5 things to look for when the Cleveland Cavaliers host Macabbi Tel Aviv, the defending Euroleague champions.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The 2014 NBA preseason is upon us and the Cavaliers open things up against a European powerhouse in head coach David Blatt's former team Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C., of the Israel Premier League.

Maccabi is the defending Euroleague champions. It's their sixth in the franchise's history. While Cleveland is the overwhelming favorites, Blatt's old club is expected to put up a fight that the Cavaliers haven't experienced in camp.

Here's what I'm looking for:

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1. How the Cavaliers look as a whole

In the scrimmage we witnessed the first unit clicking on all cylinders, but what about the rest of them? Mike Miller showed that he could still shoot the ball. Shawn Marion and Anderson Varejao had their moments. Blatt says this team is deep. Tonight's game will challenge that depth.

2. Half-court offense

The Cavaliers did some incredible things on the offensive end Wednesday. They looked good. However, the truth of the matter is we didn't see enough half-court sets. They were able to run the floor on the second and third unit without pulling the ball out to get into their offense. There was little to no resistance. Maccabi will force the Cavaliers' into their newly inserted offense. Some players are still trying to pick up the system. Will they have picked up enough for tonight?

3. Defensive issues

Coach Blatt was not pleased with the defensive effort during the intrasquad scrimmage. It was so concerning that he addressed the issue with the team prior to Friday's practice. It didn't sound like he was disappointed in missed assignments or lack of communication. He made it appear as if it was strictly an effort and energy matter. That tends to occur when constantly playing against yourself. It shouldn't be a problem tonight.

4. The Tristan Thompson/Anderson Varejao watch

This battle will likely go the distance. These are two workhorses and all they know is to go hard and run through any brick walls placed before them. There are pros and cons to both of them starting at center. Varejao has the experience and size., but his best years are probably behind him. Thompson is a better rebounder and more athletic, but he's undersized and lacks experience in big games. This will not be settled anytime soon. Should be fun to watch.

5. How much LeBron James defers to Kyrie Irving

LeBron James said this was Kyrie Irving's show and that he would allow his point guard to run the team. This will be the first time James has played alongside a true All-Star-type point guard. James has always been a ball dominant player in the past, but it's mainly because he had to be. No one is questioning whether James can defer the ball handling duties, it's just that we've never seen it fully. Will we truly see it this year?

Extra: The reception David Blatt receives from his former team. There should be an emotional moment somewhere.

Probable Starters

Cleveland Cavaliers

C Tristan Thompson

F Kevin Love

F LeBron James

G Dion Waiters

G Kyrie Irving

Maccabi Tel Aviv

C Ben Altit

F Idan Zamanson

F Alex Tyus

G Jake Cohen

G Jeremy Pargo

If Brian Hoyer can win this game, he will continue to defy the doubters and gain respect.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- This is an important game for Brian Hoyer. He came into this season with four career starts -- and one of those ended with a knee injury in the first quarter of last year's game against Buffalo. This is Hoyer's fourth start this season.

So what's the big deal?

Opposing defensive coordinators have been able to study more and more video on Hoyer. They had nine quarters from last season. Now, they have 12 more. That's enough to establish tendencies. What are Hoyer's favorite throws? What defenses give him trouble? Does he favor one side of the field?

The remarkable part of the early season for Hoyer is his consistency. His three games would rate between solid and very good. So far, there has been no major weakness for the defense to exploit.

This is not claiming Hoyer is a star. But other than the miserable first half of the opener in Pittsburgh, Hoyer has been in control of his offense. There have been very few false starts or timeouts wasted because of problems getting plays from the bench to the field.

It has been a smooth operation fueled by Kyle Shanahan's iron will of establishing the running game.

When General Manager Ray Farmer and coach Mike Pettine favored Hoyer at the start of all the mini-camps over Johnny Manziel, it's because they pictured him playing like this -- a savvy, gritty veteran who makes few mistakes and has the respect of his teammates.

Suppose at the start of the season, someone would have told you that Ben Tate would have only six carries -- and then get hurt. Forget not having Josh Gordon, the Browns knew some type of suspension was coming. But Jordan Cameron would have a sore shoulder and only three catches in three games.

How many points do you think the Browns would have scored against Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Baltimore?

The offense has scored 68 points. Six more go to the defense on an interception return by Tashaun Gipson.

After three games, the Browns have zero turnovers. That is incredible and not likely to last long. Hoyer has not thrown an interception in 156 passes -- dating back to the three interceptions in a victory at Minnesota last year.

In a story for ESPN The Magazine, Hoyer posed at Sokolowski's restaurant on the near West Side. That's not far from St. Ignatius, his alma mater.

That's Pure Cleveland, even if Hoyer is from North Olmsted.

No one saw this coming. By this, I mean Hoyer with a No. 11 quarterback ranking.

At Michigan State, he played for some so-so teams and had a 16-11 record as a starter. Even at St. Ignatius, it wasn't all Glory Days. His record was 16-7.

That makes what he's doing all the more remarkable -- and fun.

So why is this game a concern? Tennessee's defense is allowing 27 points per game. It's ranked 22nd against the run, a key part of the Browns' attack. But the Titans defensive coordinator is Ray Horton, who had that job with the Browns last season. He practiced against Hoyer, and should have an idea of how to try and frustrate him.

Will it work?

I tend to think not, because Horton is in the middle of converting the Titans' long-time 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense. But he does have an edge when it comes to knowledge of Hoyer. We'll see on Sunday if that matters.

Nelson Cruz sliced a two-run homer for his latest big postseason hit, and the Orioles held off the Tigers 2-1 Sunday to reach the AL Championship Series for the first time since 1997.

DETROIT (AP) -- Nelson Cruz, Buck Showalter and an unheralded bunch from Baltimore swept aside Detroit's Cy Young winners.

Cruz sliced a two-run homer for his latest big postseason hit, and the Orioles held off the Tigers 2-1 Sunday to reach the AL Championship Series for the first time since 1997.

Bud Norris outpitched David Price in Game 3 of the AL Division Series. The Tigers scored in the ninth and put the tying run on second with no outs, but Orioles closer Zach Britton escaped the jam and lifted Showalter into his first LCS in 16 seasons as a big league manager.

Baltimore opens the ALCS on Friday at home against Kansas City or at the Los Angeles Angels.

Cruz's homer was the 16th of his postseason career, including eight against the Tigers. He was the MVP of the 2011 ALCS for Texas in a six-game victory over Detroit.

Cruz spent much of this past offseason without a team after serving a 50-game suspension last year for violating baseball's drug agreement.

Norris pitched two-hit ball for 6 1-3 innings, and Andrew Miller got five straight outs to keep the shutout going.

Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez opened the ninth with back-to-back doubles off Britton. Bryan Holaday struck out after a failed bunt attempt, and Showalter made the unconventional decision to put the winning run on base by intentionally walking Nick Castellanos.

That meant the bottom of Detroit's lineup would have to come through. The Tigers sent up Hernan Perez -- who had five at-bats in the regular season -- to pinch hit, and bounced a 96 mph fastball into a 5-4-3 double play. It was Britton's second save of the series.

Cruz led the majors with 40 homers this season, and the Orioles topped baseball with 211. It was his two-run homer in the first inning of the opener that set the tone for this series, and he came through again in the sixth inning against Price. Cruz's drive cleared the wall in right, about 2 feet to the left of the foul pole.

Not bad for a guy the Orioles signed in late February. Cruz turned down a $14.1 million qualifying offer that would have kept him with Texas -- but he ended up having to settle for an $8 million, one-year contract with Baltimore that included $750,000 in roster bonuses.

Cruz's powerful bat enabled the Orioles to withstand season-ending injuries to Manny Machado and Matt Wieters, as well as Chris Davis' 25-game suspension for an amphetamine violation.

Detroit won its fourth straight division title this year, but they couldn't make it four ALCS visits in a row. The Tigers remain  without a World Series title since 1984 -- a drought one year shorter than Baltimore's.

Detroit acquired Price at this year's trade deadline, adding another impressive arm to an already-formidable rotation. Max Scherzer, Price and Justin Verlander are the AL's last three Cy Young Award winners, and the Tigers started them all in this series. They couldn't manage a single victory.

Verlander and Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera have combined for the last three MVP awards. No use against a Baltimore team that had already surprised most of baseball with a 96-win regular season and an AL East title.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Detroit OF Rajai Davis was out of the starting lineup with a pelvic strain. He lined out as a pinch hitter in the seventh. Tigers C Alex Avila left in the sixth after taking a foul ball off the mask.

UP NEXT

Baltimore reached the ALCS in 1996 and 1997, losing to the New York Yankees and Cleveland. The Orioles went 3-4 against Kansas City this season and 4-2 against the Angels.

LeBron James took turns initiating the Cleveland Cavaliers' offense Sunday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – LeBron James stood at the top of the key, the basketball bouncing from the floor to his right hand and back.

James' left hand was directing various Cleveland Cavaliers teammates into position. Out of his mouth flowed commands audible only to the players and closest onlookers for the Cavaliers' 107-80 win over Maccabi Tel Aviv in Cleveland's 2014-15 preseason opener at The Q.

