Kevin Love steals the show as the Cleveland Cavaliers take down the Miami Heat

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – This game was supposed to be about LeBron James facing his former team, the Miami Heat.

That might have been the highly anticipated theme coming in, but after the 53-minute preseason contest concluded, Kevin Love stole the show Saturday night, propelling the Cavaliers to an overtime victory over the Heat, 122-119, at HSBC Arena.

Love had his best outing as a member of the Cavaliers (2-0), pouring in 27 points and pulling down seven rebounds in 26 minutes. He looked comfortable and most importantly, confident with his shot selections.

This week Heat forward Chris Bosh said it would be an adjustment for Love playing alongside James. Love might have figured it out already.

The greeting everyone was waiting for finally happened. James and Bosh met at center court prior to tip and gave each other the one-handed hug. That was it. No words were exchanged. No pleasantries. It was over that fast.

It looked awkward and forced.

As for his game, James had a sluggish evening on the offensive end, converting on 2 of 8 from the field while committing three turnovers in 20 minutes of play. He wasn't trying to force anything, however. He was in the mindset of setting up teammates, and he finished with a game-high eight assists.

Dion Waiters accepted the challenge at the two-guard spot and thoroughly outplayed his counterpart Dwyane Wade. The third-year guard out of Syracuse torched the net and did it under control throughout, registering 16 points on 7-for-12, with three rebounds and three assists.

Anderson Varejao, the Brazilian native, got the fans excited with his play early on, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the first two quarters. His ovation during the starting lineup introductions eclipsed James' ovation. This was the first time he has played an NBA game in his home country, and you could tell he enjoyed every minute of it.

"It's special," Varejao said this week. "It's something that me and my family are going to remember forever. I'm truly grateful."

Fans chanted "Varejao" while he was on the bench in the second half, hoping coach David Blatt would insert him back in the game. That wasn't the case.

Tristan Thompson nearly provided a double-double, ending the night with 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench for Cleveland.

The Cavaliers played some stifling defense, eliminating the first and second options of the Heat. Miami had difficulties creating separation. Aside from James not getting off, this was a complete game for the Cavaliers.

The final score is not a true indicator of this game. Both teams played their second and third units the majority of the second half, and that's when Miami cut into the deficit to force overtime.

Bosh led the Heat (0-3) with 19 points and eight rebounds. Wade chipped in 12 points and dished out a team-high seven assists. Heat guard Mario Chalmers sat out the second half with a right hip pointer.

The first real meeting between these two teams will be on Christmas Day in Miami.

On Tuesday the Milwaukee Bucks (1-1), led by new head coach Jason Kidd, will visit the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena.

LeBron James scored 7 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers' preseason win over his old team that lacked some anticipated sizzle.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Long before each game, prior to the two teams coming out for layup drills, LeBron James likes to get onto the floor for some early shooting. Most NBA players do.

It didn't happen for James Saturday night, keeping intact the theme of James' week in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Not much happened for James here.

"For me I don't think I have personally found my rhythm, but that's kind of secondary for me right now," James said.

James' Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the Miami Heat 122-119 in overtime of a preseason game at Rio's HSBC Arena. The fizzling for James came in two parts -- his on-floor performance against his old team, and the drama that was supposed to unfold surrounding his reunion with his old team.

First, the basketball.

James was wrapping his back and knees in ice with one minute left in the third quarter, done for the night with seven points and eight assists.

With no early shooting to get a feel for the Brazilian arena, James finished 2-of-8 from the field and 3-of-7 from the foul line in about 20 minutes.

These games are 48 minutes long – this one was even longer – but his point total is notable because he has scored in double figures in 572 consecutive games (that count, not preseason games). He holds the fourth-longest streak in league history.

And yet it would be hard to say James had a bad night. Many of his assists were crisp passes to Kevin Love, who had a standout game with 25 points. James didn't make his usual impact with baskets, but the Cavaliers cruised when he was on the floor anyway despite the absence of injured Kyrie Irving.

The Cavaliers outscored the Heat by 12 when James was in -- the game tightened after benches emptied in the fourth quarter.

"For me I know in the next couple weeks I'll start to hone in as my body continues to form into regular-season-schedule shape," James said. "The thing for me is to make sure everyone else is in a groove, make sure our offense is running fluidly."

Now, for the soap opera stuff. This was James' first game against the Heat since deciding to leave South Beach in July for a return to Cleveland.

Cavaliers fans know what this is like -- seeing James in a different jersey for the first time. James knows what this is like, too. But it was a first for the Heat with James, and the awkwardness that was surrounding the reunion didn't exactly go away when the ball went up in the air.

"Well if you have to do something like this I really think it benefits both teams to get the awkwardness out of the way in the preseason," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "There was sort of a level of strangeness to it."

James said he "didn't get that awkward feeling" upon taking the floor. Some of that might have been because he wasn't out there that long.

Onlookers were waiting for the pregame chat between James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh -- promised by the Heat's former Big Three after a week of no face-to-face interaction between them in Rio.

It didn't happen.

While Wade, Bosh, and virtually every other player on both teams were out on the floor for pregame shooting – where such a powwow would've happened -- James was in the concourse getting stretched and treated by team trainers.

The reason, I'm told, was the Cavaliers' lengthy bus ride from the team hotel on Copacabana Beach to the arena threw off the schedule James like to keep before games.

So after a week of rhetoric – not heated but certainly awkward – from James, Wade, and Bosh, the only contact was the briefest of hugs and slaps (which is customary) just before tip-off.

(Note: the hugs and handshakes between James and several former Heat teammates, notably Wade, were much more sincere).

None of these things are bad, really. Sure, it was a little awkward in Rio, but the awkwardness is gone until James and the Cavaliers play the Heat for real in Miami on Dec. 25.

Otherwise, it was a quiet week for James. He wasn't seen much around Rio outside of a brief excursion or two to the beach across from the team hotel.

But through two preseason games, James is shooting 6-of-19. There is no reason to panic about this, but it was clear when the final horn sounded Saturday that it was time for James and the Cavaliers to get back to Cleveland.

That's where James can find his rhythm -- and get away from the Heat melodrama -- in time for the season's opener against the New York Knicks on Oct. 30.

"LeBron, we're not worried about him, that's for sure," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said.

This story was updated with additional information.

 

Hathaway Brown tennis players lead state qualifiers after Canton district tournament.

Hathaway Brown tennis players lead state qualifiers after Canton district tournament.

Alcides Escobar doubled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, Mike Moustakas extended his home run-binge and the Royals remained perfect in the playoffs, beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 Saturday for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup.

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Following another successful road show, the Royals are heading back to Kansas City with momentum and history on their side in the AL Championship Series.

Alcides Escobar doubled in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, Mike Moustakas extended his home run-binge and the Royals remained perfect in the playoffs, beating the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 Saturday for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven matchup.

Lorenzo Cain had four hits, scored twice and drove in a run for the wild-card Royals, who are 6-0 in the playoffs this year, including 4-0 on the road. Kansas City was 47-34 in away games during the regular season.

Moustakas homered for the fourth time in five games as the Royals won their ninth straight in the postseason, a string dating way back to the 1985 World Series.

