Travis Benjamin, a free agent at season's end, scored three touchdowns and stole the show Sunday in the Browns' win over the Titans. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Johnny Manziel no longer celebrates good fortune by rubbing his fingers together in a "making money" gesture.

Perhaps Travis Benjamin -- whose surname is slang for currency - can buy the trademark from his quarterback. If the speedy receiver continues his early-season production, his purchase power will become greatly enhanced.

The star of the Browns' 28-14 win over the Titans at FirstEnergy scored three long touchdowns Sunday, including the game sealer on an outrageous 50-yard reception with under three minutes left. It was his shortest TD of an afternoon that also included a 60-yard catch from Manziel and a 78-yard punt return.

If you're counting at home, and we know Benjamin's agent is, he's registered for four of the club's first five touchdowns. Quite a start for a player in a contract year.

"I always envision greatness, knowing that every time I'm on the field I'm coming out and putting my best foot forward," Benjamin said after amassing 269 total yards - the seventh-highest, single-game sum in Browns' history.

Not long ago his role on the team appeared in question after an uneven 2014 season in which he faltered badly in the punt-return game and remained a secondary receiver in Kyle Shanahan's offense.

Could Benjamin blossom into the playmaker the Browns have been searching for since oft-suspended Josh Gordon became a regular on Roger Goodell's naughty list? It seems premature to make such a strong statement. But Benjamin has been one of the club's most consistent players from the start of training camp.

No longer hindered by the aftereffects of his 2013 ACL tear, he's returned to full speed, regained his confidence and won the trust of offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. The Browns new playcaller puts Benjamin on the field in important situations. There he was on third-and-6 at midfield with the home side clinging to a seven-point lead after the Titans had cut into a 21-point deficit.

"I think it's a good thing for me, knowing that the previous coaches thought I was just a return guy and this coaching staff came in and (DeFilippo) came in and he used me in the offense, and that's great thing for me and the Browns," said Benjamin, who finished with three catches for 115 yards.

You think Dwayne Bowe would be zipping behind defensive backs the way Benjamin is doing? The Rabbit has drawn some attention away from the onerous contract general manager Ray Farmer bestowed on a 30-year-old wideout who can barely get on the field.

If Bowe is worth $9 million in guaranteed money over two years, what is Benjamin's value to the club? Again, it's too early to assess based on the small sample size, but his impact isn't hard to quantify.

Benjamin is the first NFL player since Jim Brown in 1963 to score four TDs of 50 yards or more in the first two games of a season. 

Manziel and Marcus Mariota drew the national headlines in the clash of 2012 and 2014 Heisman Trophy winners. But the Browns were thrilled for Benjamin, who endured such a trying season a year ago, particularly in the special-teams game.

"Anybody that's spent time around him - you all know he is a great player and an even better person," coach Mike Pettine said. "Those are the kind of guys you root for. It was awesome to watch him have the production that he did."

Pettine called Benjamin a "Titan killer" because of his five TDs in the past two games against the opponent and joked that he might not be allowed within Nashville city limits.

You know who else should be lucky to make it back to the Music City? The Titans special teams coach. Benjamin already had four decent returns -- including a 25-yarder negated by penalty -- when Tennessee inexplicably opted to punt to him with a minute left in the first half.

The fourth-year-pro fielded the ball, cut left, found a seam and raced 78 yards untouched to the end zone to give the Browns' a 21-0 lead. He returned six punts for 154 yards on the day. He saved his biggest play for last, however.

Manziel and Benjamin already had connected for a 60 yarder on the Browns' second play from scrimmage as the receiver darted inside of corner Coty Sensabaugh and made a fingertip grab.

On the game's pivotal play, the third-and-6 from midfield, the wideout was supposed to run a go-route down the right sideline, but cut inside once he saw Manziel scrambling to his left. It was a spectacular moment for Manziel - the kind the Browns envisioned the night they drafted him last May - but an equally big-time adjustment and catch by Benjamin.

"Trav is that unsung hero, quiet guy, doesn't say much," Browns safety Tashaun Gipson said. "Just goes out there and gets his job done. Those guys connected on a few huge plays . . . That last touchdown, man, unbelievable."

Benjamin is getting paid more in compliments than salary ($779,250) these days. A few more performances like Sunday and that's all going to change.

 

Johnny Manziel hit Travis Benjamin with a 50-yard TD pass late in the fourth quarter Sunday to help the Browns hold off Tennessee. Here's how it happened. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It wasn't the first time Brian Orakpo has dropped a four-letter word on Johnny Manziel, but this time, the expletive spelled v-i-c-t-o-ry for Manziel, so he didn't need to flip the Titans linebacker the bird.

 "Yeah, it felt awesome,'' Manziel said of his victory-sealing 50-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin with 2:52 left in Sunday's 28-14 victory over the Titans. "I knew when Orakpo said, 'Oh, sh--,' we were going to have a good play."

With Manziel clinging to a 21-14 and facing a third and 6 from his 50 with about three minutes remaining, Manziel took the shotgun snap and saw Orakpo storm in uncontested on his left side.

But Manziel spun away from him, rolled to his left, stopped and threw back across his body toward the middle of the field for Benjamin, who crossed over from the right and put his hand up to signal he was open. 

Benjamin got behind cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson at about the 10, and ran under the ball to produce the final margin. It was Benjamin's third touchdown of the game, coming on the heels of his 60-yard TD catch on Manziel's second play of the game, and his 78-yard punt return for a touchdown.

"Certainly wasn't the way the play was designed,'' said coach Mike Pettine. "I think Flip (offensive coordinator John DeFilippo) had the best line of the day on the headset after he rolled out of it, ended up throwing backwards across the field, scored the touchdown. He just says real calmly while everybody was cheering, he said 'coaching is overrated.'

"They did a nice job, brought pressure. We didn't pick it up. Johnny did a nice job getting out of it and finding Travis and making a play."

This wasn't just Manziel pulling a Rabbit out of a hat, his head coach said.

"It was a heck of a play,'' said Pettine. "He felt pressure coming from his blind spot. It was vintage Manziel. We want him to play within structure and make a read, but when a play breaks down, that's what he brings. The ability to escape. He did an outstanding job. I thought he had the chance to just run there.

"One of the signs of maturity there too was that he kept his eyes down field. He used that as an opportunity - 'I am not just going to get 'X' number of yards and slide. I am going to keep my eyes down the field and make a play.' We saw the result."

Said Manziel: "What it comes down to we just gotta make a play and I think it was a great job by Travis, not only that play but just staying alive and making plays. He took the middle of the field and the safety kind of bit down to stop the run and throw  it over the top, kind of just throw it high enough where Trav can run around it and to seal the game off like that was awesome."

Orakpo, of course, is the linebacker who goaded Manziel into flipping him the bird last year during a preseason game when he was with the Redskins. The gesture cost Manziel a $12,000 fine from the NFL and a tongue-lashing from his coach. Orakpo laughed about it after the game, saying the Redskins tried to make him lose his cool.

Orakpo discovered Sunday afternoon on the lakefront that payback's a bitch.

 "No, this isn't anything between me and Orakpo,'' said Manziel. "I kind of knew when he went inside a little bit too much and I was able to spin out of it, he knew. He was probably supposed to contain a little bit there, but today in general, a little bit of vintage worked out."

Orakpo, signed by the Titans as a free agent in the offseason, was miffed that Johnny Football reared his ugly head right at the end.

"You see it game after game with what he does,'' said Orakpo. "Like I said, he hadn't done that the whole game, and that's what is so frustrating.  He didn't do it - he couldn't do it the whole game.  Then, the play he needed it, he was able to buy more time so he could throw the ball down the field.  They made a play and scored. That is the unfortunate thing.  We had him corralled in that pocket throughout the whole game.  Take away two big plays - man, I wish we could have those back." 

Benjamin, who caught a 54-yard TD pass from Manziel against the Jets, knows exactly how to stay alive on scramble drills.

"It was one of those downs where we needed to stay on the field,'' said Benjamin. "Once I saw Johnny rolling left, I knew I just had to get in his vision. He just saw me and launched the ball and I ran up under it."

 The two made eye contact and knew they had a play.

"His eyes are always downfield,'' Benjamin. "When Johnny is scrambling, he's always looking to throw first. Once I put my hand up, I saw him call it and I just ran up under it."

 Benjamin also shared his secret for getting so open, like he was on the 60-yard fingertip catch on the game's second play.

