It was a game the Cavs had to win, but when the final buzzer sounded at the United Center on Saturday night, it was Chicago 100, Cleveland 84. While the Cavs were without Dion Waiters (right wrist tendinitis) and rookie Anthony Bennett (ill), the Bulls started the game without Derrick Rose (torn ligament right knee), Luol Deng (left Achilles), Jimmy Butler (right ankle) and Kirk Hinrich (back).

CHICAGO, Illinois -- Cavaliers coach Mike Brown didn't even recognize his team in Saturday's 100-84 loss to the Bulls at United Center.

"Give Chicago credit,'' Brown said as his squad slipped to 10-16, 2-12 on the road. "They kicked our behinds tonight. I thought defensively we didn't do much correct in the first half. Our game plan discipline was not good. We were making up coverages as we were going along in the first half and it showed. Chicago got easy basket after easy basket after easy basket or they went to the free throw line in the first half. For us to make up coverages and not follow the game plan and then not be a physical presence, not understand that we need to have some weak side awareness to help our teammates out bodes for disaster.

"We did some things defensively in the first half that we don't even practice. We're switching when we shouldn't switch. We're not even switching correctly. We're not helping when guys duck in on the right side. There were a lot of things I saw our team do defensively where you sit back and go, 'Is this really us that showed up tonight?'''

Andrew Bynum had 19 points and 7 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving added 14 points and 5 assists for the Cavs.

Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 9 rebounds, D.J. Augustin, who joined the team eight days ago, had 18 points and 10 assists, rookie Tony Snell had 17 points and Joakim Noah added 11 points and 18 rebounds for the Bulls, 10-16, 7-5 at home. The Bulls shot a season high 53.6 percent for the game (37 of 69) and a season-high 66.7 percent from 3-point range. They hadn't scored 100 points since a 107-87 victory over Miami on Dec. 5. They also out rebounded the Cavs, 49-36.

While the Cavs were without Dion Waiters (right wrist tendinitis) and rookie Anthony Bennett (ill), the Bulls started the game without Derrick Rose (torn ligament right knee), Luol Deng (left Achilles), Jimmy Butler (right ankle) and Kirk Hinrich (back).

Brown had warned his team not to take Chicago lightly even though the Bulls had lost four straight and seven of eight games. On the other hand, they are 13-2 in their last 15 games against the Cavs.

"Tom Thibodeau is a great coach, and that's a veteran ball club that plays extremely hard,'' Brown said before the game. "They've been in many big ball games. They've got guys who still know how to play the game when we talk about Noah and Boozer…you can go down the line. They have experienced guys. They're playing pretty good at home. So it's going to be a tough contest for us.''

Naturally Chicago jumped off to a 7-2 lead, shot 64.7 percent (11 of 17) and led after the first quarter, 33-26.

With Brown struggling to find a combination that clicked on offense and played any defense, the Bulls just kept pounding the Cavs in the second quarter. Cleveland had closed to within 43-39 after a 3-pointer by Matthew Dellavedova and a driving layup by Irving on a goaltending call on Noah with about 6 minutes left in the half. But the Bulls outscored the Cavs the next four minutes, 15-2, and led at halftime, 60-43.

Chicago outshot Cleveland in the first half, 56.4 percent to 38.3 percent, and held a 30-18 edge on the boards. Boozer had 15 points and 6 rebounds in the first 24 minutes, while Augustin, who has always Kyrie Irving problems, had 12 points and 6 assists. The always pesky Noah had 9 points and 10 rebounds.

"I feel like where we lost it was in the second quarter,'' Irving said. "They were playing pretty comfortably in the first quarter as well but in the second quarter we gave up a 17-27 score disparity. We put ourselves in the hole. I felt like we played them pretty even the rest of the game, but we just couldn't get over that hump.''

Bynum came out and scored nine points in the third quarter and the Cavs finally played some defense as the Bulls made just 3 of their first 9 shots. A 21-footer by Bynum got Cleveland within 68-61 with 4:32 left in the period, but Augustin hit a 3-pointer and the Bulls were off to the races again. Back-to-back 3-pointers by rookie Snell capped a 13-4 run that gave Chicago an 81-65 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Brown turned to Anderson Varejao, Jarrett Jack, Tyler Zeller and rookies Sergey Karasev and Dellavedova to start the fourth quarter, and that group cut Chicago's lead to 85-76 with about 8 minutes left, but Augustin and Snell hit 3-pointers right in front of Brown and the Bulls rode out the victory.

"They just outplayed us,'' Irving admitted. "They played harder. We just didn't execute our game plan the way we wanted to. There's no excuses. We just didn't execute tonight on both ends of the floor.''

Afterward Brown was left trying to answer why his team struggles so mightily away from home.

"You keep trying to guess what is it, what is it for us on the road,'' the coach said. "You've got to play with some grittiness on the road. You've got to execute your game plan on the road. You've got to share the ball on the road. You've got to do a lot of little things on the road that equate to team stuff. We didn't do any of that tonight, starting in the first half with our inability to defend the right way.''

The Browns' defense was gouged on the ground for the second consecutive week in a demoralizing 24-13 loss to the offensively-challenged New York Jets. Watch video

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – When Ray Horton promised a fully blossomed defense by Thanksgiving, technically he didn’t rule out giving away games at Christmas, or stumbling like a street drunk into New Year’s.

But you knew what he meant.

“It’s not him out there,” D’Qwell Jackson said in defense of Horton after a 24-13 loss to the New York Jets. “It’s strictly the players.”

At least somebody was defending something Sunday. Jackson, the leader of a defense in full retreat, is still talking about finishing on a high note -- as if that were still possible.

I'll say this. Horton and Jackson shouldn’t be the targets simply because they go out of their way to polish up the bright spots of a season losing its finish. But they should realize nobody’s listening anymore.

Horton may yet come up with an old standby from his silver linings playbook meant to convince us this defense is flirting with “elite” status. The Browns couldn’t stop much of anything Sunday. But as a group they should at least stop that talk now.

A month ago, Horton suggested the third-down deficiencies were all but cured. That the red zone defense wasn’t as bad as it looked. And that once the statistical quirks were corrected proving his point, he half kidded the media could go out to lunch during his weekly press conference because there wouldn’t be much more to talk about.

 So, now...

The Browns have since lost to the NFL's 30th and 32nd ranked offenses, been gouged for 387 yards rushing in the last two weeks and Sunday made New York’s nerve-wracked rookie quarterback, Geno Smith, look like Broadway Joe Namath.

“Terrible,” Joe Haden called it.

Theoretically, it can still get worse since next week brings the annual haunted house field trip to Pittsburgh. But I submit that’s not likely. Not after allowing scoring drives of 80, 79, 81 and 80 yards to a team ranked in the basement of almost every statistical category. Not when it gift-wrapped 10 points in the final 1:18 of the first half.

And not when the Browns’ injury report even included secondary coach Louie Cioffi (knee), after Smith crashed into him on the end of a first-quarter scramble.

Horton is at least safe in his perch in the press box. But his reputation has taken some late-season broadsides.

That’ll happen when Jets receivers are running wide open, when the front seven is being gouged for chunks of yards, when a quarterback known for turning it over plays flawlessly under little pressure.

“We weren’t able to get any pressure on (Smith),” head coach Rob Chudzinski said. “We couldn’t do it and we blitzed quite a bit.”

The idea was to stop the run and make Smith beat them. They didn’t come close to dissuading the Jets on the ground or through the air. Three Jets had runs of 39, 28 and 17 yards – the last on Smith’s fourth-quarter scramble up the middle when he scored untouched. He threw for two TDs and no interceptions.

“I am pretty sure anybody who comes in here to play expects to get turnovers against them,” said safety Tashaun Gipson, who said as much during the week. “No turnovers for (Smith), so I guess he put his foot in my mouth.”

Horton suggested the Browns’ recent fourth-quarter issues resulted from “psychological-pressure effect.” That’s a fancy word for playing tight.

Hard to imagine when they’ve unraveled their own good work late in the first half of games, too. It happened again Sunday, when they allowed 10 points in the 78 seconds before halftime, breathing life into a sleep-walking Jets team that had its playoff aspirations squashed just a week earlier.

Asked if this qualified as the worst game of the season, Jackson claimed it was “the worst one because it was the last one.”

