Vikings -- among preseason title favorites -- are 0-2 as 40-year-old Favre struggles.

Associated PressVikings quarterback Brett Favre loses the football, which was recovered in the end zone by the Dolphins' Koa Misi for a Miami touchdown.

Minneapolis, Minn. -- Brett Favre was intercepted three times and the Miami Dolphins stopped Adrian Peterson on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line to preserve a 14-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Koa Misi also recovered Favre's fumble in the end zone for one of Miami's two touchdowns and Brian Hartline scored the other on a 5-yard pass from Chad Henne to keep the Dolphins (2-0) undefeated.

The 40-year-old Favre had his worst day as a Viking, going 19 of 28 for 197 yards with four turnovers. He threw two interceptions at home all of last season, but topped that total in the home opener.

Peterson rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (0-2), who forced two fumbles of their own in a mistake-filled game.

The Vikings had a final possession with 1:42 to go, but Favre's pass to Visanthe Shiancoe on fourth down fell incomplete.

Browns Hall of Famers are wowed by Ring of Honor.

UPDATED: 5:32 p.m.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerBrowns fans lift up the covering revealing the name of Hall of Fame running back Leroy Kelly during halftime of Sunday's Browns-Chiefs game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Bobby Mitchell stared at the huge screen at Heritage Hall, where the first group of 16 Hall of Famers were enshrined in the new Browns Ring of Honor.

Mitchell watched a young man carrying a football on a sweep, fellow Hall of Famer Gene Hickerson in front of Mitchell, delivering a bulldozer of a block on a Browns opponent.

Now 75, Mitchell blinked his eyes several times, seemingly fighting back a few tears.

"To be remembered like this..." he said. "For it to happen in Cleveland...the Browns weren't my real team, because I didn't spend most of my career here. But they have done more with this to elevate me than Washington has."

Mitchell played for the Browns from 1958-61, then was traded to the Washington Redskins for Ernie Davis, who died of leukemia before he ever played a regular-season game for the Browns.

With the Browns, Mitchell was a special teams star, a sometimes receiver and the other running back next to Jim Brown. It was in Washington where Mitchell became a Hall of Fame receiver. But it is in Cleveland where he believes, "They have gone out of their way to highlight my career. I'll never forget this."

That was the response of virtually all the Ring of Honor members and their families to the Hall of Fame-style Heritage Hall, where fans will be able to drink up the Browns history.

The widow of Hall of Fame receiver Dante Lavelli, Joy Lavelli, stood in front of the display honoring her husband.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerFormer great Browns running back Leroy Kelly clearly enjoyed hearing the cheers once again on Sunday, as he walked back to the stands after Sunday's Ring of Honor ceremony.

"He would have loved to see this," she said. "This made me think of when [former coach] Paul Brown came to Hudson and signed Dante to his first contract. He gave him a $500 bonus, and $3,500 for the first year. I still have it."

What else comes to mind?

"Paul Brown would never let the wives travel to away games," she said. "At home, he would not let more than two wives sit together at games. He was afraid that we'd find out what our husbands were being paid."

She laughed about the memory.

Which is what the Ring of Honor is all about -- memories. And smiles. And a few tears as the seasons have relentlessly marched on. Nine of the Ring of Honor members are deceased. Another, Mike McCormack, wanted to attend, but is recovering from surgery. In a dispute with the front office, Jim Brown refused to take part. The president of the Baltimore Ravens, Ozzie Newsome was with his team in Cincinnati.

That left four Ring of Honor members -- Paul Warfield, Leroy Kelly, Joe Delamielleure and Mitchell -- to pose in front of the display for pictures taken by their families. But families and friends of other members were there.

"My father would have loved this as much as being in the Hall of Fame," said Bob Hickerson, son of the late Gene Hickerson. "It's just fabulous."

Judd Groza was there to represent his father, Lou Groza, who died in 2000. He wished his mother could have seen it, she died a few months ago. Looking at a picture of his father, Judd talked about when his dad knew it was time to quit.

"He said he kicked off at a game, and some rookie blindsided him with a block," Judd said. "Then the kid reached down and helped my dad up, saying, 'Sorry Mr. Groza.'"

What you heard from these men and their family members was a sense of awe and humility.

Leroy Kelly became the featured back when Brown retired after the 1965 season. Kelly then made six Pro Bowls. He remains underrated because he was the man who came after perhaps the greatest running back in the history of the National Football League.

"I really didn't feel that much pressure, because we had such a great team," Kelly said. "The blocking was great -- Hickerson, John Wooten, [Dick] Schafrath, John Brewer, John Morrow ... Paul [Warfield] and Gary [Collins] were receivers, and they blocked, too. [Fullback] Ernie Green blocked. These guys made it easy for me."

At 68, Kelly still was praising his offensive line.

Warfield spent a lot of time looking at the shrines of some of the earliest Browns -- Otto Graham, Marion Motley, Len Ford, Bill Willis and Lavelli.

"I grew up in Warren, and these were the players I watched," said Warfield. "For me to be in the same Ring of Honor with them -- it's still hard to imagine."

Warfield then mentioned being in the same 1964 draft as Kelly. He talked about playing on the same team as Brown and Hickerson, and how it's a thrill to be entering the Ring of Honor with those former teammates.

The 16 Ring of Honor names were unveiled at halftime of Sunday's game, giving Browns Stadium a much-needed sense of history.

Also in town were several members of the Browns' Legends Club. Former defensive end Bill Glass raved about owner Randy Lerner and team president Mike Holmgren picking up all the expenses for his trip from Dallas. He toured the Ring of Honor shrines with Paul Wiggin and Jim Ray Smith.

"Doing something like this for the former players and fans says a lot about the ownership," said Smith, a guard from 1956-62.

A long-time executive with the Minnesota Vikings, Wiggin said "Wow" several times as he walked with Glass and looked at the displays. The former teammates turned into fans as they gawked at the pictures of the Hall of Famers.

"What a tribute," said Wiggin. "It's amazing this franchise has had 16 Hall of Famers. I was a pretty good player, but these were great ones. In Minnesota, we have some nice pictures of our best players on the walls, but it's nothing like this. Being here reminds all of us what an honor it was to be with the Browns, and this is first class. The fans and former players will love it."

The Indians are denied a three-game sweep against the Royals as rookie Josh Tomlin fails to hold 3-0 lead.

UPDATED: 6:43 p.m.

Ed Zurga / Associated PressShin-Soo Choo drills his 20th home run of the season -- a two-run shot in the first inning on Sunday -- but it wasn't enough as the Indians fell to Kansas City, 6-4.

