Johnny Manziel plans to erase any doubt in coach Mike Pettine's mind the next time he gets his opportunity to play for the Cleveland Browns. He got a taste of the field and it left him wanting more.

BEREA, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel got a taste of the field last week in Buffalo and loved it. Loved the roar of the crowd, the smell of the turf, the feel of diving into the end zone and rubbing those fingers together in the money sign for the first time after his touchdown.

Understandably, he wanted more. He is Johnny Football afterall, not Johnny Backup.
But the Manziel era in Cleveland Browns football will have to wait -- at least another week -- now that coach Mike Pettine has declared Brian Hoyer the starter for Sunday's game against the 8-4 Colts.

"Obviously, that's a decision that's made by coach Pettine and this week his answer was, 'no,''' said Manziel. "Moving forward, whatever transpires, maybe next time the answer will be, 'yes.'''

Did he think he was going to be man after Pettine told the world the door was definitely open for a quarterback change?

 "No, I didn't' have a feeling either way,'' said Manziel. "I felt like I came out and did what I was supposed to do and be prepared and come into the game and be on the field and be competitive. That's what I wanted to do and I want to show through practice even after this that my mood hasn't changed and I'm not taking this lightly.

"All this is going to do is motivate me to come in here to work every day, come to practice and continue to elevate my game to where next time where there's a situation like this that there's maybe no doubt."

Pettine broke the news to Manziel and Hoyer Wednesday morning in separate meetings.

"He called me in and kind of sat down and explained why and I was very understanding of that,'' said Manziel. "But I think I obviously came out last week and showed that I can come out and play a little bit and we had one successful drive and one that based off a bonehead play by me, one play kind of killed it, so some good things and some bad things taken away from last week and I think he just kind of re-iterated that.''

Manziel, who engineered an 80-yard TD drive capped by his own dive into the end zone from 10 yards out for the Browns' only TD in the 26-10 loss, admitted it was a blow. Afterall, he had friends in high places such as LeBron James championing his debut on twitter.

"Anytime you get a chance to go in like I did last week and then not get the nod the next, sure, I think just being competitive there's a little bit of disappointment,'' he said. "But at the same time I completely trust coach Pettine with this team and I think he's put us in the right situation moving forward consistently. And I think in his mind that's what he did this week so I trust coach Pettine and I'm back to doing my job like I've been doing in the last 14 weeks.''

Manziel was glad that he made Pettine wrestle with the decision for a couple of days. It means he's moving closer to the field, closer to becoming the Browns quarterback of the future.

 "Hopefully, it was tough on them,'' Manziel said. "Obviously, he's a head coach, he's able to handle situations like that so hopefully I did make it hard on them and hopefully those guys see that when I come in here I'm very serious about this game and very serious about this team and more than anything, I want to win and that was a big disappointment obviously from Sunday and moving forward. But whatever and whoever puts us in the best position to win week after week, I trust coach Pettine with the decision and that's all anybody in this locker room wants."

Manziel has patiently waited his turn the past nine weeks, not seeing the field since Sept. 21 against the Ravens. But once he got the cleats a little scuffed and grass stain back on the jersey, he got the itch again.

"You know, it was fun,'' he said. "You come off the field last Sunday and you have kind of a new sense. It was my first snaps really in an NFL game, kind of getting the offense handed to me for those few drives and getting a chance to score my first touchdown in the NFL and that's a big deal for anyone coming into the league.

"I was extremely excited, but at the same time, once we moved on from that, we watched the film and put it behind us, and (I got) ready for the next week. And even though the past couple of days we obviously didn't know what was going to happen, you still prepare like you might be the starter.''

Manziel's scintillating 80-yard drive -- albeit against the Bills' late-game prevent defense -- had the coaches kicking around the Johnny Package a lot more these past two days. Even coach Chuck Pagano is bracing himself for it.

"He's a playmaker,'' Pagano said on a conference call. "He obviously went in and orchestrated a touchdown drive. (He's) one of the best improvisers in the game when he gets out there. We've seen it throughout his collegiate career. The guy can create, and we will play accordingly.

"We're planning on seeing him. We'll hopefully have a good enough plan in place to handle the situation if it comes up. He's got playmaking ability. He can throw the ball. He can run the ball. He can extend plays, and he can create. He's a dynamic, dynamic football player."
 
Hoyer had gone 1-for-9 in the red zone before in two games before Manziel hurled himself over the goal line.

"I need to continue to prepare like I have every week and now maybe even overly prepare a little bit now that I actually did get a chance to go in and broke the ice of sitting like I had for the first weeks of the season,'' he said. "So (it's) just continuing to stay ready and if I get thrown in there again, just be ready to come out and perform and have some success hopefully.''

He acknowledged that he's a victim of the rookies blues, where first-year quarterbacks tend to struggle and make tons of mistakes. Even Joe Thomas alluded to it Wednesday.

"When you start throwing guys out there and seeing what they can do, the message is, 'we're already playing for next year,''' Thomas said. "(It's) 'we don't think necessarily that we can get to the playoffs this year anymore.'''

Acknowledged Manziel: "I think that's part of it. I think you look around the league week after week and year after year and it continues with these rookies getting adjusted by making mistakes. I learned a little lesson obviously on Sunday and hopefully won't make the same mistake going forward.''

Coming so close to being named the starter didn't necessarily make Manziel feel there's light at the end of the tunnel, but "I see myself progressing as the year goes on and I feel like I'm seeing things a lot better. I'm getting used to the terminology and it's beginning to come kind of second nature. More than anything, I'm most excited about that.''