My guess is a week or a month from now, it will still be the worst one.

Jackson said the defense “didn’t give the offense a chance.” That’s being kind, given the offense’s abysmal work inside the red zone. We could talk about that, too, if you can stomach it.

But defense is where this organization spent its money this season, where it focused its efforts in free agency and the draft, where a team that was once 3-2 placed much of its hope.

Watching the Browns gouged on the ground the past two weeks is the most deflating aspect of the last month, even more so than Jacksonville driving for a game-winning TD.

When Jackson says you can’t pin all that on Horton, believe him. He's right.

“Nobody can run on us,” someone declared back in September.

And that wasn’t Horton. It was Jackson.

Little's dropped touchdown pass adds to a season of frustration for receiver.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In the most congested area of the field, in one of the most densely populated regions of the country, Greg Little found some open space Sunday afternoon.

Midway through the first quarter, the Browns receiver flashed across the back of the crowded end zone on a second-and-goal from the 7. He jumped for a well-thrown ball from Jason Campbell, bobbling it twice before seeing it fall harmlessly to the MetLife Stadium turf.

The Browns settled for a field goal when they should have scored a touchdown. Another chance for Little to make a big play. Another chance squandered.

Minutes after the Browns’ 24-13 loss to the New York Jets, he sat in front of his locker and reflected on a season that began with praise for his work ethic, and is ending with speculation about his future in Cleveland.

“When you have opportunities to make a play you have to make them,” Little said. “I didn't have the season I wanted to have. I've just got to do a lot better.”

Asked if he could pinpoint what went wrong in a year where he will finish with career lows in receptions and yards, Little shook his head.

“I can’t,” he said. “I really can’t.”

This much Little says he knows: The third-year veteran wants to remain with the organization that drafted him in the second round in 2011.

“I sit and think about this a lot,” said Little, who caught one pass for four yards on Sunday. “A lot of guys go other places and have success, but I want to be here and part of the team that turns it around and takes this community, this city and the guys in this locker room to the playoffs.”

The Browns likely will attempt to upgrade the wide receiver spot opposite Josh Gordon. Little’s diminishing production – he’s caught 40 passes for 454 yards and two touchdowns – makes him a strong candidate to be replaced.

Little has been targeted 95 times, which is more than last season with one game remaining, and according to ProFootballFocus.com he entered Sunday’s action with seven drops. Prior to dropping the would-be TD, he had a 30-yard pass carom off his shoulder in the corner of the end zone that appeared to be slightly deflected by Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie.

“I’ll look at it again. It looked like he had a chance at it,” coach Rob Chudzinski said. “I felt like he would have been able to get his feet down in the end zone.”

After that series, which ended with a 27-yard field goal, coaches benched Little briefly in favor of Brian Tyms.

Five months ago, coaches and teammate spoke of Little's improved work ethic and growing maturity. But a few early-season drops and several traffic violations changed his headlines.

Will next week in Pittsburgh represent his final game with the Browns? Little was asked if he thinks management wants him back. He will carry a salary cap hit of slightly more than $1 million next season, according to spotrac.com.

“I don't know,” he said. “But as I said before I'd love to be part of the team and to be a part of something special here.”

Browns manage only one touchdown in four trips inside the Jets' 20. Watch video

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The most effective player in the red zone Sunday at MetLife Stadium was a receiver the Browns waived on Aug. 31.

David Nelson excelled with a pair of short touchdowns catches, while his former teammates looked like men trying to juggle chainsaws in the Browns’ 24-13 loss to the New York Jets.

Dropped passes, an inability to execute and a costly penalty doomed the Browns’ offense inside the 20. They made four trips into the red zone, managing one touchdown and two field goals.

How futile was it? The Browns ran 20 plays inside the Jets’ 20 – not counting a pair of Billy Cundiff field-goal attempts. Of those plays, 13 started inside the Jets’ 11-yard line.

“It’s frustrating,” quarterback Jason Campbell said. “It’s a whole new ballgame if we can score early in the game and get touchdowns, instead of three (points).

“I think we went for it one time on (fourth-and-goal from the 1) and didn’t get it. (Those) are points that are not on the board. Like I said when that happens, everyone starts to press.”

Browns receiver Greg Little dropped a potential touchdown pass in first quarter. Josh Gordon did the same in the second quarter.

The visitors easily could have enjoyed a 17-0 lead, but instead settled for a 10-point advantage after running back Edwin Baker produced the Browns’ only TD on a 5-yard run with 6:47 left in the second quarter.

 The team was without tight end Jordan Cameron (concussion) and receiver Davone Bess (personal reasons). They have been part of an offense that had ranked eighth in red-zone efficiency – scoring TDs on 58.06 percent of their 31 chances.

But three of their four red-zone possessions produced little more than frustration. The height of it came early in the second quarter as the Browns ran six plays from inside the Jets’ 11 and turned the ball over on downs at the goal line.

The drive featured offside and a roughing-the-passer penalties on the Jets inside New York’s 8. But Gordon dropped one pass in the corner of the end zone and, on a fourth-and-goal from the 1, failed to demonstrate control as he stepped out of bounds in the end zone.

The receiver thought it was a good catch, but Browns coach Rob Chudzinski did not challenge the play despite having a television timeout due to the change in possession.

“We’ve done it before,” Gordon said of scoring TDs in the red zone. “We’ve seen a running back run right through there untouched so we know we can do it. It’s just (capitalizing) when we need to. Like on my two missed attempts, I’ve got to make plays on those.”

The Jets entered the game ranked fifth defensively in red-zone efficiency and they showed why again Sunday. Cornerback Antonio Cromartie saved a possible first-quarter TD, slightly deflecting a pass that caromed off Little’s shoulder. Outside linebacker Calvin Pace registered a sack on the same series.

But the Browns’ red-zone wounds were mostly self inflicted. Facing a second-and-goal from the 2 early in the fourth quarter, tight end Gary Barnidge was flagged for a false start as Baker plowed into the end zone. Instead of tying the score, the Browns were penalized five yards and eventually settled for another Cundiff chip shot.

“I was turning to look what the (play) call was and that's maybe what (the officials) called,” Barnidge said. “I did it so quick, but I don't know.”

The Browns' six-game losing streak began with similar red-zone issues against Cincinnati as they failed to build a big advantage despite glorious field position. 

"I just feel like we've got to get seven (points) when we get three," Little said. "Looking in retrospect of our season it would be a lot different now."

Browns quarterback Jason Campell admitted that he let early red zone struggles get inside his head and didn't handle adversity well.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Browns quarterback Jason Campbell admitted Sunday that he didn't handle adversity well against the Jets and that he failed to rally the team after early red zone struggles.

During Sunday's 24-13 loss to the Jets, Campbell pressed in the second half and threw two interceptions instead of touchdowns en route to a 1-6 mark on the season.

He completed 18 of 40 attempts for 178 yards with no touchdowns and two picks for a 37.3 rating. The performance came on the heels of his 38-31 loss to the Bears in which he also threw two interceptions, including a pick-six.

On Wednesday, Campbell said the hangover from the emotional loss to the Patriots spilled over into the Bears game.

On Sunday, he admitted that he let two dropped passes in the end zone and other missed opportunities in the red zone get into his head and take him out of his game. Greg Little and Josh Gordon both dropped first-half passes in the end zone, which resulted in a 3-0 lead instead of the 14-0 advantage it could've been. They scored a TD on their third trip inside the 20 to make it 10-0, but the defense choked again at the end of the half to allow a 10-10 at the break.

"I think I just started pressing after the first half (when) it was 10-0 and then it was 10-10,'' said Campell. "We were looking at it like it should have been 21-0. I think I felt like we should’ve been scoring more points. Our opportunities were there. Like I said, I missed a couple of throws and we had a couple of drops. We just were doing things that we normally don’t do. I think we just started to unravel a bit. But like I said, it starts with me as the leader, first and foremost. I just have to rally the guys around me, make sure I’m doing my job and make sure we’re in good position to score points.''

Campbell acknowledged that he's down on himself for not being able to lead the team to victories.

