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Idaho Potato Bowl: Air Force beats Western Michigan, 38-24

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Shayne Davern ran for a career-high 101 yards and two touchdowns and Air Force beat Western Michigan 38-24 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on a soggy Saturday night.

BOISE, Idaho -- Shayne Davern ran for a career-high 101 yards and two touchdowns and Air Force beat Western Michigan 38-24 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on a soggy Saturday night.

Air Force finished the season 10-3 after going 2-10 last year. Miami of Ohio was the last previous team to follow a 10-loss season with 10 victories, going from 1-11 in 2009 to 10-4 in 2010.

Davern was selected the Falcons' most valuable player.

Dexter Walker returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown for Air Force.

Western Michigan finished 8-5 after going 1-11 last season.

The Broncos had cut a 23-10 deficit to 23-17 and were in Air Force territory when Western Michigan quarterback Zach Terrell was hit by linebacker Spencer Proctor and fumbled. Walker scooped the ball and raced untouched down the sideline for the clinching score.

Air Force snapped a two-game bowl losing streak. The Falcons last won a postseason game in 2010 when they beat Georgia Tech in the Independence Bowl.

Western Michigan recovered a fumble on the first play from scrimmage to set up a 25-yard field goal by Andrew Haldeman, then got a 47-yard scoring strike from Zach Terrell to Corey Davis to take a 10-6 lead.

Air Force put together back-to-back touchdown drives to grab a 20-10 halftime lead. Davern scored on a 55-yard run, which was the longest of the sophomore's career. The Falcons then went 80 yards in 15 plays, including Davern gaining 6 yards on a fake punt from near midfield. The drive was capped by a 1-yard run by Devin Rushing on fourth down.

Air Force took 23-10 lead in the third quarter on Will Conant's 31-yard field goal and appeared to be in great shape after a punt pinned the Broncos on their own 8.

Western Michigan responded with a nine play, 92-yard drive that was capped by the second of three touchdown passes from Terrell to Davis, this one from 35 yards to make it 23-17 with 13:26 to play.

But Walker's fumble return ended any chance of a comeback by the Broncos, who finished the season losing back-to-back games after they reeled off six consecutive wins to become bowl eligible.

Western Michigan fell to 0-6 in bowl games. Davis finished with eight catches for 176 yards and the three scores for the Broncos to earn MVP honors for his team.


No. 5 St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball defeats St. Benedict’s (N.J.), 63-57, in LeBron James Classic

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The St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team defeated St. Benedict's (N.J.) on Saturday night at the LeBron James Classic.

The St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball team defeated St. Benedict's (N.J.) on Saturday night at the LeBron James Classic.

Inside No. 6 St. Edward boys basketball's 73-57 win over No. 7 East Tech: Top plays, reaction and stats (video)

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St. Edward and East Tech played in last season's Division I state semifinal.

St. Edward and East Tech played in last season's Division I state semifinal.

Lake Erie Monsters lose in shootout to Grand Rapids Griffins, 4-3

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Lake Erie Monsters fall to Grand Rapids Griffins in shootout.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Lake Erie Monsters rallied to force an overtime with the Grand Rapids Griffins on Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena, but lost in a shootout, 4-3.

Teema Pulkkinen scored the winner for the Griffins on the sixth shot of overtime. Andy Meile also scored for Grand Rapids (14-10-3-0) in the shootout, while Tomas Vincour had the lone goal for the Monsters (13-10-2-3).

The Monsters forced overtime when Colin Smith scored with just 4:41 remaining in regulation off an assist from Michael Schumacher. The goal was Smith's team-leading eighth of the season.

Andrew Agozzino had opened the scoring for the Monsters in the first period, but Grand Rapids bounced back with two goals in the first period and another in the second for a 3-1 lead.

Maxim Noreau, assisted by Smith and Mike Sgarbossa, pulled Lake Erie to within 3-2 when he scored on a power play at 11:12 of the second period.

Roman Will stopped 25 shots and is now 2-4-1. The Monsters outshot the Griffins, 37-29, including 16-8 in the third period. Griffins goalie Jared Coreau had 34 saves.

The Monsters, who have won seven of their last 10 games, next play at Rochester on Friday and at Utica on Saturday.

Notes: The Monsters are 4-3-0-1 against Grand Rapids this season, and have two more meetings with the Griffins this season... The Monsters are 8-5-0-2 on the season at home... The Monsters are 7-2-1-1 over their last 11 games... The Monsters are 8-1-2-3 in one-goal games this season... The Monsters are 6-2-0-1 in December this season... The Monsters are 9-2-1-3 against the Midwest Division... Saturday night, the Monsters were 1-3 on the power play, and Grand Rapids was 0-1.

Hawken girls swimmer Crile Hart, Bay boys swimmer Trevor Lake take top honors at Viking Invitational swim meet (slideshow)

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The Hawken girls swim team excelled under new coach Jim Bocci.

The Hawken girls swim team excelled under new coach Jim Bocci.

Ohio high school statewide boys basketball scores for December 20, 2014

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See Ohio high school statewide boys basketball scores from Dec. 20, 2014.

See Ohio high school statewide boys basketball scores from Dec. 20, 2014.

Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel can't be written off so soon -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin (videos)

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Cleveland Browns' quarterback Johnny Manziel can't write himself out of the Browns' plans no matter what happens in the next two weeks -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio – If not quite full circle, the Browns have come around to a familiar question:

Can three starts in the NFL be a big enough sample to predict lasting success?

Or now, in Johnny Manziel's case, failure?

The answer was no for Brian Hoyer after three starts in 2013 (and eight or nine more this season). So certainly the answer is no for Manziel, who will finish the season (barring injury) against Carolina on Sunday and Baltimore next week.

Browns' head coach Mike Pettine said after Manziel's swan dive against Cincinnati – with no inflatables for cushioning this time – that three games could be a reasonable indicator. Pettine slightly amended that the next day, saying that if Manziel played lights out there'd still be doubts.

How about two more repeats of his Bengals' debut? The Browns couldn't count on him as their starter in 2015 in either case but they'd also be foolish to write anyone off based on such limited evidence uncovered so late in the season.

If they were going to write him out of their plans, the time to do that was at the draft following months of study.

Playing three teams still chasing the postseason in late December offers the Browns more clarity in judging Manziel than they might have otherwise if the opponents had already checked out. But not when you consider that – except for a few series in Buffalo – he's sat for most of the past three months.

The Browns have put him in an impossible position. Because of it, they'd be foolish to make a lasting judgement.

The Browns have to hedge their bets on Manziel for next season, no matter what happens in the season's final two games. That was the case when they gave up a No. 1 and No. 3 pick to move up to take him at No. 22 and it's still the case.

They should have known what they were getting: on the field an undersized quarterback who must move and run to survive; off the field, a celebrity who wasn't suddenly going to morph into a film-room rat (and still might not despite being humbled).