He also expects Hoyer to bounce back from his two-interception game in Buffalo.

"Obviously you can't tell how someone's going to play until the game actually comes, so we'll see on Sunday, but I know Brian's going to prepare this week like a pro.''

If not, Manziel will be ready to step in and do his Johnny Football thing.

The 28th Mr. Football award in Ohio is Joe Burrows of Athens.

The 28th Mr. Football award in Ohio is Joe Burrows of Athens.

A look at all the football players who made All-Ohio in Division VII.

A look at all the football players who made All-Ohio in Division VII.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer said "I want to see this through.'' He's led the Browns to a 7-5 mark and wants a chance to take them to the playoffs.

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer has been down this road before. He's been staving off that rolling ball of thunder known as Johnny Manziel since the day Manziel was drafted No. 22 overall.

"I always have a fire lit and anytime someone questions you, you want to go out and prove them wrong,'' said Hoyer. "I'm sure there have been people questioning me all along, not just this week, through the entire season. That's something that I've always had a chip on my shoulder. I don't want to say it adds something else. I've always had it."

Hoyer, who was named the starter for Sunday's home game against the 8-4 Colts, acknowledged times have been tense since he was benched with 12:01 remaining in last Sunday's 26-10 loss to the Bills.

"They weren't the easiest days of my life, that's for sure,'' he said. "I've been through a lot, and it's just one more thing to handle some adversity. It only makes you stronger. Like I said, back here on Wednesday and getting ready for Indy and back to business as usual."

Hoyer heads into the Indy game knowing that his teammates were a big reason Pettine was reluctant to turn the team over to Manziel. Key players, including seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas backed Hoyer enthusiastically.

"Yeah, I think the biggest thing for me is – a quarterback in this league and on this team – I think for everything I've gone through this year, you want to go out and earn your teammates' respect,'' he said. "For him to say that – he mentioned something to me about it – to know that your teammates stand up on the table for you and respect you, that means the world to me.

"To work so hard to get to where we're at, I want to see this thing through. I want to finish this strong and not just for myself but for the guys in here that I've worked with, blood sweat and tears for however many months. To know that those guys stood up for me means a lot."

Hoyer, who's guided the Browns to a 7-5 this season and into playoff contention, knows that Manziel has a loyal and vocal fan base and that they won't be patient with him Sunday.

"I've been booed earlier this year,'' he said. "It's not something that I haven't dealt with before."

 Getting call into Pettine's offense reminded Hoyer of what it was like in camp when he beat out Manziel for the starting job.

"We both joked, 'This is like déjà vu kind of,''' Hoyer said. "He just said he's sticking with me, and everything else is a private conversation between he and I."

Hoyer isn't viewing the nod as a referendum to get the Browns into the playoffs.

"No, that was our challenge from the very first day, and that's been our goal,'' he said. "It's still attainable, and we've got to just do what it takes to finish the job, really. Coach, he makes decisions based on what's best for the team in his opinion. I respect his decision to do that, and then go through the process. Obviously, like I said, it's good to be back to normal and back to practicing and preparing for the game this week."

More on Hoyer after our live Browns Insider show at 7:30 p.m. on cleveland.com.

Miles Austin and Gary Barnidge have made their share of big receptions for Brian Hoyer.

BEREA, Ohio – After ending the suspense on who will play quarterback against the Colts, the Browns must figure out what healthy receivers and tight ends to target Sunday.

You know, besides Josh Gordon.

Embattled quarterback Brian Hoyer returns to the starting lineup minus two pass catchers who have supplied some of the season's biggest receptions. The club placed receiver Miles Austin on injured reserve with a kidney injury Wednesday and is likely to face the Colts without tight end Gary Barnidge due to a rib injury.

It comes at a time when Hoyer, who spread the ball to an array of targets early in the season, is growing more reliant on Gordon, who returned to the lineup after serving a 10-game drug ban. There's nothing wrong with making a 6-foot-3 All Pro your favorite target. But can the offense become overdependent on Gordon?

In the past two games, 29 of Hoyer's 70 passes have been intended for the wideout who led the NFL in receiving yards last season. 

"We're definitely working to get better, especially with Miles not being able to play," Hoyer said. "Josh becomes an even bigger option."

The losses of Barnidge and Austin are serious developments for an offense that's been inconsistent since the Oct. 12 loss of center Alex Mack to a broken leg.

Coach Mike Pettine wouldn't confirm a report that Barnidge, who rode a stationary bike Wednesday at practice, suffered broken ribs in the 26-10 loss to Buffalo. He's made just 13 catches this season, but each seems to be more clutch than the last.

Austin also has made his share of big grabs with 34 of 47 carrying for first downs. He spent his fourth straight day in a Buffalo hospital with what teammate Karlos Dansby was told is lacerated kidney. The club said the veteran was expected to be released from Erie County Medical Center on Wednesday night.

Teammates including Hoyer, Dansby and receiver Taylor Gabriel have called and texted Austin, who likely suffered the injury in the fourth quarter.

"I think I'm calling him too much," Gabriel said. "I think I'm starting to get on his nerves."

The rookie wideout said Austin has been talking to him about route running and setting up his defender. Gabriel figures to regain a more prominent role he lost with the return of Gordon to the lineup. He's been targeted just twice in the past two games after making 29 catches for 527 yards in the first 10 games.

"Everything is a learning experience," Gabriel said.

