LeBron James and his teammates seem to have an outsized focus on the team that beat them in the Finals. There's a rematch with the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day that could settle some things. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The question was harmless, if not a little strange, when someone asked LeBron James hours before a game in Boston this month how unspecified advances in technology have helped him during his illustrious, 13-year NBA career.

There was a "huh?" moment that hung in the air, before James steered his answer toward what seems to be one of his favorite topics these days.

"Can they put a chip in my arm where I can shoot like Steph Curry? No? Then I don't care about it," he said.

Just a minute or two before that, when he was trying to illustrate just how good he believes the Celtics to be this season, he said the C's "took Golden State to the brink" Dec. 11 before losing in double overtime, 124-119. 

There was James' infamous postgame comments following a Nov. 17 loss in Detroit, when, without uttering the word "Warriors" he nevertheless invoked the defending champs to chastise his own teammates for what he said was an unwarranted sense of entitlement.

"We lost in the Finals. We didn't win. And the team that beat us looks more hungry than we are, so it shouldn't be that way," James said.

And in Lee Jenkins' piece for Sports Illustrated, in which the veteran, acclaimed NBA chronicler revisited the Cavs superstar to delve into his psyche now versus a year ago, Jenkins said James returned home from that Pistons game and stayed up until 3 a.m. - seething as he watched the Warriors on replay.

"Yeah, but that was about his own team losing," said a source close to James. "The Warriors just happened to be playing."

To those of us not inside the circle of 15 Cavaliers players, handful of coaches and staff, and James confidants, it would appear the King and his Cleveland subjects have held an outsized focus on the team that beat them in the Finals a year ago.

Either the Cavs are merely paying the attention due to the NBA's shiniest object this season, answering questions from a media corps fascinated by the record-setting Warriors. Or, perhaps, LeBron and Co. really are obsessed with Golden State, starving to settle a score from June.

Maybe it's both. Whatever it "is," the Cavs can do something about it when they get their rematch in the Bay on Christmas Day - on the NBA's biggest stage during the regular season in the holiday's prime TV slot (5 p.m., ABC).

"I don't think LeBron's placed too much emphasis on the Warriors," said Mike Fratello, former Cavs coach and current NBA analyst who called Cleveland's win over Oklahoma City on Thursday. James nearly notched a triple-double in that game with 33 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds.

"What he has basically said with Golden State is, 'There's the standard bearer, they have the trophy, and it's clear with their early performance they're making an effort to try and repeat,' " Fratello said. " 'If that's what we want, that's the team we need to go play well against and beat them.' LeBron's keeping the Warriors in Cleveland's sights, and there's nothing wrong with that.

"I don't think the Cavs are at all obsessed with Golden State, because then you'd go out and lose these other games."

James did not speak to reporters Tuesday following practice, which was held in preparation to host the Knicks Wednesday. And guard Kyrie Irving shut down all talk about the Warriors, highlighting where his focus and that of his teammates is, at least in public.

But if the Cavs are playing closer attention to the Warriors than to any other team, there is plenty of reason for it - beyond Golden State's 4-2 series win in the Finals.

The Warriors, of course, set an NBA record with 24 consecutive wins to begin a season. They've lost once in 27 games this season - the '96 Bulls' NBA-record 72-10 regular-season mark seemingly well within reach.

Their best player, reigning MVP Stephen Curry, is somehow playing much better than he did last season. In any other year, James' start, especially given the Cavs' health problems, would have him as an early favorite to be MVP.

James is averaging 26.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, having led Cleveland to an East-leading 18-7 start almost entirely without Kyrie Irving or Iman Shumpert. And yet it seems like only a Warriors crash or Curry injury could open the door for James to win MVP for the fifth time.

Curry leads the league in scoring (31.8 ppg). He leads in 3-pointers with 131, after setting the record with 286 3's in a season last year. He's the NBA's best in plus-minus (+12.1 points), which means the Warriors are further ahead this year with him on the court than any team with any other player.

The Warriors are the most-watched team on NBA League Pass, the league's package of live out-of-market games, having played in seven of the 10 most-watched games to date. The Cavs are the second most-watched team.

During the playoffs last year, Curry's jersey over took James' No. 23 as the NBA's top seller.

