Here are the starting lineups for Tuesday's game between the Indians and Royals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the starting lineups for Tuesday's game between the Indians and Royals.

Pitching matchup: Danny Salazar (6-7, 4.02) vs. Yordano Ventura (13-10, 3.19)

Lineups

Indians

1. CF Michael Bourn

2. SS Jose Ramirez

3. LF Michael Brantley

4. 1B Carlos Santana

5. RF David Murphy

6. DH Jason Kipnis

7. C Yan Gomes

8. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall

9. 2B Mike Aviles

Royals

1. SS Alcides Escobar

2. RF Nori Aoki

3. CF Lorenzo Cain

4. 1B Eric Hosmer

5. DH Billy Butler

6. LF Alex Gordon

7. C Salvador Perez

8. 2B Omar Infante

9. 3B Mike Moustakas

The Akron Zips offense has struggled greatly the last two weeks, but head coach Terry Bowden is not yet ready to retool his veteran unit.

AKRON, Ohio -- There were some challenges expected this season for Akron Zips football, and small question marks on both sides of the ball.

But for a team that returned all of its starting skill position players, and the core of its offensive line, scoring was not considered a challenge or a question mark to begin the 2014 football campaign.

It is now.

Since posting 41 points through three quarters in the season opener against Howard, the Zips' No. 1 offense has gone seven quarters without scoring a touchdown. Field goals have only recently become reliable. But short-yardage conversions (12 of 42 on third down) and red-zone scoring (6 of 12) have been ongoing challenges in losses to Penn State (21-3) and Marshall (48-17).

Coach Terry Bowden points to an offensive line where, "there's not a lot of continuity there," he said Tuesday at his weekly media briefing.

But it seems to go so much deeper than that. Last season against a comparable opening three games (Central Florida, James Madison, Michigan), this same group that includes quarterback Kyle Pohl, tailbacks Jawon Chisholm and Conor Hundley, plus a bevy of receivers led by Zach D'Orazio, L.T. Smith and Franschon Bickley, scored 7, 35 and 24 points.

This season the same offensive players, eight of 11 starters overall including linemen, have scored three points in seven quarters vs. Penn State and Marshall, with backups delivering a pair of touchdowns when games were decided.

Injuries have arisen, with Chisholm, Hundley and offensive line starter Dylan Brumbaugh missing vs. Marshall. But with so many other veterans, scoring should not be an issue. That continuity on the line, breaking in a pair of new tackles, makes for five pennies right now, and not a nickel, as Bowden has said.

But the Zips (1-2) have had an ongoing issue with running the football, averaging just 91.3 per game, and have been particularly poor in short-yardage situations.

"We'd like to run the ball better," Bowden said, noting that for the second straight week the Zips will be facing a punishing ground game from the opposition. Saturday's 1:30 p.m. game at Pitt (3-1) has the Zips facing 6-1, 250-pound James Conner, who leads the nation in rushing with 699 yards and is tied for the lead in rushing TDs with nine.

The Panthers are averaging 304.5 yards per game rushing with Conner averaging 174.8. The Zips have allowed 179.3 yards per game this season, but 284 to Marshall with two backs equal in size to Conner each rushing for over 100.

"He's 250 pounds and can run," Bowden said of Conner. "They are a great power team."

That brings the focus back to Akron's offense, which will have to produce points with limited opportunities considering the Panthers have averaged 34:04 in time of possession per game. Bowden's approach right now is patience, considering the Zips last two opponents are currently each 4-0 on the season.

"I'm concerned with the short-yardage (conversions) not the total yardage,'' he said of the offensive struggles. "I'm not going to try to read too much into it."

Chisholm, Hundley and Brumbaught should be back in action this week. The retooling offensive line now has another week under its belt and more practices areas.

Conference play is still a week away. The Zips should get a break there, with woeful Eastern Michigan after Pitt. But starting Oct. 11 vs. Miami and certainly a week later, on the road at Ohio University, Bowden's offense has to be on track for season dreams of bowl eligibility and contending for a MAC East Division title to come to fruition.

For now, the offensive strategy will be to stay the course and, "try not to hit the panic button," Bowden said.

Golfers recording hole-in-one or double eagle in the past week at local courses.

Mike Starkey 

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here is the list of holes-in-one and double eagles as reported by golf courses for the past week.

Clayton Buckland of Parma aced the 111-yard 15^th hole at Springvale G.C. using a 7-iron.

Guy Horchy of Rocky River aced the 170-yard seventh hole at Creekwood G.C. using an 8-iron.

Mike Lemmo of North Royalton aced the 115-yard 14^th hole at Little Mountain C.C. using a 9-iron.

Mark Lisi aced the 173-yard seventh hole at Hickory Nut G.C. using a 5-iron.

Fran McConkey aced the 125-yard 12th hole at Indian Hollow Lake G.C. using a 7-iron.

Brian McCoy aced the 175-yard 16^th hole at Lost Nation G.C. using a 7-iron.

Richard Shank of Fairview Park aced the 170-yard third hole at Echo Valley G.C. using a rescue club.

J.T. Szopo of Parma aced the 155-yard 14^th hole at Grantwood G.C. using an 8-iron.

Carmen Trionfante of Newbury aced the 131-yard fifth hole at Pleasant Hills G.C. using a 5-wood.

Roger Goodell should resign for mishandling domestic violence cases and as a message to others, including sports professionals, writes the editorial board.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has apologized and owned up in a recent press conference to not handling the Ray Rice domestic-violence case correctly. But Goodell should have gone much farther in his public confession.

It's clear from a recent New York Times story that Goodell has wrongly downplayed other instances of domestic-violence accusations against players during his seven-year tenure. He should have explained why.

He also should step down.

It's not simply Goodell's pattern of lax punishment for domestic-violence cases that ought to prompt his resignation but also his clearly incomplete description of what the NFL knew, and when the league knew it, in the Ray Rice case.

Domestic violence kills. Nationally, on average, at least three women are killed each day by their husbands or boyfriends, according to the American Psychology Association. Indeed, three women died violently in Cleveland earlier this month -- allegedly at the hands of their estranged partners. 

It can be complicated because many survivors decline to cooperate in prosecutions – Janay Rice, who married Ray after the beating, has said the assault is between her and her husband. But it's hardly a trivial matter, including when huge running backs and linebackers in one of America's most popular sports are suspected of slapping, punching or beating their wives and, in at least one case, a small child.

Yet, according to the Times story, Rice and at least nine other players benefited from Goodell's pattern of light punishment for suspected abuse and domestic violence.