Hoyer is enduring one with Gordon, whose wrong routes have contributed to two of the quarterback's five interceptions in the last two games. Despite catching 15 passes for 195 yards, Gordon and Hoyer are still developing a sense of cohesion and timing.

"We definitely have to get better in sync," Hoyer said. "We stay after practice and talk through things and we're trying to work through it. It's tough when you're not around for 10 weeks. You can't put that all on Josh. It's a tough situation."

That also describes Hoyer's depleted pass-catching corps.

Pro Bowl tight end Jordon Cameron (concussion) practiced Wednesday on a limited basis, but there's no guarantee he won't miss his sixth straight game. The Browns (7-5) enter a must-win game against the Colts with Jim Dray and Ryan Taylor as their top two tight ends.

Dansby has missed the past two games with a knee sprain after not missing a game the previous three seasons.

BEREA, Ohio – Karlos Dansby says he's running, cutting and planting on his sprained left knee.

Thursday appears to be a crucial practice, however, if he hopes to return from an injury that's sidelined him for the past two games.

The inside linebacker practiced for the first time Wednesday since sustaining his knee sprain against the Texans on Nov. 16. He participated on a limited basis while hinting he'd push himself a harder Thursday while wearing pads.

"If my body tells me it's a go, it's a go," Dansby said of potentially playing Sunday against the Colts. "There's tests I definitely have to pass and the coaches trust me and they believe in what I've got going on and how I'm taking care of my body. So it's on me."

The Browns initially thought Dansby, who had played every game the past three seasons, would miss at least a month. He's been one of the defense's top performers and makes all the calls for the unit.

Safety Jim Leonhard said Dansby's potential return would supply a big boost.

"Obviously it would be huge," Leonhard said. "He's a big-time leader on this defense and his experience and everything he brings from the leadership side would be huge."

Running-back roulette

Rookie Terrance West might go from doghouse to the starting lineup again. The halfback could see extended time Sunday if Isaiah Crowell cannot play due to a hip injury.

Crowell sat out practice Wednesday, riding a stationary bike. West, meanwhile, led a running-back group that includes fellow rookie Glenn Winston and newly acquired Shaun Draughn.

Coach Mike Pettine called West's fumble against the Bills – one returned for an 18-yard touchdown – "inexcusable" and said he's been careless with the ball. The Towson product also had a second-quarter fumble overturned by video review.

"We're going to challenge Terrance," Pettine said. "He's got to go out and have his best week of practice."

Ohio State quarterback commit Joe Burrow of The Plains Athens won Ohio's Mr. Football Award on Wednesday night.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two weeks ago, after The Plains Athens earned a spot in the state semifinals, quarterback Joe Burrow was read off a list of accomplishments, both his and those of his team, and asked if that was enough for him to lock up Ohio's Mr. Football.

"I hope so," Burrow said.

Hope no more.

Burrow was named Mr. Football on Wednesday night, marking the second straight year an Ohio State commit has won the award. Buckeyes freshman linebacker Dante Booker of St. Vincent-St. Mary won the award last year.

Burrow, who is committed to Ohio State's 2015 recruiting class, has completed 223 of 301 passes for 3,967 yards, 57 touchdowns and one interception. He'll lead Athens into Thursday night's OHSAA Division III state championship game against Toledo Central Catholic.

It will be Burrow's first game in Ohio Stadium. Athens is 14 points away from breaking the state record for points in a season.

Burrow and Booker are the first Ohio State recruits to be back-to-back Mr. Football winners since Andy Katzenmoyer and Derek Combs won the award in 1995-96. In total, 11 future Buckeyes have won the award, including running back Robert Smith who is one of only two people to win the award twice.

Cleveland.com spoke with Burrow after Athens' win over Columbus St. Francis DeSales in the regional finals. Burrow scored seven touchdowns in that game, flashing a Joey Bosa-style shrug after catching his own touchdown pass.

After the game, Burrow said he and Buckeyes co-offensive coordinator Tom Herman talk almost weekly.

He also said he's looking forward to playing with fellow Ohio State 2015 quarterback commit Torrance Gibson.

"It's always great to have an athlete like that on the team," Burrow said. "If I want to be the best, I have to beat out the best. Competition is great for me."

Kirtland football player Matthew Finkler was named the Division VI All-Ohio Football defensive player of the year.

Kirtland football player Matthew Finkler was named the Division VI All-Ohio Football defensive player of the year.

Cleveland State rallied late but couldn't catch the Toledo Rockets.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Toledo Rockets and Cleveland State Vikings put on a turnover festival Wednesday at the Wolstein Center, which the Rockets survived with a misleadingly easy 59-54 victory.

The Rockets (3-4), preseason favorites to win the Mid-American Conference, entered the game on a two-game skid to Horizon League members Detroit and Oakland by a combined five points. But UT built leads as high as 18 points, despite 16 turnovers, before a furious last-minute rally by CSU (3-4) made the score much closer at the end.

CSU guard Trey Lewis led the Vikings with 21 points while J.D. Weatherspoon paced Toledo with 16.

"We're playing too good of defense for this to happen,'' CSU head coach Gary Waters said after holding UT to 39.6 percent shooting. "We've got to be able to score the basketball. We're playing three guards so it should be easier."

This looked to be a battle of the backcourts, particularly with the Vikings getting senior point guard Charlie Lee back from a six-game suspension to start the season. But that was not the case early as the Rockets built a 7-5 lead behind a pair of tip-ins at the rim.

