Chatecke » 0 on the South -- Perez

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - The Falcons current stretch of road games would be a challenge even under ideal circumstances.Given Atlantas recent lack of success away from the Georgia Dome and its sudden crisis on the offensive line, the brutal travel schedule is especially imposing.Sundays 41-28 loss at Minnesota was the start of a stretch where the Falcons play six of seven games away from Atlanta, including next weeks visit to the Giants. Their only game in Atlanta in that stretch is against the Bears on Oct. 12.The Falcons are listed as the home team on Oct. 26 a€” but its their longest trip of all, in London against Detroit.The loss at Minnesota left Atlanta 0-2 on the road this year. They have lost nine of 10 road games since the start of the 2013 season.Strong wins at home have kept the Falcons (2-2) tied for first in the unimpressive NFC South. Coach Mike Smith isnt deceived. He said he knows his team cant expect to make the playoffs without a turnaround on the road.Thats something we have to address, Smith said Monday. Weve had conversations as a coaching staff, weve had conversations with players. Its hard to win on the road, but if youre going to be the type of team that every team is trying to be and thats play in the second season, youve got to at least split on the road.Right now weve not played anywhere close to be able to get the outcome we want. Well continue to talk about it and address it as a staff and as a team.Injuries are the most pressing concern.Atlanta lost three starting offensive linemen a€” centre Joe Hawley (knee), right tackle Lamar Holmes (foot) and left guard Justin Blalock (back) a€” to injuries in Sundays game. Safety William Moore (shoulder) also left the game.Hawley and Holmes left the stadium on crutches. Tight end Levine Toilolo had to play right tackle in the fourth quarter.Sticking with his policy of not providing injury news until Wednesday, Smith gave no updates Monday on the crisis on his offensive line. He wouldnt say if the team is seeking outside help this week.Peter Konz, who would be the probable fill-in starter at centre, said hes expecting to play against the Giants a€” just like any week.Im going to treat this week like any other week. I go in there expecting to play, Konz said Monday.Im just going to go in expecting that were going to face a really good defence and Im going to have to step up.Ryan Schraeder, who was inactive against the Vikings, started four games at right tackle as a rookie in 2013. Konz made 15 starts last season, playing centre and right guard.If I have to be in there, Ive done it before, Konz said. I know I can go in and do a great job. Im going to have a lot of teammates to help me. ... Weve got a lot of guys to help out. Its not going to just be me.Konz found a positive spin for the string of road games.I think now that weve done it a few times, we can just lock in and treat it like any other, Konz said. The one thing nice about having several games in a row like that is that you get to get into a routine. You get into a mode where youre used to travelling. I think that will be good for us.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL___Follow Charles Odum on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CharlesOdum Camiseta Sergio Busquets . Grilli hasnt pitched since straining his left oblique in late April. Manager Clint Hurdle says the right-hander will make a couple of appearances in middle relief before the team determines whether to return Grilli to the back end of the bullpen. Arthur Camiseta Barça . Toronto announced the deal with the restricted free agent on Saturday. The terms were not disclosed. http://www.camisetasfcbarcelona.es/. -- Having already fallen behind because of the NFL lockout, Blaine Gabbert couldnt afford a lengthy holdout. Camiseta Philippe Coutinho . The league announced Thursday that Tom Higgins is leaving that post effective immediately. Camiseta Luis Suarez Barata .com) - The fading Ottawa Senators have a chance to make up some ground in the playoff race on Tuesday night as they play host to the New York Rangers.SAN DIEGO -- The best score belonged to Stewart Cink. The best round belonged to Pat Perez. Tiger Woods didnt come close to claiming either Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open, where the seven-time champion failed to break par in the opening round for first time in his career. Cink ran off three straight birdies late in his round on the easier North Course at Torrey Pines for an 8-under 64. That gave him a one-shot lead over Gary Woodland, who also was on the North, which is more than 600 yards shorter. Perez was on the South Course, host