"Being fast,'' said Benjamin. "It just comes to a point where, if a defensive back is five to six yards close to me and I have the deep ball, I just tell Johnny or Josh (McCown) to put it in the air and I'll go get it for them."

The touchdown pass came after Manziel had been stripsacked on each of his previous two drives, and bailed out with recoveries by Mitchell Schwartz and Duke Johnson. It also came just after Marcus Mariota threw touchdown passes on back-to-back drives, including a 13-yarder to 6-5 rookie Dorial Green-Beckham over Joe Haden in the end zone to close within 21-14 with 6:42 remaining.

The 7-play, 80-yard drive began at the Browns' 20 and kicked off with a 15-yard blast by Isaiah Crowell. Five more runs followed to midfield, and then Manziel launched the shot that brought the fans to their feet.

"It was going to be a much more conservative pass on the other side of the field,'' said Pettine. "When he rolled away we really didn't have any receivers on that side of the field because we protected it up but he was able to buy some time and find Travis coming across."

Again, vintage Manziel.

They did it again! Johnny Manziel deeeep to Travis Benjamin for SIX. #TENvsCLE http://t.co/0uHTNopDuL

-- NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2015

 

Johnny Manziel had his best day as a Brown, throwing two long TD passes to Travis Benjamin in the win over the Titans. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Johnny Manziel's week began with ESPN's Merril Hoge urging the Browns to cut bait from him and move on, and other analysts such as Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells piling on.

It ended with Manziel emerging victorious over fellow Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota in a 28-14 victory over the Titans after a 50-yard game-clinching touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin that coach Mike Pettine described as "vintage Manziel.''

"Yeah, it's sweet,'' said Manziel, who evened the Browns record at 1-1. "I've come a long way from that point on (when he checked into a rehab facility), so to be sitting here today and just have an ultimate turnaround from what it was in the first two starts I had last year, personally it feels awesome.''

In achieving his first career victory after two mostly disastrous losses last year, Manziel served notice that Johnny Football -- even though he's shed that label -- is alive and well.

"It's satisfaction seeing the rest of the guys in the locker room, being able to be in there,'' said Manziel. "All those guys dancing, getting the first win of the season, getting the win that we really needed. So Merril Hoge will always be Merril Hoge. For me, it's just sweet to get the first win, sweet to see how the locker room was after the game.''

Manziel attempted only 15 passes and completed 8 for 172 yards, but made those completions count. Two of them went for big TDs to Benjamin, the first a 60-yarder on Manziel's second play of the game to the put the Browns up 7-0 early the first quarter, and the second, the 50-yarder on the Browns' final drive with 252 left that sealed the victory after the Titans' rookie quarterback mounted a threat.

The TD, after he spun away from Brian Orakpo on third and 6, rolled left and threw back across his body to Benjamin, came after Manziel was strip-sacked on his previous two drives and was bailed out with recoveries by Mitchell Schwartz and Duke Johnson.

It also came after  Mariota (21-of-37, 257 yards, two TDs, 0 INTs, 96.3 rating) overcame an ankle injury and a pounding by the Browns' defense to throw touchdown passes on back-to-back drives in the second half. He closed the gap to 21-14 with 6:42 remaining after the Browns had taken a 21-0 lead at halftime on Benjamin's 60-yard catch, Isaiah Crowell's 11-yard run after a Terrance West fumble and a 78-yard punt return by Benjamin, also known as Rabbit.

It also followed followed seven straight pointless possessions by the offense, which stalled after opening with two scoring drives for a 14-0 first-quarter lead. After the break, Manziel completed only 2-of-4 attempts, and mustered only 18 yards of offense in the third quarter.

"We got a little bit conservative in the third quarter,'' said Pettine. "It would have been hard to justify up 21 to come out and be throwing the ball. We wanted to make sure at the very least that the clock was moving. They did a good job knowing that. Bad things can happen when you throw the football and especially with the lead we did not want to - we weren't sitting on it but at the same time we were picking our best runs and wanted to make sure that we worked the clock and that the possessions weren't fast.''

Manziel acknowledged it was hard for him to make plays during that play-it-safe stretch.

"I think we got into a little bit of a lull running the ball first and second down and putting ourselves into some third and longs,'' he said. "So those are tough situations to try to make plays when they kind of drop a little bit and hug rush. But for the most part, I think the way our offensive system is, the way our scheme is, I think it fits well."

But Pettine applauded him for taking a big chance on the third-down strike to Benjamin, which pushed his rating to 133.9, the highest since Derek Anderson posted a 140.3 in 2007.

"It was a heck of a play,'' said coach Mike Pettine. "He felt pressure coming from his blind spot. It was vintage Manziel. We want him to play within structure and make a read, but when a play breaks down that's what he brings. The ability to escape. He did an outstanding job. I thought he had the chance to just run there.

"One of the signs of maturity there too was that he kept his eyes down field. He used that as an opportunity - 'I am not just going to get 'X' number of yards and slide. I am going to keep my eyes down the field and make a play.' We saw the result."

What he didn't necessarily see was his starting quarterback going forward, or if he did, he wasn't ready to go there yet. Pettine said Manziel is the starter at least until McCown is out of the concussion protocol. If Manziel earns the nod at home next week, he'll oppose fellow 2014 draftee Derek Carr, who threw for 351 yards and three TDs in the Raiders' upset of the Ravens Sunday.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it,'' said Pettine. "I'm not going to speak on that one."

Pettine also lamented two more strip-sacks of Manziel, who also had two last week against the Jets. In that game, they prevented the Browns from making a second-half comeback en route to the 31-10 loss. In this game, Manziel was saved by his teammates from potentially blowing the victory.

"The disappointing thing again was the football getting away from us a couple of times,'' said Pettine. "We were fortunate not to turn the ball over at all even though there were a couple times it was on the ground. We did get it back but that's something we certainly will need to address and get cleaned up.''

Manziel, who worked on his ball security all week, doesn't know how the ball came out.

"Man, I had two hands on the ball it felt like,'' he said. "I don't know what's going on, but it can't happen. Luckily we were able to get both of those back, but that could've been a huge turning point. So that's one of the things that I'm still really hard on myself. I think I did a better job (than) last week of having two hands on it, but still, it's not the result we want.''

Aside from the two big TD passes, Manziel completed only six for 62 yards. He also rushed only one time for .3 yards and was stopped cold on a fourth and 1 sneak in the red zone in the first half.

"Like I said, he hadn't done that the whole game, and that's what is so frustrating,'' said Orakpo. "He didn't do it - he couldn't do it the whole game.  Then, the play he needed it, he was able to buy more time so he could throw the ball down the field.  They made a play and scored.  That is the unfortunate thing.  We had him corralled in that pocket throughout the whole game.  Take away two big plays - man, I wish we could have those back."

Manziel's improvement over last year wasn't lost on his teammates, who were looking for him to protect the football this week.

"He gave (us) a huge lift because he's an energetic guy,'' said safety Tashaun Gipson. "I think we all can agree that he's an exciting football player. Whether the negativity or the positive on the field or off the field, he played good football today. He looked like Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M throughout most of the game. I know he wanted those fumbles back, but besides that I couldn't be more pleased with his game, his accuracy, his throws. He put the ball in the air, he trusted what he saw and he let it rip. That showed in his performance.''

Linebacker Paul Kruger, who gained Manziel as a neighbor in his quiet west side golf community, is proud of how far he's come from the party boy who was suspended for the 2014 season finale.

"He's shown a lot of maturity the last six months for him to come in these last couple games and kind of find his momentum, kind of find out who he is as player in this league,'' said Kruger. "The coaches are doing a good job of creating plays that give him good opportunities for what he does well. It was just a great thing to see from the sideline.''

Isaiah Crowell, who rushed for 72 yards and a 4.8-yard average, wasn't surprised Manziel came through.

"We knew he was ready,'' he said. "He did well all week so we trusted him, and he did his thing."

Manziel's good friend Joe Haden, who gave up the 13-yard TD pass to 6-5 rookie Dorial Green-Beckham that narrowed the gap to 21-14 in the third quarter, knew he had it in him.

"I'm just proud of him, just to see how far he's come from his first starts last year - just to be able to be a whole lot more poised, under control, and look like he understands what's going on,'' he said.

 "Personally, first win at home, season opener, that's a pretty awesome script for me,'' he said. "I'm getting better, but still missed some things that I'm going to be hard on myself about tomorrow on film. I just want to say it's one game. There's no reason to really be too high about, too low about it. So just continuing to try and stay positive and not really try to lose any of that swag that you had coming in. I think that's the thing: Don't get too down. But at the same time, it's awesome to get out of this game with a win, boost your confidence a little bit for sure."

