period, there has been just one century and four fifties by Indias

Roman Harper hopes he can improve the air quality in the New Orleans Saints locker room this season -- metaphorically speaking, that is.The younger guys, they need to feel success, they need to know what it smells like, Harper said, alluding to the mantra, Smell greatness, from New Orleans 2009 championship season.The Saints -- who open training camp in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, on July 27 -- havent entirely stunk up the Superdome in recent seasons; theyve been competitive in many games.But in going 7-9 in both 2014 and 15, theyve fallen far short of the standard they set when they made the playoffs four times in five seasons from 2009 to 2013. Harper, entering his 11th NFL season, was part of all of those playoff teams before leaving in free agency for Carolina, which made the playoffs in 2014 and advanced to the Super Bowl last season.Some of New Orleans roster moves this offseason, such bringing back Harper and acquiring eighth-year middle linebacker James Laurinaitis from the Rams in free agency, were made with an eye toward finding a better balance of young talent and veteran leadership -- particularly on a defense that has ranked second-to-last in the NFL the past two seasons.When New Orleans concluded offseason workouts this summer, its most accomplished players sounded confident that the Saints were developing the kind of cohesion that can make the difference between climbing into the playoff picture and languishing in mediocrity.Everybody is talented, so what separates you? quarterback Drew Brees asked rhetorically. Its discipline. It is work ethic. It is togetherness. It is competitiveness. It is toughness. I feel like we have all that with the guys, both veteran and young.Here are some things to watch as the Saints assemble for camp at the Greenbrier Resort:DETERMINED DREW: Brees is in the last year of a five-year, $100 million contract and wants an extension, but has asserted that his contract status wont affect his performance. History backs him up. The previous time Brees went into the final year of a contract was 2011, when he passed for what was then an NFL-record 5,476 yards, as well as 46 touchdowns. And while Brees is getting older, he led the NFL in yards passing last season with 4,870 -- down from his career high, certainly, but still elite.Drews been in this situation before, Saints coach Sean Payton said. I dont envision it to be a distraction.ALLENS TIME: If defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can ensure the right number of players are on the field every play and are lined up properly, hell have fixed two problems Payton cited with the unit a year ago. Allen, who took over New Orleans defense after coordinator Rob Ryans firing in the second half of last season, is coming off his first full offseason in charge and has sought to adjust New Orleans scheme to promote better organization and suit the strengths of his players.Youre able to instill your scheme and youre able to instill your culture, Allen said. You are not quite as able to do that when you take over in the middle of a season. Like anything else, were starting from ground zero. Were going to be judged on what we do from this point forward.PEATS PERFORMANCE: Payton has said he envisions 2015 top draft pick Andrus Peat as a starter on the offensive line this season. The question is whether its at tackle, where he played at Stanford, or at guard, where the Saints need someone to step in for Jahri Evans, who was released during the offseason. The Saints have starting left tackle Terron Armstead and starting right tackle Zach Strief back this season. So Payton aims to determine whether starting Peat over Strief at right tackle makes more sense than starting Peat ahead of one of the young, relatively unproven linemen competing to step in at guard.YOUNG DEFENDERS: The Saints are eager to see if players from the past two draft classes can make regular contributions on a defense that needs help. Defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is competing for snaps after being drafted 12th overall this spring. Meanwhile, two draft choices from last year -- cornerback P.J. Williams and pass-rushing outside linebacker Davis Tull -- are both on track to make their NFL debuts after spending last season on injured reserve.CATCHING ON: Rookie receiver Michael Thomas showed promise in offseason workouts and could compete for a starting job that opened up with the release of franchise career receiving leader Marques Colston last winter.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL Terry Bradshaw Jersey . Paul Pierce couldnt believe he missed at the end. Young scored a season-high 26 points to spark a huge effort from the leagues most productive bench, and Los Angeles beat the Brooklyn Nets 99-94 on Wednesday night after blowing a 27-point lead. JuJu Smith-Schuster Steelers Jersey . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. http://www.steelerspronfl.com/Youth-Jack-Lambert-Elite-Jersey/ . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Joe Gilliam Steelers Jersey . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. Dermontti Dawson Steelers Jersey . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. 3 India players who made two or more 50-plus scores and took two or more five-wicket hauls in a Test series. R Ashwin, in this series, joins Kapil Dev and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in doing the bat-and-ball double. Kapil did it twice, against Pakistan in 1979-80 and England in 1981-82 and Bhuvneshwar achieved it in England in 2014. However, Kapil and Bhuvneshwar did it in a series of five or more matches whereas Ashwins has come in a four-match series.66.57 Ashwins batting average against West Indies - the best by any India batsman with five or more innings. He has converted each of his three fifties into centuries before this unbeaten 75 on the first day in St Lucia.122 Balls faced by Wriddhiman Saha by the end of day one is his most in a Test innings. His unbeaten 46 is his fourth-highest score in Tests so far.3 Partnerships of 50 or more runs for the sixth wicket for India in this series in as many innings. This is the joint-most for India in an away series. Ashwin and Saha added 71 runs in the first Test, and Rahane and Saha added 98 runs in the second Test before the unbeaten century stand between Ashwin and Saha in St Lucia.5.11 Run rate off the second new ball - 46 runs in nine overs. From the start of the second session until the new ball was taken after 81 overs, India had made just 101 runs in 58 overs, a run rate of 1.74. They had a good run rate in the first session though, scoring 87 runs in 23 overs at 3.78 per over.290 Average score on the first day in the four Tests in St Lucia before this match. Indias 234 is the lowest total on the first day at this venue. In 2006, India had made 361 in 85 overs on the first dayy at this venue.dddddddddddd2 Occasions for India when three of their top five batsmen were out for single-digit scores against West Indies since 2000. Before this match, the only instance in this century was in Bridgetown in 2011.25.28 Average of Indias No. 3 batsmen in Tests since the start of 2014 - lowest among all teams. In 38 innings in this period, there has been just one century and four fifties by Indias No. 3. Excluding West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, all other teams have averaged more than 40 in this period from the No. 3 position. Two years prior to that, between 2012 and 2014, Indias No. 3 had averaged 57.15, third-best among all teams.23.25 Virat Kohlis average at No. 3 in Tests. In five innings at that position he has made just 93 runs with a high score of 41. The last time before this Test that he batted at No. 3 was in March 2013. He averages 50.64 at No. 4, 42.95 at No. 5 and 44.88 at No. 6.26.31 Ajinkya Rahanes strike rate in this innings - 35 runs off 133 balls - his lowest in any innings lasting 25 or more deliveries. He had scored 16 runs off his first 33 balls, a strike rate of 48.48, but added just 19 runs off the next 100 deliveries.2 Teenagers who have opened the bowling for West Indies in Tests. Debutant Alzarri Joseph, at the age of 19 years and 263 days, is the second such bowler for West Indies. The first was Jerome Taylor, aged 19 years and 5 days in 2003. The last bowler younger than Joseph to open the bowling on his debut was Pat Cummins in November 2011. ' ' '