"I’m disappointed in the way that I've been letting things kind of get to (me) a little bit over the last couple of weeks,'' said Campbell. "We feel like, as a team, we’re good and we’re building and we’re right there, then it just kind of deflates you a little bit when you don’t get the win. You come back saying the same things and we’re doing the same things to try and get better, and it’s tough. It’s a lot easier when you’re winning than when you’re losing. At the same time, I think the guys effort is there. Guys continue to keep fighting, no one is laying down, but today, starting with me, we started to press a little bit when things started to unravel early in the game.''

Campbell found Little on a 7-yard post in the end zone, and he dropped it. The Browns settled for a field goal. A drive later, a wide-open Josh Gordon dropped a slant at the Jets' 20, and then a 1-yard pass at the left side of the end zone on third down. Campbell went back to him on fourth down, but he juggled the ball before spilling out of the end zone and it was ruled incomplete.

"It felt awful,'' said Campbell. "Early in the game, we had some opportunities to put points on the board. When you don’t do that, it keeps the other team around. Then, once they started to get their breaks and get their confidence going, you’re kind of more disappointed, instead of just (continuing to play) the game, and I think you start to press. I think I started trying to press, just trying to hit everything and make sure we can try to do things instead of just staying relaxed and letting the game come to you. It just felt that way because early in the game things happened.''

In addition to the dropped passes, Campbell missed a few early throws in the red zone, including a screen pass to an open MarQueis Gray. At the start of the third quarter, and was picked off by Dee Milliner on a pass intended for Little, and late in the game, Ed Reed intercepted him.

"Things just happened today, like Coach (Norv Turner) said, that haven’t been happening to us over the last eight weeks on the offensive side of the ball,'' said Campbell. "We haven’t been dropping balls (and) we haven’t been missing wide-open receivers. Things just started to unravel today, I think. The whole thing that was happening over the past month of being so close and then not finishing it, I think it’s just kind of pressing on guys because we just want to win so badly and things are just unraveling the wrong way. So it starts with me, and it starts with everyone, we just have to take a deep breath and just (say), ‘Look, let’s just play. Let’s just not stress ourselves out. Let’s just play.’''

Campbell refused to use it as an excuse that Jordan Cameron (concussion) and Davone Bess (personal reasons) are absent.

"We have a young group of guys,'' said Campbell. "Guys (are) getting the opportunity to play. When one guy goes down, the other guys get an opportunity. I thought that Coop (Josh Cooper) came out and played well. Queis (MarQueis Gray) played well. I missed him on two throws, one on a screen and on a crossing route.

"Like I said, guys had an opportunity to make plays and I thought those two guys did well for themselves. When we look at the film, we all can improve. Like I said, there are things I have to improve on. I need to just get back and start playing football and just relaxing and don’t worry about (whether) we win or lose and let that affect you as a player. I’m just trying to get back to playing.''

Struggles on offense and defense lead to another loss for the Cleveland Browns, this time to the New York Jets. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Early leads, late leads, big leads, small leads, any lead you can imagine. If it's a lead, the 2013 Cleveland Browns know how to surrender it.

On Sunday it was an early lead that evaporated in a 24-13 loss to the New York Jets at East Rutherford, N.J. (Go here to listen to a podcast with analysis of the game from Cleveland.com's Glenn Moore and The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff.) The Browns led this one, 10-0, early in the second quarter. By halftime it was tied, and with 3:19 remaining it was decided after Jets quarterback Geno Smith ran 17 yards for a touchdown to put the game out of reach.

Well, out of reach if you're not the Browns. A 24-13 lead with 3:19 remaining would not be safe if the situation was reversed. Just look to the Browns' 27-26 loss to the New England Patriots on Dec. 8.

On Nov. 3, the Browns defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 24-18, and were 4-5 on the season. They have not won since. losing six in a row and nine of their past 10 to fall to 4-11. They close the season next Sunday at Pittsburgh against the Steelers, who defeated the Green Bay Packers, 38-31, and at 7-8 have an outside chance to make the playoffs.

It's been another season to forget for the Browns ... there have been a lot of those since their return in 1999. After Sunday's game, first-year coach Rob Chudzinski revealed some frustration, accepting the blame for the loss and calling his team's effort unacceptable:

“I bear all the responsibility,” Chudzinski said. “I’m the head coach of this team. So ultimately this is on me, and I’m committed to get it right.”

But Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto says don't be too quick to blame Chudzinski and his assistants ... there is only so much they can do with this collection of talent. Pluto says there were at least four plays the Browns failed to make on offense that could have changed the game, including two crucial drops in the end zone by receiver Greg Little:

Four possible game-breaking plays. Nothing to show for it. That's how you lose. That's how a team is 4-11. That's why the front office can't think this team is even close to mediocrity, especially on offense. If they want to blame the coaches, go ahead. They obviously have made mistakes. But it is talent. Not just the quarterback. But no real running back. Only one big-time receiver. So much needs to be done, and it will take far more than some different Xs and Os to fix even some of the major problems.

The Akron Beacon Journal's Marla Ridenour isn't willing to let Chudzinski off easy. She points out that if the Browns lose to the Steelers next weekend, they will set a franchise record for consecutive losses to end a season. Ridenour says the grim reality of the season falls at Chudzinski's feet:

Sometimes in the past one could argue it wasn’t as bad as it looked. But it is this year. Four of the losses have come by seven points or less, but the others have been by an average of 14.4 points. ... I haven’t lost faith in Chudzinski. He’s a tireless worker, an innovative offensive mind and good man respected by his players. ... I’m certainly not suggesting Chudzinski should be let go after one season. But this finish is not helping his long-term future with the Browns. Instead it’s starting to raise questions about whether he’s the right leader to turn this mess around.

The offense ran 20 plays inside the Jets' 20 yard line and only scored 13 points. Dropped passes, inability to execute, a critical penalty ... it all contributed to the futility, Cleveland.com Browns beat writer Tom Reed reports:

“It’s frustrating,” quarterback Jason Campbell said. “It’s a whole new ballgame if we can score early in the game and get touchdowns, instead of three (points). “I think we went for it one time on (fourth-and-goal from the 1) and didn’t get it. (Those) are points that are not on the board. Like I said when that happens, everyone starts to press.”

It hasn't been a solid season for Little, something he admits. Reed says Little's season began with him receiving praise for his work ethic and is ending with his future in doubt:

“When you have opportunities to make a play you have to make them,” Little said. “I didn't have the season I wanted to have. I've just got to do a lot better.” Asked if he could pinpoint what went wrong in a year where he will finish with career lows in receptions and yards, Little shook his head. “I can’t,” he said. “I really can’t.”

Adding salt to the wound of Little's struggles is the fact that Jets receiver David Nelson caught two touchdown passes on Sunday. Nelson was signed by the Browns as a free agent but was released after the final preseason game. Nelson signed with the Jets in October:

"I didn't play very well in the preseason game I got in," Nelson said. "I respect that coaching staff and organization, but at the same time, whenever you get let go, it's never a good feeling. Playing against guys you're familiar with, and against a coaching staff you're familiar with, and to play the way I played today was definitely a good feeling."

Overall, the Browns' offense struggled. Campbell was 18-for-40 for 178 yards and two interceptions. (Go here to grade Campbell's effort.) Campbell admitted he was rattled early in the game by the team's red-zone struggles. Running back Edwin Baker had 64 yards rushing on 17 carries and a touchdown, but Terry Pluto says it's clear the Browns need to upgrade their running game:

We all know the Browns need a quarterback. I still favor keeping both Brian Hoyer and Jason Campbell as veterans -- so that a rookie would not have to play immediately. It also gives depth to the position. The more Campbell plays, the more you can see why he is a backup. He is 1-6 as a starter. He has thrown 10 touchdowns with six interceptions and a 79.6 rating. But it would help all Browns QBs in 2014 if the franchise can find even an average NFL back.

Don't think all this bashing of the offense means the defense is off the hook. Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw says the Browns defense is staggering toward the end of the season:

(Browns linebacker D'Qwell) Jackson said the defense “didn’t give the offense a chance.” That’s being kind, given the offense’s abysmal work inside the red zone. We could talk about that, too, if you can stomach it. But defense is where this organization spent its money this season, where it focused its efforts in free agency and the draft, where a team that was once 3-2 placed much of its hope. Watching the Browns gouged on the ground the past two weeks is the most deflating aspect of the last month, even more so than Jacksonville driving for a game-winning TD.

