The Explorers ran away with the votes, easily finishing ahead of runner-up Mentor football.

The Explorers ran away with the votes, easily finishing ahead of runner-up Mentor football.

Mario Chalmers says scolding he used to get from LeBron James is going to be something that Kyrie Irving will have to adjust to.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – You might say Mario Chalmers had it rough in Miami.

Sure, he was the starting point guard playing alongside three future Hall-of-Famers and that resulted in them securing back-to-back NBA championships.

He had some fun, but he sure took a pounding and not the kind guards take when they're constantly attacking the basket.

Cavaliers forward LeBron James was hard on Chalmers in their four years together in Miami. As the floor general, Chalmers made his share of boneheaded blunders and James, being the perfectionist that he is, would repetitively scold Chalmers publicly during games.

Sometimes Chalmers would argue back, trying to make his point. However, you're not winning that battle against the best player in the world. It wasn't aimed at being malicious. He just wanted Chalmers to succeed at his job.

James was hard on his former point guard because he's a point guard at heart and understands how the position should be played.

Nevertheless, Chalmers seems relieved that it's now Kyrie Irving's problem.

"LeBron is a dominant player so if he feels like something is not going his way, he's going to say something about it," Chalmers told Northeast Ohio Media Group. "For Kyrie, he's going to have to adjust to that and LeBron is going to have to adjust to Kyrie. It's going to be a different factor for Kyrie."

To be fair, James has never played with a legitimate All-Star-caliber point guard before. Irving's skillset will allow James a freedom he's never experienced in the league. Maybe James won't have to berate Irving. Maybe he will anyway. Only time will tell.

Chalmers refused to elaborate on what it was like when a furious James was approaching and you knew he wasn't coming to give a hug.

"Man, that process is over and done with it," Chalmers said. "It's a fresh start, fresh team, new year."

He then took it a step further and claimed to have amnesia.

"I don't even remember, bro," he said. "Last year is in the past. This is a new year. New me. I'm not thinking about it."

Chalmers did say the Heat feel slighted since people are writing them off with the departure of James. He believes the addition of Luol Deng will prove to be a strong investment.

Chalmers and the Heat have moved on from the James era. They're not looking back or reminiscing. James is no longer a member of the Heat. They're over it.

"Look, we had a beautiful four-year chapter and all of us had an opportunity to reflect on that this summer," Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra said of James to NEOMG. "The one thing that's constant in this league is change. We have to get on with it."

No. 8 Benedictine picked up its fourth straight victory with a 55-16 win against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin.

No. 8 Benedictine picked up its fourth straight victory with a 55-16 win against Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin.

Mentor improves to 7-0 and remains tied with Hudson atop the NOC Valley Division.

Mentor improves to 7-0 and remains tied with Hudson atop the NOC Valley Division.

Nick Gassman, Berea-Midpark Titans, top North Olmsted in wild passing game.

Nick Gassman, Berea-Midpark Titans, top North Olmsted in wild passing game.

Jeremy Wyers scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground and caught another touchdown pass to lead Kenston to the win.

Jeremy Wyers scored a pair of touchdowns on the ground and caught another touchdown pass to lead Kenston to the win.

A look at the high school football scores in Ohio on October 10, 2014

A look at the high school football scores in Ohio on October 10, 2014

Lorain's Sherman Saunders rushes for 184 yards and four scores in a loss.

Lorain's Sherman Saunders rushes for 184 yards and four scores in a loss.

After trailing for most of the game, Mayfield made a second half charge to beat Stow 31-28.

After trailing for most of the game, Mayfield made a second half charge to beat Stow 31-28.

As LeBron James gets set to take on his former team, the Miami Heat, here are five things to look for.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – It's been a pretty eventful four days leading up to Saturday's main event featuring the Cavaliers (1-0) against the Miami Heat (0-2).

There have been subtle jabs from the Heat's camp directed towards James, something James called "surprising" on Friday. Both teams have done their best in trying to stay out of each other's way this week, but tonight's Global Games contest will be unavoidable.

James will face his former team for the first time and here are five things to look forward to.