In Rice's case, Goodell gave him a meek two-game suspension after a horrifying videotape emerged of Rice callously dumping the unconscious body of his then-fiancee outside an Atlantic City hotel elevator. 

Rice was indicted on an aggravated assault charge but won court diversion in May to a pre-trial intervention program in New Jersey.

His NFL punishment was not upgraded to an indefinite suspension until TMZ Sports revealed a second video this month showing Rice punching Janay with a swift left hook inside of the hotel elevator. Goodell denied ever having seen that video, although the Associated Press reported that the tape had been turned over to an NFL official in April.

Of course, one need not have seen the video to infer what happened. 

Meanwhile, players accused of drug use or drunken driving have received much harsher penalties from the NFL's proud sheriff. As one example, the Browns' Josh Gordon received a season-long ban, reduced to a 10-game suspension recently, after the NFL changed its marijuana use policy.

Goodell's new policies, education sessions and his bid to have former FBI Director Robert Mueller investigate the NFL's actions on the Rice case are well and good – although hiring Mueller would be more convincing if Mueller wasn't part of a law firm, WilmerHale, that has deep and profitable ties to the NFL.

But Goodell stands at the helm and he must take responsibility for the NFL's failures. There are many ifs, ands and buts about who knew what, or didn't, and who did what, or didn't, but the fact is that someone needs to send an unmistakable message that brutality towards spouses, partners, dates -- or anyone -- is intolerable.

It will take the commissioner's departure to get that message across to all our coddled professional sports leagues.

His successor must be someone who loves the game but who also is prepared to punish players appropriately and consistently for serious infractions, to include physical violence against family members.

Scott Atchison has been through a lot in his baseball career, but nothing prepared him for pitching in Monday's suspended game against the Royals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Some quick hits from the Indians and manager Terry Francona before Wednesday night's game against the Royals at Progressive Field.

Twilight zone: Scott Atchison has been playing baseball professionally since 1999. This is his fifth full season in the big leagues. He's pitched in Japan and spent parts of 13 years in the minors.

Atchison has been around.

Yet he never had an experience like starting Monday's suspended game against the Royals at Progressive Field. The game, suspended in the bottom of the 10^th inning on Aug. 31 at Kauffman Stadium with the Indians leading, 4-2, was restarted just after 6 p.m. Monday.

"I think everyone was at a loss for what to do, how to treat it," said Atchison. "It could take five minutes or if things go wrong you could be there for a while."

Lefty Kyle Crockett had been announced in the 10^th inning at Kauffman Stadium. Atchison, however, started the 10th Monday night.

"I got out there and the crowd was already on its feet for the first pitch of the night," said Atchison. "I told somebody, 'I don't know how to explain, but it was something new for me in playing baseball for this long.' I mean everything was on the line right out of the chute."

Mike Moustakas greeted Atchison with a single to right. Terrence Gore pinch ran.

Atchison struck out pinch-hitter Eric Hosmer as Gore stole second. Alcides Escobar grounded out to third, but Nori Aoki singled to left to score Gore and make it 4-3.

After Jarrod Dyson pinch ran and stole second, Atchison retired Omar Infante on a pop up to short to give the Indians the win and Atchison his second save of the year.

The half inning lasted nine minutes and as Atchison walked off the field, he had a strange thought.

"I wasn't thinking like this before the game or during it, " he said, "but afterward I was thinking, if I had given up three runs, we would have been walked-off in our own ballpark. It's a good thing I wasn't thinking about that before."

What now? After holding on to win the suspended game, the Indians lost the second game, 2-0. They trailed Kansas City by 3½ games for the second wild card spot with five games to play heading into Tuesday night's game.

"We're close to having to win the next two games (against the Royals), if you're just going by the numbers," said Atchison. "We need to come here Tuesday and get a win.

"We have to try and win each inning in the game. We can't hold anything back in this situation."

Words of wisdom: After the Indians split Monday, manager Terry Francona said, "It's not very often you don't score and come away with a split."

Strange happenings: Like Atchison, Francona was admittedly out of sorts in Monday's suspended game.

"I think everybody was," said Francona. "When we finished the game and were coming up to the locker room, Cody Allen told me, "I've never been that nervous.' And he wasn't even pitching."

Allen had already pitched in the Kansas City version of the game so he was ineligible for Monday.

"Your heart rate is going so fast," said Francona. "The first guy gets a hit and you're like, "Oh, no.' You're just not quite ready for that."

During batting practice before the suspended game, Francona got a cold shiver.

"I had a moment of panic," he said. "I said, 'Do were have the right uniforms on? Are they going to make us change into our road uniforms?' It was just weird."

Easy does it: Since David Murphy returned from the disabled list after rehabbing his strained right oblique muscle, Francona has tried to protect him against left-handed hitters.

"I don't thing Murph is 100 percent," said Francona. "He did a great job of getting back, but I don't think he's perfect. I've tried to be respectful of him.

"We certainly want him to face as many righties as he can, recognizing when they bring in a lefty maybe we can get him out of there."

Francona is taking the same approach with Jason Kipnis, who is trying to play with a strained right hamstring.

"We're trying to pick our spots with Kip," said Francona. "We're trying to get the most out of what he has. He's not really ready to go out there and steal three bases."

Kipnis started at DH Tuesday.

Finally: Michael Brantley needs six hits and three RBI to become the third player in franchise history to reach 200 hits, 30 doubles, 100 RBI an 20 RBI in one season. He would join Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie (1904) and Joe Carter (1986). In the last 12 years only two big leaguers have done it, Milwaukee's Ryan Braun in 2009 and Boston's Jacoby Ellsbury in 2011.

Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Royals at Progressive Field and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Get scoring updates and analysis as the Indians take on the Royals at Progressive Field and chat with cleveland.com's Zack Meisel in the comments section.

Game 158: Indians (82-75) vs. Royals (85-71)

First pitch: 7:05 p.m. at Progressive Field

TV/radio: STO; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7

One of the Cavs' many free-agent additions, James Jones, was a part of it all in South Beach. But Jones is not ready to make the comparison.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Over the last four years, fans in Cleveland were forced to watch the Miami Heat and its "Big Three" -- LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh -- celebrate NBA championships while the Cavs were celebrating lottery victories. 

Things changed when James announced his return to Cleveland, reversing the fortunes of the franchise. With two-time All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving already on the roster, Cleveland had a formidable duo. But what made the Heat so successful -- going to the NBA Finals four straight years -- was the presence of Chris Bosh. Miami featured a trio of NBA stars. 