Any bright spots in this? Well, the Browns right now are No. 5 in the first round of the NFL Draft.

How many Ohio State players will be first-round NFL Draft picks?

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Seventeen Ohio State players have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2000. Will the number increase in the spring?

It might depend on if linebacker Ryan Shazier decides to forgo his senior season. Shazier has said he hasn't made up his mind, and might even be leaning toward staying in school. Draft experts, though, peg the junior as a first-round pick -- the only Buckeye to receive such a declaration.

CBS Sports analysts Rob Rang and Dane Brugler both have Shazier in the first round of their mock drafts. Rang has Shazier being selected with the 21st pick; Brugler has Shazier being taken with the 25th choice. Yahoo! Sports' Eric Edholm also has Shazier as the No. 25 pick.

None of the three experts listed any other Ohio State players in the first round. That includes cornerback Bradley Roby, who was widely projected as a first-round pick had he departed early for the draft a year ago.

With guidance from draft experts and NFL scouts, we've been detailing the draft stock of Ohio State's seniors and of the juniors who might leave early. 

If Braxton Miller hits the NFL market, will he be a clunker or a luxury automobile?

What does the fickle state of the running back position mean for Carlos Hyde's pro prospects?

Ryan Shazier could be a first-round pick, but is he big enough to excel in the NFL? 

Is Bradley Roby leaving Ohio State one year too late? NFL Draft Stock Report

How many of Ohio State's four senior offensive linemen will play in the NFL?

When healthy, will Glenville grad and Ohio State senior Christian Bryant get a shot in the NFL?

Our countdown of the top 20 Ohio State players has reached No. 8, with freshman phenom Joey Bosa. Are you excited to see the rest of the list? The top three might not be in the order you imagined.

It could still be worth your time to get to know some of the players who didn't make the countdown. Doug identifies some of the young kids who are out to make an impression during bowl practice season.

Ohio State's basketball team pulled off an improbable win Saturday night against Notre Dame at Madison Square Garden. The Buckeyes erased an eight-point deficit in the final 50 seconds to remain unbeaten. In case you missed the wild finish:

Four-star junior defensive line prospect Tim Settle has a scholarship offer from virtually every top program in the country, and right now Ohio State is in the thick of his recruitment.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – There’s a special type of defensive lineman that draws Urban Meyer’s attention during the recruiting process.

It starts with size, sure, but what really brings Meyer in are the prospects who also have great athleticism and agility.

Those are the Southeastern Conference-type defensive linemen Meyer wants to bring to Ohio State – prospects like Manassas (Va.) Stonewall Jackson product Tim Settle.

“Right now I am playing basketball and working on getting into great shape because I know I have power and speed,” Settle told Cleveland.com in a phone interview Sunday evening. “I want to have both, and I am working on getting better.”

A four-star prospect rated by Rivals.com the No. 7 defensive tackle in the 2015 class, Settle has already separated himself from most other prospects at his position.

That’s evident in his scholarship offers list, one that includes Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Miami (Fla.), Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, USC, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and more than 10 others.

Alongside fellow Virginia native D'Shawn Hand – a top 2014 defensive end prospect currently commitment to Michigan – Settle visited Ohio State during the summer for one of the Buckeyes' camps hosted at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.

During the trip, Settle met with Meyer and saw Ohio State's athletic facilities. The visit was brief, but it made the 6-foot-2, 311-pound prospect want to see more.

"It wasn't exactly how I wanted it to be," Settle said of the visit. "I didn't get to see the dorms and stuff, and I like to see everything when I go on visits. It was fun – I got to see the facilities and I got to speak to coach Urban Meyer – but I want to go back and see more next time."

Though Settle has been racking up scholarship offers, he said his communication with a lot of coaching staffs has been rather slow. Perhaps it's because National Signing Day for the 2014 class is looming, not to mention most of the programs who have offered the defensive tackle are preparing for bowl games.

But Settle anticipates really losing himself in the process in the spring, a time during which he'll be analyzing which programs stand out the most. Settle plans to release a top seven July 11, his birthday.

"I just want to have great visits to wherever I go," Settle said. "I just want them to be great. I don't want to sound picky, but when I make a decision the school is going to have everything I am looking for. I want a good relationship with coaches and good academics."

Though Settle isn't sure which programs will be on his top seven list when he narrows it down during the summer, he said the Buckeyes have a good chance of making the cut. But in order for Ohio State to do that, Settle wants more consistent contact with the Buckeyes' coaching staff.

"I love Ohio State, and I have to get back up there," Settle said. "The first time I went I didn’t get to see the whole campus. I only got to see the facilities, and when I go somewhere I want to see everything, so that’s something I am looking forward to. 

"I just have to keep in touch with them. I don’t want to go into a period where we stop talking for a while, because then I’ll start to lose interest." 

Bradley Roby didn't have the smoothest year possible, but the junior sported more big play ability than anyone else on Ohio State's defense. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Now that we’re getting into this territory of the countdown, we’ll be talking about the most influential players on an Ohio State team that was on the brink of playing for a national championship.

No. 7: Bradley Roby, junior cornerback

From: Suwanee (Ga.) Peachtree Ridge

Height, weight: 5-foot-11, 192 pounds

Recruiting rating: Rated by Rivals.com a three-star prospect as part of the 2010 recruiting class, Roby was a rather under-the-radar prospect when considering the heights he reached while in school. Rivals never issued rankings for Roby, who initially was committed to Vanderbilt before earning a scholarship offer from Ohio State. Roby did have offers from SEC programs Alabama and Auburn before signing with the Buckeyes.

2013 stats: Roby was third on the team in total tackles with 70, behind only linebacker Ryan Shazier (134) and safety C.J. Barnett (79). With three interceptions, Roby tied for the team lead with Barnett and cornerback Doran Grant. Roby also had two blocked kicks and two touchdowns.

What went right: Roby was able to announce his intentions to leave early for the NFL before his junior year because he was so successful as a redshirt sophomore in making big plays. Sure, he was a great coverage corner, but he just had a knack for changing games. And in 2013, Roby again combined solid coverage with more big play ability than anyone else on the Buckeyes’ defense.

In the closest game of the regular season for Ohio State – the Buckeyes’ 40-30 win over Northwestern – Roby blocked a punt and recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown. Four weeks later, Roby found the end zone again with a pick-six against in Ohio State’s 60-35 win at Illinois. In all, Roby had three interceptions and two touchdowns, and he was consistent in coverage. With 13 pass breakups, Roby ranked 10th in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 1.3 per game.

What went wrong: Though Roby had a good enough year to assert himself as one of the top cornerback prospects in the NFL Draft, it wasn’t smooth sailing for the junior. First, Roby had to miss Ohio State’s season opener as he served a suspension for his involvement in an altercation in a Bloomington, Ind., bar in late July.

Then after he returned, Roby had a slow start. In Ohio State’s 52-34 win at Cal, Golden Bears receiver Bryce Treggs beat Roby for a 14-yard touchdown. Treggs could have scored a second touchdown against Roby on a similar play, but he was called out of bounds on a very close play. Two weeks later against Wisconsin, Badgers wide receiver Jared Abbrederis torched Roby for 207 yards and a touchdown.

Then it got worse two weeks after that when Roby was ejected from the Iowa game for targeting. He was the only Buckeye to be ejected from a game this season under the NCAA’s new targeting rule.

Looking at 2014: Some could argue that Roby is leaving Ohio State a year too late, as his NFL Draft stock – one as high as a first rounder projection – took a little hit with some of the struggle he had as a junior. But after Ohio State’s game against Clemson in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, Roby will be living his dream as a professional football player. Roby admitted having a hangover after turning his back on the league last year, but that won’t be an issue this year. And with strong performances in the bowl game and at the NFL Combine, Roby could fight his way back into the first round.

What we’ve written about Roby:

• Sept. 7: Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby: 'I made the program look bad and I had to pay the consequences for that'

• Oct. 21: Urban Meyer, displeased with Bradley Roby's ejection: 'Everybody is going to want to re-look at that rule'

• Nov. 1: Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby: 'I think the first half of the season I was more worried about other things than what my job was'

• Nov. 20: Urban Meyer says 'it's no secret' Bradley Roby is bound for the NFL

• Dec. 19: Is Bradley Roby leaving Ohio State 1 year too late? NFL Draft Stock Report

We want to know what it would mean to you if a Cleveland team won a championship.