The particular timing for this particular scene was either the first or second quarter – James rested the entire second half. It's a scene -- James starting the offense, not sitting on the bench -- the Cavaliers hope to see throughout the season.

James took turns initiating the offense in his 20 minutes, starting plays finished by Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and Mike Miller. That James started the offense Sunday night is news only because earlier in training camp, James seemed to place the responsibility on the shoulders of Irving – the team's point guard.

"There were some moments where we were helter skelter, and I think he took it upon himself to say hey wait a minute, let's slow it down, let's execute something," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. "Let's make order of what's going on out here. "

But James has been an initiator in each of his first 11 NBA seasons, and that's not going to change during this return tour with the Cavaliers.

"The way that we play offense there doesn't necessarily have to be one initiator, and there shouldn't be," Blatt added. "LeBron, he can play just about every position on the court, and at times you'll see him there."

James finished with 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting, adding four rebounds and four assists. But what went uncounted are the open shots – and dunks – James passed on to get teammates a look at the hoop, as well as the number of Cavaliers' baskets in which the possession started with the ball in James' hands.

With his ability to get to the rim, James often draws the attention of more than one defender. This leaves all-stars Love and Irving more open than perhaps they have been used to. It's a formula that worked for James in seven seasons with Cleveland and four with Miami, and it's why Irving will play at least some minutes each night off the ball -- no matter how many times James says the offense is "Kyrie's show."

James watched the second half wearing warm-ups and ice bags. James said afterwards that the plan he discussed with Blatt before the game was to play 16 to 18 minutes Sunday.

But James' sore back – he had a heating pad on it before the game – remains something to watch. So do the minutes James logs in the remaining six preseason games – the next one coming Saturday in Brazil against the Heat.

A third storyline? How the offense continues to develop, and how much of that evolution consists of James initiating the plays.

This post was updated with additional information.

The offense remains steady, consistent and reliable. The defense is another story. Watch video

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Scribbles in my Browns notebook after their 29-28 victory in Tennessee ...

1. Because they won, I'll start with the good. The good is the offense. The good is how the Browns continue to run the ball well (175 yards, 4.9 average) and coordinator Kyle Shanahan has an excellent pass/run mix (37/36) in his play calls.

2. The good is that Brian Hoyer's interception is the first of the season, and how the Browns have yet to lose a fumble. One turnover in four games. And how the offense rarely looks disorganized. That's impressive given all the new running backs, receivers and new blocking schemes being used.

3. The good is the Browns have dropped only three passes in the first four games, and how their no-name group of receivers have been solid. Sunday, it was Travis Benjamin with two touchdown catches. Taylor Gabriel caught four passes, including one for 49 yards. The receivers have been one of the biggest surprises of the season for the Browns.

4. The good is the offensive line can really block, and the zone blocking scheme seems ideal for the guys. The good is the running backs. How about Ben Tate, who ripped off 123 yards in 22 carries on Sunday? He missed the previous nine quarters with a knee problem. The Browns group of runners (Isaiah Crowell, Terrance West and Tate) are averaging 143 yards per game -- 4.5 per carry. They already have more rushing touchdowns (5) than they did all of last season (4).

5. The good is Hoyer, who has a 97.7 rating and has thrown six touchdown passes against one interception. He has the respect of the players. As Ben Tate said, "We believe in Brian."

6. The good was how Chris Tabor put his special teams back together after they unraveled in the 23-21 loss to Baltimore. Tank Carder blocked a punt. Christian Yount regained his confidence snapping. Spencer Lanning averaged 49 yards per punt. Billy Cundiff was 2-of-2 on field goals.

7. The good was that the defense came alive in the second half, shutting out the Titans and holding them to 126 yards. They had two quarterback sacks, and stopped the Titans on a fourth-and-inches play.

8. The bad was the horrible first-half defense. Tennessee is a team that hadn't scored a point in the first quarter all year. The Titans scored seven in the first period, 28 by halftime. They hadn't scored more than 26 all season.

9. Mike Pettine keeps insisting that there is nothing wrong with the defensive scheme. It's supposed to simply be a matter of playing the right way -- and making the basic tackles, etc. The Browns entered the game ranked No. 29 against the run, and Tennessee rolled for 149 yards (5.0 average) on the ground.

10. No matter what Pettine says, there is something wrong. They have yet to produce even a so-so performance against teams that run on them. The pass coverage is also very iffy. Joe Haden is having a difficult time. Top pick and rookie Justin Gilbert has struggled so much, he's playing very little at cornerback. Undrafted rookie K'Waun Williams is now playing in front of Gilbert. Williams did deliver a key sack with 24 seconds left.

11. The really bad is how the defense has allowed 75 points in the first half this season over four games. They've given up 28 to Tennessee, 27 to Pittsburgh. Exactly why the defense is such a mess so early in games is something Pettine must figure out.

12. The bad is they need to bring more pressure on the quarterback. They have eight sacks, which translates to 32 for the season. Pettine's 2013 defense in Buffalo had 57. Last year, the Browns had 40. They've only forced four turnovers in four games. This defense is designed to produce sacks and turnovers. So far, that's not happening.

13. Finally, back to the good: This team has a real sense of grit. Coming back from a 25-point deficit to win is the biggest comeback in Browns history. They were down 27-3 at Pittsburgh, and came back to tie the score at 27 before losing, 30-27. While tactics and some coaching decisions can easily be questioned, there is no doubt the coaches are connecting with the players. That is so important during the long NFL season.

The Browns' Travis Benjamin had his share of downs Sunday before making contributions that helped Cleveland come back for victory against the Tennessee Titans.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For a fleeting moment, it appeared The Rabbit would be a goat again.

Travis Benjamin had just muffed a third-quarter punt that was recovered by the Titans. It came two weeks after a pair of his special-teams mistakes figured in the Browns’ loss against the Ravens.

But on Sunday the football gods cut the struggling speedster a break. An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Titans nullified the turnover. As the Browns substituted punt returner Jordan Poyer for the re-kick, coach Mike Pettine summoned Benjamin on the sidelines.

"I grabbed him after he came off ... and just said to him, ‘Hey, just hang in there. If you have a chance to make a play, just make a play,’” the coach recalled.

The third-year pro responded brilliantly, catching a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, including the game-winner with 1:09 remaining as the Browns rallied for an improbable and history-making 29-28 victory at LP Field.

The irony with Benjamin is he seems to have lost all confidence in fielding routine punts yet continues to demonstrate sure hands in clutch situations offensively. The winning TD was a perfect example as he made a leaping grab in the back of the end zone on Brian Hoyer’s 6-yard toss.

The play capped a wild afternoon as the Browns erased 25-point deficit for the franchise’s largest comeback win. 

Pettine thought Benjamin’s performance embodied the team’s resilience.

“It is obvious that he lacks confidence in the punt-return game,” the coach said. “For me, that is a microcosm of the team. Here is a guy that had something bad happen to him and he didn’t go in the tank. He bounced back and made two plays including the game winner.”

Entering the season, many thought of Benjamin as primarily a special-teams returner. While he’s enduring troubling times in that phase, Benjamin is contributing offensively. He’s already set a career mark with a team-leading three TD receptions. He’s also fourth on the club with eight catches and 117 receiving yards.

Asked about the redemptive quality of his fourth-quarter effort, Benjamin didn’t hide his joy or relief.

“This feels great, man,” he said. “It's like a kid going to Disney World. Team happy, I'm happy, the coach happy, the Cleveland Browns happy. It's a great feeling knowing we got the 'W.'”

Benjamin’s reaction might have been much different if not for the key Titans' penalty late in the third quarter with the Browns’ trailing 28-13. Officials ruled that Marqueston Huff -- knocked out of bounds by the Browns' gunner -- did not get back in the field of play quick enough before recovering the fumble at the Cleveland 35.

“After he dropped it, we ended up getting that call,” said Joe Haden, one of Benjamin’s best friends on the team. “That doesn't usually go the Browns' way. Then my man ended up getting two touchdowns after.”

Hoyer also was pleased for Benjamin. The two players grew close last season as they rehabbed their knees following ACL surgeries. The quarterback said he had total confidence in targeting Benjamin after the special-teams gaffe.

The receiver made a 17-yard TD reception with 6:57 left, cutting the deficit to 28-22. It set the stage for the game-winning drive.

“I just knew my teammates needed me,” said Benjamin, who's averaging less than a yard per punt return. “Even though I made a mistake and dropped the punt, I know I can't tank myself. I know I've got to go back there and try my best and try to get us the win.”

The University of Miami product, who said he planned to “showcase” his special-teams skills against the Titans, still wants to return punts. That’s not his decision, of course, and there’s a decent chance Poyer will receive more opportunities as the season unfurls. The safety returned four kicks Sunday.

Benjamin left Nashville happy, but not secure in his overall game. He caught two touchdowns -- and one big break.

 

This game simply showed why, despite its flaws, despite its hypocrisy, despite the rules nobody can decipher, you still love pro football.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Thoughts and snarky comments, observations and reservations about the Browns' epic comeback in Tennessee:

1. I rediscovered why I love the NFL Sunday. Because it's so bizarre and crazy. Because there's such parity with every Browns game this season up for grabs in the last seconds. Because teams change personalities at halftime, and the weaklings eat their spinach, then start becoming their oppressors, who become the oppressed. And because all this makes you wonder what anybody could possibly say at halftime to lead to such role reversals.