ON DECK: INDIANS AT MINNESOTA TWINS
Where: Target Field.
When: Monday through Wednesday.
TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio Monday and Tuesday, no TV Wednesday; WTAM AM/1100.
Pitching matchups: RHP Jeanmar Gomez (3-4, 4.02) vs. LHP Brian Duensing (9-2, 2.07) Monday at 8:10 p.m.; RHP Fausto Carmona (12-14, 3.81) vs. Scott Baker (12-9, 4.60) Tuesday at 8:10 p.m.; and RHP Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 2.70) vs. RHP Nick Blackburn (9-10, 5.43) Wednesday at 1:10 p.m.
Season series: The Indians are 6-9 against the Twins this year. The Indians lead, 360-339, overall.
Indians update: Gomez and Carrasco have combined to allow one earned run in 12 2/3 scoreless innings against the Twins in two no-decisions this year. Carmona, 1-2 against Minnesota this year, threw a three-hitter against them on Sept.10. Matt LaPorta is hitting .311 (14-for-45) with three homers and five RBI against the Twins this year.
Twins update: They’re cruising toward the Central title. Jim Thome has eight hits against the Indians, half of them for homers. Duensing is 1-0 against the Tribe this season, while Baker is 0-2.
Injuries: Indians — C Carlos Santana (left knee), RHP Anthony Reyes (right elbow) and CF Grady Sizemore (left knee) are on the disabled list. 2B Jason Donald (right hand) is day to day. Twins — RHP Joe Nathan (right elbow), LHP Jose Mijares (right knee), 1B Justin Morneau (concussion), LHP Ron Mahay (right shoulder) are on the disabled list.
Next: Royals visit Progressive Field on Thursday to start four-game series.
— Paul Hoynes

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Shin-Soo Choo is no Mungo Jerry. He's not the Vanilla Fudge or T. Rex.

He's no one-hit wonder and he proved that Sunday in a game that the Indians lost, 6-4, to Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium. Choo went 20-20 (20 homers and 20 steals) for the second straight year with a homer in the first inning and a steal of second base in the third.

"Last year was my first full season in the big leagues," said Choo. "A lot of guys may say I was lucky or maybe I would just do it one time. I showed this year that I can do it again."

Choo and Toronto's Alex Rios are the only American League players to reach 20-20 this season. Carlos Gonzalez, Chris Young and Hanley Ramirez have done it in the National League.

In Indians history, Joe Carter, Grady Sizemore, Robby Alomar and Choo are the only players to do it more than once.

"It's even more impressive than what he did last year because of all the problems we've had in front of him with Asdrubal Cabrera losing more than 50 games and Grady Sizemore being gone almost the whole season," said manager Manny Acta. "And he doesn't have some of those guys who were hitting behind earlier in the year."

Choo went 8-for-12 with four homers and 10 RBI in the three-game series. He hit four homers in a stretch of eight at-bats. Three came in Friday's 11-4 victory.

"In the last 10 games, I've been afraid of the strikeout," said Choo. "I'm not afraid now. I'm just swinging the bat."

Choo's two-run homer in the first gave rookie right-hander Josh Tomlin a 2-0 lead. When Luis Valbuena added an RBI single in the second for a 3-0 lead, it looked like the Indians were on the way to a three-game sweep.

The Royals altered those plans by scoring four runs in the second. In succession, Tomlin lost his release point, the strike zone and the ballgame.

Tomlin (4-4, 4.73) loaded the bases on a walk and singles by Brayan Pena and Alex Gordon. He walked Yuniesky Betancourt to force home a run and gave up a two-run single to Mitch Maier to make it 3-3. Tomlin struck out Gregor Blanco, but was burned by a double steal.

When Maier broke for second, Tomlin turned and ran toward him. In his haste, he forget to look Betancourt back at third. Tomlin, with catcher Chris Gimenez screaming for the ball, turned and threw home, but Betancourt was safe and the Royals had a lead they never gave up.

"Josh just buried himself in the second," said Acta. "He pitched behind in the count, which he can't afford to do. Those walks really hurt him. And at the end he butchered that first-and-third double steal defense.

"That usually doesn't happen because he's very good fielding his position and in his awareness of the overall baseball game."

Tomlin allowed six runs on six hits in five innings.

"We work on that play during [pitcher's fielding practice]," said Tomlin. "That was my mistake. I've got to check third base first on that."

The Indians out-hit the Royals, 12-8, but didn't hit when it mattered. The loss ended their three-game winning streak. They are 7-7 against the Royals with just four more left to play between the two teams to see who will finish last in the AL Central.

The Tribe owns fourth by a half-game.

The Royals made it 6-3 in the sixth on Kila Ka'aihue's two-run double off Aaron Laffey. Tomlin started the inning by giving up a single to Billy Butler and a double to Wilson Betemit. Laffey, in his first appearance since joining the team Saturday from Class AAA Columbus, came in and gave up the double to Ka'aihue.

The Indians made it 6-4 in the eighth when Trevor Crowe scored on Blake Wood's wild pitch. Crowe reached on a fielder's choice and went to third on Andy Marte's double past third.

Luke Hochevar (6-5) allowed three runs on eight hits in six innings. Joakim Soria worked the ninth for his 39th save.

Michael Brantley extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a two-out single in the seventh.

The 0-2 Browns lose again -- the same way, with nothing resembling offense in the second half.

Chuck Crow / The Plain DealerBrowns running back Jerome Harrison never came close to repeating his glorious effort from last season against the Chiefs, as he is belted to the ground on this fourth-quarter play by Kansas City's Derrick Johnson (56) and Brandon Carr (39).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Why do the Browns keep doing this to themselves ... and their fans?

Not the losing, most of us are used to that.

But losing on interceptions at the worst possible time. Losing because a team ranked eighth in the league in rushing a year ago suddenly can't run when it means the most. Losing a game because when the gritty defense needed a huge play, they couldn't make it.

And penalties.

Suddenly, the Browns who have prided themselves on playing disciplined, smart football even when they lose have been beating themselves with some truly dumb penalties.

Kansas City 16, Browns 14. Two games, two defeats by the nearly the same score as they lost last week, 17-14 at Tampa.

Two weeks where the Browns were ahead, 14-10, at the half.

Two weeks where poor passes by Browns' quarterbacks set up game-changing touchdowns.

Worse, the Browns failed to score a point in the second half of either game. Even more dreadful, after the intermission, the Browns had four first downs at Tampa -- Sunday, it was three first downs at home.