With James and Irving, the Cavs were one short of a Big Three. General Manager David Griffin continued his search for the missing piece, his own version of Bosh, which pointed him toward Minnesota and Kevin Love. Griffin completed the trade for Love on Aug. 23, and the Cavs' Big Three was formed: Kyrie Irving. LeBron James. Kevin Love. Three of the top 15 scorers from 2013-14 on the same roster.

Is Cleveland's new Big Three better than the one Miami formed in the summer of 2010?

One of the team's many free-agent additions, James Jones, was a part of it all in South Beach. He knows the kind of pressure that will build this season and sees the talent Griffin has assembled. But Jones is not ready to make the comparison to the Heat.

"They're all names on a piece of paper," Jones said Monday at the Cavaliers' annual golf outing. "At the end of the day, you don't find out anything until you actually get out on the floor. You can build a super team on paper, but so much of what goes into building a championship team happens behind the scenes during tough practices and tough film sessions."

The Cavs open training camp Saturday as the favorite in the Eastern Conference. Some have labeled them the favorite in the NBA despite San Antonio returning the roster that dismantled the Heat and helped lead James back to Cleveland.

Unlike battle-tested San Antonio, experience is not Cleveland's ally. Key members of the roster -- Irving, Love, Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters -- haven't been on the playoff stage. They haven't experienced the challenges that Jones and the other veterans have dealt with, especially the championship aspirations.

"Until we get into those situations, all we can predict is we have a roster full of guys who are about winning first, and that gives us a great advantage going into the season," Jones said.

All but five players (Irving, Waiters, Thompson, Anderson Varejao and Matthew Dellavedova) are new additions. That's a lot of new faces coming together in a short amount of time. Griffin is happy with the roster, but also understands the challenges of getting the pieces to come together quickly.

"It's one of the reasons I try to dampen expectations when Coach (David) Blatt is around," Griffin said recently. "I think the thing that is the most comforting about it is the five guys that are back had a good synergy together at the end of the year. We brought guys that have won together so it works out well."

Building a championship puzzle is more than just acquiring talent. Fit has been a key focus since Griffin took over as GM late last season.

"Kevin and LeBron won a gold medal together," he said. "Mike (Miller), James and LeBron have won a championship together. Shawn Marion and Brendan Haywood have won a championship together. Andy and LeBron have played at the highest level together before. Kyrie, Dion, Andy, Tristan have a good relationship together.

"We feel like what we are really doing is blending three or four pods of guys instead of 15 individuals. They know what it takes to win with each other, so I think it will probably be a process that takes shape pretty quickly from that standpoint." 

Once that happens, maybe then Jones will be willing to compare Cleveland's roster with Miami's. But not yet. Not in the days before training camp starts.

Highland's Chloe McKinzie will play golf for Ohio University.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Highland girls golf senior Chloe McKinzie will still be in green throughout college, as McKinzie has committed to Ohio University to play golf.

Highland's Chloe McKinzie will play golf for Ohio University. (Tim McKinzie )

McKinzie said Ohio is trending upward, and she wanted to join a team going in a positive direction.

"I think the team aspect, they're going to do very well next year and I wanted to be a part of that," McKinzie said. "The school itself, when I was there for my official visit it was the feeling you were supposed to have for college. It's what I've been working toward for so many years so it's nice to see the results are finally happening."

Led by McKinzie, Highland is one of the favorites around the state in Division I and recently won the Suburban League postseason tournament. There, McKinzie led the way with a 69. Her 18-hole average has hovered around 75 for the majority of this season.

Follow our new high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOvarsity hashtag.

Contact high school sports reporter Ryan Lewis by email (rlewis@cleveland.com) or Twitter (@RyanLewisWrites). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

An upstate New York grand jury has decided against charging NASCAR star Tony Stewart in the August death of another driver at a sprint car race.

CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- A grand jury has decided against charging NASCAR star Tony Stewart in the August death of another driver at a sprint car race in upstate New York.

The decision was announced Wednesday, nearly seven weeks after Stewart's car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. at a dirt-track race on Aug. 9 in Canandaigua. District Attorney Michael Tantillo also said Ward was under the influence of marijuana that night "enough to impair judgment."

Ward had climbed from his car after it had spun while racing alongside Stewart. The 20-year-old walked down the track, waving his arms in an apparent attempt to confront the three-time NASCAR champion.

The front of Stewart's car appeared to clear Ward, but Ward was struck by the right rear tire. He died of blunt force trauma.

Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Wednesday's game between the Indians and Royals.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Here are the lineups and the pitching matchup for Wednesday's game between the Indians and Royals.

Pitching matchup: Trevor Bauer (5-8, 4.06 ERA) vs. Jason Vargas (11-10, 3.59 ERA)

Lineups

Indians

1. CF Michael Bourn

2. SS Jose Ramirez

3. LF Michael Brantley

4. 1B Carlos Santana

5. DH Yan Gomes

6. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall

7. 2B Mike Aviles

8. C Roberto Perez

9. RF Tyler Holt

Royals

1. SS Alcides Escobar

2. RF Nori Aoki

3. CF Lorenzo Cain

4. 1B Eric Hosmer

5. DH Billy Butler

6. LF Alex Gordon

7. C Salvador Perez

8. 2B Omar Infante

9. 3B Mike Moustakas

The best and worst matchups for quarterbacks in fantasy football leagues this week.

*This content is provided by our sister site, PennLive.com. For additional resources, check out PennLive.com's complete fantasy football coverage.

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A look at the best and worst matchups for quarterbacks in fantasy football leagues this week, including projected top 20 rankings:

THREE UP

Drew Brees, NO, at Dallas: The Cowboys have held their ground defensively despite numerous doomsday scenarios being projected in the preseason. But they've shown vulnerability in ranking No. 21 in the NFL in pass defense (250.3 ypg) while allowing the fourth-most passing touchdowns (six). Dallas has also been burnt routinely by opposing tight ends, who have four touchdown catches in three games, a daunting fact with Jimmy Graham coming to town. Brees and the Saints offense are still looking for their best all-around effort, and it could come at the Cowboys' expense.

Philip Rivers, SD, vs. Jacksonville: The Jaguars have almost been so bad that it HURTS opposing quarterbacks, with back-to-back garbage time games that have given opponents little incentive to pass beyond the third quarter. But the fact remains, Jacksonville has given up eight passing scores and 8.0 yards per pass attempt, both marks that are tied for worst in the NFL. A revamped pass rush has done its job with 10 sacks in three games, but the secondary has been picked apart. Rivers again ranks among the NFL's most efficient quarterbacks and has all the weapons to move the ball at will.