Numbers tell an interesting story with Akron, Cleveland State and Kent State basketball going into the Christmas holidays.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Let the numbers speak as the Akron Zips (6-2), Cleveland State Vikings (6-6) and Kent State Golden Flashes (9-2) head into the Christmas Holidays.

With just a week to go before conference play begins here is the first look this season at some RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) and SOS (Strength of Schedule) numbers to ponder for Akron, CSU and Kent; RPI 144, 129 and 76; SOS 120, 302 and 226.

Can you match those numbers to their teams? We'll do that for you later.

Akron continues its play in the Diamond Head Classic (Hawaii) Tournament 4:30 p.m. today against Iowa State, following Sunday's 83-71 victory in the Tournament opener against Oregon State.

Akron head coach Keith Dambrot and the Zips have the highest RPI among the local hoops teams.AP Photo

After an off day Tuesday, the Zips end tournament play on Christmas against a team still to be determined. After returning to the mainland, Akron travels Saturday to play at South Carolina.

The big local game this week will be CSU  playing at Kent State, Saturday, 7 p.m. in the M.A.C. Center. Two very similar teams with different records, and many of the same strengths and weaknesses.

Both the Vikings and the Golden Flashes are loaded in the backcourt and have uneven production in the post. Both teams also have solid bench production. Head coach Gary Waters at CSU and Rob Senderoff at Kent have tinkered with their starting lineups in recent games, and both are looking to get an inside player untracked consistently in time for league play.

The Vikings do have a prelim of sorts with a 3 p.m. game this afternoon against La Roche, a small college team from Pittsburgh. But after Kent, Cleveland State is off for Horizon League play the first week of January. The same holds true for Akron and Kent, as they begin Mid-American Conference play in January.

So, based on Sunday's daily RPI/SOS numbers at RPIratings.com, which are the teams to keep an eye on going into conference play? In the Horizon League the Detroit Titans have a 5-8 slate in non-conference play. But they had a Top 100 (96) RPI based on a very strong SOS of 13. Milwaukee (9-4) has the best Horizon League record in non-con play, but has a RPI/SOS of 113/267.

Kent State men's basketball coach Rob Senderoff and the Golden Flashes have the best record overall among local Division I teams.Plain Dealer Photo

In the MAC Bowling Green stood at 5-5, ironically going into their Sunday game against Detroit (which they won, 64-62). But like the Titans the Falcons had a Top 100 (99) RPI with a strong SOS (46). That RPI will surely rise today. Toledo (11-0) has the best record in the MAC and leads five Top 100 RPI MAC teams at No. 38. But that slate has come against a pedestrian SOS rank of 256.

As for Akron, Cleveland State and Kent State, here are their respective RPI/SOS going into this week: Akron, 76/226; CSU, 144/120 and KSU, 129/302.

Based on the numbers here is what we know about the three local Division I basketball teams; Kent has the best record, CSU has played the toughest schedule and Akron (based on RPI) is the best team of the bunch. Let the debate begin.

In women's hoops: While Cleveland State (5-6) and Akron (5-5) are looking to get winning streaks going to rise above .500 on the season, Kent State (3-8) is looking to snap a three-game losing streak. Kent won't play again until after the new year, but the Zips and Vikings return to action Sunday.

Games this week.

Mon - (M) - CSU vs. La Roche 3 p.m. WHK-AM, 1420

(M) - Akron vs. … WARF-AM, 1350; ESPNU

Wed - (M) - Akron vs. TBD, WARF-AM, 1350; ESPNU

Sat - (M) - Akron at South Carolina 4 p.m. WARF-AM, 1350.

(M) - Cleveland State at Kent State, 7 p.m. WHK-AM, 1420; WHLO-AM, 640

Sun - (W) - Akron vs. Youngstown State, 2 p.m

(W) - CSU at Miami, 1 p.m.

Peyton Manning's season has some wondering if he's the greatest quarterback ever.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — It's been quite a season for Peyton Manning.

On Sunday, the Denver Broncos crushed the Texans, 37-13, at Houston to clinch the AFC West title. In the process, Manning threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns, giving him the single-season record with 51 TD passes, breaking Tom Brady's record of 50. He's also the first quarterback to throw for than 5,000 yards and 50 TDs in a season.

And there's one more game to go.

Despite clinching the division, next Sunday's game against the Raiders at Oakland is not meaningless. Home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is still up for grabs. A loss to the Raiders and a New England victory over the Buffalo Bills would give the Patriots home-field advantage.

That's just scratching the surface of the AFC playoff scenario. Although five of the six spots are claimed — by the Broncos, Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Kansas City Chiefs — seeding is not set.

So Manning likely will tack on some more TD throws to his record in order to avoid traveling to New England. He probably has no desire to go to Foxboro, Mass. — the Broncos lost at New England, 34-31, on Nov. 24 after leading, 24-0, at the half. In 2004, when Manning played for Indianapolis and first set the season record for TD passes with 49, the Colts lost at New England twice, on opening day and in the AFC Championship Game.

Manning wants to avoid a repeat of history, but he's also making his own. And his superb play at the age of 37 has some, like Andrew Corsello of GQ, calling him the greatest quarterback ever — and he made this declaration before Sunday's game:

The rap against Manning is that his postseason record pales next to those of Brady, Aikman, Bradshaw, and especially Montana — who went four for four without a single pick in his Super Bowl appearances — and that he's got “only” one ring. But Manning has played at a rarefied level more consistently than any other player. (His four MVPs are the most of any player in history, and his 12 Pro Bowl selections are the most by any QB.) His best is categorically different from any other QB's best. It's got more working parts and gears. It's more orchestral.

Manning's achievements brought plenty of praise on Twitter:

Congrats to Peyton Manning 1 of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play for breaking the all time single season TD pass record.

— DeionSanders (@DeionSanders) December 22, 2013

If Peyton Manning doesn't win the MVP they might as well throw the trophy away ..

— Glenn Quagmire (@AzeemTheDream_) December 23, 2013

Let's venture over to the NFC side for a bit. The playoff picture is much more unsettled in the NFC, with only the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers clinching spots. The Seahawks failed to clinch the NFC West, suffering a rare loss at home in falling, 17-10, to the Arizona Cardinals (10-5), a win that kept the Cardinals' playoff hopes alive. The Panthers now lead the NFC South after defeating the New Orleans Saints, 17-13, but did not clinch the division. The Saints and the San Francisco 49ers currently lead the wild-card chase, and the Chicago Bears lead the NFC Central at 8-7 despite getting throttled, 54-11, by the Eagles at Philadelphia on Sunday night.

The Bears will host the Green Bay Packers (7-7-1) next week to decide the division. Meanwhile, the Eagles (9-6) will travel to Texas to play the Dallas Cowboys (8-7) in a game that will decide the NFC East. One week after again being labeled a choker following a catastrophic loss to Green Bay, Tony Romo rallied the Cowboys from nine points down in the fourth quarter on the road to beat the Washington Redskins, 24-23. It's the third season in a row the Cowboys are playing in a "win or go home" game in the final week of the season. They lost the previous two years, and it could be three straight losses because the Eagles are peaking at the right time, says Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report:

We talk a lot about the importance of getting hot at the right time, and that is admittedly a cliche. But cliches aren't necessarily false. The Eagles have now won six of seven; Dallas has lost two out of three. After dominating the Bears, the Eagles can now forget about that one blip within this seven-game stretch. In a Week 17 game that is expected to come down to the wire, that could be what puts Philly over the top against a less confident and less healthy Cowboys squad.

One team that is sure to go home after next week is the Detroit Lions. At one point the Lions were at the top of the NFC Central at 6-3. They've now lost five of their past six games, including a 23-20 overtime loss at home Sunday to the New York Giants. The loss eliminated the Lions from the playoffs. Now it appears coach Jim Schwartz's job is in jeopardy. At one point during Sunday's game, Schwartz seemed to be yelling at booing Lions fans — a poor move for a head coach, says Detroit Free Press columnist Jeff Seidel:

If a team is a reflection of a coach, this moment explained everything. It was totally undisciplined. And he let his emotion take over. ... It is hard to find a reason to bring back Schwartz after the way the season has ended. If you give him credit for a 6-3 start, you have to hold him accountable for this complete collapse. This team is loaded with talent and primed for the playoffs. But the season slipped away. And now, the Lions have been eliminated from the playoffs, in a year when nobody deserves to win the NFC North.