 

Nothing that happened against Cincinnati changed that in any measurable way. Many rookie quarterbacks have suffered similar fates in their NFL debuts.

Ten completions, 80 yards passing, so few plays (5) on the other side of the 50. Throws made off balance. Interceptions.

Check. That's all part of the rookie NFL debut.

More specific to Manziel is that he failed the eye test. It's doubtful Terry Bradshaw failed it in his debut despite going 4-of-16 with an interception. Pocket passers who stand 6-3 and weigh 215 look the part.

Manziel looked not just too small but too slight. And not nearly fast enough to consistently run away from trouble. Still, eye tests aren't measurable and don't carry much weight especially based on one game.

Manziel can't change his status for next season no matter what happens. Unless he bombs in Carolina and Baltimore and is seen partying the night before each game, he will go to camp competing for the starting job.

Even if the Browns knew for sure the 22-year-old would be their 2015 starter, they'd have to support him with a veteran backup.

My guess is they bring in one who can win the starting job as Hoyer did this time around. Would you rather they trade for Jay Cutler? RGIII? And turn it over to them?

The alternative is to go fishing for a quarterback at the top of the draft. They will have their own No. 1 pick and Buffalo's No. 1 but that alone probably isn't enough to get them one of the first few choices.

Even if it were, then what? Marcus Mariota? Jameis Winston?

Unless one of them is Andrew Luck -- and they're not -- forget it.

When this season began, few were predicting the playoffs for the Browns. The barometer for a successful season was whether at the end you could safely say the Browns had at least found their starting quarterback.

Well, we've not only come almost full circle on the question about quarterback sample size but also to a phrase familiar to Browns' football and, really, Cleveland sports overall.

Wait until next year.

The best we can say is that Johnny Manziel shouldn't be ruled out.

For more Bud Shaw, read Spinoffs and You Said It.

Will Moyse nets game-winner as Olmsted Falls hockey beats Orange, 3-2, in overtime (video)

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Olmsted Falls hockey defeated Orange, 3-2, in overtime on Sunday.

Olmsted Falls hockey defeated Orange, 3-2, in overtime on Sunday.


T.J. Yeldon's reps increase at Alabama's Sugar Bowl practice

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Running back is nursing a tender ankle

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama -- For the final time in 2014, we got a look inside Alabama's afternoon football practice.

They were back in full pads for the second-to-last workout before taking a few days off for the holidays.

What we saw

-- Running back T.J. Yeldon appeared to be doing more than he had been Sunday. After watching a few drills early in the 8-minute viewing window, he took a few reps catching passes coming out of the backfield. The leading rusher had a heavy wrap on his right calf. Yeldon later did a few drills running, planting and turning on a dime. He wasn't quite as quick as the others and wasn't cutting as hard. On Saturday, Nick Saban said the plan was to limit his work before the holiday to stop the cycle of re-injury after hurting his hamstring in September and spraining his ankle in November.

-- There were speakers set up indoors for the first time this week to simulate crowd noise.

-- On the scout team, freshman RB Lawrence Erekosima was wearing the No. 4 of Ohio State's third-leading rusher, Curtis Samuel.

-- Freshman WR Cam Sims had made one-handed catches on deep balls in each of the past few practices, but Sunday he dropped the attempt to extend the streak. Strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran was there to heckle him about using both paws catching footballs.

-- Former Alabama linebacker Chavis Williams (2007-10) was on hand watching the practice.

What comes next

Practice continues Monday afternoon before taking a few days off. The team arrives in New Orleans on Dec. 27.

Inside No. 5 St. Vincent-St. Mary boys basketball's 66-51 win over Massillon Jackson at the LeBron James Classic (video)

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The Irish have started the season with a 4-0 record.

The Irish have started the season with a 4-0 record.

Browns Insider podcast: Mary Kay Cabot, Dan Labbe talk about loss to the Panthers

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Listen to the podcast of Sunday Browns Insider

Browns Insider: December 21, 2014

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- It was a frustrating day in Charlotte for the Browns. They lost to the Panthers, 17-13, and lost Johnny Manziel to a hamstring injury.

Cleveland.com's Dan Labbe talked about that on Sunday night's Browns Insider show. He also played an interview from earlier with Browns beat reporter Mary Kay Cabot talking about Manziel, the loss and more.

Among the topics covered tonight:

  • What kind of read do the Browns have on Manziel right now?
  • How concerning is it that Justin Gilbert didn't start at cornerback with Joe Haden being out?
  • Do the struggles of the young running backs worry you with the offseason looming?
  • What can we expect in Baltimore?

You can listen with the player embedded in this post or you can download the mp3 here.

Videos: Recap of the Cleveland Browns loss to the Panthers with Mary Kay Cabot and Dan Labbe

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Watch Mary Kay Cabot and Tom Reed as they analyze the Cleveland Browns 17-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Also watch reaction from Johnny Manziel, Brian Hoyer and Mike Pettine after the game. Watch video

CHARLOTTE, NC --  The Cleveland Browns lost their fourth straight game and starting quarterback Johnny Manziel when they lost to the Panthers 17-13 at Bank of America Stadium. 

Manziel left the game late in the second quarter after injuring his hamstring.  "Pretty frustrating" said Manziel.  Head coach Mike Pettine said afterwards that he did not know the severity of the injury.  His status for next week is uncertain. 

Brian Hoyer in relief, threw an 81-yard fourth quarter touchdown pass to Jordan Cameron that gave the Browns the lead for the first time at 13-10.

On the next possession, Cam Newton and the Carolina offense drove 66 yards, in seven plays, scoring on a 9-yard pass to Jonathan Stewart to take the lead for good at 17-13.

"It's frustrating, disappointing," said Pettine.  "We got to seven wins and still had a lot of football left and we're still there.  We had our chances today."

Manziel completed 3-of-8 attempts with no touchdown or interceptions for a 50.0 quarterback rating.  He also rushed twice for 3 yards.

Hoyer connected on 7-of-13 passes with one touchdown and one interception for an 83.5 rating.  He rushed twice for 19 yards.

Isaiah Crowell, the only Browns running back to see action, ran for 55 yards on 16 attempts for a 3.4 average.

Linebacker Karlos Dansby returned to action after missing the last four games because of a knee injury and led the team with 12 tackles.

Defensive lineman Billy Winn recorded his second career interception.  The first was in his rookie season in 2012.

The Browns (7-8) next travel to Baltimore to play the Ravens (9-6) Sunday to end the season.

On Twitter: @CLEvideos

Facebook page: CLEvideos

NFL update: Odell Beckham Jr. torches Rams and incites brawl, and more of Week 16's top moments

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Top storylines, plays and performers from Sunday afternoon's Week 16 games.