Just what are the Browns doing at the half on offense? Certainly not making the right adjustments. For that, some of the heat must be given to coach Eric Mangini, and especially offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

Sure, we can talk about Phil Dawson missing that 42-yard field goal near the end of the first half. In the last three seasons, Dawson is 17-of-20 from 40-to-49 yards. He missed one attempt from that range each year. He missed a huge one on Sunday.

Near the end of the game, the Browns lost a challenge on a fourth-down run by Kansas City's Thomas Jones. The play was ruled a first down, and it virtually ended the game. Television replays indicated Jones may have been inches short.

But most NFL games come down to what happens after halftime. Mangini offered no real answer to the questions about the offense shrinking in the second half.

Unlike a week ago when the Browns played Jake Delhomme on a bad ankle and seemed to forget about the run, they tried to unleash Jerome Harrison, who had 286 yards against the Chiefs a year ago. But Sunday, he managed only 33 yards in 16 carries. His longest run was eight yards. He lost a fumble that set up a Chiefs' field goal. He had five yards in five carries in the second half.

The season is only two games old, but Harrison seems to lack the spark and speed of a year ago. Peyton Hillis was more productive -- 35 yards on eight carries. He was handed the ball twice in the second half, gaining 11 yards.

But the real problem is nothing worked offensively in the second half.

Except for a destructive interception that became a touchdown, Seneca Wallace was productive in the first half. He threw a 65-yard touchdown passes to Joshua Cribbs. He was 11-of-21 passing for 187 yards. He seemed poised with a clear idea of what he wanted to do.

But in the second half, the running game was stuck. Wallace was 5-of-10 passing, but mostly short throws for a grand total of 42 yards. The Browns didn't have a first down in the fourth quarter, but gave the Chiefs a pair of first downs on penalties.

The Browns had three unnecessary roughness penalties, three offsides/false starts. All "self inflicted wounds," said Mangini.

So the Browns are 0-2 against two teams they expected to beat. They are 0-2 for a variety of reasons, but perhaps the biggest is a grand total of two first downs in two fourth quarters. They are 0-2 with their next seven games coming against teams with winning records.

None of this is about to change until the Browns learn to make adjustments and play some offense in the second half.

Three weeks into the football season is not too early to see who may be the contenders in the MAC.

Brian Cassella / Chicago TribuneNorthern Illinois figures to be a threat in the Mid-American Conference title chase as long as multi-dimensional QB Chandler Harnish stays healthy, says Elton Alexander.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Three weeks into the football season -- one fourth of the way through -- it is not too early to see who may be the contenders and the pretenders in the Mid-American Conference.

On the plus side, Temple (3-0, 1-0), Central Michigan (2-1, 1-1), Toledo (2-1, 2-0) and Northern Illinois (1-2, 0-0) have lived up to expectations. Miami (2-1, 1-0) and Bowling Green (1-2, 0-0) have been a nice surprise.

The most balanced team seems to be Central Michigan, with Northern Illinois second as long as QB Chandler Harnish stays healthy. To date, Harnish has rushed for 295 yards and averaged 9.2 ypc and has also passed for 354 yards with 1 TD and l INT.

Around the MAC: BG still has issues with its defense (465.7 ypg), but few teams in the MAC appear to have the experienced quarterbacks, or bruising tailbacks, to exploit it. ... CMU, despite its early road loss to Temple, looks to be the class of the league as the Chippewas rank No. 1 in both offense (430.7 yards) and defense (250.7). ... Toledo is a bit of an enigma as the Rockets have one of the MAC's worst defenses (372.3 ypg allowed) and the worst offense (221.0 ypg), yet have still posted a winning slate and are undefeated in league play.

Temple has not always looked pretty, but undefeated is undefeated. With TB Bernard Pierce (100.3 ypg, 3 TD, 5.4 ypc) showing signs of life, the Owls' big challenge is not to beat themselves. ... Miami's defense (280.0 yards per game) has been stellar from the opening kickoff and the offense has at least been opportunistic. With the exception of four interceptions in the opener, the RedHawks have had just one turnover, but have recovered five fumbles and picked off five interceptions to be plus-5 in the turnover game.

Still to be decided: Give Ohio University (1-2, 0-1), Kent State (1-2, 0-0), Western Michigan (1-2, 0-1) and Buffalo (1-2, 0-0) one more game to more clearly define their direction for this season. Right now, none look to end the season with a bowl-worthy (7-5) record. Defending East champion OU is uncertain at the quarterback spot where two players (Boo Jackson and Phil Bates) have split time.

Buffalo has yet to put together a consistent four quarters. ... WMU (10 turnovers in three games/75.7 ypg rushing) shows its youth offensively. ... Kent State's offense continues to be a drop in the bucket.

KSU's offense was expected to be potent behind a veteran stable of bantam backs. But Kent is averaging just 66.3 yards running. With quarterback Spencer Keith (5 interceptions, 4 TDs) one more bad game away from a definitive sophomore slump, the Flashes are on the threshold of a "must-win" game.

Lake County leads Clinton, 2-1, in best-of-five Midwest League title series going into tonight's game in Eastlake. Cleveland Indians Class A team is in its eighth season in Eastlake, after playing 12 seasons as the Columbus (Ga.) RedStixx.

Lake County Captains

FARM REPORT

A Lake County Captains

Tonight: Clinton (Iowa) at Captains, 6:30. Captains lead the best-of-five game Midwest League championship series, two games to one. LumberKings RHP Taylor Stanton (12-7, 4.30 regular season; 0-1, 6.00 playoffs) vs. Captains LHP Vidal Nuno (6-8, 4.96 regular season; 1-1, 4.35 playoffs).