The lead grew to 18-8 as the Rockets hit a 3-pointer and a pair of driving layups -- one drawing a second foul on post man Anton Grady -- that forced Waters to call an early timeout with the Vikings 3-of-13 from the field to 7-of-14 for Toledo with 11:37 to play.

Grady would only play 15 minutes with seven points and that takes a big chunk of offense away from Waters and the Vikings.

"Every time that happens it kills us,'' Waters said of Grady's foul issues. "We've got to keep him on the floor. We've got to have his points."

By the last media break of the opening half, Toledo still held the upper hand, albeit just 24-12, as the Vikings shot 5-of-23. The Rockets, despite shooting 9-of-23, led at the half, 28-15.

Toledo outscored CSU, 8-3, to start the second half, including a four-point play by Juice Brown that got a third foul on Grady, making it 36-18 Toledo with 18:02 to play. But then the Rockets started turning the ball over.

"I thought we became casual there,'' Toledo head coach Todd Kowalczyk said.

Cleveland State closed the gap to 37-26, but the Vikings had a flurry of turnovers that led to a 44-26 lead for the Rockets with 13:05 on the clock, and Grady was now sitting with foul No. 4.

The Vikings still trailed, 52-40, with 59 seconds to play when the game suddenly got tight, quick. A 14-5 run fueled by 3-pointers and missed Toledo free throws cut the Rockets lead to 57-54 with 10 seconds to play. But a pair of UT free throws, followed by a blocked Lewis 3-pointer closed out the game.

"I'm really happy with the win,'' Kowalczyk said. "Our defense from start to finish was really good."

Mary Kay Cabot, Branson Wright and Dan Labbe talk about the quarterback situation and more on our Wednesday night show.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Brian Hoyer remained the Browns' starting quarterback on Wednesday. That was the main topic of discussion on Wednesday night's Browns Insider show.

Cleveland.com's Dan Labbe and Mary Kay Cabot were joined by The Plain Dealer's Branson Wright to talk about the quarterback situation and take a look ahead at the Indianapolis Colts.

Topics discussed include:

• Does picking Hoyer say anything about if Manziel is ready?
• How will Hoyer respond if the crowd turns on him on Sunday?
• What impact will the injury to Miles Austin have?
• How will the Browns slow down the Colts?

Join us every Wednesday night at 7:30 to watch the show live at cleveland.com/browns.

"You wonder why. You have those little talks with God and say, 'Why now?' But you never know. You take it for what is," Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett said about his season-ending injury.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — J.T. Barrett's first thought was to stand up. Then he took one look at his right ankle and decided that wasn't a good idea.

That's when the internal conversation started. As trainers worked on the fractured ankle of the Ohio State quarterback, Barrett began asking himself questions.

"You wonder why," Barrett said Wednesday. "You have those little talks with God and say, 'Why now?' But you never know. You take it for what is."

Laying on his back near the north end zone of Ohio Stadium, early in the fourth quarter of what eventually became a Buckeyes' win over Michigan, Barrett, maybe for a split second, allowed a moment of self-pity. But that was all. There was still game left to be played and Barrett wanted to watch.

He got X-rays — the diagnosis confirming the Buckeyes' worst fears, Barrett was done for the season — then took a seat in the stands near the team tunnel to watch the end of the game.

View full sizeOhio State Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett (16) earlier was carted off the field and returned to watch the game in the stands in the fourth quarter against Michigan.Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer

"I see everybody stopped watching the game," Barrett said. "Everybody turning around to look at me and I'm like, 'I'm just trying to watch the game like y'all.'" 

Barrett had surgery to repair his fractured ankle on Sunday. Sitting on the turf field inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Wednesday with his right leg raised on a chair, Barrett reflected on his breakout season, and what now-starting quarterback Cardale Jones needs to do to lead Ohio State to a victory in Saturday's Big Ten Championship against Wisconsin.

The cast on his right leg will be there for six weeks. After that he'll use a walking boot for four weeks. Then "aggressive rehab" as Barrett described it. Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer said he expects Barrett to be ready, but limited, for spring practice.

During the brief time spent in the hospital with family and friends, Barrett said he didn't think much about the injury. He did notice the outpouring of support, though. As the starting quarterback at Ohio State, Barrett realized quickly that people start paying attention to you. He was feeling pretty good about the 20,000 Instagram followers he picked up throughout the year.

When he checked his phone on Wednesday, he had 39,000. One of them a young boy who posted a prayer for Barrett on his account.

Support keeps coming from everywhere. Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, who came over and shared a moment with Barrett on the field on Saturday, has kept in touch.

"He just told me to stay up," Barrett said. "Says he's praying for me. I've been talking to him the past couple days. He's a cool dude."

View full sizeOhio State quarterback J.T. Barrett talks to the media on Wednesday at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Bill Landis, cleveland.com 

Barrett seemed ready to move on from the injury on Wednesday. He'll have a few months still to think about, then rehab to get back on the field, but even though he can't play, he seemed mostly focused on the task at hand.

Ohio State is in this position largely because Barrett made strides from an overwhelmed redshirt freshman who lost his first start in Ohio Stadium, to a Heisman Trophy candidate who heard his name ring throughout The Horsehoe has he was carted off the field against Michigan. He was named the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year on Tuesday.

Barrett has been praised for his leadership all season. He won't be able to lead on the field now, but he's finding other ways to stay involved. He's given some advice to Jones, and he'll offer more as the gameday creeps closer.