Nick Foles, PHI, at San Francisco: Foles' arrow is pointing up after a rough Week 1 win over Jacksonville. He's thrown for 300-plus yards in three straight games, already eclipsing his number of 300-yard efforts from last season, and coming off his best performance of the season with 325 yards and three touchdowns against Washington. After leading the NFL in rushing last season, Chip Kelly's Eagles have flipped the script and leaned on Foles in ranking No. 2 in the NFL in pass offense through three games. They get a 49ers defense that has given up six touchdown passes in the last two weeks.

THREE DOWN

Andrew Luck, IND, vs. Tennessee: Luck is the NFL leader in touchdown passes (nine) and the highest-scoring quarterback in standard fantasy football leagues through three games. He's on his way to the true breakout season that many projected, but his road to fantasy stardom gets a little bumpier beginning in Week 4. He gets a Titans defense that makes a habit of muddying games while ranking among the NFL leaders in pass defense (2nd), touchdown passes allowed (T-3rd), interceptions (T-4th) and sacks (T-6th). Tennessee's victims include Alex Smith, Tony Romo and Andy Dalton so far.

Cam Newton, CAR, at Baltimore: The Ravens' defense is a different group than the one that consistently ranked among the NFL's best, but it still represents a daunting task, particularly on the road. Newton travels to M&T Bank Stadium Sunday afternoon to face a physical unit that has allowed the fewest touchdown passes (two) in the NFL. With a rib injury and offseason ankle surgery, the Panthers leader hasn't been quite himself in fantasy. He's missed one game and totaled just six rush attempts in two others, a fact that hurts his fantasy value moving forward. Take away rushing numbers, and Newton is a fringe QB1.

Ryan Tannehill, MIA, at Oakland: Optimism over a Tannehill breakout season has given way to speculation that his starting job is in jeopardy. The Dolphins have stumbled the last two weeks in bad losses to the Bills and Chiefs, games in which Tannehill has been inefficient, at best. A volume passer, Tannehill has done little with the NFL's second-most attempts (124), averaging just 5.03 yards per attempt, by far the worst in the NFL, and posting a 74.1 quarterback rating. The Raiders are a favorable matchup on paper, but Tannehill's leash is short if he does, in fact, get the starting nod.

WAIVER WATCH

Blake Bortles, JAC, at San Diego: Bortles had up and down moments in his first NFL action, playing the second half of a lopsided loss the Indianapolis Colts, most of which could be considered garbage time. Desperate for an offensive spark, coach Gus Bradley named Bortles his starter for a Week 4 matchup with the Chargers. After completing 14 of 24 passes for 223 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against the Colts, Bortles gets a friendly matchup against a San Diego defense that has given up five passing touchdowns in three games, the ninth-highest total in the NFL.

TOP 20 RANKINGS

1. Drew Brees, NO, at Dallas
2. Philip Rivers, SD, vs. Jacksonville
3. Kirk Cousins, WAS, vs. New York Giants
4. Nick Foles, PHI, at San Francisco
5. Aaron Rodgers, GB, at Chicago
6. Matt Ryan, ATL, at Minnesota
7. Colin Kaepernick, SF, vs. Philadelphia
8. Andrew Luck, IND, vs. Tennessee
9. Matthew Stafford, DET, at New York Jets
10. Jay Cutler, CHI, vs. Green Bay

11. Tony Romo, DAL, vs. New Orleans
12. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT, vs. Tampa Bay
13. Cam Newton, CAR, at Baltimore
14. Tom Brady, NE, at Kansas City
15. Eli Manning, NYG, at Washington
16. Alex Smith, KC, vs. New England
17. Teddy Bridgewater, MIN, vs. Atlanta
18. Ryan Fitzpatrick, HOU, vs. Buffalo
19. Blake Bortles, JAC, at San Diego
20. Joe Flacco, BAL, vs. Carolina

An Ohio law allowing cities to impose "jock taxes" on visiting professional athletes is unconstitutional and unfair, players unions for all four major U.S. sports told the Ohio Supreme Court Wednesday.

Players' unions for all four major U.S. sports filed a brief with the Ohio Supreme Court on Wednesday in support of former Chicago Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (92), who is challenging Cleveland's so-called "jock tax."Kiichiro Sato, Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio law allowing cities to impose "jock taxes" on visiting professional athletes is unconstitutional and unfair, players' unions for all four major U.S. sports told the Ohio Supreme Court Wednesday.

In a legal brief, the unions backed former Chicago Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer's claim that Cleveland wrongly charged him municipal income tax for games he played at Browns Stadium.

Under Ohio law, local governments can't charge most out-of-town workers municipal income tax unless they work there for more than 12 days per year. However, the law exempts visiting pro athletes and entertainers from that ban.

Hillenmeyer's lawsuit, which is still pending in the Ohio Supreme Court, claims that exemption violates the "equal protection" clause of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the Ohio Constitution. He's also contesting Cleveland's unique way of calculating how much tax out-of-town athletes should pay.

The unions' brief states that Ohio's exemption is a "textbook example of a tax law that specifically targets professional athletes for unfair and unequal treatment." 

The brief also disputes arguments made by the Ohio Attorney General's Office that jock taxes are justified because they allow cities to single out "easy-to-identify, high-end source(s) of revenue" without forcing every visiting worker to file paperwork.

The unions accused Ohio of singling out pro athletes because they're "easy targets."

The brief stated that sports players' high salaries are "misleading" because their careers usually only last a few years, and it asked why other high-salaried figures such as business executives, doctors and lawyers aren't taxed as well.

Ohio's high court has not yet scheduled oral arguments in Hillenmeyer's case. Former Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday has a similar but separate case before the court as well.

The brief was filed by the National Football League Players Association, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the National Hockey League Players Association, and the National Basketball League Players Association. 

Hillenmeyer's attorney, Stephen Kidder, is tax counsel for the NFL Players Association.

Cincinnati and Columbus also impose a jock tax on visiting players, though they calculate their tax not by game days, as Cleveland does, but by all work days – including practices, team meetings, and pre-season training camps.

It's unclear how much Cleveland would stand to lose if it could no longer impose its 2-percent municipal income tax on visiting players.

However, if the court agrees with Hillenmeyer's demand for Cleveland to change how it calculates what visiting athletes owe in municipal income tax, the city could lose more than $1 million in revenue per year, according to a "conservative estimate" from the city's tax department.