2. I also rediscovered, thanks to a tweet from my friend Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News (@BNHarrington), why the NFL is an organization that almost always waits too late to act when bad news is looming, and then does not act so much as overreact.

As Harrington, who used to be a semi-regular at Indians games when the Bisons were Cleveland's top farm club, pointed out, how dumb is it that nobody really knows what's a catch anymore and nobody knows what's a penalty? But that's why you get confused jumbles of games like Sunday's.

3. Then too, there's the heavy public relations hand, with commissioner Roger Goodell's bumbling attempts to slap Sugar Ray Rice on the wrist for knocking his then girlfriend (now wife) senseless, juxtaposed with the pink gloves, shoes and towels in evidence on the playing fields to bring attention to breast cancer.

It's a good cause. I want every organization that combats this disease to benefit from the NFL's gesture. But it rings a little hollow with all the violence NFL players have directed at women over the years.

4. When Kendall Wright did the money-counting gesture, taunting non-participant Johnny Manziel, it was certainly not the worst thing for Master Football, who should expect a lot more where that came from because of the resentment of his publicity and, many believe, his undeserved reputation as a playmaker. We won't know either way until he plays more, though.

5. Jolly Johnny on the sidelines as the Browns fell into their huge 28-3 hole is a different degree of Manziel mischief. I'm not sure how much Manziel matters as a bench-sitter, but there have to be a lot of fans who live vicariously through the Browns and want players to take scoreboard embarrassment with a wee bit more rancor than that.

In 1979, Dallas coach Tom Landry cut linebacker Thomas "Hollywood" Henderson for mugging for the cameras and flashing Cowboys handkerchiefs that a teammate was marketing on the sideline. The Cowboys were being soundly beaten by Washington at the time.

@Scott_ Raab, the Esquire magazine writer and Twitter maven, who penned an unkind book about LeBron James, wanted coaches to "put Johnny (I honestly can't even hint at the term Raab used, except to say it rhymes with "schmuck god") in the game" so the Titans could "wipe that smile off his face."

Raab and I agree on most sports questions. Not on Johnny Football, though. But it should be obvious to anyone as bright as Manziel that it's not wise to anger the fan base.

7. Of course, if the Browns didn't treat the first half as the start of another bye week, this would have more easily have been the victory I felt the Browns would get. With all the safety-first precautions these days, you have to wonder how much the Browns practice tackling, unless they think it's a reference to fishing gear.

8. This really doesn't have much to do with the Browns, but I have to pass along this comment about the possibility that Manziel might give advice to troubled Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston. One guy on a Facebook friend's page likened this to "a possum counseling a squirrel about how to cross a highway."

9. It's not often you see an NFL quarterback with a ponytail, but there you had it with backup Charlie Whitehurst. It's intriguing just trying to figure out how the helmet fits over it.

That said, I thought television analyst Steve Beuerlein cracked wise too much on Whitehurst. The guy did win a game with a division title on the line, beating St. Louis, 16-6, to close a 7-9 season in 2010 that was good enough for a playoff berth. He was 22 of 36 with a TD, no picks and 192 yards. The Browns have suited up a lot worse.

Whitehurst threw two touchdowns on his first three passes while the Browns were in their sad-sack mode. It had been 15 games until then since he had tossed one.

10. The retaliatory cheap shot Chris Kirksey took was part of the code. He laid a late-hit forearm on Jake Locker, the Titans' starting quarterback, after Locker had crossed the goal-line on a run. Think of it as a pitcher hitting a batter to protect his teammates after one of them had been hit. Browns fans would have gone ballistic if a Titan had hit Hoyer that way.

11. I admit I second-guessed not kicking field goals on the two failed fourth down gambles during the comeback. Since it all worked out, I suppose I should laud the aggression behind the calls.

If you factor in the fierce way the once compliant defense was playing and the poor field position Tennessee got after stopping the Browns, going for it made more sense. The Browns were probably going to get the ball back soon enough anyway.

12. Sure would have liked a Jimmy Haslam sighting, back in his native Volunteer State, during that dreadful first half. What's redder than beet red? Haslam's face had to be a serious blood pressure cuff-busting contender.

13. Maybe the Browns won because they finally succeeded in knocking Locker out of the game.

Maybe they won because of the incredible breaks of getting a fumbled punt – by "Mr. Touchdowns To Be" Travis Benjamin, -- and an interception -- by Hoyer, his first of the season -- overturned by weird penalties. Illegal contact on defense seeming can be called on any play at any time, after all.

But maybe the Browns were owed a few breaks, too.

14. Anyway, when it was money time, it was all about the Benjamin.

The Browns quarterback said his teammates knew good things would happen if they kept playing hard until the clock struck 0:00. Watch video

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Brian Hoyer has established himself as the Browns' new Kardiac Kid after his own little Music City Miracle here.

"I think our fans are excited,'' said Hoyer. "Hopefully none of them are at the ER right now.''

His coach almost was, after Hoyer orchestrated the biggest comeback in the history of the Browns. He overcame a 28-3 deficit in the second quarter and put 26 unanswered points on the board to defeat the Tennessee Titans, 29-28. The previous biggest comeback was from 20 points down against the Giants -- in 1966.

"I think a lot of teams would've shut it down given what we faced at halftime,'' coach Mike Pettine. "I did tell them after the game they have to stop doing it.  I have an EKG scheduled for tomorrow because my heart can't take many more of these.''

Hoyer threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to receiver Travis Benjamin in the final 6:49 to put the game away, including the game-winning 6-yarder with 1:09 remaining. On the final drive, which started at the Titans' 42 with 3:03 remaining, Hoyer completed all three of his passes for 35 yards, including the TD to Benjamin in the back left corner of the end zone. 

The victory improved Hoyer to 5-2 as a starter for the Browns, including three two-minute game-winning drives. 

"I think his poise was pivotal for us,'' said Pettine. "I think that calming influence in the huddle, he was never out of sorts. We guys came on the sideline they knew what the adjustments were when they missed a play.

"Guys never turned on each other, the O never turned on the D and that's what being a team is about. For us to have that type of quality leader on offense is why we are where we are.''

Hoyer, who finished the game with 292 yards, three touchdown passes and one interception for a 98.0 rating, never flinched when the Browns fell behind 28-3.

"It's like 'Hey, we've been here before,''' said Hoyer, who put 24 straight points on the board in the second half of the 30-27 loss to Pittsburgh. "We crawled back, but let's come all the way back this time. Just go out and do one play at a time and don't look at the scoreboard and just play until the clock says zero.''

Hoyer kept the faith through his slow start, and while the defense struggled against quarterback Jake Locker before he left the game with a thumb injury and then his replacement Charlie Whitehurst. The Titans built their 28-3 lead on two 11-yard TD passes to Kendall Wright, an 11-yard run by Locker and a 75-yard TD pass from Whitehurst to Justin Hunter over Buster Skrine.

"We came out flat, myself especially,'' Hoyer said. "Once we get things going, we see what we're capable of and when you play on the road, you'd like to come out and start fast and maybe try to take their crowd out of it, but we fought through and got the win.''

Hoyer, who now has two come-from-behind victories on the road, got the comeback party started on the final drive of the first half, right after Whitehurst seemingly put the game out of reach with the long TD bomb. Backed up at his own 10, Hoyer marched the Browns 90 yards in nine plays, capped by a 1-yard TD pass to Jim Dray. Along the way, he completed all four of his attempts, including those of 21 yards to Benjamin and 31 to Miles Austin. 

"I knew that if we scored before halftime, that we'd be OK and that was just our focus,'' said running back Ben Tate, who rushed for a career-high 123  yards in his return from a sprained knee. "Once we did that, I knew that coming back out, we had a chance to win the game."

Hoyer came back out on the first drive of the second half and set the tone with a 49-yard strike to Taylor Gabriel. The Browns couldn't punch it in, but a field goal made it 28-13.

"Did I know we were going to win? I knew we had it in us,'' Hoyer said. "We've shown throughout the first four games that we'll play until the end, and I think it was a complete total team win: offense, defense, special teams.''

The Browns failed to convert two fourth-down gambles, including once when a pass to Andrew Hawkins was broken up, and once when Hoyer's pass was batted at the line. On the latter, tight end Jordan Cameron was wide open at the goal-line.

"Yeah, that would've been a touchdown,'' said Hoyer.

The Browns got several huge breaks in the fourth quarter, including a blocked punt for a safety by Tank Carder that pulled the Browns to within 28-15 with 11:02 left in the game.

 "I just saw Tank in the (locker room),'' said Hoyer. "I said 'geez man, if you don't do that, it's a lot harder.' Big players play at big times and I think our guys stepped up today when they needed to.''

Hoyer was picked off on his next drive, but the Titans were called for holding on Miles Austin to wipe out the pick and 59-yard return to the Browns' 1. A fight ensued, but the penalties offset.

"Thank God they held Miles there,'' said Hoyer. 

With the drive kept alive at midfield, Hoyer pushed downfield and found Benjamin open in the end zone for a 17-yard touchdown pass that made it 28-22 with 6:49 remaining. Hoyer buzzed around and eluded a sack on the play.

