Seales, in particular, were singled out by head coach Mike G

PARIS -- After two seasons of misery in Englands Premier League, striker Radamel Falcao is proving his worth again in France.His first-half goal helped league leader Monaco on its way to a 3-0 home win against Rennes on Saturday.Falcao pounced with a firm downward header from midfielder Adama Traores cross in the 42nd minute. He ran out of steam and was replaced with about 15 minutes left by Guido Carrillo, but he had done his bit by then.Midfielder Thomas Lemar hit two late goals, the first set up by Carillo and the second a fine strike from 25 meters out.Monaco, which has won seven straight games domestically and in Europe, is three points ahead of defending champion Paris Saint-Germain, which won 6-0 at Caen on Friday with striker Edinson Cavani scoring four.Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim says PSG remains the favorite, but is confident Monaco will make things difficult at the top.The favorite for the title, which is a competition over a long period of time, is Paris, Jardim said. Weve made a good start to the season, our team is more balanced. We have more options and this will even things in the league.FALCAO BOUNCING BACKFalcao joined Monaco in May 2013 after two prolific seasons with Atletico Madrid in a deal worth a staggering 60 million euros ($67 million). But a serious knee injury in a French Cup game at the start of 2014 cost him both pace and a place at the World Cup later that year.He struggled for form and fitness in England, scoring once in 12 appearances with Chelsea and only four in 29 with Manchester United during spells on loan.With two seasons left on his Monaco contract, he returned to the Principality side this season but with a major question mark as to whether he could be a success in France.But Falcao made a strong start this season, scoring in both legs of a Champions League qualifier against Turkish side Fenerbahce, before limping off with a thigh injury in the return leg on Aug. 3.He missed five games.After coming on as a substitute against Lille last weekend, Falcao underlined his new-found commitment to the club by wearing the captains armband as Monaco won 2-1 at Tottenham in a Champions League group game on Wednesday.OTHER ACTIONPromoted Metz continued its encouraging start to the season and is in provisional third place after a 0-0 draw at Dijon.Martin Braithwaites fourth goal in four games helped Toulouse beat Guingamp 2-1 and move up to sixth place, one spot behind Bordeaux after it slipped to a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Angers.Mariusz Stepinski grabbed his first goal since joining Nantes this summer in a 1-1 draw at promoted Nancy, and Lorient beat Lille 1-0 but the Brittany-based club remained last.On Sunday, all eyes will be on Mario Balotelli when Nice travels to play Montpellier. The controversial striker scored twice on his league debut in a 3-2 win against Marseille last weekend, surprising most observers with his sharpness.Also, Saint-Etienne hosts Bastia, and Marseille takes on Lyon, with no away fans permitted to travel after extremely violent confrontations between rival fans at a highway service station last season. Mookie Wilson Jersey . "Jeff is a hard worker who was an important special-teams contributor for us last season," said Stamps GM John Hufnagel. Jed Lowrie Mets Jersey . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. http://www.metssale.com/mets-mookie-wilson-jersey/ . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. Gregor Blanco Mets Jersey . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. Jeurys Familia Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. STILLWATER, Okla. -- Even factoring in the recent loss of senior Marcell Ateman to injury, Oklahoma State boasts a formidable group of receivers, led by James Washington.Washington had an outstanding sophomore season last year, finishing with 53 receptions -- second on the club -- and team-leading totals of 1,087 yards and 10 touchdowns, and hopes to build on that success as a junior.Everyone wants to perform better than last season, and thats something I want to do and thats something I want to see my team do, Washington said Saturday, after the team completed its first week of practice. I feel like if I just help myself get better, Im helping my team get better -- for myself, just becoming more of a leader to this team and helping us get to a Big 12 championship and hopefully getting to a national championship.The 6-foot, 205-pound Washington possesses considerable speed and an ability to outleap defenders for the ball, serving as quarterback Mason Rudolphs favorite deep threat target. Last season, eight of Washingtons touchdowns came on passes of 40 yards or more, and he averaged 20.5 yards per catch, ranking second in the Big 12 and 10th in the nation.Rudolph, entering his junior year as an experienced starter, has developed strong chemistry, both on and off the field, with Washington.Weve got a good friendship, which helps -- we took a couple of classes together this summer and he did a good job of tutoring me in accounting, said Rudolph, who is completely healthy after a broken foot hobbled him for the final two games last season -- both of which OSU lost en route to a 10-3 record and a No. 19 ranking in the final poll. Hes a good guy, hes a quiet leader, he leads by example. Hes obviously a tremendous athlete and I think hell be a first-round pick one day.But Washington is just one of Oklahoma States receiving weapons. The squad graduated last years senior leaders David Glidden and Brandon Sheperd, and lost Ateman, who was third on the squad last year with 45 receptions and 766 yards, for ann indeterminate timeframe with a broken foot, but still has plenty of options.ddddddddddddSenior Jhajuan Seales (18 receptions, 321 yards, two touchdowns) and sophomore Jalen McCleskey (29 receptions, 253 yards, three TDs) each contributed last season and are expected to take another step forward, while senior Austin Hays (22 receptions, 200 yards, one TD) and junior Chris Lacy (eight receptions, 120 yards, two TDs) are also in the mix.When Marcell got hurt, it was tough to see that happen because he worked so hard in the off-season, but all the receivers have stepped up, said McCleskey, who also returned punts last season, averaging 5.0 yards and scoring a touchdown. He was a big part of our offense, but we feel like we have the depth for everybody to step up and us not slow down.Lacy and Seales, in particular, were singled out by head coach Mike Gundy as players that have stepped up so far in practice and will fill the void, and Rudolph agreed.Weve got plenty of talent there with those outside receivers, Jhajuan Seales and Chris Lacy, two guys that can make plays all over the place, and have game experience, Rudolph said. Theyre the first guys that backed Marcell up and can play both outside positions, have done a great job. I dont think well miss a beat on offense.As for Ateman, who sustained his injury during off-season training and recently underwent surgery to repair the damage, he probably wont be on the field for the Cowboys season opener against Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 3. At this point, Gundy isnt sure exactly when hell be available.Theyre going to bring him back by the 14th of September, and theyll start to make a decision on where hes at, Gundy said of Ateman and the teams doctors. The foot injury he has, they have to re-X-ray it. Some guys are four weeks, some guys are six weeks, some guys are 10 weeks and you dont know. It just depends on the injury. ' ' '