For Hillenmeyer and Saturday, their lawsuits are more about principle than about money. Hillenmeyer is seeking a total tax refund of $5,062 for games he played against the Browns in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Browns cornerback Joe Haden wants to be a lockdown corner who comes up big in the clutch. He has no problem with coach Mike Pettine challenging him publicly.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns cornerback Joe Haden got the message loud and clear from coach Mike Pettine that he needs to lock down the game -- but he already knew that.

"I'm down,'' said Haden. "I feel like I could play better. I know I can play better, and I'm just going to come in, work every day, and I'm not changing my attitude. I'm just going to keep trying to push forward and I'm going to eventually start making those plays. It's the beginning of the season. I'm not panicking. I know my ability, I trust in my ability and I know I'll be able to start making plays.''

Haden was referring to the late 32-yard pass he gave up to 35-year-old Steve Smith Sunday against the Ravens, the one that led to Baltimore's last-second game-winning field goal for the 23-21 victory.

A day later, Pettine broadcast to the world that Haden needed to make that play and challenged him to "be at your best when your best is needed'' and that "the great ones are going to make big plays when it's needed, and I think that's one area where Joe will look to improve."

Haden, who took full responsibility after the game, had no problem with Pettine calling him out.

"I love coach Pettine and I understand that they put me in the category to be great,'' said Haden. "I want to be great and great players do make those plays and sometimes I just didn't. I just didn't make them. I feel like I have the ability. I have the talent and I know I can make those plays and it's early in the season and I need to start making them. I just haven't been playing my best ball yet.''

Pettine stressed that he wasn't revealing anything Haden didn't already know.

"For the most part, I wouldn't say anything publicly that I wouldn't say to a player's face,'' he said. "Most of the time when I've said something, it's already been said to them. Whether I said that or not, I think Joe would respond. That's just the type of guy that he is. He knows those are plays he needs to make."

Haden, who's also given up touchdowns to Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown and New Orleans' Jimmy Graham, acknowledged that he's off to slow start. If he continues giving up TDs at this clip, he'll have racked up 11 by season's end -- five more than in his Pro Bowl campaign of 2013.

"(It's not going) as good as I would like it to,'' he said. "I know that I haven't been playing up to my ability and it's been some plays where definitely I need to be able to make those, but I'm working hard every day, coming in and I'm my biggest critic, so I know that I need to work.''

Haden explained that Smith, who got comfortably behind him on the go-route, is still fast in his 14th season.

"He ran a little stutter and when you're at that down and distance (second and 5 from the Browns' 45), you can't give up a catch of 5 yards,'' said Haden. "You can't give up a catch of anything because we're trying to keep them out of field-goal range. So I'm trying to sit on slants and curls, anything just to catch the ball because 5 yards will help out the field-goal range tremendously, so I'm just trying to make sure they don't catch anything.''

Haden noted that he's in man-to-man 99 percent of the time in this defense and that any little blemish will be magnified.

"I'd say 97 percent of the time, I'm on top of my receiver handling my business, and those slight times I've just got to make sure that I'm on my man, because when you're a corner, every single play matters,'' he said. "(But) I'm lining up, I'm going hard. Effort's not the thing. I'm studying my playbook, so my coaches know how I critique myself and I know how they critique and they want me to be great and I want to be great. I just need to keep working hard and those plays are going to come.''

Secondary coach Jeff Hafley defended his Pro Bowl cornerback.

"For 64 plays he's taken away the best receiver on the other team,'' said Hafley "What everybody is seeing is three balls caught here and there, and unfortunately they haven't been at very good times. Joe will tell you he needs to make those plays.

"He holds himself accountable, we hold him accountable, but to say he's not playing like everybody thinks he should, I don't want to say that just yet. I think he's doing some really really good things but we have to hold him accountable."

Hafley said Haden's doing great in the press-man scheme.

"If you watch him, you really watch him closely, just take a look at the Saints game, how many times Drew Brees couldn't go to his guy, how many times he had to pump the ball look different ways,'' he said. "Guys couldn't get off the line against him. He's doing a tremendous job at the line and like I said, couple of plays that everybody wants to talk about are the ones he gave up. But he's also eliminated guys. He's done a pretty good job."

Hafley also backed up Pettine on his comments that they rely on Haden to close out the game.

 "I do because if you ask Joe, Joe believes he's a great player, I believe he's a great player and Joe believes that he needs to make those plays just like we do,'' said Hafley. "I'll take it every time put him out there with the game on the line and Joe Haden will make the play. I have not lost one bit of confidence in that at all."

Safety Donte Whitner, often the first to challenge a player to step it up, has complete faith in Haden.

"I think that Joe's played good,'' he said. "There's certain plays where he didn't do what he's expected to do. You go back to Jimmy Graham catching the touchdown, you go back to last week, and I think that there's a microscope on both plays just because they come at big times in the game, but if you go and check out the other 65 plays, 66 plays, he played them to the best of his ability and almost flawless.''

Whitner has played with some of the top cornerbacks in the NFL and knows just how good Haden is.

"I'd rather have Joe Haden on this team than any other cornerback in the National Football League,'' he said. "He doesn't make any excuses. He doesn't come to the meeting room pouting, practice pouting. He comes out there with a determination like today. If you would've seen the way he practiced today and the plays that he made, you would have no issues with him at all. ....I guarantee you, the majority of the season, the majority of those plays, he'll make.''

Despite the rocky start -- profootballfocus.com has him ranked 94 out of 96 cornerback --  Haden still has the requisite swagger for a Browns DB, Whitner said.

"At any given moment, no matter if you're a Pro Bowler or if you're all-world, confidence can be shaken,'' he said. "We don't worry about that, with him having his confidence shaken. We don't have any problems. We don't worry, and I expect Joe to go out there and make a lot of plays this football season.''

So do his coaches.

Brookside has won its last three games this season.

SHEFFIELD, Ohio -- After a 40-7 loss to Bay to start the season, Brookside has rattled off three straight wins. During the hot streak, the offense has scored at least 41 points in each game.

Part of that success has to do with quarterback Tyler O'Malley. Through four games, O'Malley has 644 passing yards and six total touchdowns. In the team's Week 4 win against Brooklyn, he completed 10 of his 11 passes.

"He's taken a step forward," said Brookside coach Thom Lesiecki. "Last year he showed growth. He's gotten better every year."

The Brookside defense played its best game in Week 4, allowing just seven points. In the previous three games, opponents had at least 27 points in each contest.

"We've gotten better at stopping the run," Lesiecki said. "The team that can rush the ball usually wins the game."

Buckeye accomplishes first goal

Last season, Buckeye started the season 0-3 but still made playoffs. In 2014, the team had a very simple goal.