He gave a speech to his teammates after the Michigan game, already knowing his season was over. And he had one more piece of advice for them before Saturday.

"Know that it's a championship, but don't take it too crazy," Barrett said. "It's definitely a big game, but don't make it so much that it's overwhelming. Still prepare like every other game. It's done well for us these last couple weeks."

Jeff Fox's coaching career, much like his athletic career, has been defined by his ability to recognize and take advantage of the opportunities presented to him.

Jeff Fox's coaching career, much like his athletic career, has been defined by his ability to recognize and take advantage of the opportunities presented to him.

There has been a major decline in deer hunting success during this week's Ohio gun season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – There has been a major decline in deer hunting success during this week's Ohio gun season. While the experts at the Ohio Division of Wildlife expected a mild slump, the harvest has been far less than predicted.

New restrictions on antlerless deer tags and county bag limits put in place this year were designed to cut back on the deer harvest and help to balance the deer population around the Buckeye State. Wildlife officials expected the rules would to make it a little more difficult for hunters to tag a buck or doe, but new management plans may have worked too well.

In the first three days of hunting during the seven-day deer gun season, hunters killed 37,382 deer, including 17,512 during Monday's opener. Unless there is a surprising rush of sportsmen to the deer woods this weekend, the forecasted harvest of 70,000 deer during the gun season won't be met.

The forecast of 185,000 being deer killed in Ohio throughout all of the various deer hunting seasons could also fall short.

"We've been above our Ohio target levels for deer for so long, it's no surprise," said ODOW Information Officer Jamey Emmert. "It doesn't make hunters happy in some cases, but we're trying to find an ecological balance and a balance with humans, too. It's not a perfect world."

ODOW deer biologist Clint McCoy expected the season harvest to fall from a high of 261,260 in 2009-2010 and 191,459 a year ago to about 185,000 deer this season. With the lack of hunter success so far, that estimate seems optimistic.

Archery hunters checked 69,648 deer before the gun season began, a 14 percent decline. The overall deer kill through Wednesday, including the archery, youth and early black powder seasons, was 113,093 deer. That is 9 percent below a year ago, when hunters had already bagged 124,290 deer.

Deer hunting accidents: Ohio wildlife officials have reported only two hunting accidents this week, both in Muskingum County. Adam Shinn, 26, of Adamsville was accidentally shot and killed on Monday by a member of his hunting party while hunting deer on his parents' property. On Wednesday, a hunter was shot through the lower leg and taken to a local hospital.

Walleye celebration: The successful Fall Brawl Walleye Derby awards party on Friday (Dec. 5) from 6-9 p.m. is open to all anglers at the Elmwood Park Cabin, 600 Elmwood Rd., Rocky River. Nicholas Zart, 17, of Brunswick won the derby and $5,000 with a 13.84-pound Lake Erie walleye caught off Huron. Right behind were Jeff Workman (11.865 pounds) and Tyler Ish (11.655 pounds).

Hard water fishing: Angling expert Carl Bachtel is hosting the Ice Fishing with Carl seminar on Dec. 14 at Kulis Freeze Dry Bait and Tackle, 725 Broadway, Ave., Bedford. Sign up at Kulis Freeze Dry Taxidermy for the 11 a.m. session on catching perch, walleye and panfish through the ice with Bachtel, a pro staff member of Bass Pro Shops and Clam Outdoors. The clinic benefits the Akron-Canton Food Bank.

Bachtel is again hosting the Ice Out Hunger Fishing Tournament at Wingfoot Lake in Suffield on Jan. 31.

Fly tying lessons: Chagrin River Outfitters in Chagrin Falls has a trio of Tuesday classes on Intro to Fly tying starting Jan. 20, and Tying Streamers on Thursday nights starting Jan. 22. The 6-8 p.m. classes are $75 and limited to eight students. Call 440-247-7110 to reserve a seat vise. Students will need their own fly-tying vise, tools and thread.

Duck stamp jumps to $25: Congress has again passed hunter-supported legislation to raise the cost of a federal duck hunting stamp from $15 to $25 for stamps sold for the 2015-16 hunting season, the first hike since 1991. All waterfowl hunters 16 and over must buy the federal stamp each year.

Hamamjian on fly-tying: Noted Rocky River fly tier Ara Hamamjian is again holding his winter Art of Fly Tying classes at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The Wednesday classes are 7-9 p.m. from Jan. 7-Feb. 11. Cost is $120, $140 for non-members of the museum. Register at cmnh.org or call 216-231-4600 (Ext. 3214).

"Everybody's body is a little banged up," Crowell said. "[I'm] trying to get a little rest to ease up off of it, but I'll be ready for Sunday."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Isaiah Crowell doesn't plan to watch Sunday's tilt from the sideline.

A hip injury has limited the running back in practice this week, but Crowell doesn't see it shelving him on Sunday.

"Everybody's body is a little banged up," Crowell said. "[I'm] trying to get a little rest to ease up off of it, but I'll be ready for Sunday."

Terrance West would stand to receive the brunt of the backfield workload should Crowell be unable to go. Glenn Winston has also earned an increase in practice reps this week, and the Browns signed Shaun Draughn this week as insurance.

Alas, Crowell contends he won't miss any time.

"It was nothing major," he said.

Crowell rushed 12 times for 88 yards and two touchdowns against Atlanta on Nov. 23, but he gained only 29 yards on 17 carries last week. West carried the ball seven times for 32 yards last week, but also lost a fumble.