Let's catch up on the action from the second-to-last Sunday of the NFL regular season:

Headlines

• The best-case scenario? A division title and playoff spot. The worst: Exactly what went down for the Saints at the Superdome on Sunday. Their 30-14 loss to the Falcons, coupled with the Panthers' 17-13 win over the Browns means the Saints are eliminated from the division race and the postseason. The Panthers and Falcons will scratch and claw for the NFC South title in a winner-take-all game in Atlanta next Sunday. (Although the Panthers would also clinch with a tie.)

• The Patriots have earned a week off. They secured a first-round bye in the postseason with a slim, 17-16 win over the Jets. Befitting Rex Ryan's tenure as Jets coach, his team showcased a rugged defense but too little offense to knock off their rivals in what might have been Ryan's final home game in charge.

• How 'bout them Cowboys? Dallas clinched the NFC East by riding a 28-0 halftime lead to a 42-7 victory over the AFC South champion Colts. The win provides a statement of intent about Dallas' playoff intentions and buries the playoff chances of their division rivals in Philly. The Cowboys' win also locked in a playoff spot for the Seahawks before kickoff of their game tonight against the Cardinals.

Playoff picture

• The Chargers stormed back twice Saturday from 21 points down to beat the 49ers in overtime, then received an early Christmas gift from the Texans, who bullied the Ravens in a 25-13 win. As a result, the Chargers slide into the AFC's last available playoff spot. If San Diego beats the Chiefs next weekend, it's theirs to keep. A Chargers loss opens the door for the Ravens, Texans or Chiefs, who are all still alive. Not the Bills, though, who dropped out of the race with a 26-24 loss to the Raiders.

• The Steelers took care of the Chiefs, 20-12, in a grudge-match game to lock up a postseason berth. They host the Bengals next week in a game that will decide the AFC North and determine who hosts a wild-card game. 

• The Lions clinched a playoff spot Saturday thanks to the Eagles' loss in Washington, and then beat the Bears Sunday, 20-14. The Packers also won, 20-3 over the Buccaneers to clinch a playoff spot. The wins set up a head-to-head battle for the NFC North division next Sunday in Green Bay.

Fantasy first-teamers

Ryan Tannehill threw for 396 yards and four touchdowns against the Vikings defense. He may have won some a fantasy football championship Sunday but the Dolphins, despite a 37-35 win, were dropped from the playoff race because the Steelers also won.

• Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo tossed four touchdowns against the Colts while his counterpart, Andrew Luck, gave owners zero fantasy points after throwing for 109 yards and two picks.

• If you had the Packers receiving duo of Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson on your squad, you fared well. Cobb hauled in 11 passes for 131 yards. Nelson had nine catches for 113 yards and a touchdown.

• Perhaps the hottest quarterback-receiver duo in the NFL is Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. Manning had 391 yards passing and three touchdowns thanks in large part to Beckham. On a busy afternoon in St. Louis (more on that below), Beckham had eight catches for 148 yards and two touchdowns.

Randy Bullock? Maybe he made the difference this week after nailing six field goals and an extra point for the Texans.

They said it

In recent weeks, NFL players have been vocal in support of Michael Brown and Eric Garner -- two African-American men killed by police this year.

Nick MangoldJets center Nick Mangold wears an NYPD cap during the coin toss before Sunday's game against the Patriots. 

Sunday, Jets center Nick Mangold wore an NYPD hat in support of two police who were shot and killed Saturday afternoon in Brooklyn. Mangold said his intention was not to take sides in what has become a nationwide debate on police and race relations.

"It didn't cross my mind. Even if there was a backlash, those families deserve the support," Mangold told Yahoo! Sports after the game. "I would have been happy to take it. I just wanted to do something to support them." 

Key moments

The Good

He's unstoppable. Odell Beckham Jr. locked up his eighth straight game with at least 90 yards receiving -- one shy of an NFL record -- and asserted himself as the top rookie receiver in Giants history. Beckham also pulled off another one-handed grab and reached the end zone twice against the Rams, the second on an 80-yard bomb.

The Bad

The Rams and Giants played perhaps the dirtiest game in the NFL this season. Giants kicker Josh Brown booted a Rams player in the face, there was head-hunting from the Rams secondary and later Beckham was at the heart of a brawl that broke out on the Giants sideline. 

The Bizarre

The start of a new friendship? Former NBA center Dikembe Mutombo was at the Texans-Ravens game, and the seven-footer coached Texans stud defensive end J.J. Watt on the art of the finger-wag celebration. Of Watt, Mutombo said:

Why wasn't Jordan Poyer's runback of Billy Winn's interception a touchdown?

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The Browns had questions after Jordan Poyer's runback was called back. Officials ruled that Billy Winn was down before he handed the ball off to Poyer.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – The Browns' defense had plenty of reasons for anger Sunday, starting with their performance in a 17-13 loss to the Panthers.

They surrendered 209 yards rushing and allowed a 66-yard, fourth-quarter touchdown drive right after the Browns' offense gave them the lead.

The defense, however, also believed it was robbed of a third-quarter TD after a diving interception from Billy Winn. The defensive lineman secured the Cam Newton pass, rolled over in search of a teammate and handed the ball to Jordan Poyer who ran 64 yards to the end zone. The TD would have tied the game at 10.

Instead, referee Ed Hochuli explained the play was blown dead because Winn had "given himself up" after the interception. The ruling is not reviewable.

The Browns were stunned by the call.

"I've never seen anything like that in my life," said linebacker Karlos Dansby, who slapped Newton's arm as he released the pass. "Talking about he was down and he gave himself up. How? He had to dive to catch the ball. It should have been a touchdown. They'll send us a letter or something and saying, 'should have never called him down.' But, (crap), that's what they always do when they mess up."

No pool reporter spoke to the officials to get an explanation, but according to Rule 7, Section 2 Article 1: "an official shall declare the ball dead and the down ended when a runner is out of bounds or declares himself down by falling to the ground or kneeling and making no effort to advance."

Winn believes he made ample effort.

"They said I gave myself up," Winn explained. "No, I rolled over and gave Poyer the ball. It should have been a touchdown. Go back and look at it . . .

"I protected the ball, rolled over and looked for a guy to give it to. Obviously, I'm not going to get up and run it in. Give it to a fast guy who can run it in."

Three weeks ago, the Browns saw Bills linebacker Jerry Hughes strip the ball from halfback Terrance West, fall to the ground and get up to run 16 yards for a touchdown.

Winn certainly wasn't touched and neither was Poyer who made sure to trot all the way down the field.

"I feel like at the end of the day nobody touched (Winn) and (the officials_ didn't give him enough time to actually react to it," Poyer said. "It' a bang-bang play, the refs made the call, that's just what it is."

The Browns got a field goal on the drive, reducing the deficit to 10-6, but thought the game should have been tied.

Although upset, Dansby said the call doesn't excuse the Browns' defensive performance in allowing 404 yards total offense.

"(The officials) made it and you have to play through it," he said. "There was still plenty of time and we didn't make enough plays."