Game 3 is Monday at Kauffman Stadium. Former Oriole Jeremy Guthrie will start for the Royals against either Wei-Yin Chen or Miguel Gonzalez.

Baltimore, which has lost two in a row at Camden Yards for the first time since June 28-29, now must buck history to earn its first pennant since 1983. No team has ever won a best-of-seven LCS after dropping the first two games at home.

After squeezing out an 8-6 win in 10 innings on Friday night, the Royals again took apart the Baltimore bullpen with a late uprising.

With the score tied at 4 in the ninth, Omar Infante beat out an infield roller off Darren O'Day, the losing pitching for the second straight day.

Zach Britton entered, and Moustakas laid down a bunt that moved pinch-runner Terrance Gore to second. Alcides then sliced an opposite-field grounder inside first base to bring home Gore.

Two batters later, Cain hit an RBI single.

For the second time in two games, Wade Davis earned the win and Greg Holland got three outs for the save.

Moustakas, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, hit a solo homer that put Kansas City up 4-3 in the fourth. Although he homered only once in the last 49 games of the regular season, Moustakas now stands tied with Willie Aiken for most homers by a Royals player in a single postseason.

Neither starter figured in the decision.

Baltimore's Bud Norris allowed four runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings. Royals rookie Yordano Ventura left in the sixth with tightness in his right shoulder after giving up four runs and six hits.

Kansas City used three straight hits, the last a two-run bloop single by Eric Hosmer, to go up 2-0 in the first inning.

In the second, three walks and a sacrifice fly by Caleb Joseph netted Baltimore a run without benefit of a hit.

The Royals made it 3-1 in the third on an RBI double by Billy Butler, but Game 1 star Alex Gordon looked at a third strike with two outs and two runners in scoring position.

For the day, Gordon struck out four times and stranded four runners in scoring position.

The Orioles tied it in their half if the third when Adam Jones hit his first career postseason homer after Alejando De Aza doubled.

Nelson Cruz had an RBI grounder in the Baltimore fifth that made it 5-all.

Baltimore loaded the bases with one out in the seventh before Steve Pearce hit a short fly to left and J.J. Hardy flied out.

Royals: Guthrie says his emotion Monday will come from competing in the playoffs, not pitching against his former team. "I think history will be put, not even on a back burner, but on some kind of ... Lazy Susan or something," said Guthrie, who's 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA in four starts against Baltimore since being traded in February 2012.

Orioles: Baltimore went 46-35 on the road this season and clinched the Division Series with a 2-1 win at Detroit.

STREAKS

Royals: Kansas City began its postseason winning streak by taking three straight from St. Louis to win the 1985 World Series. The Royals beat Oakland in the wild-card game this year, then swept the Los Angeles Angels in the ALDS.

Orioles: Cruz had his sixth consecutive multihit game, the longest streak in postseason history. The run began in 2012. Also, Joseph snapped an 0-for-33 skid with his first hit since Sept. 10.

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James is still learning the offense and getting familiar with his new teammates in Cleveland after four years with the Miami Heat.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James is still learning the offense and getting familiar with his new teammates in Cleveland after four years with the Miami Heat. 

But even after a team-bonding trip to Rio de Janeiro this week and a number of practices, James is apparently still not used to wearing a Cavaliers jersey. 

Early in the much-anticipated matchup between the Cavs and Heat, James had a mental lapse, thinking he was still playing for Miami. As Norris Cole, who shared the court with James the last three years, dribbled from the left wing, James created a roadblock for new teammate Matthew Dellavedova. It freed up Miami's Luol Deng for an open jumper, which he missed badly.

Old habits die hard, but James should have it all figured out by Christmas, the first regular-season meeting between the two teams. 

(Video will begin shortly after a commercial).

Five things we learned from Saturday afternoon's college football action.

Five things we learned from Saturday afternoon's college football action:

1. Baylor proves itself: Before Saturday, one thing missing from No. 5 Baylor's resume was a win over a ranked opponent.

You can check that off the Bears' to-do list after they rallied from a 21-point, fourth-quarter deficit to win a 61-58 shootout over TCU and improve to 6-0.

The win proves the Bears are more than just a team capable of putting up big points. Down 58-37 with 11:38 left, Baylor did not flinch and instead kicked it into gear. After Bryce Petty threw a pick-6 that allowed the Horned Frogs to build a 21-point lead, Petty came back to toss two of his six touchdown passes and the defense, helpless to stop TCU most of the game, made some stops.

Petty finished 28-for-55 for 510 yards. That kind of offensive proficiency will continue to be the hallmark of any Art Briles team.

Is that good enough in an upcoming schedule that includes road games at West Virginia and Oklahoma, plus home games against Kansas State and Oklahoma State?

That's yet to be seen. But on Saturday, Baylor proves it'll have the fight to compete.

Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, right, dives in for a touchdown as UCLA linebacker Aaron Wallace, center, misses the tackle and running back Royce Freeman looks on during the first half of a NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 11, 2014, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Mark J. Terrill

2. Marcus Mariota back at top of the Heisman race: Todd Gurley, like Jameis Winston, hasn't avoided off-the-field issues. Dak Prescott and Everett Golson couldn't avoid turnovers Saturday.

Marcus Mariota, meanwhile, was near flawless again.

He accounted for four touchdowns and had no turnovers in No. 12 Oregon's 42-30 win over No. 18 UCLA, a win that might propel Mariota back into the Heisman Trophy lead.

Mariota, who tumbled from the leaderboard after the Ducks' upset loss to Arizona, completed 17 of 27 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns and added 75 rushing yards and two more scores as the Ducks beat a ranked team on the road.

And, he added one of those "moments," picking up his own fumble and running it 33 yards for a touchdown in one of the big plays of the game.

For the year, he has 17 touchdown passes and no interceptions and has added five more rushing touchdowns for Oregon.

3. Prescott, Golson show their mettle: Neither Mississippi State's Dak Prescott nor Notre Dame's Everett Golson were perfect Saturday, but both got big wins and advanced their Heisman Trophy candidacies.

Prescott threw two interceptions, but passed for 246 yards and a touchdown and added 121 rushing yards and two more touchdowns as No. 2 Mississippi State beat No. 3 Auburn, 38-23.

Golson turned it over three times, but passed for 300 yards and three touchdowns and added 71 rushing yards as the Fighting Irish won a 50-43 shootout over North Carolina.

While neither were flawless like Mariota, both made big plays when their teams needed. And both will have their chances to make their mark again. For Golson, this week's trip to Tallahassee to take on No. 1 Florida State may define his candidacy and Notre Dame's chance at making the College Football Playoff.

For Prescott, beating Texas A&M and Auburn at home has been great, but the Bulldogs still have huge games at Alabama and Ole Miss. Can he do it on the road?

4. Oklahoma's playoff path clears: In the last two weeks, Oklahoma has looked like a flawed football team that barely dodged getting knocked out of the College Football Playoff picture.

But after surviving with a 31-26 win over Texas Saturday in a game where the Longhorns more than doubled the Sooners' total yards (482-232), OU nevertheless finished the day looking pretty good in the long haul.

Now 5-1, Oklahoma has three remaining games against ranked teams, all three at home: No. 17 Kansas State visits Norman Saturday, No. 5 Baylor goes to Memorial Stadium Nov. 8, and No. 16 Oklahoma State comes to Norman for Bedlam on Dec. 6.