 "Their defense was tired,'' said Hoyer.

Hoyer was picked off for real with 4:55 remaining on a deep ball for Andrew Hawkins -- to snap his streak of 189 passes without an interception -- but it started Tennessee at their 22.

"It was like a punt,'' said Hoyer.

Pettine won a challenge on third down and then Titans' coach Ken Whisenhunt opted to try to sneak Whitehurst on fourth-and 1. The Browns defense stopped him to start Hoyer at his 42 with 3:03 remaining.

"Maybe that shows they were afraid for us to get back on the field,'' said Hoyer. "They didn't want our offense back out there, they wanted to see if they could just finish it right there. I think that's a risk you're willing to take if you feel like you can't stop an offense, and other than times we were going for it on fourth down and missed, I think we really had our way with them, there were just times when we didn't convert when we needed to.''

What was going through Hoyer's mind on that final drive?

"Let's win,'' he said. "We have plenty of time and we don't have to get into two-minute mode. Before that I was sitting there thinking, 'OK, we'll get the ball back at 1:58 with no timeouts, maybe one timeout left, and then they go for it and your whole mentality changes. You can play your normal offense for the most part, and I think we did a good job of that.''

Hoyer never hesitated to go to Benjamin on those two final TDs, despite the fact he muffed a punt late in the third quarter that was nullified by a penalty.

"My relationship with Trav goes back to when we were both rehabbing our ACLs, and I love the guy to death,'' said Hoyer. "He's quiet, but he was one of the guys that texted me over the bye week and said 'We're better than this, I'm sitting here watching these games and we can win in this league.' To see a guy that doesn't talk all the time but sends a text message like that and shows how much it means to him. I have a lot of faith in him and our relationship really grew as we rehabbed together.''

Hoyer talked about weathering the storm on the road heading in and he backed it up. The Browns snapped a seven-game losing streak on the road dating back to Hoyer's victory over Minnesota last season.

"He's never down,'' said Cameron. "He's always on the sideline getting people up, making sure we're not getting down on ourselves. His attitude's contagious and it leaks to everyone else."

Of course, Hoyer would like to make it a little less dramatic in the future.

"Like we said in (in the locker room) when we broke it down, let's just win by two touchdowns one week and not give everybody a heart attack,'' said Hoyer. "When you win in this fashion, (it's) kind of just crazy. It's always great to win, but to win coming back and know you battled your butt off is a great feeling.''

Except maybe for the ticker.

Ben Tate returned in a big way from his injury and the Browns' running game had a productive day against the Tennessee Titans.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – While speaking to reporters regarding his sprained knee Friday, Ben Tate coyly downgraded himself from probable to questionable.

Sunday, the halfback’s status was simply invaluable.

Showcasing his skills, patience and knowledge of the offense, Tate returned to the lineup after a two-game absence and rushed for a career-high 123 yards in the Browns’ 29-28 victory over the Titans at LP Field.

Quarterback Brian Hoyer deservedly earned headlines for his performance in the historic comeback, but Tate was a constant throughout the afternoon. He demonstrated no ill effects from the right knee injury and appeared as strong on his 22nd carry as his first.

“He did an awesome job,” left tackle Joe Thomas said. “For a guy who's been out for a few weeks -- he probably didn't have his wind back coming off a knee injury -- he did an amazing job. He's invaluable because he's been in the (wide-zone blocking) system before (in Houston). He know how to run the ball, he knows the defense, he knows how to read the blocks.”

The Browns featured Tate, as expected, but also gave Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell a combined 13 carries. The club finished the day rushing for 175 yards on 36 carries despite trailing by double digits for long stretches.

Tate appreciated the fact offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan didn’t abandon the run.

“I’ve definitely been in situations when you start to panic too early and start throwing the ball all over the place,” Tate said. “He has a good feel for the games, that’s one thing I really like about Coach Shanahan . . . He has good instincts and he calls what he feels.”

Moments after a historic game – the biggest comeback win in franchise history – Tate was not about to second guess play calling that curiously went away from the run inside and just outside the red zone in the second half. He also took no issue with the distribution of carries.

Rookies West and Crowell buoyed the running game in Tate’s absence. In fact, the Browns opted to start West on the first series of the second half.

“Those guys are young and they are very good backs so I didn’t mind it at all,” Tate said. “It doesn’t bother me because we are a team. I know that at the end of the game when it comes time to win, I was going to be in the game.”

That’s more than he let on Friday after the Browns listed him as probable. Tate responded by calling himself questionable, saying he’d have to wait to see if there were any swelling on Saturday. It was likely a bit of gamesmanship, but given his catalog of injuries since his 2010 rookie season, you can never be certain with the former Texan.

He illustrated Sunday why the Browns made him a key free-agent target. Tate reached a career high in rushing – the previous was 116 yards against Indianapolis in 2011 – without the benefit of any long runs. He just kept producing five- and six-yard carries.

“I would like to give a lot of credit to the offensive line because when you average over five yards per carry and your longest run is only 15 yards that shows what they are doing up front,” Tate said. “They were doing a good job of making it easier for me and making my job a whole lot easier.

“I think that’s the way that I always run. I always run with a big chip on my shoulder. I feel like I have to prove something every game and that’s what keeps me motivated.”

 

Impossible. Unlikely. Improbable. Absurd. Preposterous. Incredible. All could be used to describe the Browns' 29-28 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio — This was an historic win for the Cleveland Browns.

And in an industry that often sees a win or loss described with loads of hyperbole, that's not the case here.

The Browns won, 29-28, over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday in Nashville, Tenn. The Browns were down, 28-3, in the second quarter, seemingly done for the day, then slowly rallied with 26 unanswered points for an (insert over-the-top adjective here) victory.

Impossible. Unlikely. Improbable. Absurd. Preposterous. Incredible.

With Sunday's win, they all apply ... without a hint of hyperbole. And after four games, the Browns (2-2) are showing fans they better not walk away, no matter what the score is. (Go here to listen to an analysis of the game from Cleveland.com's Dan Labbe.)

"I did tell them after the game that they've got to stop doing it,'' coach Mike Pettine joked about falling behind by 25 points. "I have an EKG scheduled for tomorrow because my heart can't take many more of these.''

"I think our fans are excited,'' said quarterback Brian Hoyer. "I hope none of them are in the ER.''

The erasing of the 25-point deficit set a team record and an NFL record for a comeback on the road.

"I never felt like we were going to lose,'' said tight end Jordan Cameron. "I don't think there was any doubt. We all believed.''

Cameron was probably the only one.

Whether you believed or not isn't important. For Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto, what is important is this team is showing that it's different from the Browns of previous seasons:

Perhaps these won't be the same old Browns. They've played four games and all have been decided by three or fewer points. This team may be destined to drive you nuts -- in a very good way. ... They are 2-2. They are in every game and fun to watch, even if there are moments when you are one more play away from throwing the remote at the television. You can try to put an asterisk next to this game because the Titans are a team in deep trouble. But as Pettine has said all season, the NFL is a pass/fail league. The Browns passed this test -- and who could have imagined that when they were down 28-3?

Of course, Brian Hoyer is getting a lot of praise for rallying the Browns to the victory. The quarterback is now 4-2 as a starter in games he completes. Hoyer threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes to receiver Travis Benjamin in the final 6:49, including the game-winner with 1:09 remaining. Hoyer was 21-of-37 for 292 yards, three touchdowns and an interception:

"I think his poise was pivotal for us,'' said Pettine. "I think that calming influence in the huddle, he was never out of sorts. We guys came on the sideline they knew what the adjustments were when they missed a play. "Guys never turned on each other, the O never turned on the D and that's what being a team is about. For us to have that type of quality leader on offense is why we are where we are.''

For The Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw, the change in the offense after rather unimpressive preseason is stunning. But he also said some questionable decisions by Tennessee coach Ken Whisenhunt certainly didn't hurt the Browns' effort, particularly going for it on fourth-and-inches at the Titans' 42-yard line with 3:03 remaining:

We can talk about Hoyer's sample size still being rather limited, but his finishes should change the discussion. Giving him the ball with three minutes remaining inside the 50 was dumb, dumb, dumb. The Browns' defense had gifted the win for Tennessee. Here was Whisenhunt regifting it for Hoyer and the Browns in the end.

Ah, that Browns defense. It wasn't very good in the first half. In fact, it was pretty doggone bad, says Terry Pluto:

Tennessee is a team that hadn't scored a point in the first quarter all year. The Titans scored seven in the first period, 28 by halftime. They hadn't scored more than 26 all season. Mike Pettine keeps insisting that there is nothing wrong with the defensive scheme. It's supposed to simply be a matter of playing the right way -- and making the basic tackles, etc. ... No matter what Pettine says, there is something wrong. They have yet to produce even a so-so performance against teams that run on them. The pass coverage is also very iffy. 

But back to the good. Running back Ben Tate had his best game as a Brown, rushing for a career-high 123 yards in his first action since missing two games because of an injury to his right knee. And receiver Travis Benjamin recovered from a muffed punt in the third quarter to catch two touchdowns, including the game-winner:

"This feels great, man," Benjamin said. "It's like a kid going to Disney World. Team happy, I'm happy, the coach happy, the Cleveland Browns happy. It's a great feeling knowing we got the 'W.'"