Gallery preview 

LeBron James taking more of point-guard duties was what he knew he had to do

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Cavaliers' forward LeBron James revealed what changes he needed to make and involved a position heist

CLEVELAND, Ohio – In Sunday's 105-91 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Cavaliers forward LeBron James registered 25 points and 11 assists.

And in regards to assists, he has been racking those up frequently as of late.

He has been running the offense more than usual and has been the one giving more so than receiving. The last 14 games, James is averaging 8.8 assists, up from 6.5 assists in the first 11 games.

He has brought back the point-forward prototype and it has translated to victories. The Cavaliers are 11-4 since he took over the bulk of the ball-handling duties.

Head coach David Blatt was asked if there was ever moment that he and James discussed switching up the point-guard duties.

Blatt says there wasn't, but Blatt made it sound as if James hasn't done anything differently in how he is approaching the game.

"I think that LeBron has established himself very well as a great passer, facilitator and when necessary, initiator of the offense," Blatt said. "I just think with this team, it's less necessary obviously with Kyrie [Irving] being able to do the things that he does and play the way that he does."

When the Cavaliers were on a three-game losing streak in late November, it looked as if the roof was caving in.

They had just come from an embarrassing performance on national television, losing on the road to the Washington Wizards 91-78 on Nov. 21.

Cleveland was playing disinterested, out-of-sync basketball. The Cavs' body language was poor, the offense was stagnant and whatever adjustments were made failed miserably.

The first portion of the season, James sat back and allowed players to play their game. He played the role of a hands-off parent in permitting them the opportunity to make mistakes in hoping they would reach the conclusion that their way wasn't the way to win basketball games.

It took 11 games before he had seen enough. He couldn't be a part of what was going on any longer.

After that loss to the Wizards, the very next day during pregame availability in advance of their matchup with the Toronto Raptors, James said he knew what he had to do. However, he refused to elaborate then on what that was exactly. He was asked days later and he still declined to talk about it.

Fast-forward to Sunday's win. Northeast Ohio Media Group asked James after the game when he decided it was best for the team that he run the offense the majority of the time.

"When I told y'all, I knew what I needed to do," James replied.

Oh, so that was what James was thinking during that agonizing period. He finally made it public.

Since Blatt provided no information as to when he got his new point guard, we followed up on our original question to James. We asked if he goes to the head coach to suggest changes, or if he just implements them.

"Nah, I can do it on my own," he said. "I'm passed those days where I have to ask."

So there you have it.

That's when the Cavaliers were blessed with a new point guard. There was no announcement, no press conference nor was there a press release. James has the clout and apparently the craftiness to pull off a position heist without anybody noticing.

Surely Blatt's fine with it as long as the team continues to win.


Cleveland Browns final scribbles: Johnny Manziel's lack of speed is a surprise, as is Josh Gordon's poor production -- Terry Pluto (video)

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Johnny Manziel has only 16 yards in seven rushing attempts in his two starts. He also has been sacked three times. Watch video

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Scribbles in my Cleveland Browns notebook after their 17-13 loss to Carolina:

1. There were several distressing aspects to the two starts by Johnny Manziel. The bottom line for his six quarters included three points and only five first downs not from penalties. But the biggest surprise was his lack of speed.

2. Part of the reason the Browns drafted Manziel was his quickness. At Texas A&M, he could run away from pass-rushers. He created first downs with his fakes and fast first few steps. But in seven rushing attempts in the last two games, he has accounted for only 16 yards. At least twice, he has been pulled down from behind. He was sacked three times in the 30-0 loss to the Bengals.

3. If the 6-foot Manziel can't run, he's in huge trouble. He showed the speed when dashing 10 yards for a touchdown in a 20-10 loss to Buffalo. He relieved Brian Hoyer in the fourth quarter of that game. But that one play has really been it. Manziel ran for 2,160 yards and 30 touchdowns in two college seasons. And yes, those fears of him being hurt while running came became a reality when he pulled a hamstring late in the second quarter.

4. About the only difference between Manziel's first and second start is that he had the linemen more organized. They didn't have all the false starts and wasted timeouts. The only timeout called to correct a problem was when Josh Gordon lined up in the wrong spot for a play.

5. Who knew that Hoyer (coming off ACL knee surgery) would run for more yards than Manziel? He had carries of 11 and eight yards. Manziel seemed to stumble twice when taking the handoff from under center and dropping back to pass. That is not his comfort zone, and it shows. He will need to learn that to survive in the NFL. Manziel threw out of the shotgun 99 percent of the time in college.

6. Karlos Dansby came off his knee injury to play his first game in a month, and he had 12 tackles. But the run defense remained horrible, allowing 209 yards on the ground. That comes after 234 last week in the loss to the Bengals. The Browns entered Sunday ranked No. 31 against the run.

7. Part of the problem is that so many defensive linemen are injured. Others are playing hurt. But there also may be some trouble with the defensive scheme. The Browns gave up a lot of yards rushing early in the season when most players were healthy. It's just more pronounced now.

8. Gordon has played four games since returning from his 10-game suspension. He has a modest 20 catches, none for a touchdown. He's averaging 12.9 yards per reception. He continues to struggle with the plays and running the right patterns. He looks nothing like the Josh Gordon who was a Pro Bowl player last season.

9. Manziel mentioned his frustration: "I've never done anything like this ... playing any sport since I was a kid -- whether it's football, basketball, baseball ... never had anything like this. It's so new to me, so frustrating."

10. Football has always come naturally to Manziel and Gordon. My guess is Gordon is thinking something like what Manziel mentioned ... they both can't believe they are struggling. And that's when a player's confidence takes a major hit and his character is tested.

11. Clearly, Mike Pettine is having some problems with his players. He mentioned that rookies Terrance West (zero carries) and Justin Gilbert (played sparingly) did not practice well last week. So they played very little in this game. Fourth-rounder Pierre Desir started in place of cornerback Joe Haden (injured), rather than first-rounder Gilbert. Desir played pretty well. But Desir had not played any regular defense all this season -- until last week's game against the Bengals. He was inactive and/or used only on special teams before that.

12.  It's not a second guess, but I was sitting with a few media people and we all thought the Browns should have tried to convert on the fourth-and-13 situation with 3:33 left in the game. They were on the 50-yard line. They were losing 17-13. Their defense had trouble against the run all day. Yes, getting a first down on fourth-and-13 is a long shot, but they needed to take it. The Browns defense never did stop Carolina, which ran out the final 3:33 to win the game.

13. I thought the Browns played hard in this game. You could see the determination in Travis Benjamin running down defensive back Josh Norman.  Benjamin ran more than 50 yards after Norman picked off a pass ... and made a tackle to force Norman to fumble.

14. But the Browns lost because the talent level is thin. Also, this was a huge game to keep Carolina in the playoff race.