Notes: Going into Sunday night's game, the Captains leaders in batting average during the playoffs were SS Casey Frawley, .325 (13-of-40); OF Jason Smit, .313 (10-of-32); OF Tyler Holt, .297 (11-of-37); OF Jonathan Burnette, .281 (9-of-32); RF Greg Folgia, .258 (8-of-31); 2B Argenis Martinez, .250 (8-of-32)....Smit had scored 11 runs, followed by Frawley, Holt and Martinez with six each. Burnette and CF Delvi Cid had five runs. Folgia led with seven RBI. Smit, Holt and Cid each had six RBI, and Burnette had five....3B Adam Abraham, Burnette, Smit and Folgia each had two home runs. Frawley and Burnette had three doubles each....Catcher Roberto Perez and Holt had both drawn six walks. Cid was 5-of-5 on stolen base attempts and Holt was 4-of-4....RH reliever Preston Guilmet had earned a save in four of his five playoff appearances, and had pitched 8 2/3 scoreless innings. He had struck out 13, walked two and allowed three hits. Including the regular season and playoffs, Guilmet was 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA and 15 saves in 35 games (all relief), striking out 92 and walking 12 in 60 2/3 innings, while giving up just 38 hits -- including just three homers....RH reliever Francisco Jimenez was 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in four playoff games, striking out nine while allowing nine hits and three walks in 8 2/3 innings....The Captains were 3-0 in RH Brett Brach's three playoff starts. Brach was 1-0 with a 3.45 ERA. He had struck out 17, walked two and allowed 17 hits in 15 2/3 innings....RHP Jason Knapp has struck out 41 in 24 1/3 innings for the Captains in six games, including two playoff starts. Prior to joining the Captains, Knapp, 20, had fanned 18 in 12 1/3 innings over five outings in the Arizona League -- where, beginning in July, he pitched in games for the first time since having off-season shoulder surgery. In 36 2/3 combined innings with the two teams, Knapp is 2-2 with a 2.70 ERA, has struck out 59, walked 13 and given up just 21 hits -- including no homers. Knapp, a 2008 second-round draft pick of the Phillies and considered an elite prospect, came to the Indians in the trade of Cliff Lee to Philadelphia last July. The Captains won both of Knapp's playoff starts. He was 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA....This is the first season for the Captains in the Midwest League. They had been in the South Atlantic League. The franchise, which has always a Class A affiliation of the Cleveland Indians, began in 1991 as the Columbus (Ga.) RedStixx. The team moved to the Captains' home in Eastlake after the 2002 season. Going into this season, the RedStixx/Captains franchise had not won a league championship, although it had claimed several first- or second-half season division titles.

In the short week leading to the game, Romeo Crennel played it cool when it came to playing the Browns.

Orlin Wagner / Associated PressRomeo Crennel didn't speak Sunday about his feelings of returning to Cleveland, but his players on the Chiefs defense said they knew Sunday's win would be rewarding to the former Browns head coach.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In the short week leading to the game, Romeo Crennel played it cool.

Crennel, in his first year as Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator, prepared for the Browns as if they were any other team.

Crennel was head coach of the Browns from 2005-08 before being jettisoned. So the Chiefs' defensive players knew the score.

"He didn't speak on it -- not once," cornerback Brandon Flowers said. "Coach Crennel is a very humble guy. But we knew that for him, deep down inside, coming in here and getting a win probably would be special."

Flowers led the way in making "RAC" a happy man. Flowers' interception return for a touchdown early in the second quarter proved huge in the Chiefs' 16-14 victory Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.

The Chiefs are 2-0 -- halfway to their victory total from last season. They beat the Chargers, 21-14, last Monday night.

Crennel's defense gave up one touchdown in the second half against the high-powered Chargers. It pitched a shutout in the second half against the low-powered Browns, who managed 55 net yards in the final 30 minutes.

"Coach Crennel has everybody on the defense believing that whatever he calls, it's the best option for that situation," Flowers said. "Going back to preseason, we've had great gameplans."

Preparation paid off handsomely for Flowers and his teammates with 10 minutes left in the first half. The Browns led, 7-3, and faced second-and-8 from their 30. Quarterback Seneca Wallace looked right, reloaded and threw a pass intended for Chansi Stuckey. Flowers stepped in front near the sideline, intercepted and raced 33 yards for the score.

"The secondary did a great job of making the quarterback think there was a certain coverage," Flowers said. "We rolled to a different coverage. When I saw the tight end or fullback break to the flat, I just knew the quarterback would try to make a quick read. So I needed to go make a play and not think twice about it."

Wallace rebounded in the next series, throwing a 65-yard TD pass to Josh Cribbs. Wallace passed for 187 yards in the first half, 42 in the second.

Kansas City's defense needed to be sharp in the second half because the offense was not able to score a touchdown. The Chiefs notched two field goals as they overcame a 14-10 deficit.

One of the Chiefs' best offensive plays in the final two quarters gained less than a yard. Sitting on a two-point lead with two minutes left in the fourth, Kansas City opted to go for it on fourth-and-a-football from the Cleveland 36. Thomas Jones dived high onto the pile and reached the 35.

The Chiefs killed the clock.

Jones said the dive was improvised.

"I just reacted to what their line did," he said. "They went on the ground, and our line did a great job of keeping them there."

Jones and the Chiefs were forced to sweat out a booth review.

"I was pretty confident I got the first down, but anytime you have a review, you never know what's going to happen," he said.

Watch video from the Browns locker room following the team's 16-14 loss to the Chiefs. First, head coach Eric Mangini talks about his disappointment in the team's mistakes. Then, wide receiver Josh Cribbs is asked if the players ever get the feeling of "Here we go again."

Seneca Wallace knew his second-quarter interception for a touchdown was one of the key plays in Sunday's loss to Kansas City.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain Dealer"I don't like throwing interceptions," said Seneca Wallace (here avoiding the rush of the Chiefs' Alex Magee, "and obviously when you do, you end up putting the offense at a bad disadvantage. ... My main objective is to not put us in bad situations and I did that today."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Seneca Wallace took the heat for Sunday's 16-14 loss to the Chiefs because of the pick-six he threw in the second quarter that put the Chiefs up, 10-7.

"It was just a bad, bad mistake by me," said Wallace, who started in place of Jake Delhomme, inactive with his right ankle injury. "I take full responsibility for what happened today. It was a ball I know I shouldn't have thrown out to the flat and I did. It was late. Those are mistakes we can't have."

Wallace dropped back, looked around, hesitated, and then threw to Chansi Stuckey in the right flat. Cornerback Brandon Flowers capitalized on Wallace's indecision, jumped in front of Stuckey and swiped the ball, running it back 33 yards for the TD.

"You have to go out there and be aggressive, but you can't be dumb-aggressive like I was," said Wallace. "They pretty much walked away with a win today because of my mistake. I'll make sure I don't make those mistakes twice."

Wallace, who admitted on Friday that "it's a crash course" every time he steps on the field because everything is so new, has never been one to throw picks. In his seven seasons in Seattle, he threw 25 TDs against only 14 picks. In 2008, the year he started a career-high eight games, he threw 11 TDs and only three INTs.

"It's always tough," he said. "I don't like throwing interceptions and obviously when you do, you end up putting the offense at a bad disadvantage and the defense has to go out and try to get you out of the hole. My main objective is to not put us in bad situations and I did that today."

Stuckey assumed some of the blame, as well.