"We wanted to win one of our first three games," said Buckeye coach Mark Pinzone.

Pinzone acknowledged that the first part of his team's schedule is tough, as Buckeye plays Revere, Highland and Cloverleaf. The Bucks were able to beat Cloverleaf and then defeated Oberlin in Week 4.

Firelands tastes first defeat

After a 3-0 start to the season, Firelands lost its first game of the year in Week 4. The team, though, is keeping things as perspective, as the Falcons lost every game in 2013.

Coach Mike Passarello says the team is focused on not going on another long losing streak this year. Friday's game against 1-3 Oberlin should be a good place to start.

Keystone leans on offensive line

After falling to Galion for its first defeat of the year, Keystone bounced back in a big way with a 54-12 victory over Clearview. Coach Rob Clarico says offensive line play was the difference for the team.

"We played well across the board," Clarico said. "A great group was the offensive line. They controlled the game."

One thing to watch in the next game is receiver Brandon Buttolph, who is questionable for the game against Brooklyn with a few nagging injuries.

Standings

Stars Division

Brookside 3-1

Firelands 3-1

Keystone 3-1

Black River 2-2

Buckeye 2-2

Wellington 1-3

Striples Division

Columbia 3-1

Clearview 2-2

Brooklyn 1-3

Oberlin 1-3

Lutheran West 1-3

Fairview 0-4

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Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed join Chris Fedor on Browns Insider tonight at 7:30 p.m.

Tom Reed and Mary Kay Cabot will recap the Browns' loss against the Ravens tonight during Browns Insider.cleveland.com 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What should the Browns focus on during the bye week? What grade does Brian Hoyer get for the first three games? What needs to change for the Browns defensively?

Watch Browns Insider with Mary Kay Cabot, Tom Reed and cleveland.com's Chris Fedor tonight at 7:30 p.m.

The trio will talk about all things Browns, including a recap of the first three games.

You can join them to ask your questions about the Browns in the comments section below.

Come back at 7:30 p.m. to watch the live show, now available both on desktop and mobile devices.

Brecksville horseman Joe Sbrocco will officially retire Pacer of the Year Captaintreacherous and already has a young pacing star waiting in the wings.

DELAWARE, Ohio – Walking the backstretch at the Delaware County Fairgrounds last week, Brecksville horseman Joe Sbrocco was celebrating the year's successes with his stable of trotters and pacers. Sbrocco was still nursing one major disappointment.

His pacing star, Captaintreacherous, was going to miss an opportunity to race on the fabled track where the Little Brown Jug would be held later that Thursday afternoon. The Pacer of the Year as a two-year-old, Captaintreacherous was not entered in the Jug in 2013. His last hurrah was going to be in this year's Winbak Stakes on Jug Day.

"I'm an Ohio horseman, and the Little Brown Jug is special for me," said Sbrocco. "I almost won the Jug in 2007 with Hot Rod Mindale, finishing a close second to Tell All. I'll never know if I could have stood in the winner's circle with Captaintreacherous."

Captaintreacherous, though, was scratched from the Winbak because of illness. The big stallion has been fighting a respiratory bug for several weeks and Sbrocco and the Captaintreacherous syndicate decided it was time for retirement. That officially happens on Thursday (Oct. 2) at The Red Mile in Lexington. Captaintreacherous will stand at Hanover Shoe Farms.

Sbrocco might not have to wait long for another a chance to win a Little Brown Jug. The Captaintreacherous ownership group also owns Artspeak, a two-year-old pacer that has dominated this year, winning the $667,000 Metro Pace at Toronto's Mohawk Raceway on Aug. 30. That was the stakes race that launched Captaintreacherous and his sire, the fabled Somebeachsomewhere.

Trained by Tony Alagna and driven by Scott Zeron, Artspeak has convincingly won all six of his career starts and $437,825. The Western Ideal colt could be even better than Captaintreacherous, say the experts.

Sbrocco will be at The Red Mile on Saturday when Artspeak competes in a preliminary of the $400,000 Bluegrass for two-year-old pacers. The track is known for speed, and Artspeak is the fastest freshman pacer in the country after his 1:50.2 mile in the Metro Pace.

Sbrocco says Captaintreacherous will be a winner at Hanover Shoe Farm in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

"We'll set his stud fee in a few days and there is no doubt in my mind he'll get a full booking of mares for the next several years," said Sbrocco. "He's a beautiful horse and his breeding and conformation are impeccable."

Big stakes at Scioto Downs: Scioto Downs wraps up its season on Saturday with eight $200,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Championships for two- and three-year-old colt and filly trotters and pacers. The Grand Circuit program is the richest of the year for the Columbus track, which also features the $200,000 Jim Ewart Memorial, an open pace.

Dayton track now open: Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway opened the harness track for the first time on Monday, with a couple of dozen trotters and pacers invited to take a spin around the new oval. According to U.S. Trotting Association officials, the racing surface and paddock got good reviews.

Dayton Raceway will have qualifying races on Monday and open its 56-program season on Friday (Oct. 3) with a 6:35 p.m. first-race post time. Dayton is racing on Friday, Saturday, Wednesday and Thursday for the first two weeks, adding Monday night racing on Oct. 20.

Merriman back on top: Northfield driver Aaron Merriman is back on top of the national dash standings with 579 wins this year, leading Ronnie Wrenn Jr. by two victories on Tuesday. George Napolitano Jr. (495) is third, followed by Dave Palone (486) and Josh Sutton (474). Merriman, Wrenn and Sutton are all regular reinsmen at Northfield Park.

De La Cruz tops Thistle: Walter De La Cruz, helped by a dead-heat victory in Sunday's $50,000 Scarlet & Gray Handicap with Crafty Blue Kat, leads the ThistleDown Racino jockey standings with 93 wins. Luis A. Gonzalez is second with 77 wins, followed by Jeffrey Skerrett and Jason Lumpkins with 53 victories.

Jeff Radosevich is dominating the trainer's race after saddling 67 winners. Nabu Morales is second with 54 wins, with Robert Gorham third with 45 victories. Ron Paolucci's Loooch Racing Stable Inc. of Stow has a big lead in the owners race with 50 wins.

Yinger back in Ohio: John Yinger got his start as a harness racing official as an associate judge at Northfield Park. Since 2004 he has been presiding judge at Florida's Pompano Park, but Yinger will be returning to Ohio to become presiding judge at three of Ohio's four harness tracks. He'll open the Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway season on Oct. 3, and take over as presiding judge at Miami Valley Gaming and Racing and Scioto Downs.