Meanwhile, the Titans are where the Browns have been far too often in the past ... at 1-4 after losing a game they had well-in-hand, watching a season unravel quickly. David Climer, columnist for the Tennessean, says the loss and the decisions by Whisenhunt defy explanation:

Look, it was going to happen sooner or later. There's something about coaching this team that forces otherwise rational people to do irrational things. ... With the Titans, it's always something. They lead the NFL in bad karma. Ever heard of the term home-field advantage? The Titans apparently haven't. They've lost seven of their last eight games at LP Field over two seasons. This franchise doesn't need a new owner, a new coach or a new quarterback. It needs an exorcist.

That sounds like a description of so many Browns teams of the past. Has it finally been left in the past?

Browns coach MIke Pettine acknowledged that it might be a little easier not to fall behind by 25 points when trying to win a football game.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Mike Pettine never realized that being a head coach could be so hazardous to his health.

"I did tell them after the game they have to stop doing it,'' he said. "I have an EKG scheduled for tomorrow because my heart can't take many more of these. It's a heck of a win for us, and we're hopeful it will be a boost coming back home against the Steelers.''

The Browns pulled off the biggest comeback in the history of the team when they stormed back from a 25-point deficit to beat the Titans' 29-28. They trailed 28-3 in the second quarter and scored 26 unanswered points.

Brian Hoyer (292 yards, three TDs, one INT, 98.0 rating) threw two fourth-quarter TD passes to Travis Benjamin, including one with 1:09 remaining after the defense stopped backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst on a fourth-and-1 at the Titans' 42.

"Obviously a heck of an effort by our guys,'' said Pettine. "Similar to Pittsburgh, it was a tale of two halves especially defensively but it's the NFL and we found a way to make enough plays in the end to win it.  To me, it speaks to the character of the men in the room.  The resiliency, the poise, the focus.   I think a lot of teams would have shut it down given what we faced at halftime.''

 Hoyer stared the 28-3 deficit in the eye and roared back with a 90-yard TD drive with 12 second left in the half. He followed that with a field goal campaign at the start of the third to make it 28-13.

"I think that first score in the first half was tremendous for us,'' said Pettine. "To get that momentum going before halftime and (then we) kicked a field goal the first drive of the second, I think those 10 points really, really set us up and got the belief back.''

Jimmy Haslam, who played in his homestate for the first time as Browns' owner, was asked if this reminded him of the Pittsburgh game, only with a happy ending.

"It reminds me of all of our games,'' said Haslam said with a smile.

True, all of the Browns games this season have come right down to the end. This one wasn't over until rookie cornerback K'Waun Williams -- replacing Justin Gilbert in the nickel defense -- sacked Whitehurst for a 6-yard loss back to the Titans' 37 with 19 seconds remaining. Williams also tackled Kendall Wright on the game's final play to preserve the victory.

"He's been solid,'' Pettine said of Williams. "We just felt that each week we'll look at the secondary and the matchups that we're going to face and make a decision on what lineup gives us the best chance to win.''

Pettine also praised Tank Carder for his fourth-quarter blocked punt for a safety that pulled the Browns to within 28-15 and made it a two TD game, and for Travis Benjamin regrouping after his third-quarter muffed punt (that was wiped out by a penalty) to catch those two clutch fourth-quarter TD passes.

"I grabbed him after he came off after the fumbled punt and just said to him, 'hey, just hang in there.  If you have a chance to make a play, just make a play,''' said Pettine. "It's obvious that he lacks confidence in the punt return game.  For me that's a microcosm of the team. Here is a guy that had something bad happened to him and he didn't go in the tank.  He bounced back and made two plays, including the game winner.''

The Browns also got a spirited effort out of Ben Tate, who played for the first time since spraining his right knee in the opener. He rushed for a career-high 123 yards, including a 13-yarder to the 1 to set up Jim Dray's TD catch at the end of the first half.

"I always run with a big chip on my shoulder,'' Tate said. "I feel like I have to prove something every game and that's what keeps me motivated.''

Despite the huge deficit, the Browns never doubted they were going to win the game.

"No one gave up,'' said tight end Jordan Cameron. "No one had that, 'Oh, crap. This is it.' Everyone knew that we had a chance no matter what the score was."
 
So even at 28-3, he still didn't feel like he was going to lose?

"Nope, not once,'' he said. "I think it's everyone. We all believe in Brian. We believe in the offense. We believe in the coaches. We got off to a rough start. We weathered the storm, and for us as a team, that's huge. We needed that to show we can be down and come back and fight."
 
Cameron said the Pittsburgh game wasn't discussed directly at halftime, but "I don't think there was any doubt with anyone no matter what the score was that we were going to come back and win. It just shows we're not going to fold. We have a strong unit. We all believe in each other, and that's the main thing for a team is to believe and trust where we're going."

Hard as it to fathom, Andrew Hawkins backed up Cameron on his claim that no one doubted the outcome.

"I'm not going to lie, we had a feeling,'' said Hawkins. "We never counted ourselves out. We felt like we were going to win the game. It just felt like it was ours for the taking. Maybe it's a matter of Jordan's confidence trickling down to the rest of us. But I would agree with that.''

Assistant coaches mopped their brows on the way out of the locker room, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

 "That would be great (to win decisively) but the NFL's a roller coaster,'' said Cameron. "Each game you get ups and downs, and you've just got to weather the storm. But it would be nice to win by more than two points or one."

There's a phrase winning like this every week: heart attack.

David Blatt emotional following a 107-80 pounding of his former team Maccabi Tel Aviv

CLEVELAND, Ohio – For the city of Cleveland, it was their first chance to see the revamped Cavaliers roster play against someone other than themselves.

It was only a preseason game and it wasn't even against an NBA team, yet Quicken Loans Arena was sold out to see the return of LeBron James and his new cast.

It was a special evening for many, including Cavaliers' head coach David Blatt.

When the league released the schedule and had the Cavaliers playing Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel in their preseason opener, Blatt's former team, he said he knew it would be an emotional night for him.

As their head coach last season, Blatt led Maccabi Tel Aviv to a Euroleague Championship, their sixth title in the franchise's history. The coaching staff, he considers them to be his brothers.

He said they've been in the trenches. Life-long friendships were established and the precious memories will last a lifetime.

"I was legitimately nervous before the game," Blatt admitted. "...I was nervous before the game, but not because it was the first time that I coached in an NBA environment, but because of the fact that I was playing against my friends."

Maccabi Tel Aviv showed signs early on that this was going to be a game. Cleveland was noticeably caught off guard by the club's grit and fundamentally sound offensive system. It's the same system the Cavaliers are trying to grasp.

Blatt's old team was only down 15 at the half, however the depth of the Cavaliers imposed their will in the third quarter, outscoring Maccabi Tel Aviv 28-16 in the quarter. It was a quarter LeBron James sat out as he took the entire second half off for maintenance that was prescheduled.

The final score was 107-80 in favor of the Cavaliers. It was a win Blatt wanted, but it was also an awkward one.

"If you have a brother and you go to play outside on a basketball court, you're dying to beat him, but if you do, you feel like crap," Blatt said. "It doesn't make you feel good. There was no way to really win that game. I just hoped that we could have a good match and both teams would get out of it what they wanted. More or less that's what happened."

LeBron James knows what's it's like playing against a former team in the Cavaliers, an organization he helped build up and gained so many friends in the process. He could relate exactly to what Blatt was going through.

"Absolutely," James answered when asked if he understood what Blatt felt. "You could tell he was very nervous, excited, kind of uptight and rightfully so. He has a lot of ties to that team, a lot of ties to that community, that city and that country. For it to be his first preseason game against his former team, I bet it was a lot on him. I don't know how much he might have slept last night. But for us as players, we just tried to play as best we could for him and he was very excited after the game."

When the final buzzer sounded, Blatt went over to greet his former team. It was a touching scene. Blatt revealed after the game that he told Guy Goodes, the head coach of the Euroleague champs, that he loved him. This was truly a bittersweet moment for the coach.

Someone had to lose.

The good thing for Blatt is that his old club is not on the remaining schedule, so he can feel wonderful about every win from here on out. And according to Goodes, Blatt will get plenty more wins. He believes his brother will do a great job.

"It's a basketball game," Goodes said following the loss. "Even though there are some differences between the NBA and Euro, I'm sure he is going to make the adjustment as quick as he can."

Carder's punt block that turned into a safety helped put the Browns on the road to their comeback win.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – From seeing their punter karate kicked in the opener to failing to execute routine long snaps, the Browns’ special teams have produced some unsightly moments in the season’s first month.

But Sunday they made a pivotal contribution in the stunning 29-28 victory over Titans at LP Field.

Tank Carder blocked a punt early in the fourth quarter that resulted in a safety, cutting the deficit to 13 points. The Browns got the ball back after the two-point tally and drove 67 yards for a touchdown.

“Anytime you can get something going it's awesome, especially with some things that went down the stretch in the first couple games,” said Carder, who participates on all four special-teams units. “We came back and we fought today. It was a three-phase effort and it feels good.”