1. LeBron-Bosh interaction.

Chris Bosh isn't playing. He is taking this game extremely seriously and James has something to do with that. If you read between the lines, Bosh is clearly irked that James decided to return home, leaving Miami in a state of disarray. Bosh says he doesn't plan on talking to James extensively until after the season. For now, he says their greeting as they take the floor Saturday will suffice. We'll see how friendly that greeting will be.

2. How James approaches game

I'm curious to see just how motivated LeBron is regarding this game. He downplayed the matchup saying it's only the preseason. Maybe he feels that way now, but what about when it's time for tipoff? Will his competitive juices take over and look to dominate? I'm figuring James will only play a maximum of 25 minutes. I expect it to be an impactful 25 minutes.

3. Will the real D-Wade please stand up?

Can Dwyane Wade still perform at an elite level? As the most skilled perimeter player on his team, a lot will be on his shoulders this season with James gone. He can no longer sit out the second game of back-to-backs on a consistent basis. They need his production. Having a strong preseason should be a launching pad to great things to come during the regular season. Being that this game is nationally televised, Wade should want to show out a little, that is, if he still has something left in the tank.

4. Delly starting

Matthew Dellavedova is the Cavaliers' backup point guard. With Kyrie Irving out with a sprained right ankle, the organization will get a great look at how he plays alongside the starters. Can he provide instant productivity in spot minutes? Can he keep the ship afloat? Or will he be a liability? It's a great opportunity for Dellavedova, one he's earned.

5. Hooray for Andy

Anderson Varejao has never played an NBA game in his country. He will get the start in place of Tristan Thompson, a special gesture by Blatt. His reception should be memorable.

--

Probable Starters

Miami Heat

F Chris Bosh

F Luol Deng

C Shawne Williams

G Dwyane Wade

G Norris Cole

Cleveland Cavaliers

F Kevin Love

F LeBron James

C Anderson Varejao

G Dion Waiters

G Matthew Dellavedova

Willoughby South senior DJ Greene scores five touchdowns as Rebels deal Madison first loss of season.

Willoughby South senior DJ Greene scores five touchdowns as Rebels deal Madison first loss of season.

See how Ohio AP Top 10 football teams fared Saturday in Week 7 of the 2014 season.

See how Ohio AP Top 10 football teams fared Saturday in Week 7 of the 2014 season.

A look at everything that happened in Northeast Ohio football from top performers, to key games and top storylines.

A look at everything that happened in Northeast Ohio football from top performers, to key games and top storylines.

Game 2 is Saturday afternoon in Baltimore, with the Royals starting rookie left-hander Yordano Ventura against either lefty Wei-Yin Chen or righty Bud Norris.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Nelson Cruz and the Baltimore Orioles are supposed to be the big homer hitters in the AL Championship Series.

Didn't work out that way in Game 1.

Orioles pitchers allowed the only three long balls in the rain-soaked ALCS opener, including Alex Gordon's no-doubt-about-it solo shot and Mike Moustakas' two-run wall-scraper in the 10th inning, and Baltimore lost 8-6 to the Kansas City Royals in a game that finished after 12:45 a.m. Saturday.

Game 2 is Saturday afternoon in Baltimore, with the Royals starting rookie left-hander Yordano Ventura against either lefty Wei-Yin Chen or righty Bud Norris.

Baltimore topped baseball this season with 211 homers, led by Cruz's majors-high 40, while Kansas City ranked last with 95. Didn't matter on this night, no matter how loudly and often the sellout crowd of 47,124 chanted "Let's go, O's!" or "We won't stop!" while twirling their orange towels.

Of Baltimore's 14 hits, only two went for extra bases -- a pair of doubles. Otherwise, it was single here, single there, and not enough to show for it.

The rowdy home fans got real quiet after the go-ahead drive by Gordon -- his first since early September -- leading off the 10th against sidearmer Darren O'Day to break a 5-5 tie, and a pack of Royals fans could suddenly be heard. Moustakas connected off Brian Matusz, the sixth reliever to come out of Baltimore's normally reliable bullpen, to make it 8-5.

No playoff team has been as successful beyond the ninth inning as the 2014 Royals.

The Royals already were the first team in major league history to win three consecutive extra-inning postseason games: They beat the Athletics in the wild-card game in 12 innings, then won each of the first two games of their ALDS sweep of the Angels in 11.

Those wins over Los Angeles both came via homers, just like this latest victory.

Kansas City started things against Baltimore by going deep, too, making for neat bookends.