15. The Browns still struggled to run the ball. Isaiah Crowell had a 28-yard run. He had only 27 yards in his other 15 carries. The Browns used no other running back. They had 84 total yards rushing. To open the season, they ran for more than 100 yards in 4-of-5 games. In the last 10 games, they have been over 100 yards only three times. Pro Bowl center Alex Mack has been injured for the last 10 games.

Cleveland Browns' Johnny Manziel, Brian Hoyer combine for not much: DMan's QB Report, Game 15

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Browns quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer combined to go 10-of-21 for 166 yards in a loss at Carolina on Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Quarterbacks Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer made the dropbacks for the Browns in their 17-13 loss to the Panthers on Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. Manziel went 3-of-8 for 32 yards before exiting late in the second quarter because of a hamstring injury. Hoyer was 7-of-13 for 134 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Here is a capsule look at their performances after a dvr review of the CBS Sports telecast:

MANZIEL

The list of Manziel's dropbacks:

First possession

First-and-10 @ Cleveland 39: Incomplete intended for Josh Gordon near right sideline.

Manziel threw to a spot, but Gordon was not there. Manziel expected Gordon to break toward the sideline; Gordon turned inside. (The ball landed at the Cleveland 48.) Only Gordon knows why he didn't break toward the sideline.

Third-and-7 @ Cleveland 42: Scramble right for 4 yards.

Manziel ran from pressure up the middle that came from a four-man rush. The Panthers closed quickly. As happened against Cincinnati last week, Manziel's speed didn't quite translate. 

CBS analyst Adam Archuleta said: "You see him set up, he doesn't like what he sees, and he doesn't really seem to have that backup plan on how to get to his second wide receiver. He gets out of the pocket, but he just can't make up enough ground.''

Second possession

First-and-10 @ Cleveland 20: Complete to tight end Jordan Cameron on the right for 3 yards.

Manziel rolled right after bootleg action. The Panthers were unimpressed: They diagnosed the play and reacted in a hurry.

Second-and-7 @ Cleveland 23: Incomplete intended for Gordon near right sideline.

Manziel, from the pistol, rolled right and attempted to throw sidearm to an open Gordon at the Cleveland 26. Defensive end Charles Johnson read and rejected it. Two straight plays seemingly geared to Manziel's strengths resulted in a total gain of 3 yards.

Third-and-7 @ Cleveland 23: Complete to Andrew Hawkins on left for 28 yards.

Manziel, from an empty backfield, set his feet and threw a strike into a shrinking window to Hawkins, who was cutting from the left. A Panther drilled Manziel after release. Money play.

CBS play-by-play voice Tom McCarthy said: "I have to say: Last week, that pass was over-thrown by Johnny Manziel.''

Archuleta said: "This is probably the best-executed play that the Cleveland Browns have had in the passing game since Manziel has been quarterback. He sets up in the pocket, he allows Hawkins to clear the DBs, he sets his feet with good footwork, then fires a bullet accurately down the field.''

McCarthy said: "Footwork was a big storyline this week for the Browns in assessing Johnny Manziel.''

(On the next play, the Panthers blew up what appeared to be a flea-flicker, tackling running back Isaiah Crowell for a 3-yard loss. Either that, or Crowell slipped. Archuleta said: "If that was, in fact, a flea-flicker, I think it was extremely ill-timed. This offense needs to be able to execute their run game.'')

Third-and-8 @ Carolina 47: Incomplete intended for Hawkins. Panthers penalty.

On the first play of the second quarter, Manziel threw on-target to Hawkins at the Carolina 38. Hawkins failed to secure the ball as cornerback Josh Norman smashed into him. Norman was penalized for unnecessary roughness, giving the Browns a first down at the Carolina 32.

Third-and-3 @ Carolina 25: Incomplete intended for Gordon on the right.

Manziel threw low to Gordon, who, according to the call on the field, caught the pass at the 20 and fell forward to the 19. A replay showed that the ball squirted on Gordon as he hit the ground; the Panthers challenged and won a reversal. Note: CBS studio official Mike Carey, a former referee, said he did not think the call should have been reversed. Carey said Gordon demonstrated sufficient control with his left hand.

Manziel had fallen after release because his stiff front leg slipped.

The Browns kicked a field goal to tie the score, 3-3.

Third possession

Second-and-6 @ Cleveland 26: Complete to Taylor Gabriel on right for 1 yard.

Defensive end Kony Ealy didn't bite on boot action; by staying home, Ealy forced Manziel into a floater. It gave cornerback Bene Benwikere time to come across the field and stifle Gabriel.

Third-and-5 @ Cleveland 27: Incomplete to tight end Jordan Cameron on right.

Manziel, backpedaling from pressure, managed to throw on-target to Cameron at the Cleveland 32. Safety Roman Harper reached around Cameron's right side and broke up what, at first glance, appeared to be a drop. The Browns wanted holding or interference; they might have had a case. The Panthers wanted holding in the interior; they might have had a case, as well.

(On the first play of the fourth possession, Manziel lost 1 yard on a designed run to the left. He injured the hamstring while being tackled by safety Colin Jones and linebacker Luke Kuechly. This time, a Manziel-themed play outside the tackles not only fizzled, it resulted in an injury. Archuleta said: "It's exactly what everybody talks about with Manziel and his size -- 6 foot, 207 pounds ... There's a reason why they say that you have to be able to play the game from the pocket. When you get outside, even there by the sideline, those shots that NFL defensive players are going to put on the quarterback can be deadly.'' The Manziel critics might have said: If he is going to get injured on that play, good luck the rest of his career.)

HOYER

Hoyer largely underwhelmed in his relief appearance. Some of it can be attributed to having come in cold, of course. But much of it was a reheating of the Hoyer who slumped during a four-game stretch from Weeks 11-14.

Hoyer created two highlights with his legs, scrambling for 11 and 8 yards. Both occurred during a late-third-quarter drive that ended in a field goal.

Hoyer made two top-notch passes. One counted, one didn't:

* Third-and-11 @ Cleveland 19: One play after entering for Manziel, Hoyer, provided plenty of time, connected with Gordon on the left for 23 yards. Credit Gordon for reaching high to make the snatch-catch with four Panthers in the vicinity.

However, the Browns' celebration was short-lived. They were penalized for an illegal shift.

Referee Ed "Guns'' Hochuli, after receiving information from two members of his crew, said: "Illegal shift, offense. There were two men moving; they did not reset for a second. Five-yard penalty. Third down.''

A CBS camera showed Browns coach Mike Pettine speaking into his headset. It didn't require a professional lip-reader to see that he said, "That's unbelievable'' -- with another choice word mixed in.

What, exactly, the officials saw is puzzling. A frame-by-frame dvr replay showed only one player, receiver Taylor Gabriel, in motion. Gabriel moved from right to left. No one else so much as flinched. Period.

Maybe, just maybe, Hochuli was mistaken and the actual call was Gabriel moving forward at the snap. But if that was the call, it also was weak, because Gabriel's supposed moved forward was no more than a fraction of an inch.