"We're expecting (West) to bounce back," said offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan. "We're counting on him to. This is a big game for us. We're fighting for our lives to get in the playoffs. Terrance had a tough week last week turning the ball over, but we need him. We're depending on him. He's got to bounce back. He's got to run hard. He's got to hold onto the ball."

Deep breaths: Gary Barnidge inhaled. Then he exhaled. Then he flashed a smile.

He passed the test. No pain.

Barnidge took a helmet to the ribs last Sunday against the Bills. His status for this week's affair against Indianapolis is up in the air, but he proved to reporters on Thursday that he has no trouble breathing, which wasn't the case after he took the shot to his midsection.

"It was tough to breathe at first, but I've had the wind knocked out of me before," Barnidge said.

The tight end said that if he does play on Sunday, he'll wear protective gear to shield the affected area. Whether he sees the field, however, depends on a decision that will be reached by the coaching staff.

"It's up to the coaches," Barnidge said. "It's their opinion. I trust whatever they decide."

Head coach Mike Pettine said he's "cautiously optimistic" that tight end Jordan Cameron can play on Sunday. Cameron has been sidelined since late October with a concussion.

Center of the universe: There might be another change at center for the Browns and this time, it might have nothing to do with injuries.

Nick McDonald's grip on the starting gig has loosened, and the Browns have yet to decide if it will be him snapping to Brian Hoyer on Sunday or Ryan Seymour, who would become the team's fourth starting center this season.

"To me, it's similar to the quarterback situation, just a little less of a glamor position," Pettine said. "It's competition. You go with the guy who gives you the best chance to win. This is no different."

Seymour saw his first NFL game action last week when McDonald suffered an ankle injury early in the loss to Buffalo. Seymour played the rest of the game.

"I think last week I learned a lot," Seymour said Thursday. "Needless to say, I made a few mistakes, but I took what I saw on film and tried to put it toward this week and correct those mistakes. You just try to prepare every game like you're starting, even if you're not."

When Alex Mack suffered a broken leg in October, John Greco slid over from right guard to replace him. McDonald eventually assumed the center position and Greco returned to guard. Now, it could be Seymour's turn.

Said McDonald: "Whoever is running out there and starting on Sunday has to play hard and have high expectations."

Cream of the crop: Defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil called Joe Haden the best cornerback in football on Thursday. That compliment resonated with the fifth-year pro.

"Playing corner, you're out there on an island, especially with me," Haden said. "I'm out there by myself just trying to hold down the No. 1 receiver. The coaches know how hard my job is, and as long as I get the love from them and the people in the locker room that really know what I'm doing and how hard my job really is, that's all that matters.

"During the beginning [of the season], when I wasn't making the plays I felt like I could, they had my back, and they knew they'd seen me do it before and this was going to come. I was going to keep playing, making plays. Now, just being able to make the plays and knowing I can do it, I'm just very, very proud and happy that my coaches and everybody notice it."

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's Chris Fedor brings you the latest on the game between the Cavs and Knicks.

NEW YORK -- The Cleveland Cavaliers have opened their three-game road trip against the New York Knicks.

Get live updates and analysis as cleveland.com's Chris Fedor brings you the latest on the game in the comments section below.

Make sure you're following Chris as well as Chris Haynes and Joe Vardon on Twitter.

Scoring Summary:

End of 3rd Quarter - Cavs trail the Knicks, 73-68. Kyrie Irving has kept the Cavs in the game. He has 32 points, two away from his season-high. LeBron James has added 12 points and 10 assists. The Knicks have gotten 18 points from Tim Hardaway Jr. and 15 points from Quincy Acy. 

End of 2nd Quarter - Cavs trail the Knicks, 53-30. Kyrie Irving has a game-high 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting. LeBron James has six points and nine assists. Tim Hardaway Jr. has come off the bench with 16 points, including four three-pointers. 

End of 1st Quarter - Cavs lead the Knicks, 25-24. Kevin Love leads the way with six points and three rebounds. LeBron James has added five points and five assists. The Knicks are led by Carmelo Anthony's five points. 

Game 17: Cavs (9-7) vs. Knicks (4-15)

Tip off: 8 p.m. at Madison Square Garden

TV/radio: TNT, Fox Sports Ohio; WTAM AM/1100, WMMS 100.7 FM

Cavs probable starting lineup: Kyrie Irving, Shawn Marion, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Anderson Varejao.

Knicks probable starting lineup: Jose Calderon, Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Samuel Dalembert.

FREQUENTLY REFRESH this page to get the latest updates. If you're viewing this on a mobile app, click here to get updates and comment.

The Mid-American Conference and Detroit's Ford Field, home of the NFL Detroit Lions, have extended the deal to host the MAC Championship football game through 2019.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference and Ford Field in Detroit announced Thursday that they will continue the joint venture of hosting the MAC Football Championship game, extending the existing contract four years through 2019.

"This is a marvelous facility for us to be in,'' MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher told The Plain Dealer before leaving the conference's Cleveland headquarters for Detroit. "It has everything we want in terms of location within our conference and more. The student-athlete experience and the fan experience has been great for us from the beginning."

The MAC, second only to the Southeastern Conference in football championship game longevity, will have a 2013 rematch Friday with defending champion Bowling Green taking on Northern Illinois, playing in its fifth straight MAC title game.

"Being in this indoor facility, a domed facility, guarantees that our championship games will always be decided by the athletes on the field, not determined by outside conditions,'' Steinbrecher said. "In the end, we believe that is what the players and the fans both want to see."