"I couldn't see the guy who was there," he said. "I'm running the flat route and I was just trying to protect the ball and the defensive back made a good break on the ball. We've just got to communicate better. It's on both of us."

Wallace, who may start more games while Delhomme recovers, didn't get as much help from his receivers as he could have. On his opening drive, tight end Evan Moore and Stuckey dropped back-to-back passes to force a three-and-out. With just under three minutes left and the Browns trailing, 16-14, Wallace threw a superb deep sideline ball on third down to Mohamed Massaquoi, who lost it as he hit the ground. The Browns had to punt with 2:41 left and never got the ball back.

"I've got to better job of coming down with it," said Massaquoi. "I wasn't able to secure the catch."

Overall, Wallace completed only one pass each to the top two receivers: one to Massaquoi for nine yards and one to Brian Robiskie for 12.

"They're going to continue to keep working hard," said Wallace. "They're great receivers and I'm not worried about them at all."

Still, Wallace had his moments. He scrambled away from pressure and found Josh Cribbs with a 65-yard TD pass down the deep middle in the second quarter. He completed 16 of 31 attempts for 229 yards with one TD and one INT for a 73.2 rating.

"[The Cribbs TD] was a good play call," said Wallace. "We looked at the sheets on the sideline and knew it was going to be a big play. Cribbs made a good play getting open, catching it and running after the catch."

Cribbs, who led the Browns with 74 receiving yards on three catches, was impressed with Wallace.

"Seneca's awesome," said Cribbs. "With his athletic abilities, I know he's capable of doing so much more."

Browns coach Eric Mangini also praised him. "Seneca came in and took Jake's place in the second week of the season and operated effectively," he said. "The guys believed in him."

Wallace agreed that it was something to build on.

"I feel all right," he said. "I ain't going to say I feel the best, because there's a ball I wish I would've had back. There were some things I did well and some things I did bad. You've just got to make the changes and come back next week and move forward and have a better outing."

What Big Ten coach said "Special teams were awful" on Saturday? There's no way to know, because it applies to too many teams.

Al Goldis / Associated PressMichigan State's Charlie Gantt began a wild celebration by scoring the winning points against Notre Dame on a fake field goal in overtime. But Big Ten teams weren't generally smiling about their special teams after Saturday's play.

THIS WEEK’S BEST NATIONAL GAMES
1. No. 1 Alabama at No. 10 Arkansas, Saturday, 3:30, CBS: Arkansas, with the No. 3 passing offense in the nation, faces Alabama’s No. 2 scoring defense and passing defense. Crimson Tide should become unanimous No. 1 team with a win, or Razorbacks’ Ryan Mallet could become early Heisman favorite with upset.
2. No. 24 Oregon State at No. 3 Boise State, Saturday, 8, ABC: Broncos’ last national stage game of the season is getting full attention, shown to a full nationwide audience and with an ESPN GameDay visit. Needing style points, they may try to score 70.
3. No. 16 Stanford at Notre Dame, Saturday, 3:30, NBC: Stanford is a team to watch, with a rising star in QB Andrew Luck and the best pass defense in the country. Could be a long day for the Fighting Irish.

THIS WEEK’S BEST BIG TEN GAMES
1. Temple at No. 23 Penn State, Saturday, 3:30, BTN: Nittany Lions lead all-time series 35-3-1, with Temple’s last win in 1941. Owls are 3-0 off a win over Connecticut with a great coach in Al Golden, and Penn State is playing a freshman quarterback ... could it be?
2. Eastern Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State, Saturday, 3:30, ABC: Since Jim Tressel took over in 2001, Ohio State has the fourth-best record in major college football. In same time period, Eastern Michigan has the second-worst record, ahead of only Duke.
3. Ball State at No. 18 Iowa, Saturday, Noon, BTN: “We have the potential to be a good team, but this was disappointing,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said after Saturday night’s loss Arizona. Time to lick some wounds.

HEISMAN WATCH
1. Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan, Soph., Odds: 5-1, vs. Bowling Green: Leads nation in total offense with 1,230 rushing and passing yards, 133 yards ahead of second place.
2. Ryan Mallett, QB, Arkansas, Jr., Odds: 11-2, vs. Alabama: Got the big win in a big play, beating Georgia with a TD pass in final minute. Alabama defense will prove how good he is.
3. Terrelle Pryor, QB, Ohio State, Jr., Odds: 6-1, vs. Eastern Michigan: Sixteen straight completions was record worth noting, he’s 16th in nation in total offense, 23rd in passer rating.
4. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford, Soph., Odds: 7-1, at Notre Dame: Four more touchdowns, now has 10 TDs against no interceptions and lots of eyes on him this week against Fighting Irish.
5. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State, Jr., Odds: 10-1, vs. Oregon State: Had 370 passing yards in win over Wyoming, but only two touchdowns to go with an interception. Big chance this week.
6. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama, Jr., Odds: 25-1, at Arkansas: Ready to say farewell after missing the first two games of the year, but he returned with 151 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries.
7. Jake Locker, QB, Washington, Sr., Odds: 1,000,000-1, Off: Really saying goodbye this time. His Heisman hopes have exploded after completing just four of 20 passes, with two interceptions, in a loss to Nebraska.

DOUG’S TOP 25
1. Ohio State; 2. Alabama; 3. TCU; 4. Oregon; 5. Nebraska; 6. Arizona; 7. Boise State; 8. Oklahoma; 9. South Carolina; 10. Texas; 11. Stanford; 12. Arkansas; 13. Florida; 14. Wisconsin; 15. LSU; 16. Auburn; 17. Utah; 18. Iowa; 19. Miami; 20. Michigan; 21. Michigan State; 22. West Virginia; 23. USC; 24. Penn State; 25. North Carolina State
Explaining my ballot
The Buckeyes remain No. 1 on my ballot, as Ohio State got five first-place AP votes and three in the coaches poll. With Alabama playing Arkansas next week while Ohio State hosts Eastern Michigan, it may be difficult for the Buckeyes to keep my vote.
I had been voting Michigan higher than anyone in the country, with the Wolverines No. 8 after week one and No. 9 last week. But after getting a scare from FCS school UMass, and after both Connecticut and Notre Dame — the previous Michigan victims — lost this week, the Wolverines’ resume was weakened and they’re now No. 20.
Last week Arizona didn’t make my ballot, but after beating Iowa, the Wildcats jumped all the way to No. 6, their highest ranking by an AP voter. They’re No. 14 in the overall poll. After winning their first two games by a combined score 93-8, then taking down a quality Iowa team, to me Arizona clearly earned a spot in the top 10.
In the real polls, the Buckeyes stayed at No. 2 in the both the AP and coaches poll. With Michigan State joining the Buckeyes, Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State and Michigan in the top 25 of both polls, the Big Ten has six teams ranked in both polls for the first time since Sept. 13, 2004.
-- Doug Lesmerises

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- What Big Ten coach said this after Saturday's games?