Schwartz is far from alone in having a coaching job in jeopardy. Rex Ryan reportedly told his players he would soon be fired before the New York Jets defeated the Browns, 24-13. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett likely will be fired if the team fails to make the playoffs, according to reports. The Raiders' Dennis Allen, the Redskins' Mike Shanahan, the Buccaneers' Greg Schiano and the Vikings' Leslie Frazier also are in danger of losing their jobs once the season is over.

Talk Browns with Mary Kay Cabot and Glenn Moore at 2 p.m.

Talk Browns with Mary Kay Cabot at 2 p.m. 

Get your Browns questions ready and join Mary Kay Cabot today at 2 p.m. as she talks Browns football.

Mary Kay will talk with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore about the Browns' loss to the Jets Sunday and discuss what went wrong this season.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Mary Kay's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in MP3 format.

Cleveland.com's Glenn Moore and The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff recap the Browns' loss to the Jets Sunday evening.

Among other topics discussed:

• Defense collasping after 10-point lead.

• Jason Campbell's performance.

• Ray Horton's defense in the second half of the season.

Read what D-Man (@dmansworld474) and G-Mo (@GlennMooreCLE) have to say on Twitter.

You can download the mp3 or listen with the player to the right.

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What's left for the Browns? Futility fame, misery magnificence and the thorough ransacking of Paul Brown's memory, just for starters.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The bad, the ugly and the almost inexpressibly -- although, you know me, I’ll give it a try -- execrable in the Browns’ loss to the Jets:

1. There is really no positive incentive to losing, although, you know, impressive records could still fall.

The Cincinnati Bengals went from 1991-2004 without a playoff appearance.

The Browns have gone from 2003 (in the giddy aftermath of the 2002 season’s one-and-done, come-from-ahead, wild-card game playoff loss at Pittsburgh as the sixth and lowest seed) through 2013 without a playoff game. That leaves them with something to shoot for in their bid to win (or it is it lose?) the All-Ohio, From the Lake to the River, Trashing Paul Brown’s Memory Award.

2. The Browns have now lost nine of their last 10. It is not the worst span since the franchise was reconstituted out of some sin-tax money, Al Lerner’s cigar ashes and the tears of a distraught city, only to be brought back as a complete laughingstock.

The Browns also lost nine of 10 in 2011. That was just warming up, though. They lost 10 of 11 in 2004. (That is certainly feasible next week at Pittsburgh.) They lost 11 of 12 in 2009, and they lost 12 of 13 in 2000.

So there are still abysses to explore and bumblers to out-bumble.

It’s all in the way you look at it.

3. I look at it the same way Fred “Mad Dog” Carter did when he was named the MVP of a 9-73 Philadelphia 76ers team in 1971-72. “We were the Universal Health Spa of the NBA,” said the Doggie. “Everybody got better when they saw us.”

Substitute Browns for 76ers and NFL for NBA, and you pretty much have the gist of it.

4. The Browns really are remarkable in their decline, fall and floundering follies. They lost to the Lions without Megatron (or at least with Calvin Johnson clearly hurting, used mostly as a decoy, and winding up with only three catches for 25 yards); and they lost to the Bears when Jay Cutler was still knocking the rust off; and they lost to the Jaguars (At home! With Chad Henne at QB!); and they lost to the Jets with a dead man (Rex Ryan) coaching.

5. Sunday, they made Jets’ quarterback Geno Smith, who darted in, untouched, for the clinching touchdown, look better than he has since he threw eight touchdown passes against Baylor for West Virginia.

When the game is on the line, one look at the Browns’ defense by anyone from Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers to Henne and Smith works on them like spinach on Popeye.

Just as, admittedly more and more rarely these days, you can find humility in triumph, you can also find grandeur in dejection and magnificence in misery. When it comes to being really, irredeemably, lost and forlorn, the Browns got game, baby.

6. Did Smith draw a cheap penalty with a flop, NBA-style? Yeah, but he only got the chance to swoon because he was pushed five full yards out of bounds. A little discipline, maybe?

7. As near as I can tell, the Browns can’t run the ball and they can’t stop the other teams when they run it. I would term that an “SOL” skill set with the final letters standing for “Outta Luck.” I believe Sisyphus got the big rock up the steep hill quicker than the Browns advanced on what seemed to be a dozen or so plays from the Jets' 7-yard line in the first half.

8. In the fourth quarter, first-and-goal at the Jets' 6, down a TD, I Tweeted: "Kick the FG now and conserve time?" I was half-serious, too. On fourth down from the 2, they kicked the field goal.

9. That would be new pick-up Edwin Baker, "Mr. Touchdown," who Sunday scored his second TD in two games and the Browns' fourth on the season by a rush from scrimmage.

10. On the flip side, David Nelson, dumped by the Browns earlier in the year, caught two touchdown passes. (I know, I know. If you are of a certain age, you would have expected that to be Ricky.)

11. To add more bricks to the depressing heap of rubble, not even Josh Gordon, who has become the NFL's most dangerous receiver, had a day of pure and unalloyed greatness, er, goodness, er, would you believe adequacy?

He caught six balls for 97 more yards (for a staggering 1,564 yards in only 13 games (remember he was suspended for the first two) for a 120-yard average. Still, he dropped touchdown passes twice during the Browns' first-half field-goal infatuation.

12. Remember when super model Gisele Bundchen griped, after a Super Bowl loss by the Patriots, which turned the wrong way on Wes Welker's inability to make a difficult, but not impossible, catch of a pass from her husband, Tom Brady: "Tommy can't throw it and catch it too"?

Brandon Weeden, Brian Hoyer and Jason Campbell threw them for the Browns. Yet Gordon still caught 'em with the best of 'em. Until Sunday. As I Tweeted: For God's sake, catch the ball. He's Jason Campbell. He only has a finite number of good throws in him.

Gordon's drops were just another unexpected turn on the portable lathe from the Factory of Sadness.

13. Another thing to remember: The Browns' defense is actually playing better than the stats indicate. Ha, ha, ha, ha! Stop, stop! You're killing me, Ray Horton!

14. In such a vein of versatility, the Browns played their fourth-quarter defense -- "Incoming! Browns' defense in free-fall!" –- in the second quarter too against the Jets.

15. Once into their origami mode, the Browns can fold with anybody, falling behind quickly in the second half and leading some actually to wonder if the Browns might not be forced to strap the electrodes to Weeden and bring the monster back to such still-life as he attains in the pocket.

This did not happen, but there is always the next and,thankfully, last game.

Next Sunday. At Pittsburgh.

Will the Browns end their season on a winning note? Vote in our poll on who will win and by how much.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns take on the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road Sunday in their final game of the regular season.

Sunday's game in perfect conditions in New Jersey came off as if it were 20 degrees and snowing.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Quarterback Jason Campbell foundered for the second straight game Sunday in the Browns’ 24-13 loss to the Jets in East Rutherford, N.J. Campbell went 18-of-40 for 178 yards and two interceptions. He was sacked three times.

Upon dvr review of the CBS telecast, here are some other observations:

Back to reality: Campbell played well, on balance, in his first five starts as a Brown (Week 8 through Week 14). He was a combined 115-of-193 for 1,318 yards and nine touchdowns. He threw three interceptions.

In the past two games, however, he has resembled the quarterback who entered the season with a decidedly undistinguished resume. He is a combined 41-of-79 for 451 yards and one touchdown. He has thrown four picks.

Not a winning formula: Campbell slipped to 1-6 as a starter. He went 1-4 in the first five starts but had minimal culpability in losses at Kansas City in Week 8 (23-17) and at New England in Week 14 (27-26). In the past two weeks, he has factored heavily in the defeats, including at home to Chicago in Week 15 (38-31).

Fumbled opportunity: Campbell failed to lead his team to victory against a sub-.500 opponent that had dropped four of five and whose coach, Rex Ryan, is on the hottest of hot seats. The Jets improved to 7-8 …. Campbell managed 178 passing yards, 4.5 per attempt and one TD drive against one of the NFL’s most vulnerable pass defenses …. Campbell did not build on a 10-0 lead that had been achieved with 6:47 left in the second quarter …. Campbell did not capitalize on shockingly favorable weather conditions. CBS’s pregame graphic listed the temperature at a positively balmy 67 degrees.