 Hoge promised to wear an orange and brown tie on the air if Manziel proved him wrong. Will Manziel check it out?

"Of course,'' he said.

.@merrilhoge [?]

-- Erik Burkhardt (@ErikBurkhardt) September 20, 2015

.@ErikBurkhardt good for Johnny and the Browns looking forward to watching it on tape in between looking for a tie tomorrow!

-- Merril Hoge (@merrilhoge) September 20, 2015

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lonnie Chisenhall went 2-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and two runs and Josh Tomlin pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago White Sox, 6-3, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field. Here is a quick look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast: Up and down:...

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Lonnie Chisenhall went 2-for-4 with a homer, three RBI and two runs and Josh Tomlin pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago White Sox, 6-3, Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field.

Here is a quick look at the game after a DVR review of the Fox SportsTime Ohio telecast:

Up and down: The Tribe's past eight games have gone L-W-L-W-L-W-L-W.

Hanging around: The Indians (74-74) would have been mathematically alive for a postseason berth if they had lost. For all practical purposes, though, they would have been eliminated.

The Indians absolutely needed to win Sunday because, with just two weeks remaining, they could ill-afford to fall 5.0 games behind in the race for the second AL wild card. Overcoming 4.0 will be a monumental task, no question, but at least there remains a sliver of hope.

The Houston Astros, who defeated the Oakland Athletics on Sunday, hold the second wild card at 79-71. The Minnesota Twins (76-73) and L.A. Angels (76-73) are 2.5 back. Then come the Indians.

Question: What would the Tribe be doing without Tomlin?

Answer: Counting the days until the end of the season. (The count would have begun a while ago.)

Little Cowboy delivers, again: Tomlin allowed four hits, walked three and struck out eight. He threw 63 of 105 pitches for strikes.

Tomlin is 6-2 with a 2.43 ERA in eight starts since being promoted from Class AAA Columbus. He had undergone shoulder surgery in March.

As the innings and pitch count from Sunday indicate, Tomlin did not possess his best command or control. Yet he held the White Sox, who deserve credit for grinding numerous plate appearances, scoreless. This start was as much a testament to  Tomlin's competitiveness and grit as any tangibles.

Tomlin stranded two in the second and fourth innings. Zach McAllister relieved with a runner on second and two outs and struck out Mike Olt to end the sixth.

The Tribe led, 3-0, when Tomlin exited. The advantage grew to 6-0 in the bottom of the sixth.

Lights out: Tribe closer Cody Allen notched his 31st save, and he did so in dominant fashion. He threw seven pitches, all strikes, and struck out two in a perfect ninth. 

Gettin' Chizzy Wid It: Right fielder Chisenhall's two-run homer in the second made it 2-0. With Yan Gomes on first and one out against lefty John Danks, Chisenhall pounced on a 1-0 fastball (89 mph, belt-high) and sent it deep to right.

Later in the inning, Francisco Lindor's single to left (2-2 changeup down) drove in Abraham Almonte.

Danks gave up the three runs on seven hits in five innings.

In the sixth, Gomes led off with a double against righty Zach Putnam and scored on Chisenhall's double to left-center. Later in the inning, Lindor had a sacrifice fly and Michael Brantley an RBI double.

Browns' defensive line brought pressure all day long and got its licks in on Tennessee's rookie quarterback, Marcus Mariota. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Marcus Mariota seemed to lose everything against the Browns' defense Sunday except his composure.

There was a shoe and helmet that came dislodged on the same play at the end of the first quarter. There were footballs squirting from his grasp and bouncing off the rear end of an offensive lineman. There were yards lost aplenty as the Browns sacked him seven times.

The Titans rookie quarterback showed great fortitude and moxie in leading a late rally, but he could not overcome a swarming Browns' pass rush, which forced three Mariota fumbles in Cleveland's 28-14 victory at FirstEnergy Stadium.

A week after applying little pressure to Jets' quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Browns were rampant against the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner. They confused him with an array of looks and schemes and dominated his offensive line, which lost guard Chance Warmack to a second-quarter knee injury.

"I think Jimmy O (defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil) did a really good job mixing pressure with straight rush," Browns coach Mike Pettine said. "We got to him a lot with just a straight four-man rush. Not just the sacks, I think there was also a cumulative effect with that we hit him a bunch, too."

Mariota threw four touchdowns and recorded a perfect passer rating in his NFL debut a week ago in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers' game plan was not nearly as aggressive or complex as the Browns' assault on the No. 2 overall pick.

Cleveland was credited with 11 quarterback hits. The seven sacks were the Browns' most since matching the sum against the Cowboys in 2012.

Armonty Bryant logged a career-high 2-1/2 sacks, including one on the Titans' final possession causing a fumble recovered by Randy Starks. John Hughes added 1-1/2 sacks, while Jamie Meder and K'Waun Williams had one each. Paul Kruger and Donte Whitner earned half sacks.

"(Mariota) has shown that he can be a great player in the league, but he is young," Kruger said. "We wanted to be able to put him in those situations where he had to get hit when he wasn't looking and give him looks that he probably hadn't seen before."

No play highlighted the Browns' furious intent more than the last one of the first quarter. The defensive line collapsed the pocket and Mariota lost his balance after stepping out of his shoe. The quarterback was hit low by Kruger and crushed by Hughes, who created a fumble recovered by Chris Kirksey.

Hughes slammed Mariota with such force the quarterback's helmet popped off his head. The rookie hurt his ankle on the play, but did not miss a snap.

"I hit him and I saw the helmet roll a little bit and I thought, 'Oh man' and then I heard the 'oohs' (from the crowd)," Hughes said.

The Browns thought they had a third Mariota turnover late in the second quarter as the youngster, scrambling to avoid another sack, ran into guard Byron Bell's hindquarters and saw the ball fall to the ground. Corner Tramon Williams recovered it, but the play was whistled down for a delay-of-game call.

"We were giving him a lot of different pressures and our coach said when you have one-on-one blocking schemes, we've got people who just make it happen," corner Joe Haden said. "I really applaud them for being able to put pressure on him constantly every play, and they did an outstanding job."

The Titans trailed 21-0 at halftime, but rallied behind a strong running game - they rushed for 166 yards - and some terrific throws from Mariota, who remained under steady siege. He threw a pair of TD passes, including a 13-yarder to Dorial Green-Beckham to cut the deficit to seven points with 6:42 left.

The quarterback finished 21-of-37 for 257 yards and a 96.3 passer rating.

"(Mariota) is going to be a good player for a long time," Kruger said. "He was able to take hits and still get up and play. Definitely have a lot of respect for him."

The feeling was no doubt mutual on a day when Mariota never lost his head despite the sight of a rolling white helmet.

 

The Cleveland Browns rebound from a tepid Week 1 loss to defeat the Tennessee Titans. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns fans can rule out 0-16.

After such a tepid opening against the New York Jets last Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., the more-negative fans might have wondered if the Browns were capable of winning a game.

Now the pie-in-the-sky fans might be wondering if a 14-2 season is possible.

What Sunday's 28-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans did show is the Browns are capable of making plays. (Go here to listen to postgame analysis from Cleveland.com's Dan Labbe.) Perhaps most encouraging: Quarterback Johnny Manziel evading a blitz with a nifty move, then throwing a 50-yard TD pass to Travis Benjamin with 2:52 remaining to effectively secure the victory at FirstEnergy Stadium. (Go here to see this week's QB Report from The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff.)

"It was a heck of a play,'' said Browns coach Mike Pettine. "He felt pressure coming from his blind spot. It was vintage Manziel. We want him to play within structure and make a read, but when a play breaks down, that's what he brings. The ability to escape. He did an outstanding job. I thought he had the chance to just run there.

It's the second year in a row the Browns have won their home opener. So they've got that going for them, which is nice.

"Yeah, it's sweet,'' said Manziel (8-of-15, 172 yards, two TDs). "I've come a long way from that point on Jan. 17. So to be sitting here today and just have an ultimate turnaround from what it was in the first two starts I had last year, personally it feels awesome. I think I'm getting better, (but) still missed some things that I'm going to be hard on myself about tomorrow on film. But all-around I'm proud of the guys, proud of the effort we had today. I think the defense, you can't speak enough about them and what they do.'' 