In what would become a four-run third inning thanks to Gordon's bases-loaded, broken-bat double, Orioles starter Chris Tillman tried to sneak a 90 mph fastball on a 2-0 count past Alcides Escobar.

The ball landed a few rows past the wall in left for a rare homer: The shortstop had three in 2014, and only 21 in nearly 3,000 career at-bats across parts of seven seasons in the majors. As Escobar rounded third, he let out a shout and pointed to the sky.

UP NEXT

Orioles manager Buck Showalter declined to say before the game who would start Game 2, then said it would be Bud Norris. Keep an eye on Ventura's pitch count: When he throws more than 100 in a game, the opponents' batting average rises to .300. He is 1-1 with a 1.26 ERA against the Orioles. J.J. Hardy and Nick Markakis are both 4 for 6 against him; Cruz has hit Baltimore's only homer off him.

LIGHTS OUT

The start of the game was delayed -- not by rain, but by a few bright lights used for a TV set just beyond center field. When Royals leadoff batter Escobar stepped into the batter's box, he pointed his black bat out in that direction, and the umpires held up play, while Journey's "Lights" blared on the speakers, until the offending orbs were shut off.

The New York Times and FoxSports.com both have new stories on how the police and university handle issues regarding Florida State football players.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Florida State's season, football program and university administration could be in question on the heels of two major reports alleging favoritism for FSU football players from police and university attempts to hinder an investigation into Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.

First, from the New York Times on Friday came a story that found a pattern of Tallahassee police soft-pedaling potentially criminal actions of football players, including Winston.

From the report:

Now, an examination by The New York Times of police and court records, along with interviews with crime witnesses, has found that, far from an aberration, the treatment of the Winston complaint was in keeping with the way the police on numerous occasions have soft-pedaled allegations of wrongdoing by Seminoles football players. From criminal mischief and motor-vehicle theft to domestic violence, arrests have been avoided, investigations have stalled and players have escaped serious consequences.

Then from FoxSports.com just after midnight early Saturday morning came a report dealing more specifically with a rape allegation against Winston from 2012.

From the report:

Florida State University officials and Tallahassee police took steps to both hide, and then hinder, the criminal investigation into a rape allegation against the school's Heisman-trophy winning quarterback Jameis Winston last fall, a FOX Sports investigation has found.

Individually, each report is thorough and troubling. Taken together, the picture of a police force and university administration protecting football players in general, and the Heisman-winning quarterback of last year's national championship team in particular, becomes even more disturbing.

Winston is now facing a disciplinary hearing from Florida State over whether he violated the school's code of conduct as part of the sexual assault allegations against him. The state of Florida decided last year not to press charges against Winston in regards to the allegations.

From the Tampa Bay Times story:

FSU's investigation is separate from criminal cases and has a lower burden of proof. Instead of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the federal gender equity law, Title IX, requires schools to determine only whether it's more likely than not that a violation occurred. Discipline for code of conduct violations can range from probation to expulsion.

Florida State is 5-0 and ranked No. 1 in the polls heading into Saturday's noon kickoff at Syracuse.

Ohio State, as you know, is off this week. The Buckeyes host Rutgers at 3:30 in a week. The Scarlet Knights are also off this week.

Asthma Games at Cleveland Central Catholic on Saturday morning from 9 to noon: Our own Andrew Moses - lawyer, former Ohio State football player and weekly Chalk Talk expert - will take part in the event Saturday morning aimed at encouraging children with asthma to play sports and lead active lives.

The event is open to kids ages 6 through 14. They must be accompanied by an adult.

Our coverage from Friday

• The end of our QB Quest series: How the Texas offer that never came helped make J.T. Barrett an Ohio State Buckeye

• Chalk talk: Breaking down how the Buckeyes now beat the Bear Defense

• Good discussion about whether a Big Ten team will make the College Football Playoff

• Grading the Ohio State defense so far - B-/C+ is winning 

• Talking about J.T. Barrett/Braxton Miller in 2015

How much progress do you think the Indians made this season?

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you consider seven fewer wins, missing the playoffs and crafting a roster that results in Chris Gimenez starting a key game of the season at first base "an incredible year in terms of progress" for the front office? – Steve Cornelius, Rocky River.