The Browns weren’t going after the block on the play. With the Titans punting from their 12, the visitors were looking for decent return and field position. But as Carder broke through the line nobody from Tennessee blocked him. Both Carder and Jim Leonhard converged on punter Brett Kern. The ball caromed off Carder’s arm and skittered out of the end zone with 11:08 left.

It marked the Browns’ first blocked punt since Nov. 30, 2003 in Seattle and first safety since Nov. 22, 2009 in Detroit.

“It just kind of opened up so I took it,” Carder said.

Browns kicker Billy Cundiff converted field goals of 38 and 42 yards. Christian Yount’s long snaps were finally uneventful and the Browns’ coverage on kicks and punts was solid.

The only special-teams hiccup was a fumbled punt return by Travis Benjamin nullified by penalty.

Williams contributes

Rookie defensive back K’Waun Williams saw his most extensive action and delivered a big play in the final minute. The undrafted free agent came on a blitz and sacked quarterback Charlie Whitehust on the game’s final series. He finished with six tackles after missing one Kendall Wright’s first-quarter touchdown.

“I missed that tackle and I just had to keep fighting,” Williams said. “It was a long game. Like most games in the NFL, you can't keep your head down, just move to the next play and capitalize on any other opportunity you get.”

Williams started in nickel situations ahead of first-round pick Justin Gilbert, who's struggled in the opening weeks.

The Browns registered three sacks, but also failed to corral Titan quarterbacks on several other glorious chances. Williams knew he had to drop Whitehurst on his big chance. It came on a first-and-10 from the Titans' 42 with the home team pressing for a winning field goal. The defensive back leveled backup quarterback for a 6-yard loss with 24 seconds left.

“It was happening so fast, you just have to make the play,” he said. “It's right there in front of you, you've just got to capitalize on it.”

Brownies

Browns defensive lineman Phil Taylor suffered a knee injury . . . Receiver Taylor Gabriel had career highs in catches (four) and yards (95) . . . Pro Bowl corner Joe Haden was flagged for a pair of penalties including a 29-yard pass interference call.

 

Here are five observations from the Cavs' win against Maccabi Tel Aviv.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers won their first preseason game on Sunday against Maccabi Tel Aviv, head coach David Blatt's former team, 107-80.

With five players in double figures (Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters, LeBron James and Joe Harris), the Cavs' offense showed its potential.

Here are five observations from The Q following the team's win:

Kevin Love is getting adjusted to a new role: When the new Big Three was formed in Cleveland, there were questions about how all the pieces would fit. Some also wondered how the shots would be divided up. It took Chris Bosh time to adjust to his new role in Miami, but when he finally realized where he could have the most success, Bosh became a key member of Miami's championship runs.

That same challenge faces Love, who said following the game that it shouldn't be very difficult for him to make the transition from being the go-to option on offense.

After two games (scrimmage and the preseason), Love has taken 10 total shots. His six attempts were the same amount as Lou Amundson on Sunday night. But Love still had an impact. His floor-spacing, outlet passes and rebounding ability helped the Cavs build an early lead against Maccabi Tel Aviv, showing he can impact the game in a variety of ways even if he doesn't get more than 18 shots per game, which was the case in Minnesota last season.

No LeBron, no problem: Usually when the best player comes out of the locker room with ice on his knees it's a problem, but not for the Cavs. Depth is a big strength of the roster. The team came out of the locker room with Irving, Waiters, Shawn Marion, Love and Anderson Varejao. The new lineup went on a quick 9-2 run, forcing the Euroleague champions to call timeout.

Irving and Waiters did the damage at the start of the third quarter. Irving scored six points and assisted on the other basket, a made three-pointer by Waiters.

The Cavs shooting guard also saw an increased opportunity and took full advantage, scoring 12 of his 15 points in the second half, including a highlight-reel dunk that caused the crowd to erupt.

Dion Waiters throws down HARD on @NBATV! #NBARapidReplay http://t.co/54Eo7hZYxa

— NBA (@NBA) October 5, 2014

Depth will be a key for the Cavs this season and with James on the bench, other players will have to step up. Irving, the Cavs' leading scorer the last three years, has the talent to take over games when James is resting. He gave a reminder by setting the tempo in the second half.

Cavs are unselfish: The Cavs had 26 assists on 38 made baskets, which is a pretty good ratio, and something that hasn't been the case recently. The Cavs were 20^th in assists per game (21.2) in 2013-14 and only Irving averaged more than four.

The first two times this squad has taken the court, the ball movement and spacing as well as player movement have been evident. On Sunday night it was the dribble penetration of Irving, who finished with a team-high five assists, and James, who chipped in with four, that led to easy baskets inside or open shots from the perimeter. The attacking style forces the defense into a tough decision, and unselfish play will be a defining characteristic of Blatt's offense once it fully clicks.

"When you have unselfish guys, it's going to automatically translate to everybody," James said following the game. "Myself and K-Love and Kyrie are natural passers and so many other guys, it just trickles down to everybody else. You'll pass up a good shot for a great shot and that's what we can get because we have so many guys that can put the ball on the ground, so many guys that can attract double-teams or just multiple eyes."

Defense picks up: Following the Cavs intrasquad scrimmage on Wednesday night, Blatt was not pleased with the defense. The Cavs have placed an emphasis on that the last few practices. It wasn't great in the first half as Maccabi Tel Aviv scored 44 points and shot 45 percent from three-point range. But the defense turned things around in the second half.

"We did make a very significant adjustment at halftime and recognized where the problem was," Blatt said. "We addressed it, came out and executed it. We played much, much better defense in the second half."

The Cavs held Blatt's former team to 36 points on 11-of-42 shooting and 3-of-20 from three-point range following the adjustment at the half.

"We wanted to defend (after half)," James said. We wanted to put more pressure on their point guards when they were coming off pick and rolls."

Cleaning the glass: The Cavs grabbed 64 rebounds compared to Maccabi's 36. Cleveland also had 22 offensive boards, which led to 31 second-chance points.

"(Offensive rebounding) is an art that is not necessarily tactically oriented and we definitely have guys that can go get it and they did," Blatt said.

Anderson Varejao led the way, grabbing a team-high 15, but Tristan Thompson (13) and Love (11) each played a part in the dominance on the glass, which should continue as each player was in the top 20 in rebounds per game last season.

"We shouldn't lose a rebounding game (all season)," James said.

This could be a sign of things to come.

"I think we can be a great rebounding team," Love said. "You saw it tonight. We kept a lot of plays alive. Tristan and Andy did a spectacular job on both defensive and offensive rebounds. It's something that we will definitely pride ourselves on."

Controlling the glass ignited the Cavs' transition game (20 fast-break points), especially with Love's strong outlet passes, including one that travelled nearly 80 feet to Thompson. 

Watch Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed as they analyze the Cleveland Browns record come-from-behind road victory over the Titans. Also watch videos of Mike Pettine, Brian Hoyer and Ben Tate as they talked after the game. Watch video

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --   The Cleveland Browns, trailing 28-3 in the second quarter, scored 26 unanswered points to beat the Tennessee Titans 29-28 at LP Field.  The victory was the largest come-from-behind win in Browns history and the largest by a road team in NFL history. 

Quarterback Brian Hoyer led the way, completing 21 of 37 passes for 292 yards with three touchdowns, one interception and a 98.0 quarterback rating.  "I think it was a complete total team win, offense defense, special teams," Hoyer said after the game.

Hoyer's lone interception in the fourth quarter, ended his streak of 189 attempts without one.  It was the third longest streak in Browns History. 

Running back Ben Tate, who returned to action after injuring his knee in Week 1, rushed for a career-high 123 yards.

Wide receiver Travis Benjamin, after loosing a fumble on a punt earlier in the game, had a career-high two touchdowns.  His second TD tied the game at 28-28 late in the fourth quarter.

Rookie wide receiver Taylor Gabriel had four reception for 95 yards.

The defense got of to a slow start, but turned things around and held the Titans scoreless in the second half.  They recorded three sacks. 

On special teams, Tank Carder had a key play when he blocked a fourth quarter punt that resulted in a safety.  

The Browns (2-2) next play the Steelers (3-2) at FirstEnergy Stadium Sunday.

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The Kansas City Royals waited nearly three decades to return to the postseason. Now that they're here, they want to stick around for a while.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals waited nearly three decades to return to the postseason. Now that they're here, they want to stick around for a while.

Alex Gordon hit a bases-clearing double in the first inning, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas each homered and the wild-card Royals finished off a sweep of the mighty Los Angeles Angels with an emphatic 8-3 victory Sunday night in the AL Division Series.

The scrappy team with the quirky manager, popgun offense, dynamic defense and lights-out bullpen will open the AL Championship Series against the Orioles beginning Friday night in Baltimore. Kansas City went 4-3 against the O's this year.

The Angels, 98-64 in the regular season, became the second team in the divisional era that began in 1969 to have the best record in the majors and get swept out of the playoffs. In no small coincidence, the Royals dealt the same humiliating fate to the New York Yankees in the 1980 ALCS.

Stalking around the mound amid an electric atmosphere, James Shields lived up to his "Big Game James" billing. The Royals' ace gave up homers to Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, but otherwise held in check a suddenly punchless Los Angeles lineup.

The highest-scoring team in baseball managed six runs in the entire series.