The victory in the home opener cheered Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto:

The defense rebounded better from last week than Manziel. The Browns sacked Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota seven times and forced him to fumble three times.

"I think Jimmy O (defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil) did a really good job mixing pressure with straight rush," Browns coach Mike Pettine said. "We got to him a lot with just a straight four-man rush. Not just the sacks, I think there was also a cumulative effect with that we hit him a bunch, too." 

Meanwhile, Benjamin had a ridiculous day with three touchdowns, two on long receptions and another on a 78-yard punt return. He totaled 269 yards, the seventh-highest, single-game sum in Browns history.

"I always envision greatness, knowing that every time I'm on the field I'm coming out and putting my best foot forward," Benjamin said.

Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw saw enough from the Browns to offer a little bit of praise. But he also says the Browns have a decision to make a quarterback:

It's possible to appreciate Manziel's bookend moments Sunday -- 110 yards worth of air and electricity connecting him to Benjamin and the home crowd -- and not get caught up in the details (2-for-4 passing in the second half) or the future. In between the two biggest plays of the game, Pettine identified a "lull" in the proceedings. Another understatement: After the first two drives, Manziel went 3-10 for 22 yards during one stretch. Whether they go with Manziel or go back to Josh McCown once he's cleared from concussion protocol, the Browns are going to have to come to grips with the need for their quarterback to make plays to win games. 

Pettine wasn't ready to commit to a starter at quarterback on Sunday. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. I'm not going to speak on that one," he said. (Go here to vote in a poll on who should start.)

Jake Furr, writing for the Mansfield News Journal, thinks Manziel has changed for the better:

Manziel's performance begs the question, is he the guy for the job on a permanent basis? This may rub some Cleveland Browns fans wrong because I know a lot are not Johnny Football fans, but yes, he is the guy. He needs to be the guy. He needs to be told that he is the starter more than two days before the game. Manziel proved that he is mature enough to be the Browns quarterback of the future.

It was a tough day for Mariota. The rookie QB for the Titans took a beating, but David Climer, columnist for The Tennessean, admires Mariota for hanging tough:

In the four-plus months since he was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick, we have learned that Mariota has great determination and resolve. On Sunday, any questions about his toughness were answered. You don't take a beating like this and keep playing if you're not tough. ... Painful as they might be, games like this are a rite of passage for a rookie quarterback, especially those taken high in the draft. It's part of the process.

Following Sunday's 6-3 victory against the White Sox, the Indians will once again have a chance to sport a winning record. The Indians haven't done so since that brief, 24-hour stretch in early April.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was a sweltering day in Houston.

The sun melted every ice cream cone in sight. Minute Maid Park played host to the series finale between Cleveland and Houston. And the Indians, after nearly recording a multi-pitcher no-hitter, boasted a winning record.

That feat, accomplished on April 9, was short-lived.

Once the Tribe retreated to the shores of Lake Erie, where the weather was a bit more brisk, the Indians slipped below the .500 mark. The 23 weeks since have served as an uphill climb back toward that average standard. Following Sunday's 6-3 victory against the White Sox, the Indians will once again have a chance to sport a winning record.

The Indians haven't done so since that brief, 24-hour stretch in early April. Their next opportunity will come Tuesday night in Minnesota, where they will begin a three-day showdown with the Twins that involves plenty of Wild Card implications.

Josh Tomlin lifted the Indians (74-74) back to even with another strong outing on Sunday. The right-hander tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, as he scattered four hits and three walks and tallied eight strikeouts. Since returning to the Indians' rotation following his recovery from shoulder surgery, Tomlin has posted a 6-2 record and 2.43 ERA in eight starts. His eight strikeouts tied a season high.

The Tribe pounced on White Sox southpaw John Danks in the second inning. After Yan Gomes singled to left field, Lonnie Chisenhall socked a two-run blast to right field. Abraham Almonte then doubled and scored on a Francisco Lindor single.

Cleveland scored three more in the sixth. The same parties were responsible for the damage. Gomes and Chisenhall clubbed back-to-back doubles to begin the frame. Chisenhall then scored on Lindor's sacrifice fly to center. Michael Brantley plated Jason Kipnis -- who had walked -- with a two-out double. The Indians inflicted that harm upon White Sox reliever Zach Putnam, a former Tribe right-hander.

The insurance runs softened the blow delivered by Chicago's offense in the late innings. Jose Abreu slapped a two-run single to right field off of Zach McAllister in the seventh. Kyle Crockett relieved McAllister and promptly induced an inning-ending double play off the bat of Melky Cabrera. Trayce Thompson doubled and scored against Bryan Shaw in the eighth.

What it means

The Indians returned to the .500 mark for the fifth time in the last nine days. They have alternated wins and losses each day during that stretch.

To the left, to the left

Chisenhall's two-run shot off Danks was the right fielder's first home run against a left-handed pitcher this season. Danks entered the game with a .209 average against when facing lefties. For his career, though, his splits are about the same. Entering Sunday's action, he had allowed a .262/.321/.433 clip against righties and a .264/.324/.417 slash line against lefties.

Plenty of production

Since the All-Star break, a span of 60 contests, Lindor has recorded multiple hits and/or multiple RBI in a game on 29 occasions.

Bottom heavy

The bottom third of the Indians' batting order -- Gomes, Chisenhall and Almonte -- totaled six hits in 12 at-bats. The trio also combined to score five runs.

Thanks, Danks

The Indians are 17-9 all-time in games started by Danks.

They came, they saw

An announced crowd of 13,282 watched the affair at Progressive Field.

What's next

Following Monday's off-day the Indians will embark on their final road trip of the regular season. The club will play at Target Field in Minnesota three times and then at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. Right-handers Danny Salazar (13-8, 3.48 ERA) and Ervin Santana (5-4, 4.55) will square off in Tuesday's series opener. Corey Kluber and Cody Anderson are scheduled to face the Twins in the final two contests of the three-game set.

Michael Reghi talks about Dwayne Bowe, Ray Farmer in his Monday 'Riled Up' segment. Watch video

Dwayne Bowe finally got on the field on Sunday for the Browns.John Kuntz, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns wide receiver Dwayne Bowe was active for the first time on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. Bowe didn't make a catch.

Bowe has Michael Reghi riled up, and he talked all about Bowe and Ray Farmer in his weekly "Riled Up" video. 

You can catch our series of Browns videos every week on Monday and Tuesday. The videos feature Michael Reghi, Chris Fedor and Bud Shaw talking Browns, debating the latest Browns topics, handing out grades and more.

Cleveland sports fans wonder about Dwyane Bowe, Josh McCown's Sunday spin and whether Cardale Jones is slipping in the draft -- Bud Shaw's You Said It

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- You Said It is based on the premise that the only thing Cleveland sports fans need more than a championship is a sense of humor...

YOU SAID IT

Bud: Separated at birth? No, not really but Browns receiver Dwayne Bowe sure has a strong resemblance to former Indians free-agent bust Keith Hernandez - Ed Stagl, Berea

I saw Hernandez go after balls harder. And he was sitting in the stands with Marsha Mason at the time.

Bud: After Johnny's winning performance against the Titans, will Josh McCown's 'concussion protocol' now entail reading 'War and Peace' in its entirety under a strobe light at a 'Motley Crue' concert ? - Jim Corrigan, Fairview Park

Not sure if you were considering applying for the position of independent neurologist at NFL games, but you probably shouldn't.

Bud: If Ray Farmer was around when Ford was creating the automobile, would he have tried to talk him out of it, stating "the automobile will only affect people's lives 2-3 times a day, tops?" - Mark, Charleston, S.C.

Not sure. But Bowe's performance to date suggests Farmer doesn't recognize an Edsel when he sees one.

Bud: Mike Pettine said (a while ago) that Josh McCown can still "spin it." Do you think he would say the same about your column? - Jim Lefkowitz, Pepper Pike

Only if he'd never read it.

Bud: Is Cardale's new mantra, "Slide a Few Rounds for the Browns?" -- Pat

You Said It winners are the pick of a bad litter.

Bud: Is it safe to assume based on Justin Gilbert driving an inexpensive auto that he attended the Fiscal Responsibility lecture at the rookie symposium? Is it also safe to assume that since there were passengers in his car at the time of the incident, and they were not charged, that Justin must have been late to the Cris Carter lecture? - Scott C, Canfield

Some You Said It winners no longer play the role of fall guy.