On third-and-16, Hoyer threw short underneath to Gordon. The Browns punted.

* Third-and-6 @ Cleveland 19: Early in the fourth quarter, Hoyer connected with a wide-open Cameron over the middle at the Cleveland 38. Cameron took it to the house. The extra point gave the Browns a 13-10 lead with 9:59 remaining.

The Panthers rushed six; defensive tackle Colin Cole blasted Hoyer after release. Hoyer capitalized on a mistake by Harper.

On the ensuing possession, Carolina moved 66 yards in seven plays, scoring on a 9-yard pass from Cam Newton to running back Jonathan Stewart to make it 17-13.

The Browns took over at the Cleveland 20. On first down, Hoyer seriously under-threw Travis Benjamin deep down the right side. It enabled Norman to leap in front of Benjamin and make the pick at the Carolina 38. But Benjamin stayed with the play and eventually ran down Norman, then forced a fumble that Benjamin recovered at the Cleveland 29.

After a 3-yard run by Crowell, Hoyer found Gordon on a slant for 9 yards. Crowell rushed for 12 yards, giving the Browns a first down at the Carolina 47.

The next three plays are a microcosm of the Browns who have lost five of six since a 6-3 start:

* Crowell run for minus-4. Linebacker Thomas Davis made the tackle by pulling on Crowell's hair.

* Hoyer sacked for minus-7. Defensive tackle Kawaan Short bounced off left guard Joel Bitonio and center Nick McDonald and pancaked Hoyer, who barely had time to plant.

Archuleta said: "Brian Hoyer had no idea that Short was in his office.''

* Coming out of a timeout, Hoyer threw underneath to Gordon for 8 yards.

The Browns punted -- into the end zone. They never got the ball back.

Summary: Manziel, coming off a woeful debut start against Cincinnati in Cleveland, did not play long enough to prove anything. But he did not appear to do anything that made the Panthers nervous, especially as pertains to movement outside the pocket. To this point, Manziel on an NFL field fails the eye test.

Hoyer flashed qualities of a solid backup.

The frustration for the Browns bosses is, even if Manziel were to recover from the hamstring injury and play well at Baltimore in the season finale -- a long shot, to be sure -- they still will have as much uncertainty at quarterback as they did before the season began.

Final grades: Manziel -- INC; Hoyer -- C-

 

Johnny Manziel 0-2 after 17-13 loss to Panthers and hurt, but vows to work harder in offseason: 'I want to be the guy'

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Johnny Manziel missed out on an opportunity to show what he can do when he injured his hamstring in the first half against the Panthers.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Johnny Manziel sounded like a man who very well might be done for the season during his press conference after Sunday's 17-13 loss to the Panthers.  

He also sounded like a quarterback who was trying to make a strong case for himself to come back next season and be the hard-working, dedicated, play-making franchise quarterback the Browns expected him to be when they drafted him No. 22 overall.

If you didn't know any better, you would've thought you were listening to his exit interview for the season. But coach Mike Pettine wasn't ready to write him off just yet despite the fact he pulled his left hamstring with 1:49 remaining in the first half and couldn't finish the game. He left Manziel's status for next week's finale Baltimore up in the air.

"I don't know the severity of it yet,'' said Pettine.
 
With Manziel sidelined, Brian Hoyer rallied the Browns to a 13-10 fourth-quarter lead on an 81-yard TD pass to Jordan Cameron. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton spoiled it by throwing the gamewinning touchdown pass to Jonathan Stewart with 7:07 left to produce the final margin.

Now, those plans of seeing Manziel start the final three games of the season so the Browns know which way to go in the offseason might have gone out the window.

And just in case the lasting memory of Manziel for the 2014 season is the sight of him walking off the field gingerly with a towel draped over his head, he stepped up on his soap box and delivered a message to the Browns and to the fans that he's going to be back, and stronger than ever. It came in the form of a long-winded soliloquy when asked a very simple question: Did you feel more comfortable this week?

"Sure, yeah,'' he said. "I mean last week didn't go very well for us in the first half anywhere. So this week we got three points on the board, we got into their territory and into a situation where if I don't slip on that play and get a better ball to Josh (Gordon), he can run and get us down into a position to score some points. So, it's really unfortunate right there but this was a learning process for me and regardless of what happens moving forward into this last game of the season this has really been a great thing for me.

"A very positive thing for me to get in here with these guys and this week going through the walkthrough and going through everything I was a lot sharper and a lot more on top of this stuff, and I think these guys see me and see that I'm in the building really putting in a lot of work and I want to be the guy.''

Manziel seemed to be responding to all the heat he's taken over the last two weeks for not putting in enough time to be great. Maybe, just maybe, he's realized now how much work it takes to study a defense, know the gameplan and execute it at lightning speed.

"And that's what I want to do and that's what I want to be for this organization so for me, if anything, this has motivated me more to head into this offseason,'' he continued. "We had a better team than we have had here in years past, and we need to capitalize on these guys that we have coming back next year and the talent that we do have on this roster that our coaching staff and our management has put on this team.''

Wait, he wasn't done yet. After all, Pettine admitted last week that the Browns will still have doubts about Manziel even if he were to "hit it out of the park'' in the final two weeks and "a ton of doubts'' if he didn't play well.

"So if anything it makes me more hungry to work in this offseason and get with these guys and stay on top of this stuff and come back next year and come out and try to have some success early in the season and sustain that through a season,'' he said.

"That's obviously a long way from now but just the way my mindset has flipped from being a guy that you never know when you're going to get a chance to go in and trying to stay on top of your stuff to being the guy for a couple weeks -- I felt like I'm making  progress throughout the weeks, felt like I'm making more progress throughout this game and to be sidelined by that, it's tough.

"It hurts me and eats at me to not be out there with those guys.''

If that was Manziel's last action of the season, the Browns have precious little tape off which to try to christen him their quarterback of the future. In this game, he completed 3-of-8 attempts for 32 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions for a 50 rating. And one of those passes was a 28-yard strike to Andrew Hawkins --- albeit a fine play -- meaning that his other two completions netted four yards.

In his 13 plays, he managed just two first downs, one of which came by way of defensive penalty. All told, that's seven first downs in his 12-plus possessions -- and three came courtesy of a yellow flag.

Against the Panthers, Manziel went three-and-out on two of his three full drives, with the lone sustained drive producing a a field goal. The 10-play scoring march featured the 28-yard pass to Hawkins on third down in the face of pressure, and a 15-yard personal foul after Hawkins absorbed a frightening helmet-to-helmet blast. Manziel also ran twice for three yards in the game.

Even Pettine struggled for something positive to say about his struggling rookie.
"I just know as an offense we weren't very productive,'' he said.

En route to his 0-2 record as a starter, Manziel has produced one field goal on 12 drives. He has completed 13-of-26 attempts for 112 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions.