Oklahoma is 89-5 in its home stadium under Bob Stoops, and the Sooners have won 10 straight at home. OU's remaining road games are at Iowa State and Texas Tech, two places where the Sooners figure to be a heavy favorite, even on the road.

5. Duke's no one-year wonder: Duke had a season of a lifetime last year, winning a school-record 10 games and the ACC's Coastal Division title.

On Saturday, the Blue Devils let it be known that they were no one-year wonder. A 31-25 win over No. 22 Georgia Tech not only broke a 10-year drought for the Blue Devils against the Yellow Jackets, but it also put Duke back in position to repeat as ACC Coastal champion.

Duke (5-1), which suffered a setback with a loss to Miami, is now 1-1 in the ACC and has Coastal Division contenders Virginia and Virginia Tech both coming to Durham. The Cavaliers (4-2, 2-0) come to Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday.

The Monsters were out-shot, 25-19, in losing to Grand Rapids in their home opener Saturday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Monsters and Grand Rapids Griffins took turns spoiling each other's home opener.

On Friday night in Grand Rapids, Mich., the Monsters won, 4-0. On Saturday night at The Q, the Griffins prevailed, 3-2, in front of 13,135 fans.

"We were sloppy early,'' Lake Erie coach Dean Chynoweth said. "Our execution was really poor. They showcased their skill level and we didn't.''

The Monsters did manage to take a 1-0 lead at 4:26 of the first period. Center Mike Sgarbossa's blast from the point caromed off a Griffin in the slot and slid into the right circle. Winger Paul Carey unleashed a one-timer to beat goalie Tom McCollum.

The Griffins answered at 6:50 when winger Mitch Callahan tipped a blast from the point by defenseman Nathan Paetsch. The goal occurred eight seconds into a power play that resulted from Andrew Agozzino's high stick.

Grand Rapids took a 2-1 lead at 16:42 of the first. A Monsters neutral-zone turnover ended on the stick of Griffins center Kevin Porter, whose wrister from in tight worked its way through the pads of goalie Calvin Pickard.

"That's the one, if you asked Picks, I'm sure he'd like to have back,'' Chynoweth said.

At 18:30, Pickard was staggered by a hard shot from defenseman Ryan Sproul. Monsters trainer Brent Woodside checked on Pickard. As tough as they come, Pickard remained in the game.

Grand Rapids out-shot Lake Erie, 14-7, in the first.

The Griffins increased their advantage to 3-1 at 1:03 of the second. Callahan won a race to the puck and carried it behind Lake Erie's cage. Callahan fed winger Teemu Pulkkinen, who put everything behind a shot from the right circle for his first.

Griffins winger Jeff Hoggan received a double minor for high-sticking at 19:06. The Monsters failed to convert in the final 54 seconds of the second, then struggled for the first 3:06 of the third.

The Monsters, given an opportunity for power-play redemption minutes later, capitalized. Agozzino, from behind the Grand Rapids cage, spotted forward Borna Rendulic at the base of the right circle. Rendulic went low to beat McCollum to make it 3-2 at 5:54.

Rendulic, a native of Zagreb, Croatia, notched his first North American pro goal. Last season, he had 11 goals and 21 assists in 57 games while playing for HPK in Finland's SM-liiga.

The Monsters applied pressure in the final minutes but were unable to legitimately threaten McCollum. Each team posted just four shots in the third period. 

"I liked our last period and a half,'' Chynoweth said. "But overall, we didn't execute.''

Pickard finished with 22 saves. On Friday, he had 37.

McCollum made 17 saves. He did not play Friday.

Take a look at how the cleveland.com Top 25 high school football teams fared on Friday and Saturday in Week 7.

Take a look at how the cleveland.com Top 25 high school football teams fared on Friday and Saturday in Week 7.

For all of the previous Brownstowns, click here. 

For all of the previous Brownstowns, click here. 

A look at how the Ohio AP Top 10 football teams fared in Week 7 of 2014 season.

A look at how the Ohio AP Top 10 football teams fared in Week 7 of 2014 season.

Madison Bumgarner pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning and the Giants combined just enough hitting with a couple of defensive flubs by St. Louis to beat the Cardinals 3-0 Saturday night in the NL Championship Series opener.

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Madison Bumgarner once again put the San Francisco Giants on the road to a playoff victory.

Bumgarner pitched shutout ball into the eighth inning and the Giants combined just enough hitting with a couple of defensive flubs by St. Louis to beat the Cardinals 3-0 Saturday night in the NL Championship Series opener.

Bumgarner set a major league postseason record with 26 2-3 consecutive scoreless innings on the road.

The left-hander, already a key part of two World Series championship teams in San Francisco, was in complete command while 20-game winner Adam Wainwright failed to last even five innings for the Cardinals.

San Francisco has won 12 of its last 13 in the postseason, including three straight to erase a 3-1 deficit in the 2012 NLCS against St. Louis.

Jake Peavy gets the Game 2 start for the Giants on Sunday night against Lance Lynn.

Bumgarner, who began the playoffs by throwing a shutout at Pittsburgh in the wild-card game, gave up four hits in 7 2-3 innings.

Bumgarner bested the mark of 23 straight postseason scoreless innings on the road set by Art Nehf of the New York Giants from 1921-24.

The Cardinals' threatened against him only in the seventh on consecutive one-out singles by Yadier Molina and Jon Jay, but Kolten Wong tapped out and pinch-hitter Tony Cruz fanned.

The Giants' bullpen finished with hitless relief as Sergio Romo got the last out in the eighth and Santiago Casilla closed for a save.

Wainwright failed for the second straight postseason start. And this time, there was no late comeback against a lefty for the Cardinals -- they twice did it against Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in the NL Division Series.

Wainwright was 20-9 during the regular season, including 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA in September with two complete games and a shutout. He's piled up a major league-high 512 2-3 innings the last two years, and perhaps the workload is finally getting to him.

The right-hander admitted before this series that his pitching elbow had bothered him during a start in the division series, but insisted he was fine.

In two October starts this year, Wainwright has permitted eight earned runs in nine innings. He's 0-4 with a 5.14 ERA in his last five postseason appearances -- he lasted 4 2-3 innings against the Giants after going just 4 1-3 innings in the NLDS opener vs. the Dodgers.

Bumgarner and the Giants silenced a sellout crowd of 47,201 in a game that began in 55-degree chill.

The Cardinals twice failed to seal the deal defensively in the Giants' two-run second.

Third baseman Matt Carpenter's fielding error with the bases loaded on Gregor Blanco's soft one-hop liner at his feet was their first error of the postseason.

Pablo Sandoval doubled to start the inning when rookie right fielder Randal Grichuk gloved the ball but couldn't hang on as he ran into the wall. Travis Ishikawa, 0 for 5 with five strikeouts and a walk against Wainwright, had an RBI single on a jam-shot bloop just over Carpenter's head in shallow left.

Wong misplayed a double-play ball at second base in the third, and Brandon Belt's sacrifice fly made it 3-0.

Giants: Getting reunited with Bruce Bochy helped the 40-year-old Peavy turn back the clock. He worked 5 2-3 scoreless innings and won the division opener against Washington, a continuation on a strong finish -- 6-4 with a 2.17 ERA -- after Boston dealt him to the Giants at the July trading deadline.

