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Its a telling weekend for Claude Puels Southampton as the Saints head into Sundays clash with Middlesbrough at St. Marys Stadium in need of a positive reaction after the events that unfolded this week.Puels club, which it can be argued, is in the greatest period of prosperity in team history, was knocked back a peg Thursday when they were bounced from the Europa League following a 1-1 draw with Israels Hapoel Beer Sheva at home in their final group stage match. Maor Buzaglo opened the scoring with 11 minutes to play before Virgil Van Dijk found the late equaliser, but the damage had already been done as the draw dumped the Saints out of Europa.Van Dijk, for his part, didnt mince words when asked for his post-match thoughts.Im very disappointed -- I feel (bad) to be honest with you, said Van Dijk. We need to do much better, especially in the first half. We knew how they were going to play -- we needed to do much better especially with chances we had, and every time they broke on us it was a bit dangerous.We needed to get our organisation right instead of always attacking. Thats something we need to talk about. We just need to focus on the league the most now. The EFL Cup is special, but with the current group we can do something beautiful in the league. But we need to be clinical and not concede stupid goals like we did.The Saints (4-5-5) must now quickly focus their attention on Middlesbrough, as a win in front of the home fans will wipe away some of the disappointment from the European exit.Its important to look forward and come back with a good spirit and come back in the first half of the table and keep the good concentration for the next game in the Premier League, Puel said. Its an opportunity to play quickly. Its a good thing to have this game on Sunday and to have a good reaction.The clubs league form is a bit of an issue as well, coming off a 3-0 loss at the hands of Crystal Palace. But a win can take them as high as eighth place, depending on other results.Middlesbrough (3-6-5), for their part, enter the contest unbeaten in five of their last six league matches. Theyll aim for a second consecutive victory following last weeks 1-0 result over Hull City, thanks to a 60th-minute strike from Gaston Ramirez.(Mondays win) was massive for us, midfielder Adam Forshaw said. For us to get the win, and to play as well as we did at times was a real confidence-booster.The Teeside club will be a bit shorthanded for Sunday as Alvaro Negredo, Ramirez and Jordan Rhodes are all doubts, while George Friend will miss this fixture.Alvaro, Gaston and Jordan couldnt train with the team (Friday), manager Aitor Karanka said. I need to check (Saturday) with the doctors. The main thing for me is the players who are ready to play are ready to take that chance.George it taking steps, and hopefully tomorrow he will train with us, as its not a hard session.Southampton will also be missing a key piece as forward Charlie Austin is unavailable after being subbed off in the first half of Thursdays match.We will see later what the full answer is and how long he will be out for, Puel said. Its a disappointment for him, because he has had a good first part of the season, but its important for the team to have a good answer. We will see the quality of other players.Hydro Flask Black Friday Sale .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Swell Cyber Monday Sale . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. http://www.waterbottleblackfriday.com/ .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. Swell Cyber Monday . Murray beat Sam Querrey 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3 to clinch Britains opening-round victory against the United States on Sunday at Petco Park. "Im proud of the way Im playing just now, because I had to do a lot of work to get back to where I want to be," Murray said after celebrating with his teammates on the red clay court in a temporary stadium in left field of the downtown home of baseballs San Diego Padres. Swell Black Friday . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama.ATLANTA -- Devonta Freeman more than made up for his first fumble of the season.Freeman rushed for 139 yards and three touchdowns Sunday, leading the Falcons to a 41-13 rout of the San Francisco 49ers that clinched Atlantas first winning season since 2012.The third-year back capped his big day with a 34-yard touchdown run .He preferred to focus on a fumble just short of the end zone that kept the high-scoring Falcons from putting up TDs on their first five possessions against San Franciscos horrible defense.I never settle, Freeman said. Its crazy, but at the end of the night Im going to say `Dang! I had a fumble. Thats my first fumble of the year. I hate fumbling.Matt Ryan completed 17 of 23 passes for 286 yards, including a pair of 9-yard scoring tosses to Taylor Gabriel and Austin Hooper.Aldrick Robinson, stepping up with Atlanta star Julio Jones missing his second straight game with a toe injury, had a career-best 111 yards on four receptions.It just lets you know how much depth we have and how much we think about those guys, Freeman said. Weve got hungry guys.Atlanta (9-5) began the day tied with Tampa Bay for the NFC South lead. The Falcons made sure they didnt overlook the 49ers (1-13), moving a step closer to getting back to the playoffs after a three-season absence.When you get into December football, you better do that, coach Dan Quinn said. Every time you have a chance to go battle, you better have your intent right, your preparation right.In an interesting twist, the Falcons previous winning season ended with a loss to San Francisco in the NFC championship game .The 49ers have totally fallen apart since that trip to the Super Bowl. They extended a franchise record with their 13th straight loss, keeping the heat on first-year coach Chip Kelly.Thats a really good offensive football team, Kelly said Its a team that could make some hay in the playoffs.Freeman nearly had four touchdowns, but the ball was yanked out of his hand inside the 1 as he attempted to power into the end zone.Im going to remember that fumble because Ill never be perfect, but it could have been perfect if I had not fumbled, he said.No one else was too concerned after the third three-touchdown game of his career. Freeman scored on a 5-yard run in the first quarter, bounced off three would-be tacklerrs for a 9-yard TD in the second, and got loose down the sideline for his longest run of the day late in the third to give the Falcons a 38-13 lead.ddddddddddddColin Kaepernick was 20 of 33 for 183 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also was sacked three times.For Atlanta, it was the second straight laugher over a team from California. The Falcons built a 42-0 lead the previous week on the way to a 42-14 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.As in that game, Ryan and many of the starters watched the final minutes from the sideline.SCORING MARKThe Falcons set a franchise record for points in season, pushing their total with 469. That eclipsed the mark of 442 set by the 1998 Super Bowl team, with two weeks still to go in the regular season.Atlanta has scored more than 40 points in five games, and at least 30 four other times.DEFENSE STEPS UPAfter giving up a pair of 75-yard touchdown drives in the first half, the Falcons defense totally shut down the 49ers over the final two quarters. San Francisco was held to 85 yards and four first downs after trailing 28-13 at the break.We go out there and take every game like a championship week, Atlanta safety Ricardo Allen said. It doesnt matter what the record is.INJURY REPORTThe 49ers lost wide receiver Quinton Patton, linebacker Nick Bellore, tight end Blake Bell and cornerback Jimmie Ward with injuries. Patton (foot) and Bellore (elbow) left in the first half. Bell and Ward were declared out with shoulder injuries in the second half.Falcons linebacker DeVondre Campbell left with a concussion, and Hooper was carted off in the fourth quarter with a left knee injury.UP NEXTSan Francisco: The 49ers wind down a lost season by traveling to Los Angeles to take on the Rams, the team they defeated in Week 1 for their lone victory .Atlanta: Head to Carolina on Saturday to take on the Panthers in the final road game of the regular season. The Falcons defeated their NFC South rival 48-33 in the first meeting Oct. 2.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---For more NFL coverage: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFLn Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry19 ' ' '