This year's game will be played at 7 p.m., and is the 11th MAC title affair hosted at Ford Field. For seven years, the title games were hosted on campus.

The MAC has other history at Ford Field as well. It previously was a primary bowl partner with the Detroit-based Motor City Bowl (1997-2008) and the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl (2009-13) over a 17-year period. During this time the MAC had a 7-10 record in the Detroit bowl games, including wins over Louisville, BYU, Cincinnati and Northwestern.

Earlier this October, the MAC announced a six-year (2014-19) backup agreement with the newly-formed Quick Lane Bowl, owned and operated by the Detroit Lions and Ford Field.

Bowling Green has lost two straight and three of five, but has its eye on winning a second straight MAC football title over Northern Illinois.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 18th Mid-American Conference football championship on Friday at 7 p.m. in Detroit's Ford Field is a rematch from last season, with defending East and 2013 champion Bowling Green (7-5) taking on Northern Illinois (10-2).

The Falcons have lost two straight and three of their last five, while NIU has won its last six games. He's a quick look at both teams and a pick.

OFFENSE: While Bowling Green has the reputation for throwing the football all over the lot, the fact is they run the ball very well, too. In fact, the Falcons are No. 3 in the league running the football, behind No. 2 NIU.

What the Falcons have not done down the stretch is throw the football very well. Playing inside will help, but if NIU can dominate the ball on the ground, BG won't have enough chances. Advantage - NIU.

DEFENSE: Bowling Green's defense has taken a beating all season, giving up yards by the bushel. But a defense must give up less than its offense, and BG, courtesy of a turnover-productive defense, did just that.

Only one MAC team was better getting turnovers, NIU at plus-10. Neither was stellar defensively overall, just solid enough. Advantage - even.

SPECIAL TEAMS: When you have a guy likely headed for Sunday paydays kicking field goals, such as Bowling Green's Tyler Tate, then the opposition is second best in this department, unless they have a Sunday kicker as well, and the Huskies definitely do not. Advantage - BG.

THE PICK: If Northern Illinois can hold the Falcons below 30 points, the Huskies should be able to win their third MAC title in five years. If the Falcons get their offensive groove back, and roll up the plays and the yards, a second straight crown is possible. Pick - NIU.

Watch Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed recap the news from Berea as Brian Hoyer prepares to start for the Browns Sunday against the Colts. Also watch video on Josh Gordon. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed fill you in on what happened the last couple days in Berea as Brian Hoyer prepares to start for the Browns against Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts.

Topics include:

• Decision 2.0: Brian Hoyer starting over Johnny Manziel against Andrew Luck and the Colts.
• Will they have a package for Manziel Sunday?
• Hoyer and wide receiver Josh Gordon needing to get on the same page.
• Mile Austin placed on injured reserve.
• Injury updates on Gary Barnidge, Karlos Dansby and Jordan Cameron.
• Running backs Isaiah Crowell and Glenn Winston.

On Twitter: @CLEvideos

Facebook page: CLEvideos

Josh Gordon and Brian Hoyer haven't been on the same page, but Gordon is working overtime to try to get up to speed after his 10-game suspension.

BEREA, Ohio -- Josh Gordon has always made football look so easy. He effortlessly glides open and the ball floats into his hands like a butterfly onto a leaf.

But football isn't easy to Gordon right now after serving his 10-game suspension.

The plays still sound like Greek and he's not sure exactly where to be half the time. He's catching only half the passes Brian Hoyer throws to him and three of Hoyer's last four interceptions have been on passes intended for the Pro Bowler.

He's getting by on his pure, raw ability, but he's not playing like the superstar receiver he aspires to be.

"I know in my mind I'm not where I want to be because I'd like for it to be just second nature and for me to not have to think about it,'' he said. "(Before) I'd hear half the play in the huddle and still know what to do. But it's not like that right now so I have to compensate and study a little more than everybody else. I'm playing catch-up. I've got a long way to go to be where I want to be.''

You'd never know from looking at his stats that he's struggling. In his two games back, he's averaging 7.5 catches and 97.5 yards -- close to his All-Pro pace of 2013 -- but almost every play in the new offense is a mental challenge.

"The terminology's changed even since training camp,'' he said. "It's still the same concept, but just little tweaks to tight ends and protection makes the words change and sound like a totally different play to me, so I'm just trying to still realize it's the same thing.''

During his first game back in Atlanta, he wasn't even in the same dome as Hoyer, catching only eight of his 16 targets for 120 yards. Hoyer's final two picks in that game were on passes for Gordon, in part because his head was swimming.  

"I was definitely running the wrong routes,'' he said. "Now I know all the routes, but now it's just when some of the plays we have that aren't tagged for you, you've got to know what to do.''

During the suspension, Gordon was permitted to attend full-squad meetings, but not offensive or receiver sessions. He learned some of the offense in training camp, but his head wasn't in the game back then with the suspension looming.

"Until you're out there running it and you see it, it's a world of difference,'' said Pettine. "Obviously, we still feel it was worth it, and Josh is improving. He's getting better every day on the practice field, and we're looking for big things this weekend (against the Colts)."

Hoyer, who almost lost his job this week because of interceptions, a lack of scoring and accuracy issues, acknowledged that he must get on the same page with his All-Pro receiver, one who led the NFL with 1,646 yards last year in only 14 games.