Cardinals: Lynn has been a solid No. 2 behind Wainwright, an innings-eater who has better learned to take setbacks in stride. He's won at least 15 games all three years in the rotation, and this year worked three or fewer runs in all but four of his 33 starts, and he's 27-12 career at home. "I'll still say he's probably one of the most underrated pitchers in the game," manager Mike Matheny said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Michael Morse was added to the Giants' roster in place of rookie outfielder Gary Brown, but did not play. Morse had been limited to two at-bats since Aug. 31 with a strained oblique muscle. Brown was on the division roster, but was not used.

The power running game and savvy quarterback Brian Hoyer have to find a way to make up for all the problems the Browns have on defense. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles in my Browns notebook as they prepare to face Pittsburgh:

1. I'm trying to talk myself into a way that the Browns can win this game. There are ways that can happen -- other than a deep freeze, which was how Eric Mangini's Browns beat the Steelers on a frigid December night in 2009. And yes, that was the last time they beat a Steeler team when Ben Roethlisberger was the quarterback. Pat Shurmur had a victory over the Steelers when Roethlisberger was hurt.

2. But with no freeze and no injury to Roethlisberger (18-1 vs. the Browns), how can the Browns win? It starts with the running game. They ran the ball for 191 yards in Pittsburgh in the opener. It was such a strange game. Pittsburgh led 27-3 at the half. The Browns came back to make it 27-27. And then the Steelers won on the last play of the game -- a 41-yard field goal. How many times does a team fall behind 27-3 and then tie it? And how many times does that team also rush for 191 yards? Usually, it's a big-play passing attack and a defense forcing turnovers that leads to a huge comeback. The Browns did pick off a pass (Karlos Dansby), but that was it.

3. So we can be reasonably sure the Browns can run on the Steelers, because the Browns have run on everyone so far. They rank No. 4 in rushing. The 191 yards that the Steelers gave up on the ground to the Browns was the most rushing yardage against them since 1972. And the Browns did that with Ben Tate hurt after six carries. The veteran is back and coming off a 123-yard game against Tennessee last week. That's why I was ready to pick the Browns to win earlier in the week.

4. Then the injuries. Nearly every day, another Brown on defense had a physical problem. Phil Taylor (knee surgery) and Billy Winn (quad injury) are out. Paul Kruger had a barking back and sat out a few practices. He is listed as questionable. Even if he plays, can he be effective. Same with Joe Haden, bothered by a hip injury. He's also questionable. And Ahtyba Rubin (ankle) is also questionable.

5. The Browns may be without four starters and one key reserve (Winn) on defense. And the defense has been ranked No. 31. If there was a sense that the Browns defense was improving, I'd feel better about their chances. If Haden plays, how will he cover? If not, Justin Gilbert starts and he was victimized by Pittsburgh's Markus Wheaton, who caught six passes for 97 yards. The rookie played 59 snaps in that game. In the last two games, Gilbert has played 14 and 9 snaps.

6. For all the good talk by the coaches when it comes to Gilbert, they are concerned about the rookie. It's possible that he could be replaced by Robert Nelson (an undrafted rookie) if he struggles. Another undrafted rookie (K'Waun Williams) played 53 percent of the snaps in Tennessee. He received good reviews from the coaches. Nelson was not active for the Tennessee game. He probably will be active against the Steelers.

7. Williams is most effective covering slot receivers. That's why Coach Mike Pettine said Gilbert would start if Haden is out. Gilbert was drafted No. 8 to cover those wide receivers "on the island," as scouts call it. That means very little help from the safeties. It's 1-on-1. Not much has been said about Buster Skrine, but he's another cornerback who has been struggling.

8. Listening to the Browns coaches, you can tell they have been almost shocked by the struggles of the defense. And they must be discouraged by the lack of progress. They won 29-28 at Tennessee, but the Titans scored a season-high 28 points and racked up 410 yards.

9. The Steelers are hoping that the last three games makes a difference in their run defense. They have given up a grand total of 145 yards on the ground. But they face Jacksonville, Carolina and Tampa Bay. Those are not running teams. Not like the Browns. And they don't have a offensive coordinator like Kyle Shanahan, who preaches and practices the gospel of a power running attack.

10. So I believe the Browns can get some yards on the ground against the Steelers. And I believe that Brian Hoyer has done his homework, because Hoyer always does his homework. The quarterback knows the meaning of this game. He isn't flustered when his team falls behind and the defense seems futile. He has control of the offense, and he consistently puts 20-plus points on the board.

11. But I fear it may take 30 points for the Browns to win this game, and I don't know if they can do that. Assuming Taylor, Winn and Rubin are out -- that leaves Desmond Bryant, Armonty Bryant, John Hughes and Ish Kitchen on the line. I was thinking they could use three outside linebackers to help. That would be Jabaal Sheard, Barkevious Mingo and Kruger -- but Kruger may be out.

12. Pettine talked about how outside linebacker Eric Martin played two snaps and had two "good" rushes in Tennessee. He has played four snaps this season. If Kruger is out, Martin will probably see some action.

13. Can the Browns win this game? Yes, it's very possible thanks to the offense. But will they? I doubt it, because of the defense. Prediction: Steelers 27-24. My record so far: 3-1. I hope it's 3-2 after the game.

From pennlive.com: "In sum, Penn State's 18-13 loss to Michigan was a train wreck that, just when you thought it was over, kept toppling boxcars off the track."

COLUMBUS, Ohio - On a Saturday filled with college football games of significance and drama, how two former football powers battled in Ann Arbor told you much of what you need to know about the current state of the Big Ten.

Michigan beat Penn State 18-13, in a game featuring 470 yards of total offense, not based on talent or strategy or really being that good at anything, but mostly because someone had to win and the Wolverines messed it up a bit less.

For two programs that have combined to win more than 1,700 games on the field, the bar is low at the moment. Very low. The greatest praise for Michigan came from the idea that the reeling Wolverines, with coach Brady Hoke's job status a constant topic, didn't bail on the season.

From Mlive.com's Nick Baumgardner:

That's something. But so is this. More from Baumgardner:

And here's Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press:

Remember, that's the winning team. On the other side, first-year Penn State coach James Franklin saw quarterback Christian Hackenberg seethe with frustration while absorbing six sacks. And top receiver Geno Lewis was apparently mostly benched for some unclear reason. 

Here's a must-read take from Dave Jones of pennlive.com:

So while Big 12 opponents Baylor and TCU combined for 1,267 yards in a top 10 matchup, the game that should have been the featured attraction for the Big Ten, if these programs were what they should be, included 37 percent as much offense.

Too often, the Big Ten is judged on poor offense when actually a fair share of it is good defense. The league probably plays the most consistent defense in the country as a whole. But these were two teams that legitimately couldn't get out of their own way with the ball in their hands far too often.

Both now get a week to think about it, with byes next week.

Michigan, at 3-4 and and 1-2 in the Big Ten, will get ready for a trip to Michigan State on Oct. 25.

Penn State, at 4-2 and 1-2, will ready itself to host Ohio State on Oct. 25.

In two weeks, it could become even more clear just how these two teams that should be helping to prop up the Big Ten aren't close to playing at the top of the conference.