Weekend notes and highlights from Division 2 and Division 3 college football. Ashland wins top 20 game. Walsh running back Aaron Male is averaging 111 yards per game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- No. 19 Ashland (3-0) claimed a 27-24 victory over No.17 Ohio Dominican in an early-season battle between top 20 teams in NCAA Division II last Saturday.

Ashland's defense was impressive for the second straight week. In Week 2 against Walsh, the Eagles made a stop on fourth down in overtime to preserve the victory. Last week, they sealed the victory with a pass knockdown with a minute left.

Senior cornerback James Ester and senior safety Donzale Ashley led the defense with 12 tackles each. Junior nose tackle Brandon Ehlinger had a career high six tackles (three solo), two sacks and four tackles for loss.

Ashland will host Findlay for first place in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference South Division on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Here are five things of note from the area Division II and III games:

1. Shut them out. Shut them down

In Division III, No. 2-ranked Mount Union beat Muskingum, 56-0, last Saturday. That victory is the second straight shutout for the Purple Raiders, 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the OAC, following a 47-0 win over Bethany (W.Va.) two weeks ago. It is the first time since 1999 that Mount Union has opened a season with back-to-back shutouts (Albion 38-0 and Hiram 59-0).

2. Notre Dame College comes up short but remain impressive

The Division II Falcons fell for the second time this season but last Saturday's 35-24 loss to NCAA FCS opponent Robert Morris was impressive for a program that is less than 10 years old.

NDC trailed, 21-0, but rallied to a 24-21 lead at the half. Robert Morris pulled away in the fourth quarter.

3. Racking up the yards and losses

Walsh running back Aaron Male had his third consecutive solid outing (185 yards on 28 carries) against Lake Erie College last week. Even so, Division II Walsh lost for the third time, its second consecutive loss in overtime.

Male is averaging 111 yards per game.

4. Oberlin's sputtering offense

The Yeomen (1-2) managed only 86 offensive yards in their Division III loss to Denison.  Oberlin had only five first downs and made only two third-down conversions.

5. Just in time for rivalry game

Senior quarterback Tyler Moeglin ran for a career-high 159 yards and one touchdown to lead Baldwin Wallace to a Division III victory over Ohio Northern University.

The Yellow Jackets open their home schedule Saturday against rival John Carroll University in the battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy on Community & Family Day on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium at 2 p.m. 

The Eagles remain No. 1 in the Top 25 for a second straight week.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – St. Edward strengthened its hold on the top spot in the cleveland.com high school football Top 25 this week.

The Eagles (3-1) defeated Cincinnati Elder, which was the top-ranked team in the Division I state poll last week. But the top five did see a change. Midview (4-0) and St. Ignatius (2-2) switched spots this week, the Middies moving to No. 3, the Wildcats falling to No. 5.

The rankings are a compilation of individual ballots by Northeast Ohio Media Group high school sports reporters Tim Bielik, Nathaniel Cline, Matt Goul, Joe Noga, Scott Patsko and Robert Rozboril.

Teams are awarded points based on where they are in each voter's ballot. The No. 1 team receives 25 points, the No. 2 team receives 24 points and so on. Teams are then slotted according to combined ballot point total.

We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think of the rankings, or even post your own in the comments section below. To comment you need to sign up for a free account. Just click the “Sign In” link at the top right of this post.

cleveland.com High School Football Top 25

(Record is followed by voting point total. First-place votes are in parentheses.)

1. St. Edward (3-1) 150 (6)

Previous ranking: 1.

Last week: Defeated Cincinnati Elder, 31-20.

This week: Hosts Bergen Catholic (N.J.) on Saturday.

2. Mentor (3-1) 140

Previous ranking: 2.

Last week: Defeated Euclid, 37-27. 

This week: At Shaker Heights on Saturday.

3. Midview (4-0) 137

Previous ranking: 5.

Last week: Defeated Avon, 55-35.

This week: At Berea-Midpark on Friday.

4. Benedictine (4-0) 132

Previous ranking: 4.

Last week: Defeated University School, 70-18. 

This week: Hosts Columbus Bishop Watterson on Friday.  

5. St. Ignatius (2-2) 127

Previous ranking: 3.

Last week: Lost to St. Joseph Prep (Pa.), 35-6. 

This week: Hosts Walsh Jesuit on Saturday.

6. Berea-Midpark (4-0) 121

Previous ranking: 6.

Last week: Defeated Amherst, 34-12. 

This week: Hosts Midview on Friday.

7. Mayfield (4-0) 111

Previous ranking: 8.

Last week: Defeated Willoughby South, 37-21. 

This week: At Kenston on Friday.

8. Stow (4-0) 101

Previous ranking: 9.

Last week: Defeated Wadsworth, 24-21. 

This week: At Nordonia Friday. 

9. Glenville (3-1) 98

Previous ranking: 10.

Last week: Defeated John Marshall, 40-13. 

This week: Plays John F. Kennedy on Friday, at Collinwood.

10. Archbishop Hoban (4-0) 94

Previous ranking: 11.

Last week: Defeated Toledo Woodward, 49-8. 

This week: Plays St. Vincent-St. Mary on Friday at Akron’s InfoCision Stadium. 

11. Avon (3-1) 92

Previous ranking: 7.

Last week: Lost to Midview, 55-35. 

This week: At Westlake on Friday. 

12. St. Vincent-St. Mary (4-0) 91

Previous ranking: 12.

Last week: Defeated Youngstown Cardinal Mooney, 49-23. 

This week: Plays Archbishop Hoban on Friday at Akron’s InfoCision Stadium.

13. Brecksville (4-0) 85

Previous ranking: 13.

Last week: Defeated Cuyahoga Falls, 51-7. 

This week: At Twinsburg on Friday.

14. Maple Heights (4-0) 72

Previous ranking: 14.

Last week: Defeated Padua, 14-7. 

This week: At Bedford on Thursday.

15. Aurora (4-0) 65

Previous ranking: 16.

Last week: Defeated Kent Roosevelt, 45-7. 

This week: At Barberton on Friday.

T16. Solon (3-1) 44

Previous ranking: 19.

Last week: Defeated Brunswick, 44-7. 

This week: At Euclid on Saturday. 

T16. Strongsville (3-1) 44

Previous ranking: T20.

Last week: Defeated Shaker Heights, 27-8. 

This week: At Medina on Friday.

18. Hudson (3-1) 43

Previous ranking: 22.

Last week: Defeated Nordonia, 21-7. 

This week: At North Royalton on Friday.

19. Bedford (2-2) 39

Previous ranking: 18.

Last week: Defeated Warrensville Heights, 41-0. 

This week: Hosts Maple Heights on Thursday.

20. Nordonia (2-2) 34

Previous ranking: 15.

Last week: Lost to Hudson, 21-7. 

This week: Hosts Stow on Friday.

21. North Olmsted (2-2) 27

Previous ranking: T20.

Last week: Defeated Westlake, 32-29. 

This week: At Lakewood on Friday. 

22. Medina (3-1) 20

Previous ranking: NR.

Last week: Defeated Elyria, 31-14.

This week: Hosts Strongsville on Friday.

23. Perry (4-0) 18

Previous ranking: 25.

Last week: Defeated Beachwood, 43-18.

This week: Hosts Wickliffe on Friday.

Others receiving points: 

24. Madison (3-1) 17

Previous ranking: 24.

Last week: Defeated Brush, 35-0. 

This week: Hosts Chardon on Friday.

25. Lake Catholic (2-2) 14

Previous ranking: 23.

Last week: Lost to Youngstown Ursuline, 33-12. 

This week: At Youngstown Cardinal Mooney on Saturday.

Others receiving points: Elyria 13, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin 7, Chardon 6, Highland 5, Copley 3.

For more high school sports news, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 

After Week 4, the Northeast Ohio Media Group high school sports staff is unanimous this as to which football team deserves the top spot in the cleveland.com high school football Top 25.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Northeast Ohio Media Group high school sports staff is unanimous this week as to which football team deserves the top spot in the cleveland.com high school football Top 25.

Medina enters the poll for the first time this year, receiving a vote from every high school staffer who submitted a ballot. 

Voters are Tim Bielik, Nathaniel Cline, Matt Goul, Joe Noga, Scott Patsko and Rob Rozboril. Below are individual ballots for each voter, as well as an explanation for some of their decisions.

Share your take and/or your Top 25 in the comments section below. 

