3-2 in the third on Jason Heywards RBI single. Atlanta took a 7-3 lead with a five-run fourth off Mike Bolsinger (1-5). Tommy La Stella scored from third when B.J. Upton reached on Didi Gregorius throwing error. Simmons two-run double was followed by Freddie Freemans RBI triple and Uptons sacrifice fly. Bolsinger, who had a 2.70 ERA in his previous three starts, gave up 10 hits, seven runs -- five earned -- and walked two in 3 2-3 innings. He struck out five. Ender Inciarte homered in the fifth to cut the lead to 7-4, but Upton hit 17th homer, a two-run, shot off Matt Stites to make it 9-4 in the sixth. The Diamondbacks, plagued by injuries all season, are reeling. "When we were at our place (last month), we played these guys really good," Gibson said. "Were capable of doing that." Notes: The last time Atlanta had a nine-game winning streak was during a 12-game streak that ended last Aug. 9. ... Goldschmidt went 1 for 4 and has reached safely in 26 straight games. Hes hitting .318 with nine doubles, four homers, 12 RBIs and 28 walks during that span. ... Heyward leaped to catch Goldschmidts fly ball at the top of the right-field wall in the eighth. ... Diamondbacks OF Mark Trumbo, recovering from foot injury, is 5 for 10 with two homers and six RBIs as a designated hitter during his rehab assignment. ... Before the game, Arizona acquired two minor leaguers, OF Zach Borenstein and RHP Joey Krehbiel from the Los Angeles Angels for LHP Joe Thatcher and minor-league OF Tony Campana. ... Diamondbacks LHP Eury De la Rosa, recalled from Triple-A Reno earlier in the day, gave up three hits and one run in the seventh and eighth. ... B.J. Upton has a career-best 11-game hitting streak. Blackhawks Jerseys StoreCheap Wild JerseysCheap Red Wings JerseysCheap Maple Leafs JerseysPenguins Jerseys StoreCapitals Jerseys For SaleBlues Jerseys StoreCheap Kings JerseysAdidas Lightning JerseysStars Jerseys For SaleCheap Predators JerseysDucks StoreSharks Jerseys For SaleCheap Sabres JerseysRangers Jerseys For Sale ' ' '