Other Big Ten coverage

• Kick return TD saves Minnesota, as Gophers could be contenders in West

• Michigan State holds off Purdue amid more questions about putting games away

• Illinois loss to Wisconsin could forecast beginning of end for Tim Beckman

• Great QB play leads Iowa win over Indiana

Our coverage

• Buckeyes need more than Joey Bosa for a pass rush

• Who is Ohio State's defensive MVP?

LeBron James said it was 'special' reuniting with old teammates while the Heat are glad it's over.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – The most anticipated NBA preseason game in recent history has come and gone with little excitement.

In a week filled with back-and-forth chatter, similar to the week leading up to the Super Bowl, not much transpired Saturday night besides the Cavaliers picking up a preseason win over the Miami Heat in overtime, 122-119.

James faced his former team for the first time since returning to Cleveland over the summer. Being the proud franchise the Heat are, they made it clear they were moving on and focusing on themselves.

That was the message they reiterated while in South America. But some of those comments made by the Heat came off as shots toward James, though that wasn't the intent. Either way, there was some animosity entering the game. Some uneasiness.

Before the tip, James and Bosh met at center court and gave each other a brief one-handed hug. Nothing more. Nothing less. It appeared they didn't say a word to one another.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra drew up countless plays to get James open during their four-year span.

Tonight he was diagramming plays to stop him. After the game, he admitted there was a bizarre feel to this exhibition contest, but added that he's glad it's over with.

"Well, if you have to do something like this, I think it really benefits both teams to get the awkwardness out of the way in the preseason," Spoelstra said. "There was certainly a level of strangeness to it."

Bosh concurred, saying hopefully everyone can now move on.

"Of course I like that the fact that we can get everything out the way," Bosh said. "That we can just come out here in the preseason and kind of let everybody see it so we can move on...As far as him in another uniform and being on a different team, we're pretty much over that."

LeBron had a different vibe entering the game. He says it wasn't an awkward feeling at all. He was genuinely happy to be out on the floor with his old teammates.

"For me, it was a special moment to be back out there competing against my old teammates," James said. "I didn't get that awkward feeling, but a lot of memories came back with the things that we accomplished with my teammates and coaching staff that's there. So, it was definitely great to see them."

James didn't have the best game offensively, going two-for-seven from the field while committing three turnovers. But he did manage to register a game-high of eight assists in 20 minutes.

He's 6-of-19 in two preseason games, but this isn't something James is overly concerned about.

"Well, for me I don't think I personally found my rhythm but it's kind of secondary for me right now. What I gave found is my team rhythm. I know where guys are going to get shots I know how to get guys shot. For me, in the next couple of weeks I'll start to hone in on what I need to do as my body continues to form into regular season schedule-shape."

The Cavaliers and Heat will meet on Dec. 25 in Miami. It will be their first regular-season clash.

Hoyer said everyone pulled together through injury losses to help the Browns overwhelm the Steelers on Sunday. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, who knows how to hate the Steelers as much as anyone else from these parts, stopped on his way off the field to high-five, fist-bump and cheer with a bunch of fans stationed behind a "This is Hoyer Country'' sign.

"It was very cool,'' said Hoyer, who will have plenty to celebrate on his 29th birthday Monday. "To beat those guys that way feels good. The last time the Browns beat the Steelers, I was the backup quarterback for the Steelers. Knowing what the situation was playing Pittsburgh at home, I knew the crowd would be crazy. They did a great job. Even when it was 31-3, they stayed in it and they deserve it."

The victory, of course, was tempered by the loss of Pro Bowl center Alex Mack to a broken fibula, most likely for the season. The injury occurred in the second quarter and sent shockwaves through the Browns as Mack was carted off the field, raising his hand to the fans on the way off.

"It's tough,'' said Hoyer.  "Other than Joe Thomas, he's been the anchor of that offensive line for long before I got here.  You know how much it means to him.  When you see him get carted off and the whole team comes up to check on him, it shows how much he means to this offense. ...(but) that's what great teams are made of: every guy on the team being ready to play.''

Hoyer held the team together enough to score a TD on that drive -- the team's third straight TD drive in the second quarter en route to the 31-10 victory. It was the first time the Browns beat a division opponent by 20-plus points since Oct. 5, 2003, when they beat Pittsburgh, 33-13. 

"I think everybody knew exactly what needed to be done and whether it was (John) Greco going in at center and Paul (McQuistan) coming into the game, we knew with how much it means to Alex, we wanted to go out there and fight for him and I think it gave us even more motivation.''

Never mind that Greco had never before played center in an NFL game.

"Really?'' said Hoyer. "I didn't know that.''

But Hoyer, the Browns' new Kardiac Kid, has consistently shown that he's cool under duress.  He promised he'd try to win a game without giving the fans a heart attack, and he delivered.

After the three-TD second quarter that made it 21-3, the Browns broke open the game 31-3 early in the fourth, and Hoyer coasted most of the rest of the way. The Steelers tacked on a TD to produce the 31-10 final with 2:36 left, but it was too little, too late.

"It was a little boring for me at the end,'' kidded Hoyer, who watched each of the first four games come down to the final play.

Hoyer was so cool at the end that he had time to look up at the scoreboard and see that he had only attempted 17 passes all game -- and completed only eight. "That might be the fewest pass attempts I had since high school,'' said the St. Ignatius graduate.

But he sure made them count: he averaged 27 yards on his eight completions and five of eight went for 24 yards or more. Two were big passes to Jordan Cameron, one for 42 yards to set up the first Browns' first touchdown, a run by Isaiah Crowell, and a 51-yard TD strike to Cameron that made 14-3.  He also launched a 31-yarder to tight end Jim Dray to set up a field goal that pushed it 24-3 in the third.

"To be able to do that and have big chunk plays and score quickly, I felt like we were barely on the field to be honest with you,'' said Hoyer. 

"He made some big throws,'' said Browns coach Mike Pettine. "I thought the touchdown to Jordan was outstanding. I don't know if you can throw a better ball there. He handled it well. Then he handled, once we got the lead, just the huddle. That's sometimes a difficult thing because when we've had some success with the no-huddle and then to kind of slow it down and take the air out of it a little bit – he did a real good job as far as managing that, the calls and the play clock.''

Overall, Hoyer threw for 217 yards with one touchdown, no interceptions and a 113.0 rating. He improved to 6-2 as a starter for the Browns and 4-1 at home. He's thrown seven touchdown passes and only one interception for a rating 99.5, and most importantly, of course, he beat the vaunted Steelers, improving the Browns to 3-2 and 1-2 in the division.

He sent the Steelers packing at 3-3, and confirmed what they already knew: The Browns have a new sheriff at quarterback and he's a force in the AFC North.
"To get a win in the division after losing the first two is huge down the road,'' said Hoyer. "It's good and hopefully we can build off this momentum.''

Pettine couldn't contain his enthusiasm, even though he composed himself for the post-game presser.

"It's huge. I can't tell that lie,'' he said. "It's a division win, but for it to be Pittsburgh and the way we did it, it's special. I thought the crowd was great all day. I told our guys – it was part of the speech last night and today pregame – is, as I've mentioned in press conferences, we have our hand firmly on the volume control. I thought our guys did a good job of making plays and getting the fans into it. It was a special day for us and for all of Cleveland." 