Bielik's ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Mentor, 3. St. Ignatius, 4. Midview, 5. Benedictine, 6. Berea-Midpark, 7. Glenville, 8. Mayfield, 9. Stow, 10. Archbishop Hoban, 11. Avon, 12. Brecksville, 13. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 14. Maple Heights, 15. Aurora, 16. Solon, 17. Hudson, 18. Nordonia, 19. Bedford, 20. Strongsville, 21. Chardon, 22. North Olmsted, 23. Lake Catholic, 24. Perry, 25. Medina.

Bielik's ballot explanation

One week after St. Edward moved to No. 1 in the Top 25, I have the Eagles standing atop my ballot. They bounced back from their loss very well with a strong showing against Cincinnati Elder and thus have earned the right to move to the top. Mentor and St. Ignatius stay in the top three for the moment although the Cardinals fell behind early against Euclid and the Wildcats struggled at St. Joseph's Prep. But if there was a big gap between the Wildcats and No. 4 Midview, it's almost razor thin right now. The Middies are playing extremely well and have a strong defense to go with their potent offense. If they can keep this play up, they could make it all the way to Columbus in December. Avon is one of the biggest droppers following its loss to Midview, falling five spots to No.11. The Eagles have some concerns to address on defense after giving up 95 points in their last two games. Hudson vaults three spots up in the poll to No. 17, jumping ahead of Nordonia after beating the Knights in Week 4. Hudson's defense has been tough all season and it should only see two more tough tests this season. The newest member of the top 25 may be one of the biggest surprises in Medina. Coach Dan Sutherland deserves a lot of credit for leading the Bees to a 3-1 start after winning just two games in all of 2014. Medina RB Jimmy Daw may be one of the best players nobody talks about.

Cline's ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Mentor, 3. St. Ignatius, 4. Midview, 5. Benedictine, 6. Berea-Midpark, 7. Mayfield, 8. Avon, 9. Archbishop Hoban, 10. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 11. Glenville, 12. Stow, 13. Brecksville, 14. Maple Heights, 15. Aurora, 16.  Hudson, 17. Strongsville, 18. Madison, 19. Solon, 20. Lake Catholic, 21. Medina, 22. Elyria, 23. Perry, 24. Nordonia, 25. North Olmsted.

Cline’s ballot explanation

The theme this week is high risk, high reward, and the defenses and special teams listed on my ballot helped make a strong case. Last week, there was a clerical error with me voting Benedictine ahead of Midview. With quarterback Dustin Crum at the helm behind a stout group of linemen, I favor the Middies’ offense. Hoban and St. Vincent-St. Mary moved up in my top 10, because, on average, they don’t allow a lot of points compared to previous top 10 members Glenville (22.5) and Stow (21.5). However when these teams give up points, they also have a high-risk reward that has kept them above the .500 mark. Moving down my ballot, a lot of shuffling took place after reviewing the points allowed by each team, and some teams gave up a lot more points than others. Medina earned a spot after topping Elyria last week, 31-14.Two notable moves for me were Strongsville moving up three spots and Bedford moving off my ballot. Strongsville is another rare case of high-risk reward, giving up a little more than 18 points per game. Bedford has shut out its last two opponents, but gets bumped off my ballot to make room for Medina. The Bearcats will surly return should they continue at this pace.

Goul’s ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Benedictine, 3. Midview, 4. Mentor, 5. Berea-Midpark, 6. Mayfield, 7. Archbishop Hoban, 8. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 9. St. Ignatius, 10. Glenville, 11. Stow, 12. Brecksville, 13. Maple Heights, 14. Avon, 15. Aurora, 16. Solon, 17. Bedford, 18. Strongsville, 19. Hudson, 20. Medina, 21. Elyria, 22. Perry, 23. Copley, 24. Madison, 25. Chardon.

Goul’s ballot explanation

In some ways, this week’s vote is much more interesting (and fun) than last week. The deeper we get into the season, the more on-field analysis and debate factors into these rankings than what’s on paper. The most notable drop is either Mentor or St. Ignatius. Mentor’s fall of just one spot has more to do with Midview’s impressive win, jumping out to a 28-0 lead on Avon. St. Ignatius drops just below St. Vincent-St. Mary for me, which gets to an interesting dilemma. I think Ignatius beats St. Vincent-St. Mary head-to-head, but two more losses is enough for me to give a nod to the Fighting Irish. Since I’m new to the poll this year and some have asked for an unbeaten to be No. 1, I am compelled to explain my general thinking. If St. Edward loses a second game, I would rank the Eagles below undefeated teams in the top 10. Might think the Eagles are better, but you could say I grade on a two-loss curve. The Wildcats could have dropped to 13 for me, but St. Joe's Prep is Pennsylvania's defending Class AAAA champion (D-I equivalent) and ranked No. 2 in that state last I checked. My watch list includes: Nordonia, Lorain and Elyria Catholic.

Noga's ballot

1. St. Edward; 2. Mentor; 3. Midview; 4. Benedictine; 5. St. Ignatius; 6. Berea-Midpark; 7. Stow; 8. Mayfield; 9. Brecksville; 10. Avon; 11. Glenville; 12. Archbishop Hoban; 13. St. Vincent-St. Mary; 14. Aurora; 15. Maple Heights; 16. Nordonia; 17. Bedford; 18. Solon; 19. Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin; 20. Strongsville; 21. Perry; 22. Madison; 23. Elyria; 24. Hudson; 25. North Olmsted.

Noga's ballot explanation

Midview breaks up the big-school party at the top of my ballot by checking in at No. 3 after a convincing win against Avon. St. Ignatius, which opened the season at No. 1, tumbles to No. 5. The Wlldcats must once again overcome key injuries and quickly find answers on defense if they are going to qualify for the Division I playoffs this season. Berea-Midpark, Stow and Mayfield each move up one spot and Avon slips to No. 10. Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, unbeaten at 4-0, jumps to No. 19. The Lions, under first-year coach Andrew Mooney will get a tough road test against Division V state runner-up Canton Central Catholic on Friday. Kenston and Lake Catholic fall off my ballot this week after losses, while wins by Hudson and North Olmsted put those schools back in my Top 25.

Patsko’s ballot

 1. St. Edward, 2. Mentor, 3. Midview 4. St. Ignatius, 5. Benedictine, 6. Berea-Midpark, 7. Stow, 8. Mayfield, 9. Archbishop Hoban, 10. Avon, 11. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 12. Glenville, 13. Brecksville, 14. North Olmsted, 15. Maple Heights, 16. Aurora, 17. Strongsville, 18. Hudson, 19. Nordonia, 20. Medina, 21. Lake Catholic, 22. Highland, 23. Solon, 24. Bedford, 25. Elyria.

Patsko’s ballot explanation

My top five teams see some changes this week. St. Edward solidified its spot at the top of my ballot with an impressive win against Cincinnati Elder. Mentor isn’t making it easy to keep it in the top three. When I heard the Mentor-Euclid halftime score (19-17, Euclid) I had to ask for it to be repeated. But the Cardinals won, so they stay put. The changes come at Nos. 3-5. St. Ignatius slides a spot due to a jump from No. 7 to No. 3 by Midview. The Middies have impressed and should be higher than I’ve had them. St. Ignatius lost on the road to two-time defending Pennsylvania big-school state champ St. Joseph Prep. No shame in that, but at 2-2 and with defensive issues, the Wildcats take a step back. I want the teams at the top of my ballot to be the ones winning playoff games in November. I still think the Wildcats will be one of those teams. But, boy, they’re running out of options to gain computer points. Avon drops from the top five after needing three OTs to beat North Olmsted, then getting routed by Midview. The other big change this week is Medina entering at No. 20 and Elyria falling to No. 25 after the Bees’ 31-14 win on Friday.

Rozboril's ballot

1. St. Edward, 2. Midview, 3. Benedictine, 4. Mentor, 5. St. Ignatius, 6. Berea-Midpark, 7. Glenville, 8. Mayfield, 9. Stow, 10. St. Vincent-St. Mary, 11. Avon, 12. Brecksville, 13. Maple Heights, 14. Bedford, 15. Hoban, 16. Aurora, 17. North Olmsted, 18. Hudson, 19. Nordonia, 20. Solon, 21. Strongsville, 22. Perry, 23. Madison, 24. Medina, 25. Highland.