"Special teams were awful."

There's no way to know, because it applies to too many teams.

So far Ohio State's special teams issues -- allowing a blocked field goal for a touchdown against Marshall, a punt return and a kickoff return for touchdowns against Miami and a blocked punt against Ohio on Saturday -- have been a nuisance. The Buckeyes and Jim Tressel are searching for answers and need to find them, but so far they haven't had a game turn on special teams.

Nearly every other big game in the Big Ten on Saturday was absolutely decided by special teams, for good and bad. While teams work to fix the holes, they should also be working to exploit everyone else's problems. Conference play is two weeks away, with a schedule of lesser opponents this week. Eight Big Ten teams are playing MAC schools, with Penn State's game with Temple the stiffest test, so there should be some extra time in the week for everyone to work on what the Buckeyes drilled so much last week.

Why? Special teams win and lose games.

Exhibit A: Michigan State beat Notre Dame in overtime on a touchdown pass off a fake field goal. People are saying it's the call of the year. The play -- brought about in part by a lack of faith in the Spartans' young kicker -- isn't the mark of good special teams.

Exhibit B: Wisconsin beat Arizona State, 20-19, because safety Jay Valai blocked the Sun Devils' tying extra point with 3:34 left on a new kick block call the Badgers hadn't used before.

"I just closed my eyes and made the play," Valai told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Coach told me to go for the block. I just jumped over and made the play."

But the Badgers were only pushed to the brink in part because they allowed a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and nearly allowed another kickoff return on the last play of the first half that was stopped on the 1 as time ran out. They were saved by good special teams, but put in that position by bad special teams.

Exhibit C: Iowa lost to Arizona, 34-27, after allowing a blocked punt that led to Arizona's first touchdown and a 100-yard kickoff return for a score that extended the Arizona lead to 21-7.

The Hawkeyes were a dark horse national title contender playing a good, but not great, team two time zones away. Though they rallied to tie in the fourth quarter (while missing an extra point that would have given them the lead) they came home losers because they put themselves in an early hole with bad special teams.

Exhibit D: Michigan, searching for a reliable kicker, missed a 38-yard field goal, then allowed a blocked punt in the fourth quarter that led to the touchdown that cut the Michigan lead to 42-37 over UMass. Given the league trend, maybe it was a surprise that the Minutemen didn't recover the ensuing onside kick, as the Wolverines covered it and ran out the clock.

This wasn't the worst special teams performance of the day, but Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez did give the "special teams were awful" quote that Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany may soon be looking to turn into a bumper sticker.

Exhibit E: Reeling after a loss to South Dakota the week before, Minnesota was hanging with a more-talented USC team when the Golden Gophers took a 14-13 lead in the third quarter. Next play? USC's Robert Woods returns the kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and USC never trailed again.

Minnesota coach Tim Brewster said it was the turning point in the game, and if Brewster is out of a job after this season, when a victory over the Trojans could have bought him more time, he'll be having special teams nightmares.

Exhibit F: So Ohio State, don't worry about it. Sure, this has been the Buckeyes' most glaring flaw this season. But once conference play begins, the special teams issue may fix itself. Or at least Tressel, by comparison, won't feel so bad about it.

If on Saturday Ohio State had trailed Ohio University before rallying late for a win - as happened two years ago - the Buckeyes would have paid a price in the polls. A columnist writes the system is flawed...Plus, info on Ross Homan, Terrelle Pryor, etc.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerCoaches such as Ohio State's Jim Tressel are sometimes faced with the dilemma of trying to satisfy poll voters while not fully embarrassing overwhelmed opponents.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Plain Dealer Ohio State coverage includes beat writer Doug Lesmerises' report that the Buckeyes remain the nation's second-ranked team in the Associated Press and coaches polls.

Ohio State routed Ohio University, 43-7, on Saturday in Ohio Stadium. Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch comments that the poll system is wrongly influenced by the winning margins for powerhouse teams over inferior opponents:

If the Buckeyes had struggled against the Bobcats the way they did in 2008 - Ohio couldn't hold its fourth-quarter lead in a 26-14 loss - it probably wouldn't have been treated like a victory by poll voters, who will have a heavy hand in determining which two teams play for the national championship.

It seems ridiculous to have to think about that in a nonconference game against a MAC opponent in week three, but this silly system seems to demand "statements" and the Buckeyes have to live with it.

Ohio State's next three games are against teams it will be expected to easily defeat at home on Saturday against Eastern Michigan and on Oct. 9 against Indiana; at Illinoison Oct. 2.

Buckeyes watch

Other Plain Dealer Ohio State coverage includes Doug Lesmerises'game story on OSU's 43-7 win over Ohio University; his "On the Clock;" his Buckeyes' report card on Saturday's game; Bill Lubinger's story on the Posey brothers playing against each other - OSU wide receiver DeVier Posey and OU cornerback Julian Posey; Bill Livingston's column on Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor.

Actions speak

Linebacker Ross Homan continues to deliver for the Buckeyes without saying much about it, writes Tom Archdeacon for the Dayton Daily News:

Orhian Johnson had to smile.

After a moment’s thought, he had unwrapped the riddle of Ross Homan, the Ohio State linebacker of so few words and so many big, big plays.

“You know how they say you got to watch out for the silent types?” asked Johnson, the Buckeyes’ starting strong safety. “That’s Ross. He shows you quiet guys can give you lots of trouble.”

Sideline to sideline

Three points on Saturday's Buckeyes game from Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch.

ESPN.com's Big Ten Blog by Adam Rittenberg summarizes what happened this week in the conference.

The difference between the Big Ten and Mid-American Conference, by Bill Tilton for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

The Bottom Line on Saturday's game by Ray Stein of the Columbus Dispatch.

A story on Terrelle Pryor and his 16 straight pass completions, by Steve Helwagen for bucknuts.cm.

Ohio State notes by John Kampf for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

OSU-OU game story by Ken Gordon of the Columbus Dispatch.

Plain Dealer’s Cleveland Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot analyze the Cleveland Browns 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns Stadium Sunday.

Plain Dealer’s Cleveland Browns beat writers Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot analyze the Cleveland Browns 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns Stadium Sunday.