of the 2008 U.S. Open and with greens so firm this year that it felt like a major. Perez had a 67, the best score on the South by two shots, and even more astounding is that he played bogey-free. The South played nearly four shots harder than the North. Woods, making his 2014 debut, failed to birdie any of the par 5s and had to settle for a 72. "Even par is not too bad, but I didnt play the par 5s worth a darn today," Woods said. "Obviously, thats (tantamount) to try to get any kind of scoring on the South Course. Youve got to take care of the par 5s because theres not a lot of holes you can make birdie here. Subsequently, I didnt finish under par." Even at eight shots behind, he wasnt worried about a chance to win at Torrey for the ninth time -- including a U.S. Open. The courses are so different than its difficult to gauge where anyone stands until everyone has had a crack at both courses. The weekend rounds are on the South. "Im going to have to go out there and get it a little bit tomorrow to not be so far behind come Saturday or Sunday," Woods said. Cink did what he was supposed to do. The rough is up on the North, too, so it was important to get the ball in play. He did that, allowing him to take on some pins. "You want to really take advantage of the North Course because it will yield to you a little bit, and the South Course will not," Cink said. "I did a great job of going out there, just playing shot-by-shot, not really getting too caught up in, I have to birdie these holes. As a consequence, I actually made a few birdies and it felt great." Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, felt awful. He was coping with a back locked up on him, unusual for Mickelson because he doesnt have a history of back pain. It got so bad at one point that Mickelson thought about withdrawing from his hometown event, especially after his 4-iron on the par-5 18th at the North Course nearly went out-of-bounds. Mickelson used his short game to make birdie, and then made another birdie on the next hole and he scratched out a 69. "Never thought aboout not starting, but around the turn I thought about maybe taking this week off and seeing if I could get a little bit better," he said.dddddddddddd "I kind of fought through the back nine and gave myself a chance." He described it as a muscular problem and was hopeful treatment would help. Mickelson swung easy on the North. Players have to swing for the fences on the 7,698-yard South Course, where the average score Thursday 74.45. Not many would have predicted a 67 on the South, though Woods wasnt surprised when he heard who did it. "Why? He grew up here," Woods said. "This was his home course. Hes playing it more times than any tour pro certainly." Perez has such a history at Torrey that his father, Tony, continues to announce the players on the first tee at the South Course. And heres even better history -- Perez won a Junior World Championship at Torrey Pines, by beating some Orange County kid named Tiger Woods. "Best day of my life," Perez said. "Ive known him forever. Hes always been great to me. He gives me advice here and there, but to beat him that year was fantastic. ... Ive got to hold onto that, so thats about all that I got over him. But it hurts him. Ill you tell, it hurts him." Perez was joking. He is full of bluster and always fun, a favourite among the players. Thats what made Thursday so enjoyable. The weather was close to perfect, with hang gliders filling the sky left of the fourth fairway on the South. Perez had no bogeys on his card, and he cant remember if that ever happened since the South was stretched out to prepare for the U.S. Open. It was only one round, but it was a great for Perez -- and for Cink, who hasnt won since his British Open title at Turnberry in 2009. The test for Cink is Friday on the South, especially considering that only three players broke 70 on the South -- Perez, Charley Hoffman (another San Diego native) and rookie Kevin Tway, whose father (former PGA champion Bob Tway) won this event in 1986. Ottawas Brad Fritsch opened with a 3-under 69. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., carded a 70. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot an even par 72. Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C, who qualified on Monday, signed for a 4-over 76. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., was another shot back. DIVOTS: Jordan Spieth, who missed the cut at Torrey Pines last year as a 19-year-old making his pro debut, played with Woods and Jimmy Walker and shot 71. ... Fifty of the 62 rounds under par were on the North Course. ... The worst score on the North Course was a 77 by Brandt Snedeker and Derek Ernst. ' ' '