Rozboril's ballot explanation

St. Edward takes the top spot in my poll this week after an impressive win against Elder while Mentor had to rally to beat Euclid. I gave the Cardinals the benefit of the doubt last week after their major loss against St. Xavier but feel they should have been able to rebound and beat Euclid easily. Their inability to do so is why I have them slipping to No. 4 while St. Ignatius, coming off a blowout loss to St. Joseph Regional (N.J.), slides to No. 5. Midview and Benedictine get Top 3 votes from me this week. Midview's passing game proved superior to that of Avon and the Bengals defeated University School by a significant margin, which given the way Benedictine has played all season is how that game should have turned out. I expect both teams to continue to prove they deserve high praise the rest of the season. North Olmsted moves back a couple spots after barely squeaking past unranked Westlake. Hudson jumps up to No. 18 with a win against Nordonia which falls to No. 19 in my ballot. Elyria falls off my ballot this week and the team that handed the Pioneers their first loss, Medina, enters at No. 24, ahead of Highland which I have still holding on at No. 25. 

Follow our high school sports Twitter account @NEOvarsity and tag your high school sports Tweets and score updates with the #NEOVarsity hashtag.

During interviews at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Monday, there was a lot of talk about struggling against an odd defensive front, poor quarterback play and inconsistent execution. Is Ohio State vulnerable to losing? Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- How many other teams in college football could have beaten Ohio State on Monday? 

Sure, Northern Illinois is a good team. But what if Ohio State played a team with a higher level of talent? Were the Buckeyes more vulnerable to losing than we may even realize? 

During interviews at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Monday, there was a lot of talk about struggling against an odd defensive front, poor quarterback play and inconsistent execution. 

Is this stuff all repairable in a week, or is it going to be a theme? And if it's a theme, is Ohio State more likely to a lose a game in the regular season? Two weeks ago, that thought was inconceivable. Now it's not. 

We discuss in the above video. 

Kent State's problem is offensive execution. Penalties and sacks are slowing its production so far this season, partly because it lacks great play-makers.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Kent State football stands at 1-2 with one big lesson learned: The offense needs fixing.

The Golden Flashes so far have shown a lack of playmakers -- guys who can make something out of nothing due to blinding speed or mercurial quickness.

To offset that shortage, they need to place an even higher premium on offensive efficiency: superior blocking, quality execution, smart play-calling and solid quarterback play.

All those things have been early issues for KSU. Veteran quarterback Colin Reardon is Exhibit A. Yet head coach Paul Haynes gives no indication of jumping off the Reardon bandwagon.

"I think Colin had a solid game,'' Haynes said of his junior quarterback, who had a no TD, no INT game at Minnesota. "We just went against a Big Ten, very good defense. When they started to settle in, they played us very good."

Kent's offense has not fared well against the two D-I (and Big Ten) opponents it has faced to date, Illinois and Minnesota.

"What's hurting us on offense a lot of times is penalties,'' Haynes said. "Our first two drives (at Minnesota) we're doing a good job of moving the football, get down to the plus-45, then have a penalty that knocks us back to the 19.

"That's why you have to look at more than the stats. When you look at the game, the film, there are a lot of good things happening. We're killing ourselves with sack yardage and penalties."

This is Reardon's third season as Kent's No. 1 man, but to date his statistics have not been stellar. In fact, they trail his performance in previous years. His passing numbers after three games are 36-of-78 (46.2 percent) for 361 yards, 3 TD and 3 INT.

As a freshman and a sophomore Reardon was solid. He completed 57.0 percent of his passes and threw for 2,466 yards with 14/16 TD/INT last season. As a freshman he was a 58.9 percent passer for 1,957 yards going 12/9 on touchdowns/interceptions.

Other KSU notes

• Kent State's longest offensive drive against Minnesota covered only 24 yards. Kent had four longer drives at Illinois (26, 39, 41, 80) but it has yet to score an offensive touchdown against a Division I opponent.
• Kent State won the turnover battle vs. the Gophers, 3-0.
• Starting tailback Nick Holley was the only player injured during the Minnesota game, and is "feeling better every day" according to Haynes.
• Sophomore defensive back Demetrius Monday was named National Defensive Player of the Week by College Sports Madness and MAC East Division Player of the Week after intercepting a pair of passes, causing/recovering a fumble and returning it for a touchdown against Minnesota.
• Kent State has not had a 100-yard rusher to date primarily because it rotates up to five backs in every game. Haynes said that will not change going forward, with at least two and often all five splitting time every contest.

Mike Pettine and his staff will meet tonight and talk about whether or not to start Johnny Manziel if Josh McCown is cleared from his concussion. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns coach Mike Pettine admitted Monday that Johnny Manziel's 28-14 victory over the Titans has made his quarterback decision more difficult this week "and that's a good thing.''

Does he go back to Josh McCown against the Raiders and second-year pro Derek Carr if he passes his concussion test? Or does he stick with Manziel, who hit Travis Benjamin with touchdown passes of 60 and 50 yards en route to his first career victory?

"That's a positive thing,'' Pettine said of the great debate. "Johnny's made a lot of progress -- in the right direction. There's still a lot of things to get cleaned up, but we certainly feel like the arrow's up.''

Of course, McCown must first get the green light from the independent neurologist before it's even an issue.  

"Josh is still in the protocol,'' said Pettine. "We'll know in the next day or so whether he'll be able to start practicing on Wednesday."

Pettine declined to elaborate on his statement about McCown Friday that "when you have a setback, it resets the clock.''

"I won't get into the details of a concussion,'' Pettine said Monday, adding that McCown attended the game Sunday.

Pettine said the staff would huddle Monday night and start to kick around the pros and cons of who will oppose Carr, who's  coming off a three-TD, 351-yard upset of the Ravens Sunday.

"Until Josh is cleared there's not much thought process there just because (Manziel) is the starter right now,'' said Pettine. "But we'll have the 'what-if' discussion tonight and we'll see where that takes us.''

Pettine stressed that they'll take everything into account in arriving at a decision.

"We're going to put it all on the table,'' he said. "But as I already mentioned before, it's a positive conversation because you have a young quarterback that's been through a lot, that has gone out and led his team to a win. We were all able to enjoy it last night. I'm proud of him because if you had said back early in the offseason if this was going to happen, I think a lot of people would have said pretty slim chance. I'm very proud of him and the rest of the guys for putting it together and winning the home opener."

One thing that won't make it to the table is the idea of starting Manziel to discover what the Browns have in their 2014 first-round pick.

"We're tasked with winning football games, and the decisions we make are what gives us the best opportunity to win this Sunday,'' said Pettine. "I know that on the outside those things get brought into it. And we've already seen circumstances have come about for us to get an evaluation of him. We're not going to use a season and look at it that way, and say 'hey we need to know.' We think over the natural course of events, we'll find out.''

Pettine was asked if he feels he needs to mitigate a potential quarterback controversy.

"My concern is what's on the inside of the building,'' he said. "If that exists on the outside, there's not much I can do about it. I said earlier, our task as a coaching staff is to put together a plan and formulate our personnel to give us the best chance to win on the upcoming Sunday."

Last season, Pettine solicited input from key veterans in deciding whether or not to start Manziel in the pivotal home game against the Bengals. This time around, there will be no such polling. Instead, he'll rely on quarterbacks coach Kevin O'Connell and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.
 
"I don't see the need to talk to any veterans,'' Pettine said.

While he thrilled with Manziel's big plays, he lamented again the two fumble on sacks, both of which were recovered by the Browns. But that's four strip-sacks in two weeks and two lost fumbles by Manziel.  According to profootballfocus.com, Manziel earned -2.7 pass grade against the Titans, bringing his season grade to -6.9. The site reported that Manziel continues to struggle throwing to his left within 20 yards. In two outings, he's 1-for-7 for 17 yards and 1 INT with a combined -4.3. pass grade.

"He just needs to be much more protective of the football,'' said Pettine, adding that he only had two hands on the ball on one of those fumbles. "That can not become his flaw. We have to get that cleaned up. We were fortunate that we got them both back. The quarterback position, we've put the ball on the ground five times in two weeks. You're not going to be able to win consistently like that in this league.''

Pettine has seen tremendous growth in Manziel from last year, when he looked lost in his two starts, both losses.

"Just the overall quarterback play,'' he said. "Just his presence, hearing a play, being assertive in the huddle, making sure everyone was lined up, being good with his cadence, knowing 'I have a motion here; I have to move a guy,' coming off on the sideline being very interactive, going through the still prints - I just think quarterback play from A to Z he's improved in all areas in our mind.

"I think that's a function of two things - his willingness, his commitment to it and I think having Kevin and Flip are two of the best in the business. They do a great job with the quarterbacks and holding them accountable."