Throw in all the rest of his stats from the season -- including his promising 80-yard TD drive against the Bills when he came off the bench to provide a spark --  and he's completed 18-of-35 attempts for 175 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions for a 41.9 rating.

And now the Browns might have to make their offseason quarterback plans without another start on which to decide if Manziel can cut it at this level or if they'll have to go hard after Oregon's Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota or some other potential starting quarterback.

"Offensively, not nearly good enough to win in this league,'' Pettine said. "We made the one big play. Other than that we never seemed to get into much of a rhythm.

Manziel explained that he actually pulled the hamstring on the play right before the second-quarter field goal, with 13:39 left in the first half. It happened on a low 6-yard pass to Josh Gordon that would've converted a third down, but it was reversed after a Carolina challenge.

Manziel ran four more plays before succumbing to the pain on a scramble for a 1-yard loss after which he was hit hard on the sidelines by Luke Kuechly and safety Colin Jones.

"I threw a quick slant (to Gordon),'' he said. "I don't know if you guys saw that. My foot kind of slipped about three, four, five inches and I ended up falling down. Got up and just kind of felt just a little tight in my hamstring. And then as I was trying to go down on that next play, I got up and after the hit, felt fine. Shoulders feels good, head feels good, just took a hit.

"I was ready to hop back in, ready to go and just took off and felt like I was cramping, and as I kept walking more and more it just felt like something that I hadn't experienced before and figured I needed to get checked out. And you know, pretty frustrating."
 
Manziel made the slow trek to the locker room with the towel over his head as some Panthers fans cheered his exit. At the break, he was examined and doctors determined it was best if he didn't return.

"We came to that conclusion that not at that time,'' he said. "If I needed to go back, I was 100 percent ready to do that for the team. Brian was out there. Brian was in a rhythm so we stuck with that. But I wasn't 100 percent so I wouldn't have expected to be out there unless I absolutely had to be."
 
For a brief moment, after Hoyer was crushed for a 7-yard sack in the fourth quarter and struggled to breathe, it looked like Manziel might have to trot back out. But the Browns called a timeout and Hoyer finished the game.

"Well, just watching the other 14 games that we had this year, I've seen Brian take big hits and lay there and really get my helmet on and get like I was going to go out there,'' he said. "Brian is an incredibly tough person. I really let things get to a further point before I do really get ready for anything with Brian because in the past he's shown that it takes a lot to knock him out, obviously.''

Hoyer completed 7-of-13 attempts for 134 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a 83.5 rating. 

"I want to go out and play and play for my teammates and do whatever it takes to win,'' he said. "I don't know what will happen going forward but we still have a chance of going 8-8 and to go .500,'' said Hoyer.

"I'm going to do whatever I can whether I'm playing, whether Johnny playing, whatever it is. The guys in that locker room, we've all worked so hard we have to go out and finish this strong and not just give up on it. There can be a lot of distractions with Christmas, everything involved. I don't know what the situation is or is his status is but you have to go out and it's a division game, play Baltimore and try to get to 8-8.''

Hoyer put 10 points on the board despite taking a backseat in practice all week to Manziel. Asked how many snaps he had with the starters, he said, "zero.''

Manziel came back out in the second half and the played the role that Hoyer did for him last week: helper, assistant coach and student of the sideline photos. But it was evident how anxious he was.

"I've never done anything like this whether it has been playing since I was a kid in any sport – football, baseball, basketball -- never had anything like this, so it was really new to me and really frustrating because I think I put in two really good weeks of practice and worked extremely hard to get on top of this stuff and stay down,'' he said. "I want to be out there with those guys and it's frustrating when you can't.''

He was encouraged by the strike to Hawkins, by producing a field goal and generally feeling like the lights were coming on.

"There's nothing catastrophic in my first half that really hurt us,'' he said. "We felt like we still had a lot of things that we wanted to put together and do. We were really excited about plays that we still had left in the game plan, so more than anything I'm going to continue to use the word frustrated.''

For the second straight week, Manziel didn't get much help from his supporting cast. The defense surrendered another 200-plus ground game, with Jonathan Stewart rushing for  122 yards and Newton finishing second with 63. Conversely, the Browns struggled to run again, with Isaiah Crowell managing 55 yards and the Browns 84 overall. Terrance West was benched again for having a bad week of practice.
 
After the game, Newton (18-of-31, 201 yards, one TD, one INT, 74.8 rating) talked to Manziel and told him to keep his head up.

"I'm a fan of his just like a lot of people are,'' Newton said. "But there's a lot of things he has to learn, and it's just a learning curve. I told him I was pulling for him and I hope in the offseason we can link up.''

For the second straight week, Manziel didn't get much help from his supporting cast. The defense surrendered another 200-plus ground game, with Jonathan Stewart rushing for 122 yards and Newton finishing second with 63. Conversely, the Browns struggled to run again, with Isaiah Crowell managing 55 yards and the Browns 84 overall. Terrance West was benched again for having a bad week of practice.
 
"Early when (Manziel) was in there, I think he felt a lot more comfortable this week than he did last week,'' said Hawkins, who left the locker room with a brace on his injured right thumb. "We've seen Johnny every day all year. So we know what Johnny's capable of. He has great talent and he can be a great quarterback in this league.''

It's great that Hawkins is so sure of that, because after Manziel's two starts the Browns certainly aren't -- and he might not a get a third to ease their doubts.

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Cleveland Cavaliers know how to close out games and players are starting to adjust to new roles: Fedor's five observations

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The Cleveland Cavaliers won their second straight game on Sunday night, beating the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies, 105-91.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers won their second straight game on Sunday night, beating the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies, 105-91.

The Grizzlies, the third-best team in the Western Conference, playing without Zach Randolph and Tony Allen, got off to a slow start and trailed by 14 points midway through the first quarter. They cut the lead four points in the third quarter, but never took the lead.

LeBron James scored 25 points and dished out 11 assists. On the night, the Cavs assisted on 34 of their 46 made baskets, shooting 60 percent from the field. Dion Waiters erupted for 21 points off the bench, a unit that has frustrated early in the season. Kyrie Irving (17), Anderson Varejao (18) and Shawn Marion also reached double figures.

Here are five observations from the Cavs' win against Memphis:

New roles – It's been a season of sacrifice and adjustment for the Cavs. Love is still finding his place after being the go-to option offensively for six years in Minnesota. James has taken on a new role as de facto point guard. Irving has had to play more off the ball. Then there's Shawn Marion and Dion Waiters.

Since being moved to the bench prior to Friday's game against Brooklyn, Marion has responded the way David Blatt and many in the locker room expected. Marion scored eight points in the win against the Nets and followed it up with 11 points, tying his season-high on Sunday. He made 5-of-6 shots and played closer to the basket.

"Originally when Shawn came in he was going to be a rotational player from the bench," Blatt said. "We struggled early defensively and we felt we weren't getting a lot of punch from the bench so we made the move with Dion and then we went on an eight-game winning streak. We sort of put Shawn back in to where we had originally pegged him and he's responded beautifully because he's a pro, he's here to win and he knows what to do."