Analyst Rich Gannon, a former quarterback and NFL MVP, said of the weather: “If you’re Jason Campbell, you’ve got to be loving this. This is like a bonus day. I was down on the field before the game -- not a lot of wind. An ideal day, here in December, to throw the football.’’

Campbell periodically threw as if it were 20 degrees and the winds howled. He rarely appeared comfortable in the pocket.

Inauspicious beginning: Campbell’s first two passes served as a portent. They came after the Browns received the opening kickoff and rushed once for 3 yards.

On second-and-7 from the Cleveland 23, Campbell forced Greg Little to dive for a 4-yard reception at the right sideline.

On third-and-3 from the Cleveland 27, the offensive line gave Campbell the time and lane necessary for a simple pitch-and-catch to Josh Cooper, who had popped open at the 31 from the right slot. Except Campbell misfired badly enough that Cooper had no shot with a lunge to his left.

A CBS replay showed Campbell gesturing as if he wanted Cooper to continue shuffling from an inside-out break. So it is possible that Cooper made a mistake. But even if Cooper did sit when he needed to keep moving, the miss was inexcusable.

“You’ve got to make this throw,’’ Gannon said. “No one is even around Cooper. Look how wide-open he is. He goes in there, he sits down against off-coverage. You’ve got to be able to hit them when you have them that wide-open.’’

Turnover issues: Not all interceptions are the quarterback’s fault. Some can be traced to the line’s protection breakdowns, others to receivers’ bad hands or routes. Campbell’s two picks were on him.

With 9:27 left in the third quarter and the score tied, 10-10, the Browns faced second-and-9 at the New York 29. As the offensive line seamlessly picked up a five-man rush out of the zone blitz, Campbell pumped to the left, looked to the middle and fired – directly into the gloves of heretofore struggling cornerback Dee Milliner, who landed at the New York 20 and returned it 19 yards.

Campbell had attempted to connect with Little, who essentially was bracketed by Milliner and safety Ed Reed.

Minutes later, CBS showed Campbell sitting on the bench and examining the overhead pictures. Gannon said, simply: “They’ve got to get this guy comfortable once again.’’

At that point, Campbell was 10-of-26 for 96 yards and the pick.

With the Browns trailing, 24-13, late in the fourth, Campbell dropped back on second-and-10 from the New York 41. The line did not pick up the five-man blitz as well this time, but it gave Campbell enough room to make an accurate throw. Instead, Campbell’s loose footwork led to a pass that sailed past MarQueis Gray and into the hands of Reed, who caught it at the New York 27 and returned it 25 yards.

Gannon said: “(Reed) did a really nice job there, reading the eyes of Jason Campbell and just sitting on that crossing route.’’

Lack of support: Campbell turned in a clunker, no question. He did not play winning football. At the same time, Campbell was let down by Little and his No. 1 target, Josh Gordon.

On second-and-goal from the 7 midway through the first quarter, Campbell threw his best pass. It arched over the helmets of multiple defenders en route to Little in the middle/back of the end zone. Little had found an opening and jumped to make the catch – only to have the ball clank off his gloves.

Gannon said: “It’s unfortunate, because that was really a terrific throw by Jason Campbell. He’s going to fit this one right in the back of the end zone to Greg Little, who runs a nice route. Now you’ve just got to squeeze it and make that catch. Too many drops this year – not only by Little but by the rest of these receivers. Gotta get that cleaned up.’’

Yes, Little needed to jump, but it was controlled and effortless. He continued his career m.o. of turning the relatively routine reception into a head-scratching missed opportunity.

The Jets sacked Campbell on third-and-goal. Billy Cundiff kicked a 27-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.

Browns personnel and their fans anticipate that Little will leave plays on the field. They do not figure that Gordon will resemble Little, but it happened Sunday. Gordon posted game-highs in receptions (six) and receiving yards (97), but don’t be fooled: He did not perform to anywhere near the standard of a Pro Bowler-in-waiting.

On third-and-goal from the 1 early in the second quarter, Campbell put the ball over Milliner and on-target to Gordon in the end zone at the left sideline. Gordon, seemingly preoccupied with getting both feet in, dropped it.

Gannon said: “Don’t know if he would have gotten both feet inbounds…but still, you’ve got to be able to squeeze it and make those catches.’’

A replay showed Browns coach Rob Chudzinski raising his arms as if to signal touchdown. It did not take a qualified lip reader to see what Chudzinski muttered into the headset: “He dropped it.’’

On fourth-and-goal, Campbell went back to Gordon in the same location. Gordon had slightly more trouble shedding Milliner but grabbed the ball and executed a double-toe drag – only to have the ball squirt on him during a fall out of bounds. As Gordon attempted to say that he maintained control through the catch, the head linesman repeatedly gave the juggling motion before walking away.

Earlier in the drive, Gordon had a clean drop of a first-down pass at the New York 21. On another occasion, Gordon went to his knees too early and was unable to secure the pass. On another, Campbell and Gordon did not seem to be on the same page.

Campbell targeted Gordon 16 times. For a player of Gordon’s caliber, such a high number of targets must result in considerably more production.

Gordon, who set an NFL record for receiving yards in a four-game span in Weeks 11-14, has been subpar the past two.

Overall grade for Campbell: D-

Analyze it yourself! Here is a database of all the Browns passes Dennis Manoloff and a squad of assistants are tracking this season. You can select criteria in the form below and get all the matching throws

How to use the database

• First, choose a quarterback.
• After that, choose one or more of the other options for comparisons, such as Receiver, or Pressure, or Direction of throw.  (Tip: Don't choose too many.)
  
• Click search. You will need to scroll right and left to see all the matched results.
  You can sort the results and look for more patterns by clicking on the heading of any.  Click on "Throw #" at far right to put the throws back into their original order.
• You can see the pass results as a graph, too.
  

The Browns' newcomers didn't pan out, their one upgrade on offense didn't come through and they wasted time at quarterback. These are some of the things that went wrong this season.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns coach Rob Chudzinski feels your pain even more than the other five coaches since 1999 who have suffered double-digit losses.

"I grew up as a Browns fan,'' Chudzinski said Monday in the aftermath of Sunday's 24-13 loss to the Jets. "I know the frustration, I understand the frustration, I’ve lived it. I can only say that there’s nothing more that I want than for this place to be a winner and for us to turn it around, and we’ll get that done.''

"I know how important this team is to this region and to our fans and we're going to keep fighting to get this turned around.''

Chudzinski, who takes a 4-11 record into Sunday's finale in Pittsburgh, refused to pin the record on the revolving door at quarterback, the lack of a running game and injuries to key players.

"I don’t think that way,'' he said. "I don’t function that way. I’ve always felt like whatever situation you’re in, whatever you’re doing, whoever you have, you have to figure out a way to make it work. It’s a puzzle that you have to figure out. Obviously we haven’t been able to do that well enough this year.''

Despite a sixth straight season with at least 11 losses -- and 11th in 15 seasons -- the Browns' sixth full-time head coach since 1999 believes there's reason for hope.

"Certainly after yesterday's game I'm not happy, nobody is happy with the outcome,'' he said. "But overall there is a group of guys that are going to be the foundation for the future. Again, I'm very confident in our future and the success we will have. We have a lot of work to do and there's no doubt in that. I'm not immune to what our record is. It's not good enough and it needs to be better and we'll improve on that.''

With that in mind here are some things that went wrong with the Browns this season:

1. The newcomers on defense didn't come through:

The Browns spent a king's ransom to upgrade their pass-rush and hired an attack-minded defensive coordinator in Ray Horton. What do they have to show for it? One more sack (39) than they had last year. No. 6 overall pick Barkevious Mingo has five sacks overall -- but only two in his last 11 games. He also has only 12 "quarterback harassments'' which includes hits, sacks and hurries. Less than one a game is nowhere near enough from your No. 6 overall pick.

Chudzinski said Mingo is adjusting to the NFL and to a position change "and I think the production will come.''