Ohio horse sets sales mark: The Ohio Selected Jug Sale on Sept. 15 at Eden Park Equestrian Park in Sunbury, a prelude to the Little Brown Jug week of racing in nearby Delaware, was a big hit for horsemen. The 233 horses sold for $3,794,000. The $150,000 paid for One Fine John, a Big Bad john colt, was a record for an Ohio-bred trotter or pacer.

Ohio-bred trotters and pacers are very popular right now because of the wealthy Ohio Sires Stakes races. With the arrival of racino gambling revenue at Ohio's seven horse racing tracks, purses have significantly increased.

Hoyer has the Browns' offense ranked among the top-15 in yards and points.

BEREA, Ohio – The national sports media descends on Cleveland this week, but not for the reason some projected in June.

LeBron James and the Cavaliers – it still feels wonderfully weird to link those nouns – open training camp Friday. Meanwhile, his young friend and business partner, Johnny Manziel, remains the Browns' backup quarterback.

As hype surrounding his Cleveland arrival percolated in the spring, some analysts looked at the Browns' early schedule and speculated Manziel would be replacing Brian Hoyer during the bye week.

Three games into the season, Johnny Football has a better chance of unseating the long snapper than the quarterback. That's not a reflection on Manziel, but a testament to the play and pluck of Hoyer.

The only thing the St. Ignatius product has passed to his understudy is a football for a 39-yard gain nullified by an illegal shift last week against the Ravens. He continues to carry the torch for an offense that ranks among the top-15 in yards (362.7 average) and points (24.7).

The Browns are the only NFL team without a turnover.

Did anyone see this coming when they struggled to move the ball against the Rams' second-unit defense in the dress-rehearsal game?

"I think a big deal is made of the preseason," said Hoyer, who's 4-2 as a Browns starter. "There were a lot of interchangeable parts, myself included. That's going to happen, but when you really get into game planning, focusing on who's going to be out there playing things really start to come together."

View full sizeThe NFL's top-10 passer ratings include the Browns' Brian Hoyer.ESPN graphics 

Hoyer owns the league's 10^th best passer rating (97.5) and a last-minute comeback win against the Saints.

Buoyed by a strong running attack, Hoyer and the offense have given the Browns (1-2) a chance at winning every game. They have supplied consistency lacking on defense and special teams and done it without All-Pro receiver Josh Gordon. The Browns scored 21-plus points in their first three contests for the first time since 1969, a year before the NFL had the audacity to schedule games on Monday nights.

Hoyer has been effective, but not good enough to mask the team's other deficiencies. He started slowly against the Steelers and could only move the chains once in the fourth quarter against the Ravens on a 70-yard pass to Taylor Gabriel. It couldn't overcome missed tackles in Pittsburgh or poor specials teams on Sunday as the Browns' squandered a four-point, fourth-quarter lead.

"He's played well," Coach Mike Pettine said. "He hasn't graded out 100 percent and he's his own toughest critic, too. ... I just think (quarterback coach Dowell Loggains and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan) have done a good job not just with the quarterback but the entire offense of playing to our strengths."

One of Hoyer's biggest contributions can't be found on the score sheet or through advanced analytics. His steady play has, at least temporarily, quieted debate at the most important position on the field.

Imagine if the Browns (1-2) were failing to generate offense. We're not talking about Jason Campbell or Colt McCoy as the alternative. SportsCenter would air round-the-clock, roundtable discussions on the wisdom of playing Manziel. Herm Edwards would be sequestered in the Bristol studio.

A couple bad snaps from Christian Yount or poor outings from Joe Haden don't divide a locker room. A quarterback controversy, especially a high-profile one, has that potential. Hoyer's play is a blessing to Pettine and a new coaching staff, which has enough to tweak during the bye week.

It also allows Manziel time to acclimate himself to the pro game – he admittedly wasn't ready to start at Pittsburgh -- while getting on the field for the occasional play or two. Loggains said Hoyer's maturity and selflessness enables the staff to use Manziel in those instances without creating discord.

Quarterbacks aren't often considered grinders, a term more associated with the gridiron rank-and-file. Yet Hoyer's work rate, enterprise and attention to detail help compensate for physical tools he might lack. The Browns can run lots of no-huddle because their quarterback has a command of the offense and the ability to process all the moving parts.

He plans to spend his off weekend around the facility in preparation of a crucial five-game stretch: Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Oakland and Tampa Bay. If Hoyer performs well, the Browns have a chance to head into the season's second half with a 5-3 or 4-4 record.

Oakland chose rookie quarterback Derek Carr as its opening-day starter. Jacksonville is giving Blake Bortles an opportunity. A Matt Cassel injury has Minnesota turning to Teddy Bridgewater.

The Browns, however, remain Hoyer's team.

Maybe he stumbles. Maybe the turnovers start and don't abate. Maybe he begins to play like the career backup he was until a year ago.

But the Browns have reached the bye week and Brian Hoyer is still the starting quarterback, his short leash growing longer with every performance.

Browns QBs coach Dowell Loggains was a huge Johnny Manziel fan before the NFL draft, and he feels the same way now that he's coached him for almost five months.

BEREA, Ohio - The whole world knows how Browns quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains felt about Johnny Manziel before the draft, but now that he's had him for almost five months, he's just as convinced he can be an NFL star.
 
"There's a reason why he's a first-round pick,'' said Loggains. "We're excited to work with that skillset he has. I'm not going to make projections. I'm not much into hypotheticals, but I'm pleased with where he's at right now. I think he needs to continue to get better, and I think if he does, he's got talent." 

Loggains said watching from the sidelines has been good for Manziel, who had more of a play pamphlet than a playbook at Texas A&M.
 
"I think he's learned how to read coverages,'' said Loggains. "He's learned how different the NFL game is from the college game, and he's faced (the Steelers') Dick LeBeau and (the Ravens') Dean Pees, and (the Saints') Rob Ryan, three great coordinators, and he's seen how different weekly the defense is and why you have to understand what these sub-blitzes are and make protection checks and run checks and do all of that stuff.''

Still, Loggains has been pleased with easing Manziel in for a few plays over each of the past two games. He hasn't made a big play - one incomplete pass and a couple of handoffs that have gone nowhere - but it's still had the desired effect on defenses, and on Brian Hoyer, who continues to improve.

"We feel like they have (accomplished something),'' he said. "Probably better to ask the defenses we've been facing, but we've been pleased with what (Manziel's) done when he's gone in and the results we've gotten from him.''