The game turned on a botched field goal early in the second after the Browns had gone three-and-out twice in the first quarter for a total of minus-8 yards. Pittsburgh marched to the 17, but receiver Markus Wheaton wasn't ready for Ben Roethlisberger's third-down pass and it sputtered.

They lined up for a 35-yard field goal, but holder Brad Wing fumbled the snap and was tackled for a 15-yard loss when he tried to run with it. It marked the Steelers' second trip inside the red zone, and they had only one field goal to show for it.

Hoyer took over at his 32 and hit Miles Austin with a 17-yard strike on third down. He followed that with a 42-yard pass off a bootleg left to a wide open Cameron on the right side to the Steelers' 5. Crowell pranced in on the next play to kick off the three-TD rally on three straight drives that left the Steelers reeling.

"You're expecting to be down 6-0 and then you get the ball back and it changes the mentality,  kind of similar to last week when they go for it on fourth down (in Tennessee) and mentally you're getting ready for a certain situation and you get the ball and we go down and score,'' said Hoyer. "It was great.''

He lamented not giving Cameron a better chance on the bootleg pass.

"It's a naked so there's no one protecting you and you get a little antsy,'' said Hoyer. "I probably could've waited a second and got him a touchdown so he didn't get chased down by (Brett) Keisel.''

Cameron made up for it with the TD on the next drive, a long bomb over the middle.

"He did a great job of going up,'' said Hoyer. "It was a little bit behind him, but he ripped the ball away and ran in for the touchdown.''

Hoyer hit Taylor Gabriel in stride with a 24-yarder on the next drive, and Austin with a 12-yard pass on third down to set up Ben Tate's 8-yard TD run for the 21-3 lead. It was the first of two TDs by Tate, who rushed for 78 yards. Crowell add 77 for a total of 158 and three scores out of the two backs. The ground  attack kept Hoyer's play-action viable.

"They tried to take away the run game in our no-huddle stuff and we kind of expected that, especially with the way we played against them in the second half last time,'' Hoyer said. "(Offensive coordinator) Kyle Shanahan did a good job of scheming up a bunch of plays that could take advantage of it and really we hit most of them.''

Hoyer also got a tremendous boost from his injury-riddled and much-maligned defense. The defense, which lost Armonty Bryant to a serious knee injury and K'Waun Williams to a concussion, held Roethlisberger to three points until the final 2:36, and Buster Skrine picked him off with 2:04 left in the third on a pass tipped by John Hughes. The Browns, who had lost 20 of 22 to the Steelers, converted it into a 1-yard Tate run.

"Yeah that was huge,'' said Pettine. "We always tell our guys up front, 'If you tip a ball you have a chance to change a game.' That did for sure because they were moving it a little.''

Added Hoyer: "They were great. People want to talk about our defense—I don't have any doubt in our defense. I had to go against them all offseason long, all training camp, and we have great players over there and you talk about next man up, some guys really stepped up over there today.

"For me, this is my second year here, but I know how much it means for these players to beat Pittsburgh. They haven't had great luck against them for the past however many years. To beat those guys and the fashion we did it, feels really good."

Roethlisberger came into the game with a 18-1 dominance over the Browns, but they didn't flinch. The 24 straight points in the second half of the opener in Pittsburgh made them believe they could do it. Over the past six quarters, the Browns have outscored their opponents 50-10.

"I don't think anyone walked into this game on our team fearing playing Pittsburgh,'' said Hoyer. "What's so great about this group of guys is we don't care who gets the credit.  We just want to win the game.  I think good teams find different ways to win games.''

The folks here in Hoyer country wholeheartedly agree.

 

Watch Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed as they analyze the Cleveland Browns 31-10 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Also watch videos of Mike Pettine, Brian Hoyer and Joe Haden as they talked after the game. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio --   Brian Hoyer led the Cleveland Browns to three touchdowns in the second quarter on their way to a 31-10 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium. 

The defense came up big as they kept Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers out of the end zone until late in the fourth quarter.

It marks only the second time that the Browns had defeated Roethlisberger since he came into the league in 2004.  The Browns are now 1-2 in the division.

Pro Bowl center Alex Mack was most likely lost for the season when he broke his left leg in the second quarter.  He had started all 85 games since he was drafted in 2009 and had never missed a snap. 

Hoyer, who improved to 6-2 as a starter, completed 8 of 17 passes for 217 yards with one touchdown, no interception and a 113.0 quarterback rating.  The hometown quarterback is now 4-1 at home.

Tight end Jordan Cameron had 102 yards receiving on just three catches, including a 51-yard touchdown.

Ben Tate scored his first two touchdowns of the season rushing for 78 yards.

On defense, cornerback Buster Skrine recorded his first interception of the season and linebacker Karlos Dansby had 11 tackles with one sack.

The Browns (3-2) next travel to Jacksonville to play the winless Jaguars (0-6) Sunday.

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Greco slid over to center from his guard spot after Mack's injury; and Paul McQuistan stepped in at Greco's guard position.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When Browns guard John Greco was pressed into service against the Steelers for Alex Mack -- who broke his left fibula and is likely out for the season -- he had never played center in an NFL game.

In fact, he had never played center in any game, not even in high school or college -- just a few snaps in a preseason game a few years ago in Detroit.

"No, not one snap,'' said Greco after the Browns' 31-10 rout of the Steelers.

Fortunately, for him, quarterback Brian Hoyer was none the wiser. "Really? I didn't know that,'' said Hoyer.

Greco has snapped so well to Hoyer during practice that he even had the quarterback fooled.

"I wasn’t worried about him snapping the ball or anything,'' said Hoyer. "Usually when a center goes down, the first thing that comes to my head is, ‘Gosh, snap exchange problems.’  I’ve worked enough with John, for the past two years really, that I felt more than comfortable about that.” After Mack was carted off with his broken leg, suffered with 6:43 left in the first

half on a Isaiah Crowell run to the right, Greco shifted over from his starting right guard spot and Paul McQuistan stepped in at guard. The Browns didn't miss a beat on the drive, scoring eight plays later on an 8-yard run by Ben Tate.

"I think everybody knew exactly what needed to be done and whether it was Greco going in at center and Paul coming into the game, we knew with how much it means to Alex, we wanted to go out there and fight for him and I think it gave us even more motivation.''

Greco acknowledged it was devastating to lose Mack, the two-time Pro Bowler who was signed to a five-year deal in the offseason worth $42 million, including $26 million guaranteed. Mack had never missed a snap to the point, with the injury snapping a streak of 85 straight games and 5,279 snaps dating back to when he was drafted in 2009.

"It's big,'' said Greco. "He's one of the best players I've ever had the privilege to play next to, and when you really think about the streak of plays he's been, you take it for granted. You just kind of don't even think about it. You just expect him to play every play. The reality of the game is there's injuries. He's been able to have a tremendous streak, and it's unbelievable. We wish him a speedy recovery. But he'll be back stronger than ever. We know that. In the meantime, I'll try to fill his shoes."

Greco admitted it was daunting to step in for one of the best centers in the game. The Browns were up 14-3 at the time, and the game was of utmost importance. "It's tough,'' he said. "My mindset was don't screw this up for the team. It's hard to fill Alex Mack's shoes. The guy's one of the best centers in the league. So I was able to move over and get everybody on the same page communication-wise. Obviously, I've got a lot of work to do this week and we'll go into the next game trying to win."  