Hey, Steve: Maybe GM Chris Antonetti should have used good instead of incredible to describe the Indians progress in 2014.

Realistically, it would have been difficult to improve on the Indians' 92-win season from 2013 with the lack of help acquired during the offseason. Still, they were in contention until Game No. 159 despite little if any contributions from No.1 starter Justin Masterson, starting shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, first baseman/DH Nick Swisher, second baseman Jason Kipnis and closer John Axford.

The nucleus of a promising rotation was formed with Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Danny Salazar, Trevor Bauer and T.J. House. Cody Allen proved he could close. Rookie Jose Ramirez showed he could play shortstop in the big leagues and Lonnie Chisenhall, despite his inconsistencies, showed he could be a productive hitter.

Young relievers such as Kyle Crockett and CC Lee pitched well at times. Nick Hagadone looked like he was finally getting it together. Carlos Santana matched his career high in homers (27) and set a career-high in RBI with 85 after a dreadful start. Rookie catcher Roberto Perez did nice job in a reserve role.

Not to mention the breakout seasons by Michael Brantley, Yan Gomes and Kluber.

The Indians didn't win the AL Central and they didn't make the postseason. That's a disappointment. But they did make progress.

How much is a matter of opinion.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think bringing public transportation to the Indians' games from the far eastern suburbs via Lake Tran would boost attendance? I know we would go to more games. – Lois Lantz, Perry.

Hey, Lois: For the last two years the Indians have had a Tribe Park and Ride program from Mentor, Strongsville, Independence and Westlake. Fans can park at a certain location in those cities and pay $5 for a round trip motor coach trip to home games.

The Indians also offer free shuttle service from Ohio City.

Those programs are under review for the 2015 season.

Hey, Hoynsie: What are the chances of Indians' pitching coach Mickey Callaway getting offered a managerial job in the near future? – Angelo Costanzo, Cleveland.

Hey, Angelo: Not sure if that's something Callaway would want to do one day. Traditionally, former pitchers aren't supposed to make good managers, but John Farrell, Tommy Lasorda and others have proved that wrong.

I do know Callaway has done a great with the Tribe's pitchers.

Hey, Hoynsie: How much truth is there to the rumors that the Indians will try to switch either Jason Kipnis or Lonnie Chisenhall to the outfield during the offseason? This would allow David Murphy, Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher to rotate between DH, one outfield spot and occasionally fill in at first base since none seem to be capable of playing every day any longer. – Justin King, Columbus.

Hey, Justin: Manager Terry Francona is on record as saying Kipnis will remain at second. Chisenhall has played a little outfield, but if he was going to play every day in the outfield, the only opening would be in right field. Some moves would have to be made to clear space in order to make that happen and the Indians would also have to find a third baseman.

Giovanny Urshela isn't ready to play there every day in the big leagues.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you feel the Indians approached their end-of-season series against Kansas City as intense as they needed to pitching-wise? Shouldn't that have been set up and treated like a three-game playoff series? – Bob Frankish, Northfield Center.

Hey, Bob: It was really a four-game series including the completion of the suspended game before the series opener on Sept. 22.

As for intensity, the series came at the end of a stretch where the Indians played 31 games (counting the suspended game) in 30 days. So there wasn't a lot of wiggle room to juggle the rotation even with the expanded roster because at that point every game the Indians played was a playoff game.

If you're talking about saving Corey Kluber to start against the Royals, consider this. On Sept. 21, Kluber struck out 14 in a 7-2 victory over the Twins to pull the Indians within 2½ games of the Royals and Seattle, who were tied for the second wild card spot. If the Indians had lost that game against the Twins, they would have had virtually no chance to catch the Royals or Mariners.

After winning the suspended game, the Indians lost the regularly scheduled game, 2-0, but it was hard to blame the pitching. Carlos Carrasco struck out nine and allowed two runs in 7 1/3 innings. The Indians split the four-game set and still had a slim chance at the postseason before they were eliminated on Sept. 26 despite Kluber pitching the Indians to a 1-0 win over the Rays.

Hey, Hoynsie: As we look to the 2015 Indians, it seems to me that the Indians need more offense.  They have solid players at each position, some of whom did not perform well so they will be hoping for bounce back years from Carlos Santana and Nick Swisher and a better year from David Murphy. The free-agent market is too pricey so do you see the Indians trading for a bat with their pitching talent or possibly with Francisco Lindor or Jose Ramirez? – Gene LaSuer, Des Moines, Ia.