Shields got plenty of help from the great gloves that made spectacular plays in every game. In this one, it was Lorenzo Cain making back-to-back diving grabs in center field in the fifth inning that ended an Angels' rally and preserved a five-run lead.

The Royals coasted the rest of the way to their seventh straight postseason victory dating to Game 5 of the 1985 World Series, the last time they were in the playoffs. George Brett, the star of that team, watched from an upstairs suite and raised his arms when ace closer Greg Holland fanned Trout for the final out.

These bunch of Royals is certainly making up for all that lost time.

Kansas City played a 12-inning thriller against Oakland in the wild-card game, and a pair of 11-inning games in Los Angeles before returning home to an adoring crowd at Kauffman Stadium.

This one had none of the drama, not that anybody wearing blue cared.

After Trout staked his team to the lead, Angels starter C.J. Wilson quickly got into trouble. The left-hander with the $16 million price tag this season gave up back-to-back singles and a four-pitch walk in the first inning to load the bases for Gordon, whose slicing two-out double gave Kansas City a 3-1 lead.

Sensing the game already slipping away, Angels manager Mike Scioscia immediately turned the game over to his bullpen. It didn't fare a whole lot better.

The Royals kept the pressure on, and even plodding designated hitter Billy Butler got in on the act, stealing second base to the roar of the crowd. It was his fifth career steal and first in two years, but it typified the way the Royals have been winning this postseason.

Dazzling pitching, daring baserunning and some dogged determination.

After swiping seven bases and playing small-ball against the A's, the club that hit the fewest homers in the regular season pounded out four long balls against Los Angeles.

Moustakas hit the first of them in the 11th inning of the opener, Hosmer hit the second in the 11th inning the next night, and both of them went deep to finish off the sweep.

Hosmer's two-run shot came in the third inning. Moustakas connected in the fourth.

By that point, the Angels -- their high-priced offense having fizzled and pitching having failed them -- were slumped over the railing of their dugout. They spent the final five innings bundled up against the October chill, periods of rain making their night miserable.

But hardly putting a damper on Royals fans that have waited 29 years for these moments.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Royals RHP Kelvin Herrera pitched a scoreless seventh inning. He left Thursday night's series opener after five pitches with a strained forearm.

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The Orioles, who beat Detroit 2-1 on Sunday to finish off their series sweep, are in the ALCS for the first time since 1997.

Brian Hoyer threw two touchdown passes to Travis Benjamin as part of the Browns' 29-28 victory at Tennessee on Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Quarterback Brian Hoyer made all of the dropbacks for the Browns in a 29-28 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday afternoon at LP Field in Nashville, Tenn. Hoyer went 21-of-37 for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once and sacked once.

Here is a capsule look at Hoyer's performance:

The business of winning: The Browns improved to 2-2, all with Hoyer as the starting quarterback. Hoyer is 5-2 in his career as the starter for Cleveland dating to last season.

Comforts of road: Hoyer helped the Browns snap a seven-game road losing streak. The Browns' previous road victory came in Week 3 of last season against Minnesota (31-27) -- Hoyer's first start for Cleveland.

Rising from the depths: Hoyer did not merely deliver a victory; he orchestrated a rally from 25 points down. It is the largest comeback in NFL history by a road team.

The Browns have faced deficits of 24-plus points in each of their road games. In Week 1 at Pittsburgh, they trailed, 27-3, at halftime. Hoyer helped the Browns tie the score, 27-27, but the Steelers kicked a field goal as time expired to win, 30-27.

Lid lifter: One of Hoyer's best passes Sunday occurred on the first play from scrimmage after the Titans took a 28-3 lead with 2:44 left in the second quarter.

The Browns were penalized for holding during the kickoff return, which meant they faced first-and-10 at the Cleveland 10. Hoyer, from under center, play-faked to tailback Isaiah Crowell and planted at the 2 before firing toward the right sideline. Former Brown Kamerion Wimbley, coming from Hoyer's blind side, drilled him at release. Receiver Travis Benjamin caught the ball and tapped the toes before going out of bounds at the Cleveland 31 1/2. (Because the spot ended up being the 31, Hoyer and Benjamin lost a yard on their respective totals.)

CBS analyst Steve Beuerlein, a former NFL quarterback, said: "I'm going to tell you: This is a great throw by Brian Hoyer. That is a hit, under pressure, unobstructed lineman in your face. He had this ball up, on time and on the money.''

Benjamin motioned from the left and nearly stepped forward just before the snap. He made a strong out-cut in front of Titans cornerback Jason McCourty, who gave him plenty of cushion out of respect for his speed.

An important, if underrated, element of the completion was Hoyer's play-action, which served its purpose by freezing Wimbley at the line for a critical second. Credit Crowell for selling run to the right.

Two plays later, Hoyer flipped a pass to rookie fullback Ray Agnew on the left for a 12-yard gain with 1:56 remaining in the half. Agnew's first career reception resulted from a well-designed and well-executed screen. It gave the Browns first-and-10 at the Cleveland 44.

Coming out of the two-minute warning, Hoyer, from the shotgun, stepped up to avoid pressure from his right and threw a back-knee strike to Miles Austin near the left sideline. Austin caught the ball at the Tennessee 32 and stayed on his feet long enough for a 31-yard gain.

Austin, showcasing his strength and hands, shook off interference by Brandon Harris.

Beuerlein said: "That was a spectacular catch. Hoyer did a great job of identifying the one-on-one coverage, but that was body control at its finest.''

Browns running back Ben Tate ran three times to move the ball from the Tennessee 25 to the 1. The third rush gained 13 yards on a draw.

Beuerlein said: "Great call by (offensive coordinator) Kyle Shanahan. To go with the draw play in that situation, the clock running down, obviously caught the Tennessee Titans totally off-guard.''

On first-and-goal, Tate was stuffed for no gain. The Browns called timeout with 16 seconds remaining.

On second-and-goal, the Browns used three tight ends -- Jim Dray on the left, Gary Barnidge on the right and Jordan Cameron in motion -- and zero receivers. As Hoyer play-faked to tailback Tate out of the I-formation, Dray disengaged from Wimbley and broke open in the end-zone flat. Hoyer completed the routine pitch-and-catch to pull the Browns within 28-9. The extra point made it 28-10.

Beuerlein said: "Great ball-handling by Brian Hoyer: the hard play-action that Kyle Shanahan is known for. You've got to respect the run, (the Browns) are committed to it, they are running the ball well. This is a running situation....you sold it hard to the Tennessee Titans defense, and it comes up big for the Cleveland Browns.''

As part of selling run, Agnew blasted into linebacker Wesley Woodyard hard enough to dislodge Woodyard's pink towel and send it airborne. The textbook block was as good as any in that game.

Even though the nine-play, 90-yard drive unfolded late in the second quarter and not late in the fourth, its importance can't be overstated. The Browns went from being run out of LP Field to giving themselves at least a chance. If they had gone three-and-out or come away with zero points, the game likely would have been over.

The makeup of the drive -- two long passes, two short passes, five runs -- should not be overlooked. Once again, Shanahan demonstrated a refusal to panic and become one-dimensional when other coordinators might have opted for nothing but passes.

CBS analyst Steve Tasker said: "One of the interesting things that (Titans coach) Ken Whisenhunt told us about this Cleveland team is, he was very impressed with Kyle Shanahan's commitment to continue to run the football (in Week 1 at Pittsburgh) down by 24 in the second half. It really paid huge dividends.''

Play of the game: With 6:58 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Browns faced first-and-10 at the Tennessee 17. They trailed, 28-15.

Hoyer, from under center, play-faked to Crowell and rolled right. The Browns attempted to deke the Titans into thinking screen pass to Crowell on the left, when what they really wanted were options that included receiver Taylor Gabriel crossing from the left inside the 15. Gabriel did, in fact, flash open -- but Hoyer's plan to connect with him was foiled by veteran linebacker Shaun Phillips, who didn't bite on the Crowell action.

Phillips pursued Hoyer back to the 32, where Hoyer planted and eluded him to the inside. Hoyer shuffled to the 28 and, shortening his arm arc to avoid the left hand of Phillips, located a wide-open Benjamin in the middle of the end zone. Benjamin stretched high for the snatch-catch. The extra point made it 28-22.

Hoyer excelled on numerous levels in that moment. Instead of allowing Phillips to intimidate him into a throwaway, Hoyer used his agility to extend the action. Then Hoyer had the presence of mind to look into the end zone and spot Benjamin.

Kudos, as well, to Benjamin. Lined up wide left, Benjamin ran toward the front right pylon while being covered by Brandon Harris. When Benjamin noticed his quarterback in trouble, he turned on a dime for a cutback that forced Harris into a slip.

Money time: Hoyer and the Browns completed the comeback with a four-play TD drive. It began at the Tennessee 42 with 3:03 remaining.

After Tate rushed for 2 yards, Hoyer shot a pea to Austin over the middle for a 23-yard gain. As the Browns' line picked up a four-man rush, Hoyer looked right, then left, then middle. He zipped the pass between two Titans and into Austin's hands at the 28.

Beuerlein said: "That was a very good job by Brian Hoyer. He goes through his progressions, then threads a perfect ball between two defenders to Miles Austin.''

