Rodgers will have the first chance to claim the starting

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. Cheap Chargers Jerseys .5 million. 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The regularly scheduled Wednesday night matchup will follow that and will now be seven innings.Its been a long wait for Mackenzie Hughes but in just a couple of weeks, hell finally kick off his 2014 season on the Web.Com Tour. The former Canadian Amateur champion, who made his rookie year as a professional a memorable one, has had a long wait to get back on the course and after last season, hes anxious to play. "Its funny that my season really ended in September," he said, noting the end of the PGA Tour Canada schedule. "That was so long ago and Ive had so much time to think about it." Whats probably crossed his mind from time to time has been his great campaign of 2013, where he went from having no status and minimal financial backing to winning the Order of Merit on PGA Tour Canada, which gave him an exemption onto the Web.Com Tour. It was certainly a whirlwind season but one the product of Dundas, Ont., never doubted he could make. After playing for Canada at the World Team Amateur Championship, Hughes turned pro, moved to Charlotte, N.C., and ventured out into the world of mini-tours. "I dont like mini-tours so much," he chuckled. "Youre not playing for a lot of money and its definitely not glamourous." However, thats about all Hughes had at that point. And he did learn a thing or two about life as a professional, which was a definite change from his amateur and college days. "You have to learn on your own pretty quickly," he said. "Youre really on your own." One thing that didnt change, however, was his talent. It didnt take him long to parlay a couple of PGA Tour Canada starts into a regular gig. And, in June, after going through the qualifying and winning a playoff, he made it into the U.S. Open. Although he didnt make the cut at Merion, it was an eye-opening experience. "It showed me that Im not that far off, that I can play at that level," he stated. "And it helped me when I got back to PGA Tour Canada." After missing the cut in his first three stops, Hughes rolled off ffour top-10 finishes in his next five events.dddddddddddd That included a runner-up finish at the Wildfire Invitational and a victory at the Cape Breton Celtic Classic. His success on the course also helped him off it. When he first turned pro, Hughes attempted to find sponsors, even coming up with a plan to sell shares of himself. That didnt work out and in the early going, things were tight. This year, hes signed on with SportBox Entertainment Group, the new Canadian agency thats headed up by former IMGer Danny Fritz and includes as clients Mike Weir, Graham DeLaet and David Hearn. Hes found some stability with sponsorships from Ping and Freedom 55 Financial, but says hes a long way from being on easy street. "Its better for sure, but at the same time, Im going to spend a lot more money this year," Hughes pointed out. "Ill be paying for caddies, more travel, more of everything really. It adds up pretty quick. But if I play well, its not an issue." In addition to learning how to balance his chequebook, Hughes is learning the ropes of another new tour, this one a step up on the competitive scale. The long layoff has made it possible for him to glean lots of information about playing the Web.com Tour, but that has an upside and downside. "Ive talked to a million different people about it," Hughes said. "Ive maybe got too much advice. Im really just trying to figure out whats best for me." He has sought out help from those whove gone before him and hes hoping to play practice rounds with fellow Canadians Roger Sloan and Adam Hadwin to not only learn about courses, but also life on tour. He will also likely join up with another Canadian rookie, Albin Choi to share expenses and experiences. "Im more excited than nervous," Hughes admitted. "I want to test my game against the next level and see where I am." Hughes will get that opportunity when the Tour gets underway Feb. 13 in Bogota, Colombia. 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