Hey, Gene: I think the Indians would almost always prefer to trade instead of pursue players through free agency. They are deep in middle infielders and relievers. I think they could make a deal involving those players, I just don't think it would be Lindor or Ramirez.

I don't see them willingly trading any of their starting pitchers, but pitchers such as Zach McAllister are out of options. Of course, it all depends what the Indians are getting back.

Hey, Hoynsie: I know that minor league teams are independently owned, but can you help with how much money Paul Dolan has to pay the Indians minor league clubs. Who pays the minor league baseball players' contracts? Who pays for the managers and scouts? – Joe Z, Cleveland.

Hey, Joe: The parent club pays the salaries of all players, managers, coaches and trainers in the minors. They pay for bats, balls and equipment. The minor league club usually pays for travel expenses and other operation fees.

Hey, Hoynsie: If you don't know, can you ask Terry Francona is he's waived the "out' clause in his contract should GM Chris Antonetti or President Mark Shapiro get fired? – Ben Reed, Chicago.

Hey, Ben: I do not know the exact details of the clause in question, but I have heard nothing to suggest Francona waiving it. My question to you is why would he?

Here's one-stop shopping for our five-part series on high school quarterback recruiting and Ohio State. Now offer us some ideas on other series you'd like us to tackle.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State's off week allowed us to look off in a different direction for five days, and if you missed any part of our QB Quest series, now is the time to catch up.

From Monday through Friday, we tackled the issue of quarterback recruiting and how teams focus on certain HS recruits at the most important position on the field, and whether their strategies make sense. Then we fit every important piece of the Ohio State quarterback puzzle into the series, from the presence of Braxton Miller and Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith in the first story, to individual stories later in the week on 2015 OSU pledge Joey Burrow, 2017 pledge Danny Clark, 2015 target Torrance Gibson and current starting quarterback, and 2013 recruit, J.T. Barrett.

We hope you liked it. At the very least, we hope you read part of it. You won't find anything else like it when it comes to Ohio State coverage.

Last fall, we brought you our Breaking Bama series, detailing the battle between Alabama and Ohio State for three Glenville High School players, and what that all meant in the bigger picture.

In the spring, we talked to the major players - from Jim Tressel to Terrelle Pryor to Chris Cicero - from Ohio State's NCAA issues three years ago in another long series, Leaving a Mark.

Now, it was QB Quest. I'll tell you we have two other series planned for this football season that we hope you'll enjoy.

But we're always looking for more ideas.

What would you like us to tackle? Is there an issue or a part of the game or an intriguing aspect of the Ohio State football program or experience that you'd like us to delve into more?

Let us know, and if we take your idea for a series, you'll win ... our undying gratitude.

For now, thanks for reading, as always. If you didn't read it all, here's a last look at QB Quest.

Monday

• Why getting elite QB recruits to leave home is so difficult. They want to stay "where everybody knows your name"

• Map and story on Ohio State starting QBs since 1968 - that's a lot of dots close to Ohio 

• The database of elite QBs over the last decade, with three-quarters sticking nearby

Tuesday

• Inside look at the life of Massillon sophomore Danny Clark, the ideal stay-home QB for Ohio State in 2017

Wednesday

• An exception - Florida QB recruit Torrance Gibson wants to leave the state and could land in Columbus in the Class of 2015

• Andrew Luck, Matthew Stafford and other exceptions - Big-time QBs who left home

Thursday

• Why Ohio State loved in-state QB Joey Burrow and how the Buckeyes locked him down for 2015

Friday

• Getting current starting QB J.T. Barrett out of Texas wasn't easy, and if the Texas Longhorns had offered, he likely wouldn't have left

The practice gym for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat was a "hot" mess with a slippery floor.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – When it was time for LeBron James to warm up for the Cleveland Cavaliers' practice here Friday, he didn't bother putting on a shirt.

Too hot in the Brazilian gym for that any way.

"I love the warmth in here," James said, pivoting toward a joke. "Now I don't want it to get too hot. The last time it got too hot I wasn't able to finish the fourth quarter, but it feels good to get a sweat."

