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METAIRIE Youth Archie Manning Jersey , La. (AP) — Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport wears new diamond studs on his nose and ears and speaks with an easy, confident manner about meeting the expectations of a first-round draft choice in his second pro season.If he succeeds, the combination of the 6-foot-6, 265-pound Davenport and accomplished fellow end Cameron Jordan could cause considerable concern for quarterbacks.“Right now, I’m more confident than I’ve ever been,” Davenport said after a recent training camp practice. “Confidence comes from the truth. I’ve got to understand what kind of player I am. It was definitely a good offseason for me to get back to that and understand what I can (do) and what I haven’t done yet.”The Saints traded up, dealing away their original 2019 first-round pick to take Davenport 14th overall in 2018 out of mid-major program UTSA.Davenport had 4½ sacks last season — well below the 10 or more expected from elite pass rushers, but a promising total in light of the fact he often split playing time with veteran Alex Okafor and his rookie season was slowed by a nagging toe injury that cost him three games.“I was thinking too much,” Davenport said. “At a certain point, it’s just football and it should be fun. I think I let too much of the media and just all around people influence me, and I’ve got to play my game.”Okafor has since left the Saints in free agency, giving the 22-year-old Davenport an opening to take on a more prominent role.Davenport sounds intent on approaching his opportunity in a methodical, disciplined and analytical way.He deflects questions about sack goals by saying his mindset is: “Defeat the blocks; the sacks will come.”In addition to more traditional work in the weight room to add lower-body strength, he has been practicing yoga in an effort to enhance mobility and flexibility, particularly around his hips. His goal is to improve his ability to bend around offensive linemen after putting them off balance with his power and his hands. He said his offseason workouts were designed to make him “faster and more fluid.”“You can see visually the work that he’s put in and it’s carrying over on the football field,” defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen said after practice Tuesday. “He’s knocking the line of scrimmage back.”“When you come in to a play and it’s brand new, you’re learning what they expect of you — how to do it, where to be and where to go. Sometimes it’s a lot for a young guy,” Nielsen said. “So now he knows all of that. So White Michael Thomas Jersey , all we’re doing now is coaching our fundamentals and technique on beating blocks.”Nielsen said he has seen Davenport make the transition from simply focusing on staying in his assigned gap to being able to shed blocks and help plug his neighboring, secondary gap when the ball carrier goes that way.Davenport often lines up against starting left tackle Terron Armstead in practice. A year ago at this time, Armstead had his way with Davenport. Not as much now. Davenport has been refining a signature move he calls a “bob swipe,” in which he feigns his regular bull rush to induce his blocker to brace for a power move, and then suddenly uses a bob-step and arm swipe to bend around his blocker. He says his aim is to use it selectively, “like an ace.”Davenport and Armstead often talk between plays, with the left tackle telling the young defensive end what he’s doing well and which mistakes to avoid. And Davenport credits Armstead for caring more about winning games than winning practice snaps.Meanwhile, Nielsen said Davenport has been fortunate to have Jordan, a 2017 All-Pro and eight-year veteran, playing the other defensive end spot. During games, offenses focus more on Jordan, who led the Saints with 12 sacks last season. And during practice and meetings, Jordan mentors Davenport.“It’s really good that Cam’s here and Marcus has that because Cam’s a really good football player and he’s done it all,” Nielsen said.Jordan readily compliments Davenport’s progress.“When he first got to us, he was 250 pounds. He was raw, talented. Still trying to pick up the game,” Jordan said. “I mean, he’s still picking up the game, but he’s done it at such a rapid pace. … Coming back healthy this year Michael Thomas Jersey 2019 , you see how explosive he can be. You see the talents that he possesses, the ability that he has. He can create some havoc and that’s all you’re looking for.”Davenport started to compare his relationship with Jordan to “Batman and Robin” when he suddenly stopped himself, saying, “That’s lame; I don’t want to be Robin.”And that’s exactly what the Saints want to hear. For a decade now, the New England Patriots have owned the AFC East.The Patriots clinched their 10th straight division title Sunday when they beat Buffalo 24-12. They got an added bonus when Houston fell at Philadelphia 32-30 to drop out of the second seed in the conference, which New England grabbed.The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles remained alive in the NFC wild-card chase with that win on Jake Elliott’s 35-yard field goal as time expired.Dallas took the NFC East crown when it defeated Tampa Bay 27-20.New Orleans secured home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs by beating Pittsburgh 31-28, dropping the Steelers into second place behind Baltimore in the AFC North.Seattle knocked off Kansas City 38-31 to take an NFC wild card, opening the possibility that the Patriots, Chiefs or Chargers could be the top seed in the AFC.Here’s how things look with one week remaining. The Monday night game between Denver and Oakland has no playoff implications.AFCIt was a double treat for the Patriots, who probably need to be home in the postseason considering they are 7-0 in Foxboro — the league’s only undefeated team in its own building —and 3-5 on the road.“We didn’t have our best day in the passing game.But it felt good to win.At this time of year, whatever it takes to win, that’s what you’ve got to do,” Tom Brady said.Baltimore (9-6), fresh off its victory at the Chargers on Saturday night, has a half-game lead on Pittsburgh (8-6-1), which has lost four of five. The Ravens will take the North with a home win against Cleveland next week. The Steelers host Cincinnati and need help to get into the postseason.“We’re playing pretty good football, but it might not matter,” Ben Roethlisberger said. “Obviously we don’t control our destiny any more. We have to take care of business next week.“You can be as skillful as you want on both sides of the ball and special teams, but there is still a small element of luck involved in football. A play here New Orleans Saints Eli Apple Jersey , a play there. If that’s what it is, I don’t know, but it’s the game of football.”In the South, Houston (10-5) is leading Indianapolis and Tennessee, both 9-6. The Colts and Titans face off in Nashville next Sunday night, and the winner there will be in. The Texans host Jacksonville (5-10).The Chiefs (11-4) and Chargers (11-4) already are in the postseason from the West. That takes up one wild card, and KC holds the tiebreaker for the division crown.NFCDallas (9-6) grabbed the East and will host a wild-card game.“We’ve got a lot more work to do,” Dak Prescott said. “This is something that we set out, wanted to do way back in the offseason, and this is giving us a chance to go and get the greater goal.”If Minnesota (8-6-1) wins next week at home against North winner Chicago, it will get a wild card. Seattle (9-6) is in after the victory against Kansas City. Philadelphia (8-7) needs to beat Washington and have Minnesota lose to be assured of a return to the playoffs.The Bears (11-4) still have a shot at a first-round bye, needing to beat the Vikings and have the West champion Rams (12-3) lose at home to San Francisco next Sunday.New Orleans (13-2) has the league’s best mark and owns the South crown.“Knowing that we’ve done it, knowing that the road comes through New Orleans, that gives us a lot of confidence,” Drew Brees said. “Obviously we love playing in the dome. … We have goals throughout the season and this is one of them.”