Pettine said Manziel (8-of-15, 172 yards, two TDs, 0 INT, 133.9 rating) being limited to 15 pass attempts had nothing to do with his elbow tendinitis. The Browns limited him in practice again last week, holding him out of some position drills. In the second half, Manziel attempted only four passes and completed two.

 "No, I think the run-pass ratio in the first half will probably give you a pretty good sense (16 runs, 11 passes),'' he said. "When we got up 21 we were run first. I know we had the one drive where I think we threw it three times and were off the field. I wanted to make sure we got the run established and kept the clock moving. They knew it and did a good job defending it. We didn't want to get careless with the lead and start to throw the ball. Did we get predictable? Absolutely, we did. We wanted to make sure we kept the clock moving. I thought our guys responded well. At times the run game did show up."

Pettine received no word yesterday that Manziel, who went 3-for-10 for 22 yards in a dry spell before his 50-yard TD, was sore after the two big heaves.

 "I haven't talked to (trainer) Joe (Sheehan) about Johnny's soreness so I don't think there's anything significant,'' he said.

He said the 15 attempts doesn't stymie the evaluation of Manziel.

 "That doesn't enter into our thinking,'' said Pettine. "We threw the ball enough to win the football game. That's our mindset. It's singular. We evaluate him in practice. It's a total body of work. We're not going to reverse engineer it to try to get an evaluation."

He acknowledged that other playmakers besides Benjamin must emerge. Dwayne Bowe, active for the first time, played only eight snaps and had one ball thrown his way, and tight end Rob Housler took six reps. Brian Hartline was targeted legitimately only once, but slipped on the play. Andrew Hawkins matched Benjamin's team-high three catches.

"Our preference is to throw to the open guy,'' said Pettin. "If it happens to be Travis, it's Travis. Teams now, I assume Travis is going to be on everybody's radar and he's going to get some rolled coverage and some attention paid to him. Other guys are going to have to get open and step up.''

 Pettine provided no clues as to which way he's leaning if Manziel is cleared, but he was effusive in his praise of Manziel, except for the fumbles.

  "I have a lot more interaction this year just because I spend a lot more time on that side,'' he said. "It's been very positive. You love being around guys that have that 'it' factor, that are competitors that love to win, that love football and love to talk about it. The interaction this year has been more frequent and very positive."

With Josh McCown sidelined, unable to pass the requisite concussion tests, Johnny Manziel made his first start of the season and helped lead the Browns to a 28-14 win against the Tennessee Titans. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- With Josh McCown sidelined, unable to pass the requisite concussion tests, Johnny Manziel made his first start of the season and helped lead the Browns to a 28-14 win against the Tennessee Titans.

Manziel's performance was highlighted by a pair of long touchdown tosses to speedster Travis Benjamin, including one late in the fourth quarter with the Browns leading by seven and facing a third down. On the day, Manziel was 8-of-15 for 172 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't turn the ball over, though he did fumble twice.

Monday morning, Michael Reghi, Chris Fedor and Bud Shaw talked about whether Manziel's performance against the Titans should earn him another start, even if McCown gets cleared to play. 

Check out the video above, vote on our poll and tell us what you think in the comments.

Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov and Anderson Varejao will be ready for the start of training camp Sept. 29, Northeast Ohio Media Group has learned. All four players are recovering from surgery.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cleveland Cavaliers anticipate that Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Timofey Mozgov and Anderson Varejao will be ready for the start of training camp Sept. 29, Northeast Ohio Media Group has learned.

All four players are recovering from surgery.

Irving (fractured knee cap) and Love (separated shoulder) will be active during camp, but on a limited basis. The Cavaliers will work the two in slowly and cautiously. The anticipation is that Love will be fully cleared with no limitations before Irving is given the green light, I'm told.

Love said on the "Late Night with Seth Meyers" talk show Sept. 11 that he was "a month and a half away" from returning.

Irving refused to give a timetable for his return in a recent interview with the Associated Press in Miami.

So far, Love's workload on the court consists of non-contact drills; while Irving has been coy about what he has been doing.

NEOMG is also told Mozgov (knee scope) and Varejao (Achilles' tendon tear) are not expected to be restricted once camp opens, but the team will closely monitor their involvement.

Mozgov did not play for the Russian National Team this summer, and that helped speed his rehabilitation progress. Also, I'm informed Varejao has been jumping and dunking on the leg that gave out on him last December.

The Cavs will likely have a camp that carries the maximum of 20 players.

What was the suspended GM doing during the Browns win over Tennessee. Bud Shaw, Chris Fedor and Michael Reghi offer their theories. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Browns General Manager Ray Farmer is two weeks into his suspension. The Browns won their first game of the season on Sunday. So, what was Ray doing?

Bud Shaw, Chris Fedor and Michael Reghi offered up their theories as part of our series of Monday videos following Browns games. Take a look at the video and tell us what you think Ray was doing. No texting jokes, please.

Browns GM Ray Farmer is on the outside looking in at the start of the Browns season.John Kuntz, Northeast Ohio Media Group 

See the Ohio AP high school state football poll in all seven divisions for Sept. 21, 2015.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Here's how a state panel of sports writers and broadcasters rates Ohio high school football teams in the second weekly Associated Press poll of 2015, by OHSAA divisions, with won-lost record and total points (first-place votes in parentheses).

See the ballot cleveland.com submitted to the AP for all seven divisions as well.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Hilliard Darby 52. 12, Mentor 18. 13, Columbus Upper Arlington 17. 14, Cincinnati Moeller 14.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Avon 27. 12, Logan 26. 13, Copley 22. 14, Hudson 16. 15, Lima Senior 14.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, St. Marys Memorial 36. 12, Tipp City Tippecanoe 26. 13, Sandusky Perkins 25. 14, Bowling Green 17. 15, Columbus St. Francis DeSales 16. 16, Cincinnati Northwest 12.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Cincinnati Indian Hill 41. 12, London 33. 13, Field 27. 14, Zanesville Maysville 24. 15, Woodridge 17. 16, Clarksville Clinton-Massie 16. 17, Hubbard 13. 18, Byesville Meadowbrook 12.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, Apple Creek Waynedale 37. 12, St. Bernard Roger Bacon 25. 13, Magnolia Sandy Valley 23. 14, Creston Norwayne 19. 15, Canton Central Catholic 18. 15, Versailles 18. 17, Bidwell River Valley 17. 18, Rootstown 13.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, St. Henry 44. 12, Smithville 33. 13, Lisbon David Anderson (1) 30. 14, Kirtland 22. 14, Defiance Tinora 22. 16, Gibsonburg 18. 17, Newark Catholic 14. 18, Beverly Fort Frye 13. 19, Defiance Ayersville 12.

Others receiving 12 or more points: 11, North Jackson Jackson-Milton 49. 12, Miami Valley Christian Academy 45. 13, Troy Christian (2) 32. 14, Bellaire St. John 27. 15, Norwalk St. Paul 25. 15, DeGraff Riverside (1) 25. 17, Corning Miller 14. 17, Vienna Mathews 14.<

A 6-foot-6 forward, Jackson is considering Boston College, Missouri, Akron, Cleveland State, Wichita State and Temple.

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio – The pursuit by NCAA Division I schools for one half of Garfield Heights’ talented senior boys basketball duo will end Wednesday afternoon.

Bulldogs senior Willie Jackson will announce his decision then, Garfield Heights coach Sonny Johnson said Monday afternoon.

A 6-foot-6 forward, Jackson is considering Boston College, Missouri, Akron, Cleveland State, Wichita State and Temple.

As a junior, Jackson helped the Bulldogs to the Division I state semifinals. He averaged about 16 points per game, leading a team that finished 24-4 and returns fellow senior Frankie Hughes, plus juniors Marreon Jackson and Shawn Christian.

Hughes also is considering a slew of big colleges. A 6-3 guard, Hughes said last week his top three schools are Minnesota, Saint Joseph's and Dayton.

Jackson returned from his final visit this past weekend, a trip to Missouri.

https://t.co/iOpcNowgE3 Willie Jackson enjoying his official visit to Missouri @rodgerbohn @mgoul @3rdCoastHoops pic.twitter.com/PPSxSQt5rR

— Sonny Johnson (@sonnyjohnson32) September 19, 2015

For more high school sports news, like NEOvarsity on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Contact high school sports reporter Matt Goul on Twitter (@mgoul),by email (mgoul@cleveland.com) or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.