The setting inside the basketball gym at the Flamengo Club – home of Brazil's best basketball team and the site for the Cavaliers and Miami Heat practices this week – is akin to a small, Ohio high school gym that could use a few updates.

There are a few rows of bleacher seats on one side of the gym, no seating on the other (save for a balcony.) There is a clouded, dirty window on the gym roof that runs nearly the length of the floor.

The nets look like some tassels from graduation caps were woven together.

But the most notable issue inside the Flamengo Club was the dusty floor. In the portion of the Heat's practice open to the media Thursday, more than one player fell when his feet went out from under him.

And on Friday, following Miami's practice and before the Cavaliers practiced, the NBA asked media members to clear the floor so it could be "mopped." Only, no mopping occurred.

"We grew up playing in these kinds of gyms where they're small, it's hot, and you have to open up the doors and turn on the fans," Miami's Dwyane Wade said. "You see a couple guys take a couple hits. We've just got to be cautious."

There were no noticeable limps from Cavaliers players when they returned to the team hotel Friday from practice.

The Cavaliers-Heat game Saturday is at the HSBC Arena, which seats about 15,000.

Also before practice Friday, a Brazilian reporter tried to (it seemed) get James to invite countrymen to the game Saturday. James, not precisely understanding the question, replied: "Oh, well, we're here, we're not going nowhere so hopefully they show up."

Another member of the Brazilian press suggested he had seen pictures of James walking around Rio.

"You did not see pictures of me walking around town," James said. "You probably seen pictures of me walking to the beach and back to the hotel directly across the street."

The Cavaliers' hotel looks out over Copacabana Beach.

The girls golf team at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin took third as a team in Division II, while Olivia Jereb took fifth and Reva Morris finished in sixth.

The girls golf team at Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin took third as a team in Division II, while Olivia Jereb took fifth and Reva Morris finished in sixth.

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer has what it take to beat the Steelers, and everyone from Mike Tomlin to Dick Lebeau to Ben Roethlisberger knows it.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns finally have a quarterback in Brian Hoyer who can vanquish the Big Ben bogeyman -- and the Steelers know it.

"Hoyer is playing great, just like I and coach (Mike) Tomlin told you guys he was a good player,'' Roethlisberger told reporters this week. "He's showing it. This is not going to be easy for us.''

Hoyer, now 5-2 as a Browns starter, will try to finish the job he started against the Steelers in the opener. In that game, a 30-27 Browns loss, Hoyer brought the Browns back from the dead -- a  27-3 halftime deficit -- with 24 straight points to tie it at 27 with 11:15 left in the game.

Ben Roethlisberger got the best of them again on the final drive, putting up a field goal as time expired to run his astonishing record to 18-1 against them. But Hoyer served notice that he's a forced to be reckoned with in the division, and he reminded everyone last week by erasing a 25-point deficit in his 29-28 victory over the Titans.

"On offense I think the first thing you have to acknowledge and identify is the play of Brian Hoyer,'' Tomlin told Steelers reporters this week. "He's smart. He plays within himself. He's going to be efficient. He's going to move the offense and take care of the football. His play over the last month has verified that. He is making really good decisions.

"He's completing the ball at a high percentage (62.1%). He doesn't have a lot of negative plays. He's been sacked five times in four games. He has one interception. They've turned the ball over one time in four games. That's a recipe for some really good football. I think it starts with Hoyer. He distributes the ball around to a variety of people, tight ends, wide receivers and running backs. He is doing a great job for them.''

Hoyer, who spent three weeks with the Steelers at the end of 2012, is on pace for more than 4,000 yards this season with 24 TDs and only four interceptions. He's thrown only one pick so far this season -- last week in Tennessee --  and it snapped a streak of a 189 passes without one, third-longest in Browns history.

"We really got kind of excited about Brian while he was here,'' said Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley. "He is a really smart guy. He was well prepared. He brought a lot to the meetings and out on the field. He has real good football intellect as far as the feel and what was going on. I'm not real surprised by what he's done. He was driven and he wanted to prove that he was pretty good. I'm happy to see that, but hopefully not Sunday.''

Hoyer even caught great Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau off guard in the first meeting with his masterful operation of the no-huddle offense in the second half of the game. Between that and almost 130 yards rushing in the second half, the Browns almost pulled off the huge upset in Heinz Field.