Manziel almost got away with a huge - albeit illegal - 39-yard catch against the Ravens, but it was wiped out by an illegal shift by Terrance West. Coach Mike Pettine said the trick play was called "The Dawg Pound Special'' because Manziel was running his route on the deception play toward the Dawg Pound end.

Like Pettine, Loggains refused to elaborate on who told the Browns the play was legal, instead of the accurate information that a player is not allowed to lineup within 5 yards of the sideline between the 32s -- the team's bench area.

"I do think coach Pett addressed that with you guys,'' said Loggains. "I'm not going to talk to you about it.''

But regardless of Manziel netting minus-1 yard on his three handoffs, Loggains and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will continue to find ways to use him.  He pointed out that Hoyer converted a third and 13 against New Orleans after Manziel's handoff to Isaiah Crowell lost 3 yards and his pass to Ray Agnew was knocked away by Jairus Byrd.  What's more, it's keeping Manziel interested.

"The goal is being accomplished,'' said Loggains. "The other thing is as a  defensive coach you have to spend so much time practicing and walking through, and taking reps and  maybe not working on the outside zone or the other stuff that we do. It takes time to work on those things.''

Loggains has enjoyed working with Manziel, a gym rat when he's around the building.

"I've been really pleased with how Johnny's worked in the classroom, how he's come out and run scout team,'' he said. "I think he's taken it very serious and I have no complaints with that.''

He said the Manziel just needs to continue to get better and keep his head in the game even though he's not playing.

"It's a vanilla answer but it really is the truth,'' said Loggains. "We're in Week 3. It's, 'Can you do this for six or seven weeks in a row and maybe not play as much as you want to?' because the the kid is a great competitor and he wants to be in there. It's understanding how to be a quarterback and how to learn and do all of those things that he's going to have to do. Just the process, the grind, fighting the boredom of sitting in a meeting room, learning a gameplan, memorizing a gameplan and not getting to go execute it.''

Unlike Hoyer, who lives here year-round, Manziel will get away for the bye weekend and take a break from the game. But Loggains isn't worried that the Browns' resident party boy will overdo it.

"Well, I'm not going to say anything because I'm going home,'' said Loggains. "I'm going to Dallas to see my family. I don't know what Johnny's plans are. I'm sure coach Pettine and Mr. (Ray) Farmer will address that with him, but we trust Johnny to do the right things. He understands that and that's up to the powers that be and Johnny.''

Added Loggains, a former backup QB for Arkansas, "I think it will go well. I think he'll go watch the Aggies get beat by the Razorbacks.''

The blocked kick was one of two botched field goals in the Browns 23-21 loss to the Ravens.

BEREA, Ohio – Billy Winn tuned out the world Sunday night after the Browns' 23-21 loss to the Ravens.

His improper alignment on a 36-yard, field-goal attempt contributed to a crucial block by the Ravens' Asa Jackson. It was one of two botched fourth-quarter field goal tries with the Browns clinging to a 21-17 lead.

"From social media to my family and friends, it was really rough," said Winn discussing the play for the first time Wednesday. "I had to turn my phone off. It was rough on me as it was, but those things have been fixed. Nobody wants to give up a crucial blocked kick like that in the game, but it was one of those things that happened, it's been fixed and we're moving forward."

The Ravens overloaded to his side, looking for a block, and Winn said he was too tight to the line and too late coming out of his stance. While his first responsibility is blocking the player in front of him, Winn said he also must force the outside rusher wide, not allowing him a direct path to the kicker. Winn grazed Jackson, but didn't disrupt his route.

"(You want to) try to get just on the inside of that pad, just to send him upfield just a little bit, just so it gives the kicker more time, even a split-second, just to get the kick off," Winn said.

He's no stranger to the position, having played there last season as well.

"Lot of it just came back to technique," Winn said. "I went back and watched the clip and I went back also and watched the New Orleans clip and it was the same thing ... It was more of an alignment and technique situation and I screwed up."

Praise for Whitner

Coach Mike Pettine said safety Donte Whitner played his best game against the Ravens. Some expected the hard hitter to deliver a greater impact, but the coach believes Whitner's presence is having the desired result despite the Browns' next-to-last defensive ranking.

"I think he's affected some throws," Pettine said. "I think the double move on (cornerback Justin) Gilbert, when the receiver dropped the ball, I think there's a possibility he might have sensed Whitner's presence headed his way rapidly. I think he's that force for us in the middle. He does a good job with the mechanics of getting guys lined up, making sure we're in the right coverage. He communicates well to the other safety, communicates well to the corners."

Another chance?

The Browns plan to try out some long snappers during the break, Pettine said, but that doesn't mean necessarily will release embattled Christian Yount.

Special teams coach Chris Tabor has challenged Yount to elevate his play. He's had at least one shaky snap in each game.

"I can't put a percentage on this point whether or not we would make a move," Pettine said. "I would say it's probably leaning more towards no."

Illegal play

Running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery said the back judge told the team Sunday even if Terrance West wouldn't have been called for an illegal shift, he would have thrown a flag on the Brian Hoyer-to-Johnny Manziel pass. In a team's bench area, between the two 32-yard lines, a player can't line up or set within five yards of the sideline.  

"A lot of things happened within the play," Montgomery said. "It would have been called back one way or the other because it wasn't a legal play. He's getting on the field, getting set, putting his foot down, just stop moving. The play would have been executed well down the sideline and it would have been called back. He said he was going to call it."

If that's the case, it seems curious two flags weren't thrown, giving the Ravens the option of deciding between a 5- and 15-yard penalty.

Brownies

Linebacker Craig Robertson was excused from practice Wednesday to witness the birth of his child. ... Quarterback Connor Shaw missed practice due to illness.

Bill Simmons said he thought Goodell lied about not knowing what was on a security video that showed former Ravens running back Ray Rice hitting his wife in an elevator.

ESPN has suspended Bill Simmons for three weeks after he repeatedly called NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a liar during a profane tirade on a podcast.

ESPN's Bill Simmons.ESPN 

ESPN announced the suspension Wednesday.

"Every employee must be accountable to ESPN and those engaged in our editorial operations must also operate within ESPN's journalistic standards," ESPN said in a statement. "Bill Simmons did not meet those obligations in a recent podcast, and as a result we have suspended him for three weeks."

Simmons' podcast was released Tuesday. He said he thought Goodell lied about not knowing what was on a security video that showed former Ravens running back Ray Rice hitting his wife in an elevator.

Simmons is the editor of the sports web site "Grantland," which is owned by ESPN. He also appears on ESPN's NBA studio shows.