Browns coach Mike Pettine was grateful to the line for overcoming the horrible blow, which left tackle Joe Thomas emotional during and after the game. The players marveled at how Mack responded to the injury, never making a sound on the field and taking the time to raise a hands to the concerned fans to thank them for the support.

"There are no excuses on Sunday when there are injuries, so I can’t be more proud of the group and the coaches on how they handled it,'' said Pettine. "I can’t overstate how important this win was for us.”

Pettine said he'll huddle with general manager Ray Farmer to determine how to proceed. “We still have some depth there and we do have Nick McDonald whose close to coming off of (Non-Football Injury) so I’m going to get with Ray Farmer and I’m sure that’s something that we’re going to discuss tomorrow.”

Greco noted that Mack's loss will rock the line. He said he talked to Mack after the injury and that his attitude was great. "Well, it will be (crushing) just because his presence in our room is so valuable,'' he said. The guy is just so consistent. You take it for granted. There's no time to hang back and feel bad about it. You've got to move forward. He's going to be cheering us on. He's going to come back faster than anyone expects him to and he'll be back stronger than ever."

Browns defensive end Armonty Bryant suffered a possible season-ending knee injury against the Steelers and left the locker room on crutches and in a brace.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns defensive end Armonty Bryant hobbled out of the Browns locker room on crutches and wearing a big brace on his right knee after seriously injuring it with 6:59 left in the first quarter.

He could be lost for the season, as could center Alex Mack, who broke his fibula in the second quarter.

Asked if he thought it was a torn ACL, Bryant said, "I don't know yet.''

But coach Mike Pettine forecast gloom for his second-year end.

"The news isn't good on Armonty,'' said Pettine. "We don't have the definitive yet.''

As it was, Bryant was subbing for Phil Taylor, who's out several weeks with a knee injury that required a scope last week.

"I thought today was a perfect example of 'next man up' before the game even with (Ahtyba) Rubin being down and having the d-linemen step up, and then in-game – you have (John) Greco slide over to center and do a solid job. There are no excuses on Sunday when there are injuries, so I can't be more proud of the group and the coaches on how they handled it. I can't understate how important this win was for us."

Despite the loss of Bryant -- and of nickel back K'Waun Williams to a concussion in the third quarter -- the Browns held Ben Roethlisberger to a 50 percent completion percentage and a 64.4 rating. They also limited him to three points until a garbage-time touchdown with 2:36 remaining.

"They were injury-stricken this week,'' said Greco of the defense. "A lot of big guys up front, they were down. A lot of guys that haven't been active, or haven't been playing a lot of snaps were asked to step in and they did a tremendous job. They played lights out."

Unfortunately for the Browns, it might really be lights out for Bryant for awhile.

Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer averaged 12.8 yards per attempt in a 31-10 victory over the Steelers on Sunday afternoon in Cleveland. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Quarterback Brian Hoyer made all of the dropbacks for the Browns in a 31-10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon. Hoyer went 8-of-17 for 217 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked once.

Here is a capsule look at Hoyer's performance:

Three words: Hoyer The Destroyer.

The business of winning: The Browns won their second straight to improve to 3-2, all with Hoyer as the starting quarterback. Hoyer is 6-2 in his career as a starter for the Browns.

Phone numbers: Hoyer's offense, sans Josh Gordon, has amassed 15 touchdowns and seven field goals this season. Let that marinate.

The offense has scored 20-plus points in every game.

Protecting the ball: Hoyer has thrown one interception in 149 attempts this season. His offense has committed two turnovers.

Hard to believe, but true: Hoyer and the Browns routed Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers despite:

*Eight completions.

*Zero completions to their leader in receptions and yards, Andrew Hawkins.

*The loss of center Alex Mack to injury in the second quarter.

Teamwork: Hoyer played well, again -- but he received plenty of help.

*The Browns rushed 38 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns. Running backs Ben Tate (25 carries, 78 yards, two TDs) and Isaiah Crowell (11 carries, 77 yards, one TD) showed the way.

*The offensive line performed superbly. John Greco replaced Mack without a hitch and Paul McQuistan came off the bench to fill Greco's spot at right guard.

Left guard Joel Bitonio was a monster all afternoon.

*Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan called another terrific game. Shanahan vs. Steelers legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau turned into a mismatch.

Antithesis of dink and dunk: Hoyer's completions went for 17, 42, 51 (TD), 24, 12, 31, 31 and 9 yards.

In Hoyer's last seven quarters, 22 of his 27 completions have gained 9+ yards. Two of the five that haven't were touchdowns (1, 6).

Sluggish start: The Browns went three-and-out in their two possessions of the first quarter. Hoyer, who did not appear comfortable, was 0-for-2 with the sack. The Browns trailed, 3-0.

Hoyer missed with his first pass of the second quarter; Pittsburgh pressure forced a throwaway.

Locked in: In the final 43 minutes, Hoyer went 8-of-14 for 217 yards and one TD.

Of the six incomplete passes, receiver Taylor Gabriel had his hands on two, receiver Hawkins on one and tight end Jordan Cameron on one. One pass was thrown away under pressure and another was a miscommunication between Hoyer and Miles Austin.

Eight-pack of fun: Hoyer's eight completions went to five players. Here is a breakdown:

1. Second quarter, third-and-6 at Cleveland 36: Austin for 17 yards over the middle. The Browns desperately needed a conversion to avoid a third straight three-and-out, and they got it.

Austin, lined up wide left, reached high to snatch a slightly underthrown pass. The O-line gave Austin an opportunity to beat William Gay. CBS analyst Trent Green, a former NFL quarterback, credited Hoyer with "a nice touch over the defense and in front of the safety for Austin to make the catch.''

2. Second quarter, first-and-10 at Pittsburgh 47: Cameron for 42 yards on the right side. Fantastic call by Shanahan and execution by his players on the play after the completion to Austin.

Hoyer play-faked to single setback Crowell and bootlegged left. He turned at the Cleveland 44 and located a wide-open Cameron, who got behind the defense after crossing left to right. (Cameron lined up inside tight end Gary Barnidge while a third tight end, Jim Dray, lined up on the right.) Cameron waited for the pass at the 24; otherwise, he would have scored. Pittsburgh lineman Brett Keisel ran him down and pushed him down at the 5.

The Steelers were fooled on two fronts. They initially thought Crowell was rushing to the right, then thought Hoyer would attempt to connect with receiver Travis Benjamin deep on the left side. Benjamin, who had motioned from the left, ended up attracting three Steelers as he sprinted across and down the field. One of the three Steelers was safety Troy Polamalu, whom Green identified as the player who should have tracked Cameron.

Hoyer did not need to worry for long about the slightly underthrown pass potentially costing points. On the next play, Crowell scored on a run right.

3. Second quarter, third-and-1 at Cleveland 49: Cameron for a 51-yard TD over the middle. Ridiculously good throw by Hoyer.