Jerome Harrison was too frustrated and upset about his fumble to talk after the game.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerBottled up all day by the Chiefs' defense, Jerome Harrison declined to talk about Sunday's loss with reporters.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jerome Harrison sat at his locker with his head down for a while after Sunday's 16-14 loss to the Chiefs and was so upset that he refused to be interviewed -- a first for Harrison.

"I'm not going to say anything today," the Browns' running back said. "I'm just frustrated. Thanks for understanding."

Later, when another reporter approached him, he said, "I'm not saying anything. I'm getting out of here."

Harrison, who ran for a club-record 286 yards and three touchdowns last year against the Chiefs, managed just 33 yards on 16 carries and fumbled the ball away on his second carry to set up a Chiefs field goal.

Harrison, who put the ball on the ground twice in a preseason game against Detroit, vowed to correct the issue. But it happened again Sunday when Akron native Mike Vrabel drilled him for a 3-yard loss and then stripped the football.

Harrison walked off the field after his first carry -- a 4-yard gain on the opening play -- holding his arm and seemed to be injured. It's unknown if the incident had anything to do with his fumble. Last week, Peyton Hillis lost a fumble against the Bucs in the red zone to cost the Browns some points.

"It's very shocking," said tight end Robert Royal. "We harp on it, we preach on it, we have guys strip at it. We do it all day every day. If it comes out, you run laps. We've just got to find a way to stop that."

Harrison carried the ball only nine times in Tampa last week and was hoping for more touches. He got 16, but averaged only 2.1 yards with a long gain of 8.

Later in the game, Harrison got up slowly after a play and was checked on the sidelines by the trainers, but returned to the action.

"We knew we had to stop the run against these guys, and I thought our guys did a tremendous job," said Chiefs coach Todd Haley. "We couldn't allow explosive runs. I think they only had one run over 10 and that was 12 [by Hillis]. We had to contain WR [Josh] Cribbs, who is a heck of a player. We let him out of the trap on one play and that hurt us. But I thought overall, we knew [we had to contain] number 16, number 35 [Harrison], this big 40 [Hillis] and their big offensive line, which is very impressive and a very physical group. We could not let a couple of those guys beat us."

Cribbs stifled: Last year against the Chiefs, Harrison and Josh Cribbs combined for 614 yards, including Cribbs' two kickoff returns for touchdowns. This year, it was 184. The Chiefs kicked away from Cribbs, allowing him just one punt return for five yards and one kickoff return for 19. He managed one big play -- the 65-yard TD catch from Seneca Wallace.

"The plan was no returns," said Haley. "I think [the Browns] had the scheme to get him one again and they had one early, but what a job our two kickers did."

Cribbs knew going in there'd be slim pickings.

"I know their responsibility was not to let me open the gate with any return," he said. "He didn't give me any opportunity at all. Kudos to them. If I was the coach I'd do the same thing. Don't put it in my hands. If they do, we've got to do something with it.

"I was very upset that I didn't the opportunities I wanted to return, but if teams do that, we've got to be ready to respond."

Dawson's miss: Kicker Phil Dawson was wide left on a 42-yard field goal that could have been the difference in the game. Heading in, Dawson was 9-of-10 on field goals against the Chiefs, including a 50-yarder in 2003.

The miss came after Ahtyba Rubin intercepted a pass to give the Browns the ball at the KC 27 late in the first half. "We got the turnover and couldn't get the field goal," said Eric Mangini.

Delhomme week-to-week: Jake Delhomme was on the sidelines in a walking boot, helping Wallace between series. A source said he's "week to week," meaning there's no guarantee he'll play Sunday in Baltimore. Delhomme was inactive and Colt McCoy was the backup.

Penalties: Mangini lamented the nine penalties for 78 yards, including a 15-yard unnecessary roughness call against Alex Mack that led to Dawson's missed field goal. "We're not going to play that way," said Mangini. "We work on it every single day and you can't have it. We don't tolerate it."

Kenyon Coleman was flagged 15 yards for roughing in the fourth quarter, but was surprised at the call. "I was like 'who did something?'" Coleman said. "I thought maybe I hit him late. I guess the call was spearing. I don't know how it's interpreted."

Ward leads again: Rookie safety T.J. Ward led the team in tackles for the second straight week, this time with nine. He also had two special teams tackles. Chiefs safety Eric Berry tied for his team-lead with seven, including two for a loss.

"You want to make a statement every time you step on the field," said Ward. "That's what I want to do, regardless of who's out there."

Maiava, Moore injured: Linebacker Kaluka Maiava left with a right leg injury and didn't return. Tight end Evan Moore left with a head injury after a big hit by safety Kendrick Lewis. While he came back in for a play, he then walked into the locker room. Afterward, he wouldn't confirm it was a concussion. "A head injury," he said as he walked out. Defensive lineman Robaire Smith injured his left ankle but returned to action.

Extra points: Of the 15 quarterbacks who have started for the Browns since 1999, only Jeff Garcia was successful in his debut, a 20-3 victory over the Ravens in 2004. ... Rubin recorded the first interception by a Browns defensive lineman since Kenard Lang picked off a Matt Hasselbeck pass at Seattle on November 30, 2003. ... Ben Watson's 44-yard catch and run was the longest of his career. ... Linebacker Marcus Benard registered a sack and now has six in his career. Benard has recorded at least a half-sack in five of his eight career games. ... Defensive back Sheldon Brown recorded his 20th career interception. He has at least one in every year of his career, which began in 2002. He has appeared in all 130 regular-season games in his career, which is the second-longest streak among all active defensive backs.

What's wrong with the Cleveland Browns' offense? Poll

Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerEric Mangini

The Cleveland Browns' offense sputtered for the second straight game. The Browns are 0-2, and they have been outscored 13-0 in the second half of their two games.

Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Tony Grossi wonders if the Browns troubles are due to the lack of adjustments, or do they just wear out physically in the second half?

Chicago, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Miami and Pittsburgh all missed the playoffs last season. They all are 2-0 after Sunday's games.

Houston Texans' Neil Rackers, right rear, is congratulated by defensive end Jesse Nading (72) and tight end Joel Dreessen (85) after kicking a field goal during overtime in an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins in Landover, Md., on Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010. The Texans won 30-27. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
• NFL box scores

These are 23 (more) facts, tried and true, about the widening world of sports television: 1. Back in the pre-remote days, I was third fastest in Maryland for switching channels anytime golf came on. 2. DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket package is so pricey these days, I’m actually considering a New York Jets personal seat license. 3. “SportsCenter” is now...