Blockbuster free agent pickup Paul Kruger has only 4.5 sacks -- including two in his last seven games. The Browns failed to sack Geno Smith -- or even hit him -- and he had been sacked 43 times heading in for second in the NFL. Free agent pass-rushers Desmond Bryant and Quentin Groves showed promise, but both landed on injured reserve. Groves underwent ankle surgery, and Bryant's irregular heartbeat from last season resurfaced. Before he left for a procedure, Bryant led the team with 32 harassments. Third-round pick Leon McFadden didn't see his first extensive action on defense until week 13 at New England. Ideally, a third-round pick would contribute more -- maybe even start -- early on.

2. The one big upgrade on offense didn't pan out:

The Browns acquired receiver Davone Bess in a draft-day trade with Miami and immediately signed him to a three-year extension worth $11.5 million, including $5.75 million guaranteed. But Bess never made an impact, and wound up on the non-football/reserve list for the final two games for personal reasons. Bess was brought in for his amazing third-down prowess, but was plagued by drops all season. He finished first in the NFL with 14 drops, according to profootballfocus.com and had 11 games with 28 yards or less. The Browns really did nothing else to surround their quarterbacks, except hope that some of the young players would step up in the new system. It worked in the case of Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron, but not in that of Greg Little, who regressed. Little 40 catches, 456 yards, two TDs) is currently ranked last (110th) among NFL receivers by profootballfocus.com and Bess 108.

3. The Browns wasted time at quarterback:

It was common knowledge all offseason that the new regime didn't think highly of Brandon Weeden. They admittedly left no stone unturned in trying to upgrade the position. In the end, they stuck with Weeden -- even when it was evident that GM Mike Lombardi was a staunch critic. If the folks at the top don't like a quarterback, he's doomed to fail. The Browns should've jettisoned Weeden in the offseason and started over. If they had that much faith in Brian Hoyer, they should've started him right off the bat. But even Hoyer would've eventually struggled with this two trick pony (Gordon and Cameron) that's now down to just one overwhelmed pony.

4. They haven't won the fives. Not even close:

All season long, Chudzinski has preached "win the last five'' -- the last five minutes of the half and the last five minutes of the game. The Browns have done just the opposite. In fact, they've been Masters of the Meltdown:

* In eight of their last nine games, they've been scored on in the final two minutes of the half, a total of 53 points on 11 drives -- including 10 points in the final 1:18 of the Jets' second-quarter.

* In three of their last four games, they've surrendered touchdowns in the final 2:17 of the game (a total of four).

* In their last nine games, they've been outscored in 80-10 in the final two minutes of the half or game.

* They've lost five games when they were tied or leading in the fourth quarter -- including the last four.

"Wanting to win the last five -- that's been a huge point of emphasis,'' said Chudzinski. "The guys are aware of it. They know it. They want to do well. But you have to execute as well…From a coaching standpoint, we have to do everything we can to put them in the very best positions''

The Browns have led at some point in eight of their 11 losses, which Chudzinski ranked as the most troubling aspect of the season. They've also been outscored 63-24 in the fourth quarter of their last four games.

"(We've) had good starts and started fast, and we haven’t been able to maintain those leads,'' he said.

5. They never got in touch with their inner run game:

After the trade of Trent Richardson, the Browns never found their run game, never found their back, never committed to the run. Finally, when Norv Turner was second-guessed about not running more against the Bears, he shot back, "Anyone who’s seen the 12 games before that, or 13 games before that, I don’t think would sit there and think, ‘We should be running the ball more.’''

One need only to look at the Bears' Matt Forte's performance against the Browns (127 yards) and the Jets' Chris Ivory's (109) to see that the running game is alive and well in the NFL, especially in December. The Browns might have a keeper in Edwin Baker, but they need a marquee featured back next season. Make that two because of injuries. Chicago's Jay Cutler and New York's Geno Smith were helped considerably by their backs in their victories over the Browns.

The Cavaliers, winners of five of their last six at Quicken Loans Arena, will try to snap a six-game losing streak against Detroit when they host the Pistons on Monday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers, winners of five of their last six at Quicken Loans Arena, will try to snap a six-game losing streak against Detroit when they host the Pistons on Monday night.

Get updates from Mary Schmitt Boyer on Twitter @PDCavsInsider and post your comments during the game below.

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Vintavious Cooper took over the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl in the fourth quarter in a performance reminiscent of a former East Carolina running back.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Vintavious Cooper took over the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl in the fourth quarter in a performance reminiscent of a former East Carolina running back.

Just don't mention that comparison to Cooper.

The senior rushed for a career-best 198 yards and scored two touchdowns, leading the Pirates to a 37-20 victory over Ohio on Monday.

Cooper broke the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl record for yards rushing while becoming the first East Carolina player to win a MVP award in a bowl game since Tennessee Titans star Chris Johnson ran for 223 yards against Boise State in the 2007 Hawaii Bowl.

"It's a great accomplishment and I have to really give it up to the guys up front and all the work they did. When I found out I was close to 100 yards after the first quarter I told them and they got excited about it," Cooper said.

"I would never compare myself to Chris Johnson because I really admire CJ and I look up to CJ. He's done so much for me. I'm just happy my name is next to his in any way."

The Pirates (10-3) grabbed the lead for good on the first of Cooper's two touchdowns runs in the fourth quarter, a 31-yard burst with just under 10 minutes remaining.

East Carolina's Shane Carden threw for 273 yards and one TD and also scored on a pass reception.

"All season we've been about playing big in the fourth quarter and this was going to be a game that we needed to grind out and fight to win because Ohio is a real tough team that's well coached," Carden said.

Cam Worthy caught an early 5-yard scoring pass from Carden, and then took a lateral and threw 14 yards back to Carden for a fourth-quarter TD that made it 31-20. Cooper put it well out of reach, finding an opening off left tackle and racing 22 yards for his second score.

Tyler Tettleton and Derrius Vick threw scoring passes for Ohio (7-6), which overcame an early two-touchdown deficit to lead 20-17 before Cooper put East Carolina back in front before an announced crowd of 20,053 at Tropicana Field.

Breon Allen also scored on a 2-yard run for East Carolina, which won six of its final seven games to finish with the second-most victories in school history.

Carden set the school record for single-season yards passing with a 13-yard throw to Isaiah Jones on the drive ended with Allen's TD, making it 14-0. He completed 29 of 45 passes while boosting his season total to 4,139 yards, breaking Dominique Davis' record total for the Pirates.

Cooper ran for 90 yards in the opening quarter alone, becoming the third running back in East Carolina history to rush for 1,000 in consecutive seasons.

Justin Hardy, meanwhile, had eight receptions for 59 yards, setting a school record for yards receiving in a season. He finished with nine catches, giving him 114 receptions for 1,284 yards.

Ohio battled back after a slow start. Tettleton and Vick each threw a touchdown pass in a five-minute span to make it 14-all early in the second quarter.

Tettleton got the Bobcats going with a 26-yard completion to Daz' Patterson on a flea flicker, and then found Patterson for a 17-yard TD on the following play. Vick and Donte Foster combined for an 80-yard score on Ohio's next offensive play for the longest scoring pass in Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl history.

"They're a very, very physical football team on the defensive side, and very strong. Generally you're not going to traditionally line up and just run the ball right at them and feel like you're going to be successful," Ohio coach Frank Solich said. "We had to come up with ways that we felt we could continue to make plays and then hopefully have our fair share of big plays."

Foster finished with six catches for 160 yards, earning most valuable player honors for Ohio. Tettleton was 21 of 40 for 228 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.

East Carolina rebounded from a triple-overtime loss to Tulane in October to win five of its final six regular-season games. Ohio stumbled in November losses to Buffalo, Bowling Green and Kent State before finishing with a 51-23 rout of Massachusetts that helped the Bobcats secure the trip to St. Petersburg.

Ohio accepted the bid to the Beef 'O' Brady's bowl after the American Athletic Conference was unable to fulfill its bowl commitments. Ball State lost to Central Florida in last year's game, making the trip when the Big East was unable to supply a team.

In denying Ohio a third straight bowl victory under Solich, East Carolina stopped a four-game losing streak in bowl games, a skid that began after Johnson led the Pirates to the win in the Hawaii Bowl.

"A win would have made this a whole lot better," Foster said. "It would have made it very tremendous, but I felt like our guys played their hearts out."