"We definitely have to get better in sync,'' he said. "We stay after practice and talk through things, and we're trying to work through it. It's tough when you're not around for 10 weeks. You can't put that all on Josh. It's a tough situation. We're definitely working to get it better, especially with Miles (Austin, kidney) not being able to play, Josh becomes an even bigger option. Like I said, not having 10 weeks and then all of a sudden you're into NFL games, it's hard to work on the fly."

 Gordon blamed himself for Hoyer's first pick in Buffalo last Sunday near midfield at the end of the first half.

 "I was supposed to make an in-cut,'' said Gordon. "The interception was on me. I ran the wrong route."

He apologized to Hoyer afterwards, knowing that such mistakes can not only cost games but jobs.

 "We know this is part of the game and sometimes miscommunication happens,'' said Gordon. "But Brian has persevered through a lot and that interception's not going to be his downfall, definitely not, and we're ready to climb back and get on top of it.''

Hoyer minced no words on Monday when his job was on the line and he talked about that pick.

"In the heat of the battle everything has got to be perfect,'' he said. "You can't have one misstep. When you're expecting one thing and you react and do it...it's just we've got to get on the same page. For a guy who hasn't been able to be a part of our meetings and stuff like that for 11 weeks, I think that's where it shows."

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan insisted Hoyer isn't forcing the ball to Gordon, despite the fact he's been targeted on 38% of the passes over the past two games (29 of 77).

"I know a lot of targets have gone to him but that's more me,'' said Shanahan. "Most of the plays I've designed have made him No. 1, but we don't ever say, 'Hey, if he's covered or he's doubled, throw it to him.' You go to No. 2. It's just happened to play out that way. We'll see how the game plan goes this week, but I don't think he's been forcing it to Josh in double coverage at all."

Shanahan surmised that Gordon is so talented, he's never really had to scrap for success.

"Josh works hard for us,'' said Shanahan. "He does what he's asked to do. Josh is more about just being more consistent down in and down out – the grind, being a Dawg out there, competing for everything. A lot of things with Josh his whole life, because of how talented he is, have come pretty easy.

"It's nothing as far as a lack of effort. It's just more of you've got to constantly be challenging him. I don't think he's been challenged a ton throughout his life, and if I was as talented as him, I probably wouldn't be very stressed out either.

"It's our job to keep him like that so he's on it every play because in the NFL. You can have 50 good plays, and that one bad play that you just mentally relaxed a little bit could be the difference in winning and losing. At this time of year, that could be the difference in the playoffs."

Gordon stressed that he's going all-out every down, despite what it sometimes seems.

"I definitely think I push it just about every play I get out there,'' he said. "Maybe it's just looks that way. I look like I'm going slow, but trust me, I'm not. But I definitely think there's a lot more for me to get from the game and to be able to reach that point where I can say definitively I'm one of the best wide receivers."

He said he can do that by dedicating himself to the game moreso than ever before.

"For one, you just have to master your offense we're running here,'' he said. "When you do that you think a lot less. You move a lot faster. That's the point I'm trying to get to with these last few games we have left in the season. I'm trying to get that behind me and get ready to move forward."

Coach Mike Pettine was happier with Gordon's effort in Buffalo game than in his debut.

"He took a step in the right direction,'' said Pettine. "Where it showed up really was also in his run blocking. His effort, his intensity was raised up. The fact that he was much more intense – I thought his effort on a lot of plays was outstanding."
Gordon agreed with Pettine that he needs to fight harder for jump balls downfield.

 "Definitely,'' he said. "When you get the opportunity you want to make those plays. I think it's been too far and few between for us, at least for me, for making plays like that or even having  opportunity to get a play like that.''

Gordon, who praised Johnny Manziel in the offseason before he was before the drafted, acknowledged he would've been fine with whichever quarterback the Browns decided to start on Sunday against the Colts.

"Whatever they do, that's the right decision,'' he said.

He said he believes Hoyer can get the ball downfield to him even though he's not known for a canon arm.

"I think he can,'' said Gordon. "Hoyer definitely has a quick motion and he gets it out a lot quicker. If it's arm-strength wise, you couldn't really tell the difference because he gets it off so early. I guess he gets the job done just as good as anybody else we've had."

And even though Gordon has 15 catches in his first two games, it's just not good enough for him.

"When you do so well before, you set a standard for yourself, and you want to compound on that,'' he said. "That's what I'm trying to do.''

Ohio State's already-tight 2015 recruiting class got one spot tighter on Thursday evening when it added three-star offensive guard Mirko Jurkovic of South Bend (Ind.) IMG Academy into the fold.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State's already-tight 2015 recruiting class got one spot tighter on Thursday evening when it added three-star offensive guard Mirko Jurkovic of South Bend (Ind.) IMG Academy into the fold. 

Ending my recruitment and am proud to say that I am committed to THE Ohio State University! [?] [?]

— Mirko Jurkovic Jr (@mirko_jurko64) December 5, 2014

Rated by 247Sports the No. 51 offensive guard in the 2015 class, Jurkovic officially visited Ohio State last weekend for the Buckeyes 42-28 win over Michigan as a Nebraska commit. 

The following day the 6-foot-5, 275-pound Jurkovic announced he was no longer committed to Nebraska, the same day the Cornhuskers fired former coach Bo Pelini. 

Ohio State now has 23 committments in its 2015 recruiting class, and Jurkovic's pledge makes three-straight the Buckeyes have gotten from offensive linemen. 

There are five offensive linemen in the class – Branden Bowen, Matthew Burrell, Kevin Feder, Grant Schmidt and now Jurkovic.