"He's very good at avoiding pressure,'' said LeBeau. "He's very good at keeping the play alive. He's a guy that looks to throw it when he gets one but if he's got room to run, he's smart. He knows how much he needs and he'll get it. He's a good, smart player. You can't put the numbers up that they've been putting up without a good line and a good quarterback.''

Hoyer knows he won't be able to spring the no-huddle on LeBeau this week, but will use it strategically.

"Once you put it on tape, especially a team you played very recently, they know what we're going to try to do to attack them,'' said Hoyer. "But I think there are some things we can do and use the tempo to our advantage."

Hoyer completed a 47-yard strike to Jordan Cameron in the first meeting and has completed passes of 70 and 49 yards to Taylor Gabriel, but knows he'll have to pick his spots against LeBeau's defense.

"He's going to force you to throw the ball underneath,'' said Hoyer. "They're going to be great in their zone drops and their man coverage. Their blitzes are going to be, they're going to hit the gaps the right way, and you just have to be able to willing to take a little here, take a little there.

"Then when they give you an opportunity, take advantage of it. They're so well-coached that they're rarely out of position. It can be frustrating for a quarterback. As a quarterback – in my mind at least – I want to get the ball down the field. You've just really got to be patient."

The game marks the first time in Hoyer's young career that he'll be playing an opponent for the second time -  and it's only been a little over a month since the first time.

"That game plan, I still have it in my book bag,'' said Hoyer. "It's still pretty fresh. (But) in the season opener, you come in and you're not really sure what to expect, not just with them but with ourselves with a new system, new coaching staff, new players. I think we've come a long way, and we still have a long way to go.''
 

Hoyer already has three fourth-quarter comeback victories in his first eight starts, second only  to Andrew Luck and Geno Smith, who each had four. What's more, all three of Hoyer's gamewinning drives came on the final possession -- in true Kardiac Kid fashion.

 "I just think that when you look at our offense — the guy that's running the show, Brian Hoyer — he's got a calm confidence about him and a steady hand," coach Mike Pettine said. "I think he kind of allows that personality to seep through the rest of the offense.

"No matter what the scoreboard says, I think guys on offense, we're really good at just focusing on the job that we have to do and the task at hand. I think that helps us kind of come from behind because we never press."

Hoyer, the 22nd-ranked quarterback in the NFL with a 97.6 rating will have the added burden Sunday of trying to match the production of Roethlisberger, who will be playing against a patchwork Browns defense. Roethlisberger, who passed for 365 yards on the Browns in the first meeting, is No. 7 in the NFL with a 100.7 rating. He picked on Joe Haden and Justin Gilbert -- and Haden might have to sit this one out with a hip injury. The Browns are also without Phil Taylor (knee), Billy Winn (quad) and possibly Paul Kruger (back) and Ahtyba Rubin (ankle).

"(Haden's) one of the best in the league so yeah (it makes a difference if he's out),'' said Roethlisberger. "I anticipate him playing though (because) it's a rivalry game.''
   
Cameron doesn't sense that Hoyer feels pressured to score a ton of points with the defense banged up.

"No, I think we've got guys that will step up and play and do well for our defense,'' he said. "That's what the NFL is. The backups have to come in and make plays and the offense is going to play their game and we've been having a good year offensively and we just have to keep it going.

Besides, he knows the Browns have a fearless leader now in Hoyer who has them believing they can beat anyone.

"We have a whole different mindset,'' said Cameron. "We prepared great this week and I think it's going to be a good game.''

If Hoyer continues on his upward trend, the Steelers should be concerned.

"Brian's gotten better each week,'' said offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. "He did some good things in the Pittsburgh game, did some better things in New Orleans, had his best game at that time versus Baltimore. Then, I thought he played his best this week versus Tennessee. Brian's gotten more comfortable in the offense each week. It goes underrated, any player, especially a quarterback, but any position coming off an ACL takes time. The farther he gets away from that, the more confident he gets.''

Shanahan has maintained that the Browns won't know exacty what they have in Hoyer until the end of the year.

"It's a mystery to everybody because he hasn't played a lot of games,'' he said. "If he continues to get better each week, we're going to have a pretty good quarterback when it's all said and done."

That's exactly what the Steelers are afraid of.