The Browns featured three tight ends on the right side, with Barnidge in between and a foot behind Dray and Cameron. Hoyer play-faked to Tate moving right, set up and feathered the pass over the out-stretched arm of Steelers defensive back Cortez Allen. Cameron, who beat Allen cleanly on a skinny post, caught the ball at the Pittsburgh 27 and out-raced Gay. Polamalu, supposedly patrolling the middle once Barnidge came across behind the line, lost track of Cameron.

An underrated performer on the play was Barnidge. He picked off Steelers linebacker James Harrison on the left just in time to allow Hoyer to finish the throw. Harrison hit Hoyer after the ball left the hand.

4. Second quarter, first-and-10 at Cleveland 26: Gabriel for 24 yards on the left side. It came on the play after Crowell rushed for 11 yards.

Hoyer play-faked to Crowell moving left, set up and shot a pea to an open Gabriel on a crossing route in front of Allen. Hoyer shuffled a couple of feet forward to avoid the left arm of Steelers linebacker Jason Worilds, who was forced wide enough by Dray. Polamalu was no help to his team after biting on the play-action and getting turned around.

5. Second quarter, third-and-9 at Pittsburgh 30: Austin for 12 yards at right sideline.

Hoyer, facing a five-man rush, showed good anticipation, throwing the pass before Austin came out of his break. Austin beat Allen with an out-cut and slid to make the catch.

Green said: "Nice ball placement to the sideline, getting it away from the defender, low and away, so that Austin is the only one who can go get the ball ... I'm impressed with Brian Hoyer. Not only is the guy coming off an ACL -- so you're spending a lot of time on rehab -- but that time, he turned protection to where the pressure was coming from. So it was all picked up and gave him time to get rid of the ball.''

Green's last point highlighted one of many nuances at which Hoyer excels.

Tate rushed on the next four plays, the capper an 8-yard TD for a 21-3 lead.

6. Third quarter, first-and-10 at Cleveland 31: Benjamin for 31 yards at left sideline.

Hoyer play-faked to single setback Tate moving left, then to Hawkins moving right, before setting up at the Cleveland 25. Hoyer, dealing with Steelers lineman Cameron Heyward in his face, delivered a strike. Benjamin, lined up on the right, easily beat press coverage by Allen.

7. Third quarter, first-and-10 at Cleveland 44: Dray for 31 yards on left side. It came on the play after a 24-yard run by Crowell.

Hoyer play-faked to single setback Crowell moving left and rolled right. He planted at the Cleveland 34 and threw across the field. Dray adjusted to a slightly underthrown pass and snatched it in front of Steelers linebacker Sean Spence. Dray maintained his balance and rumbled for 7 yards after the catch.

Once again, Shanahan burned the Steelers with a formation that included three tight ends. Cameron was on the left; Dray and Barnidge on the right. Dray snuck open as the Steelers fell for the banana-in-the-tailpipe play action.

Green said: (Shanahan) is doing a good job of creating space for his receivers....(Shanahan and Hoyer are) getting the safeties to flow one direction. This is the third time now we've seen a throwback play, where a guy's isolated one-on-one and Hoyer's been able to make a completion.''

8. Third quarter, second-and-16 at Pittsburgh 31. Cameron for 9 yards at the right sideline. It came on the play after a 6-yard loss because of an errant pitch to Crowell.

Hoyer hung in against pressure and threw a fastball to Cameron, who dived to make a snatch-catch in front of the beleaguered Polamalu.

The possession ended in a 40-yard field goal and 24-3 advantage.

Numbers game: Roethlisberger is 1-1 against the Browns when Hoyer is the starting quarterback.

Bottom lines: Hoyer shook off a slow start to author another quality performance. He dovetailed his usual intangibles with high-impact completions. He protected the ball and never seemed rattled by LeBeau's schemes.

No question that Hoyer benefitted from an offensive coordinator on top of his game, a quality line, and a potent running attack. But the QB is in charge. Hoyer's offense hummed most of the afternoon and scored 31 in a beat-down of the Steelers.

Hoyer's overall grade: A

The Browns kept a lid on Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers' offense all day in a 31-10 win.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Browns safety Donte Whitner stood up in the defensive backs meeting room Thursday, looked at members of a maligned secondary and asked one question.

“(He said,) ‘Are you tired of everyone saying what they are saying?’’ teammate Tashaun Gipson recalled.

Whitner was referencing the unflattering critiques of the Browns’ defense from the press and fans. Coach Mike Pettine said earlier in the week his defenders were getting “pissed off” with the criticism, but that it fell to them to silence it.

Quiet never sounded so good as it did Sunday.

The defense delivered its most complete performance of season in the Browns’ 31-10 win over the Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium. Despite entering play banged up and shorthanded, the Browns ended Ben Roethlisberger’s eight-game winning streak against them and limited the Steelers to a field goal until the final meaningless minutes.

“It was a long time coming,” Browns cornerback Joe Haden said. “For us to finally put a whole game together, it was great. We’ve been doing well in certain parts of games and in certain halves, but we just wanted to come out here and get an identity for our defense of what we wanted to be, and I think everybody just did a really good job making tackles, making plays, and staying into the game, for the entire game.”

It was gritty effort from a defense that lost two more players, end Armonty Bryant (knee) and corner K’Waun Williams (concussion), to injury. Haden played despite a hip problem. Outside linebacker Paul Kruger required an epidural to ease the pain in his back.

"Friday I felt I could move enough to get on the field," said Kruger who suffered the injury in practice. "The training staff did an awesome job getting me ready."

The Browns, ranked next-to-last in total defense, got contributions from many precincts.

Buster Skrine registered an interception and broke up four passes. Williams defensed two others before leaving with his head injury. Karlos Dansby recorded 11 tackles including a sack. Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, replacing an injured Phil Taylor, added six tackles.

“We had so many injuries across the board; it’s hard to believe we could beat a college team today,” said Browns left tackle Joe Thomas, who was effusive in his praise of the defense. “The guys that came in there and stepped up played like pro bowlers, every single one of them.”

The Steelers managed 359 yards, but the total was deceiving. After building a 21-3 lead, the Browns yielded yards, but eliminated the chunk plays that had victimized them.

In the first four games, opponents combined for 15 plays or 25 or more yards. On Sunday, the Steelers produced only one – a 26-yard pass to Lance Moore. The Browns streamlined their game plan and didn’t call nearly as many blitzes, which had left their secondary vulnerable to big plays.

“I was joking with (defensive coordinator) Jimmy (O’Neil) that his call sheet could have been on the back of a business card,” Pettine said.

The Steelers ran the ball successfully in the first quarter. The rush defense has been problematic, but the Browns limited Pittsburgh to a pair of field-goal attempts on the opening possessions with the second being botched.

The defense grew in confidence with each series on an afternoon the Steelers went 6-of-16 on third downs. Roethlisberger finished 21-of-42 for 228 yards and a touchdown, but didn’t resemble a quarterback who arrived in Cleveland with an 18-1 career mark against the Browns.

His passer rating was a Weeden-esque 64.4.

“If you look at the stat sheet, barring the last two drives, this is a pretty bad shutout,” Gipson said. “That’s a good quarterback. Nobody can say Ben Roethlisberger is not a top-10 quarterback. For us to go out there and play like that against him was huge for our confidence.”

Don't look now but the Browns defense has allowed just 10 points in the last six quarters. They're starting to quiet opponents -- and their critics.