Associated PressBob Uecker, 75, is back in the broadcast booth for the Milwaukee Brewers. It's one TV fact for which we can all be grateful.

It looks like Jim Brown wasn't the only running back not to show up on Sunday, writes CantonRep.com reporter Steve Doerschuk. Jerome Harrison also didn't show up. Doerschuk writes that Harrison might have a problem with coach Eric Mangini. In Game 13 of the 2010 season, Harrison broke Brown’s single-game franchise record by running for 286 yards in a 41-34...

Lisa DeJong / The Plain DealerRunning back Jerome Harrison.

It looks like Jim Brown wasn't the only running back not to show up on Sunday, writes CantonRep.com reporter Steve Doerschuk. Jerome Harrison also didn't show up.

Doerschuk writes that Harrison might have a problem with coach Eric Mangini.

In Game 13 of the 2010 season, Harrison broke Brown’s single-game franchise record by running for 286 yards in a 41-34 win at Kansas City.

In Sunday’s 16-14 loss to the Chiefs, Harrison got off a decent run of 8 yards, but otherwise gained just 25 yards on 15 carries. One of those carries was a fumble that led to a Chiefs field goal.

It remains to be seen how Harrison’s role will shake out in a running back platoon with Peyton Hillis, who squeezed 35 yards out of eight carries and applied his power to a 1-yard touchdown run.

Harrison didn't have a comment following the game. How could he have explained the Cleveland Browns' lackluster rushing game? Coach Mangini tried.

“I felt like we should have run the ball better, more effectively, and that was a collective effort,” Mangini said.

In two games, the Browns are averaging 88.5 rushing yards, way down from their final figure of 130.4 in 2009.

Former coach returns

Former Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel made his return back to Cleveland on Sunday as the defensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Crennel left with a victory. Ohio.com columnist Marla Ridenour writes:

The Browns might have two of the brightest young minds in the game in Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, but the team seems paralyzed by overanalysis.

The Chiefs held Harrison to 33 yards on 16 carries. Some of the credit should go to Crennel, who looks to be shoring up the Chiefs' run defense with an emphasis on fundamentals and technique.

The Browns have several issues on offense, including not having any real playmakers on offense other than Josh Cribbs.

That puts even more of a burden on the coaching staff to find a way to cook a gourmet meal with generic ingredients. Crennel can certainly tell Mangini how that tastes.

Sights and sounds

News-Herald reporters Bob Finnan and David S. Glasier break down what they saw and heard on Sunday.

When it comes to the numbers, the Browns rushing game continues to sputter. The Browns averaged 2.8 yards per carry.

5-10: Seneca Wallace's record as a starter with the Seahawks and Browns.

20: Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown hauled in his 20th career interception.

130: Games Brown has appeared in during his career, second-most among all active defensive backs.

229: Field goals by Browns kicker Phil Dawson, who needs six more to surpass team leader Lou Groza (234). Dawson missed a costly 42-yarder in the second quarter.

Sunday was also the Ring of Honor ceremony.  Joe DeLamielleure was one of the legends that participated at halftime.

 DeLamielleure said he'll never forget one play from his illustrious career.

"What do I remember from my years in Cleveland?" he asked. "Red Right 88."

The late interception sealed the Browns' fate in a 1981 wild-card game against Oakland.

"But I also remember what a great player (quarterback) Brian Sipe was and how many great players we had on that team," he said.

Good and bad

The Cleveland Browns are 0-2 and fell to 1-11 in home openers since they returned to the league in 1999. ESPN's James Walker also writes how he liked how well the defense played for the second straight week. The Browns didn't allow an offensive touchdown on Sunday.

But there were also a few things Walker didn't like.

What I didn't like: The Browns' offense was shut down in the second half for the second straight game. Quarterback Seneca Wallace provided a spark by throwing for 229 yards and a touchdown. But his interception in the second quarter went the other way for a touchdown and was a huge play in the game. Cleveland also struggles making adjustments after intermission as it blew it's second straight lead in the second half.

Cleveland Browns/Kansas City Chiefs game stories:

The News-Herald: Familiar ring.

Medina County Gazette: Browns lose to Chiefs.

CantonRep.com: Mistakes, second-half struggles doom Browns again. 

Ohio.com: Browns' game plan goes awry again. 

Kansas City Star: Chiefs grind out win over Browns.

The Browns are 0-2. Where do they go from here? Tony Grossi will break down their loss to the Chiefs and more in a live chat.

Chat live with Tony Grossi today at a special time 2 p.m.

Join us for the a live Browns chat today at noon with The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi.

We'll talk about the what went right and what went wrong in the Browns' 16-14 loss to Kansas City in the home opener.  What's wrong with the running game? Will this team win a game before the bye week? Who's most to blame for the 0-2 start? We'll get into all of that with Tony at noon.

You can jump in the chat room and ask your questions as well as interact with other users and respond to Tony's remarks, or you can just listen. The chat will also be made available shortly after its completion in mp3 format.

PD writer says it's too soon - plus Holmgren would be admitting he made a mistake in keeping coach.

The Browns' Seneca Wallace looks for a passing lane against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, our Web video show about what's going on in Cleveland sports. Today's show is hosted by Chuck Yarborough and Branson Wright.

Let's go to the highlights:

• The Browns' offense sputtered again Sunday in a 16-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. What seems to be the biggest issue with the offensive production: Halftime adjustments? Lack of big-play personnel? Cast your vote in today's Starting Blocks poll.

• Today's guest, Plain Dealer sports writer Dennis Manoloff, who covered Sunday's game, says that other than Josh Cribbs, the Browns don't have a player who can threaten opposing defenses. He also discusses why Eric Mangini's job is not in danger right now, and he answers a question from Chuck about when the Browns might win their first game this season.

SBTV will return Tuesday morning. And don't forget to play our new You Pick the Winners Contest where you can outpick Chuck and Branson each week and earn an appearance on SBTV and a chance at a $250 gift card.

"Yeah, put more restrictions on the paying customers so the 11 and 12 year olds can have a good time. Maybe I'll ask the kids in this article if they want to buy my PSLs off me at the end of the year, too." - Run2Daylight

View full sizeJohn Kuntz | The Plain DealerBrowns fans have a reputation for their behavior before, during and after games.

In response to the story Browns crack down on fans behaving badly, cleveland.com reader Run2Daylight thinks the Browns are catering to the wrong group of people. This reader writes,

"Yeah, put more restrictions on the paying customers so the 11 and 12 year olds can have a good time. Maybe I'll ask the kids in this article if they want to buy my PSLs off me at the end of the year, too."