Waiters' rollercoaster season has been well documented. But Sunday he was terrific. Waiters was slashing to the basket, finishing in transition and knocking down open shots. He scored 21 points in 28 minutes, one game after not receiving playing time in the second half.

"I was really happy to see what Dion did tonight and it had very little to do with the points that he scored," Blatt said. "When he's engaged, playing freely and when he's not allowing himself to be disturbed by other things Dion can really play basketball and I thought he did a great job tonight."

Waiters had two rebounds, one assist, one steal and four turnovers to go along with his 21 points so I'm not sure exactly what Blatt is referencing. Perhaps he means Waiters effort? Either way, Blatt's comments sum up what makes Waiters so maddening.

The talent is there. He is capable of 20-point outbursts. But he lacks consistency because he lets his mood dictate his performance. When he's getting shot opportunities and minutes he stays engaged. When his shot isn't falling, which has been a lot this season, shooting 40 percent from the field, he turns into a liability.

It hasn't been an easy task for Blatt finding the right role and the right times to play him.

"There's a period of discussing and convincing," Blatt said. "When he knows he's going to get his opportunities and minutes to play and we're going to play at him he's fine with that. The guys that understand it's for the betterment of the team are the ones it works best with. I want him to feel good about himself and stay positive."

That would be a good thing for the Cavs. His contributions combined with Marion helped Cleveland's bench outscore Memphis' second unit, 37-35. 

"He's learning every day," James said of Waiters, who scored 13 fourth quarter points to help close out Memphis. "He's a young guy. He hasn't experienced much in this league. For him to have a game like he did today, we needed it. We needed that spark off the bench. He was aggressive, decisive with what he wanted to do. It was a huge, huge boost."

Long distance advantage – The three-point shot has become a huge asset to the Cavs. James even spoke about its role in today's NBA following the three-point barrage from Atlanta.

The Cavs are averaging eight makes per game from beyond the arc, and hit 7-of-14 on Sunday.

Memphis is a tough team, even without Randolph. They are third in the NBA in points allowed in the paint, holding the opposition to 34.5.

Blatt said before the game his team needed to bring it, and the Cavs did. They had success on the interior, thanks in large part to Anderson Varejao's 18 points, but the Cavs also outscored Memphis by 18 points from the three-point line, something they had to do against a physical front. Memphis didn't find the same success from long range, hitting 1-of-16.

Closing time – After outscoring the Grizzlies 28-21 in the fourth quarter, the Cavs showed an ability to close out a tough team. While there have been moments of inconsistency and frustration this season, the Cavs are now 13-0 when taking a lead into the fourth quarter or being tied.

It certainly helps when the Cavs have players like James and Irving, able to create offense for themselves and for others, but the Cavs have also stiffened up on defense late, allowing 23.5 points in the fourth quarter, which is seventh best in the NBA.

Trade target – The Cavs have been linked to Memphis big man Kosta Koufos since last year's trade deadline. His name continues to pop up. Not only is his agent Mark Termini, who does work with Rich Paul, the rep for James and Tristan Thompson, but Koufos is a big-bodied player who will likely be made available because of his impending free agency and the lack of minutes he's getting in Memphis.

"The guy's a starting center in my mind," Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger said prior to Sunday's game. "I don't want to say (for) eight teams, 10 teams. That's not for me to say. But I believe he's a starting center in this league. He's absolutely the greatest teammate to be around."

So why isn't the 7-footer getting consistent minutes?

"Tough situation for him," Joerger said. "The guy in front of him is really, really good, and playing in the West, where I will say 11 of the 15 teams start with a stretch 4 and stay small, I'd like to play he and Marc together at times, and that just doesn't work out. I think that'd be a good lineup for us. But teams are playing 6-foot-8 guys and 6-foot-5 guys at the power forward and facing you up and spreading it out. You're really got to punish them at the other end of the floor."

Koufos played 24 minutes, making 4-of-8 from the field en route to eight points. He also grabbed three rebounds.

The Cavs had a front-row seat, and I'm guessing they weren't all that impressed.

Koufos, more of a finesse player, doesn't fit the category of rim protector. The most blocks he's had in a season: 103. That was two years ago in Denver. He even had one of his shots stuffed right back in his face by undersized Tristan Thompson, who has 24 blocks in 26 games.

Of course, no one is going to judge him based on one game. The Cavs and others will look at his entire body of work, but it's hard to see Koufos being more than just a rotational player for the Cavs, fighting for playing time just like he is in Memphis.

For his career, the former Buckeye is averaging 5.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.8 blocks while playing 14.9 minutes. 

There's value there, but the Cavs don't have a lot of assets, and it's important they are judicious with whatever move they decide to make, if any, to improve the roster.

Measuring stick – The Cavs don't have many signature wins on the resume, but Sunday qualifies. Yes, Memphis played without Randolph, the team's third-leading scorer and top rebounder, as well as Allen, one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, but wins against Western Conference foes haven't come easy. The Cavs are now 3-6 against the league's superior conference.

For them to hold the Grizzlies under 100 points and for the Cavs to score 105 against a team allowing just a shade over 96 per game, it's something to be proud of, especially considering Memphis never led.

"I don't judge where we stand in the league by one game," Blatt said.

"I would say if they were at full strength it could've been a measuring stick for us," Love said. "They're a very good team and very well coached regardless, but with Randolph and Allen at full strength they are a different team. When we play them again we will have another rough estimate of where we are at as far as the top teams in the league because they are right up there."

That's a sound approach after a win, but it's clear this one had been circled. The Cavs came out with energy, intensity and aggressiveness from the beginning. It was their most complete game of the season. 

"They're a true veteran, playoff team," Irving said. "They know how to win ball games. For us, we knew it was going to be a challenge and we just wanted to come out with a high defensive intensity and I think we did that tonight. We're pretty proud of this effort tonight and I'm proud of our guys."

Cleveland Cavaliers postgame show: Recapping the win against the Memphis Grizzlies

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Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the win against the Grizzlies during the postgame show.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers won their second straight game on Sunday night, beating the short-handed Memphis Grizzlies, 105-91. 

LeBron James, who scored a game-high 25 points, and Kyrie Irving, who tied his career-high with 12 assists, both took a backseat to Dion Waiters in the fourth quarter. Waiters scored 21 points, including 13 in the final period one game after not seeing the court in the second half. 

The Cavs are now 16-10, and will wrap up their five-game homestand against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night. 

Cleveland.com's Chris Fedor, Joe Vardon and Chris Haynes recapped the win against the Grizzlies during the postgame show.

The trio talked about whether the game against Memphis was still a measuring stick considering the Grizzlies were without two starters, James taking on a new role this season, the perplexing situation with Waiters and whether the Cavs still have an interest in trading for Kosta Koufos.

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