Cover / Artwork » Cornerback Marcus Peters criticized himself for playing

THOUSAND OAKS http://www.cardinalsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-zach-allen-jersey , Calif. (AP) — poorly when his Los Angeles Rams lost at New Orleans last weekend.That doesn’t mean Saints coach Sean Payton can say anything about it, however.Peters reacted sharply in the Rams’ locker room Thursday when asked about postgame comments by Payton in which the veteran coach said the Saints liked the matchup of receiver Michael Thomas going against Peters, a former Pro Bowl selection. Peters also claimed Payton said something to him or his teammates during New Orleans’ 45-35 victory.“Tell Sean Payton to keep talking that (expletive),” Peters said. “We’re going to see him soon. You feel me?”New Orleans sent the Rams (8-1) to their first defeat of the season with a 487-yard offensive game last Sunday.Thomas caught 12 passes for 211 yards and a touchdown, none bigger than the 72-yard touchdown catch on which he burned past Peters to seal the win. All told, Thomas made six catches when Peters was in coverage on him.“They were going to travel Marcus to him, and that was fine by us,” Payton said afterward. “We thought we really liked that matchup, a lot.”Peters repeatedly blamed himself for having a bad game Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , and he refused to echo defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ claim that he had put together a poor scheme that didn’t help Peters.After a few seconds to think about it Thursday, Peters had more to say about Payton.“Yeah, because I liked what he was saying on the sidelines, too,” Peters said. “So tell him, keep talking that (expletive), and I hope he sees me soon. And then we’re going to have a nice little bowl of gumbo together.”Peters didn’t elaborate on what Payton said on the sideline, but that delicious dinner date is a distinct possibility for January.The Saints (7-1) and the Rams are the only one-loss teams in the NFC, putting both on track for first-round postseason byes if they can maintain their outstanding starts.Los Angeles hosts the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. EAGAN Phil Haynes Jersey , Minn. (AP) — Since the Minnesota Vikings made him their top draft pick last year, Dalvin Cook has played in only seven of a possible 24 regular-season games.That means the early lessons have been just as much about handling injuries and making the most of the inaction as they’ve been about picking up the playbook and adjusting to NFL speed.“I’ve just been gaining knowledge from my teammates, all the older guys,” Cook said. “The guys in my room have just been pushing me through it. I’ve been learning through this whole process, and I’m just trying to become a better player and better person.“That’s what I’ve been getting from the whole experience, and it’s nothing negative. Yeah, I’ve been injured and banged up, but I’m just learning through the whole experience. Once I get back, it’s going to be on.”That’s the kind of attitude that pushed him through the grueling rehab after a torn ACL in his left knee Ugo Amadi Jersey , suffered in the fourth game of his rookie season against Detroit. He stayed ahead of schedule and was ready in time for the opener this year, contributing 95 total yards in his first performance under new offensive coordinator John DeFilippo, who eagerly sought to maximize the versatile and elusive Cook’s impact as a ball carrier and a pass-catcher as soon as he was hired last winter.This fall has, by some measures, been more frustrating because of the seemingly minor hamstring injury Cook experienced on a hot afternoon in Green Bay on Sept. 16. He was ruled out of the following game, listed as questionable to play at Los Angeles on Sept. 27 and lined up at tailback in a limited role that night. Cook was deemed questionable again to play at Philadelphia on Oct. 7 and against Arizona on Oct. 14, but he ultimately watched both of those games from the sideline, too.Then the Vikings decided enough was enough and kept him off the practice field for two full weeks. After sitting out against New Orleans, his fifth absence in the last six games Dwayne Haskins Jersey , Cook returned to practice as a limited participant on Wednesday. He said he never had a setback. The injury simply didn’t fully subside.“With these things, if you kind of keep stepping on them and keep doing what you’re doing, they’re just going to keep lingering along,” Cook said. “You’ve got to kind of shut the body down. That’s why I’m so confident in our medical staff, because they’ve got the right plan set up for me. We’ve been going by what my body has for me daily. My body’s been reacting to it good, so it was very important.”Cook was listed as questionable for the game against Detroit on Sunday when this week’s injury report was announced after practice on Friday. With the bye week coming next, the Vikings could always play it safe and give him even more time to heal. Coach Mike Zimmer downplayed the significance of the bye in the decision.“If guys can play, they play,” Zimmer said. “That’s just how we do it around here.”No matter how many times Cook has tested the hamstring D.K. Metcalf Jersey , there’s no telling whether it’s back to normal until that first carry.“You can practice. You can run around. You can run straight. You can do all that,” Cook said. “But it’s about going out there and the person chasing you and you turning your body and you twisting your body and having the twitch to do it. That’s when hamstrings occur.”Other players listed as questionable for Sunday were wide receiver Stefon Diggs (rib), left tackle Riley Reiff (foot), cornerback Xavier Rhodes (foot) and strong safety Andrew Sendejo (groin). Linebacker Anthony Barr (hamstring), left guard Tom Compton (knee) and backup running back Roc Thomas (hamstring) were ruled out.