Coming out of the two-minute warning, Hoyer threw incomplete intended for Gabriel at the goal line. But it was incomplete largely because illegal contact by linebacker Avery Williamson slowed Gabriel.

On first-and-10 from the 12, Hoyer connected with Gabriel over the middle for 6 yards.

On second-and-4 from the 6, Hoyer, from the shotgun and an empty backfield, fired a strike to Benjamin in the back of the end zone on the left. Benjamin jumped high for another snatch-catch and toe-tapped before being shoved out of the back.

Lined up in the left slot, Benjamin beat safety Bernard Pollard by peeling off a slant route. Unlike for his previous TD, this cutback to the left appeared to be by design.

Hoyer's line handled a three-man rush. A Tennessee holding penalty was declined, of course. Pollard limped off the field.

The extra point gave the Browns a 29-28 lead with 1:09 remaining.

Beuerlein said: "This was a great play call by Kyle Shanahan, and a great job (by Hoyer) of again getting through his reads....Great throw...Great job by Travis Benjamin....Perfect execution.''

The pass made the cut as one of ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer's "Dimes.''

Credit Browns coach Mike Pettine and Shanahan for sticking with Benjamin when it would have been easy to sour on him. Benjamin's special-teams problems continued when, in the third quarter, he muffed a punt that was recovered by Tennessee. Benjamin's goat horns were removed because the officials (correctly) flagged the Titans' Marqueston Huff for not attempting to get back in bounds immediately after being shoved out. Huff recovered the fumble.    

No harm done: Hoyer's interception -- his first since the Minnesota game -- came on third-and-10 from the Cleveland 33 on the previous series. The long pass intended for Andrew Hawkins turned into a 45-yard punt with no return when Hawkins immediately tackled safety Michael Griffin.

Bottom lines: Hoyer defeated a bad team whose defense has issues -- but no asterisk needs to be attached. He was terrific.

The Browns, trailing, 28-3, in the second quarter largely because of terrible defense, needed Hoyer to do much more than manage the game. They needed him to make numerous plays to secure a virtual-must victory, and he did. On the road.

Hoyer The Destroyer played ice-cold, which is good. Nothing rattled him. He repeatedly made smart decisions under pressure.

As icing, ESPN analyst and Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter gave Hoyer his "game ball.''

Hoyer's final grade: A.

LeBron James sat out the entire second half and the Cavaliers still routed Maccabi Tel Aviv.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Despite a strong start by Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Cleveland Cavaliers finally settled down to get a 107-80 blowout win over the European powers Sunday night at Quicken Loans Arena.

Maccabi Tel Aviv proved why they are one on the best European clubs the league has to offer with their fundamentally sound system. They gave the Cavaliers a quality outing, however Cleveland (1-0) eventually demonstrated that there's a huge difference between the NBA and Euroleague play.

LeBron James has been focused since the day he signed back with Cleveland. He understands that just because this wasn't an NBA team they were playing, the process of building a winning culture must continue regardless of the opponent.

"We want to go out and play well," James said pregame. "We don't want to take a step backwards in our process and this is an opportunity to do that."

James finished the game with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists in 20 minutes of the first half. He sat out the final 24 minutes. According to a team representative, James did so because of the 59-44 halftime lead and it being the first preseason game.

James has been dealing off and on with a sore back. With James out in the third quarter, the Cavaliers outscored Macabbi Tel Aviv 28-16.

For Cavaliers head coach David Blatt, it was bittersweet. Macabbi Tel Aviv, one of the top clubs in the Israel Premier League, was a squad he had coached for six seasons and last year he guided them to a Euroleague championship, the sixth in the franchise's history.

He acknowledged that tonight's game would be emotional for him.

"Obviously there are some mixed emotions there," Blatt said. "I really hope that we play a great ball game and Macabbi plays a great ball game and our fans really enjoy it and we win and everybody feels good. That's what I hope."

Sylven Landesberg led Maccabi Tel Aviv with a game-high 23 points off the bench to go with five rebounds and three assists. Former NBA player and one-time Cavalier Jeremy Pargo provided 18 points and five assists.

Overall, Blatt should be a happy even if the defense is still a work in progress. The effort was clearly there but the timing on the rotations remains out of sync, which is to be expected.

Kyrie Irving registered 16 points and five assists in 26 minutes. Dion Waiters supplied 16 and Kevin Love struggled finding his looks within the offense, going 2-for-6 with eight points and 11 boards.

Tristan Thompson got the start at center instead of Anderson Varejao and ended the game with a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds. Varejao pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds.

With the first preseason game in the books, the Cavaliers can now gauge how much they've come and how much more work they need. Blatt has stressed that this team isn't anywhere close to what they want to be by season's end.

The word "process" has been harped on from the coaching staff on down to the players throughout camp. Now they have a better feel to where they're at.

The Cavaliers' next preseason game is the much-anticipated matchup with the Miami Heat on Oct. 11 in Brazil.

LeBron James said the NBA's new TV deal is a "huge deal" for the league and its players. He could make $43.5 million more because of the deal.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio – LeBron James called the NBA's new TV deal worth more than $2.6 billion per year a "huge deal for our league and everyone should be educated about it."

The nine-season, roughly $24 billion deal announced today between the NBA, ESPN, and TNT is highly relevant to James because of his choice to structure a short term contract to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers over the summer.

James signed a two-year, $42.1 million deal with a player option after one season, eying the likelihood of a new TV agreement between the NBA and its broadcast partners that would explode league revenues when it takes effect in 2016.

Basically, the NBA's salary cap is tied to basketball-related income. The TV deal is a part of that -- the league will get $2.66 billion a year from TV instead of $930 million -- meaning the salary cap will go up significantly. As a 10-year player worthy of a max contract, James' value also goes way up if he is a free agent in the summer of 2016.

James would stand to make about $43.5 million more if he signs a four-year contract with the Cavaliers in 2016 than he would had he signed a four-year deal in July – according to Business Insider.

"I haven't even begun to think about what I'm doing going forward," James said, though he acknowledged the NBA's TV deal was what he had in mind when he structured his contract with the Cavaliers.

James has stated his desire to finish his career in Cleveland and that the short-term deal was for "business."

"There will come a point in time where I will sit back with my team and some of the guys and from a players' perspective, from a players' association perspective, talk about how we go about this with this new deal," he said.

James credited former NBA commissioner David Stern on Monday for the new TV deal, saying" "he built our brand and for us to make a television deal like that for that type of money, that's a lot of his vision."

James is not the Cavaliers' representative to the players' union -- the responsibility belongs to James Jones -- though James acknowledged that he holds a great deal of power because of his star status. He is also close to Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul, who is the players' union president.

James denied that he and Paul were seeking to do away with maximum contracts – which place a limit on what every player can earn -- but he also suggested the players would seek to reap more of the benefits from the new TV deal.

"We gave a lot," James said of the 2011 collective bargaining dispute between the league's owners and players that resulted in a lockout and shortened 2011-12 season. "The whole thing that went on with the last negotiation process was the owners are losing money. There's no way they can sit in front of us and tell us that right now.

"As we continue to see teams selling for billions of dollars, being purchased for $200 million, selling for $550 million, $750 million, and now $2 billion ... so that will not fly with us this time."

Whether or not the players ultimately seek to do away with limits on the value of contracts, the money James can generate from his future contracts is important for his colleagues, the Cavaliers' Jones said.

"He's the best player in the game, and we all know that even as a max player his value is much more than what is reflected by his max salary contract," Jones said. "He's important because he is the face of the game. He is the best player, and it carries weight. And he's one player that understands and knows his value."

The NBA's current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2020-21 season, but either side can opt out after the 2016-17 season -- following the first year of the new TV deal.

James spoke as though he expected there to be negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement long before 2021 -- it's likely the players would opt out of the current deal because of the new TV revenue -- and the Cavaliers' star said he would "use my business savvy" to help the union maximize its revenues.

He also urged his fellow players to study the collective bargaining agreement and earning potential for the league to match the knowledge he has on the subject.

"Some guys want money but aren't educated," James said. "Guys want the best deal but aren't educated on what's going on. You know, there's 30 owners, there's 400-plus players, and we know we have to do what's best for all the players.

"At the same time guys need to continue to be educated so in the negotiation process, guys aren't speaking just to be speaking and guys have an idea what's going on."

This post was updated with additional information.

Following practice, LeBron James discussed the impact of the TV deals, educating players on the business side of the NBA, what he thinks of max contracts, the amount of money teams are being sold for and the role former NBA Commissioner David Stern played in growing the game.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Monday morning the NBA and its television partners came to a new agreement, which takes effect starting with the 2016-17 season.

With Fox Sports looming as a new partner, the deals mean the games will continue to air on ESPN and TNT through the 2024-25 season. 

The NBA's annual revenue from the agreements will increase from $930 million to more than $2.6 billion, according to the Associated Press. 

LeBron James, who signed two-year contract with a player option after the first year for "business reasons," anticipated this happening. James has been outspoken about the NBA's collective bargaining agreement in the past and even contemplated running for president of the National Basketball Players Association.

Following practice, he discussed the impact of the TV deals, educating players on the business side of the NBA, what he thinks of maximum contracts, the amount of money teams are being sold for and the role former NBA commissioner David Stern played in growing the game.