According to the website fivethirtyeight.com and SeatGeek, the ticket resale tracking site, the Warriors' average road-game ticket-resale price of $144 is the third-highest in the NBA. They trail the Cavs by $1 and the Lakers by $2.

That's a long way of saying.... everyone wants to watch the Warriors right now.

"Well, they're on TV a lot so I think a lot of us catch their games and naturally, them being the best team in the league record-wise right now a lot of people are going to pay attention," the Cavs' Kevin Love said. "And they've had a great run.

"I think you find ways to watch the best teams and look at their tendencies. Especially if you love the game."

If the Cavs were thinking about the Warriors too much, though, chances are they wouldn't admit it.

"As far as like a topic of a conversation, I'd probably say we talk about the Warriors no more than, or even less than the teams in our division because that's our focus," Cavs veteran James Jones said. "Our focus is the Eastern Conference and teams in our division. We're on top of what they're doing because we're competing with them for seeding.

"As far as us being hyper-fixed on them, I would probably say that that's inaccurate because this is a long season and you don't know who's gonna be at the end until you get to the end," he said.

Yes, there is a long way to go. Christmas Day is the NBA's biggest during the regular season because it's considered the day when casual fans begin to pay attention. There are nearly two months before the All-Star game in February, and then there's an entire NCAA tournament to pass before the NBA playoffs arrive in April.

Much can happen between now and then. For all the deserved attention the Warriors garnered for their historic start, the Spurs are just three games behind them in the West.

"I could tell you this: There's a lot of good teams in the NBA," Cavs coach David Blatt said. "Certainly, the Warriors are one of the best teams, but they're not all that we talk or think about."

When the Cavs and Warriors meet Friday it will mark the seventh time that the teams from the previous season's Finals play on Christmas. The champs are 2-4 in those games.

James has won twice in this situation, in 2011 when his Heat beat Dallas after losing to the Mavericks in the Finals; and in 2012 over the Thunder beating them the previous June.

Last month, when the Warriors were on the cusp of breaking the old record of 15 wins to start an NBA season, James cracked that "they've been the most healthy team I've ever seen in NBA history and they have great talent."

Well, the Cavs are healthier now than they've been all season. And the winner on Christmas will have all the eyes in the league on them for months to come.

Here are high school sports highlights from Wednesday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Here are high school sports highlights from Wednesday. See below for information on how you team’s accomplishments can be recognized in these daily roundups.

Boys basketball

Louisville 67, No. 4 St. Ignatius 65: The Wildcats led 65-64 with 9.8 seconds to play, but Louisville hit a game-winning 3-pointer to give the Wildcats their first loss of the season, at the Alliance Christmas Classic.

Dublin Jerome 79, No. 5 East Tech 40: The Scarabs fell on the road to the undefeated Celtics. It was the second straight loss for the Scarabs (6-2).

No. 6 Beachwood 64, Harvey 42: Tyrone Gibson had 19 points and Maishe Dailey had 18 for the Bison. Isaiah Haynes led the Red Raiders with 12.

No. 13 Mentor 70, No. 25 Lake Catholic 56: The Cardinals won the Battle of Mentor thanks to a 21-9 second quarter. Andrew Robinson had a game-high 19 points, and Allen Sims added 16. Shawn Dunnings led the Cougars with 16 points.

No. 20 VASJ 79, John Hay 56: Sherman Dean III scored 18 points, and Jerry Higgins and Kevin Roberts each added 12 for the Vikings. Aaron Pate had 18 points for the Hornets.

Girls basketball

No. 1 Wadsworth 40, No. 25 Avon 34: Jodi Johnson had a game-high 22 points for the Grizzlies. She was the only player in the game to score more than eight points.

No. 2 Magnificat 64, No. 6 Berea-Midpark 53: The Blue Streaks used a 23-point fourth quarter to turn a one-point game into an 11-point victory. Phoebe Sterba had a game-high 20 points, and Lily Schwind (14) and Elise Keshock (12) also scored in double figures. Zoranne Otero led the Titans with 17 points.

No. 3 Solon 54, Elyria 47: The Pioneers forced overtime with a Chelsey Farris 3-pointer at the buzzer, but the Comets got the win behind 19 points from Dee Bekelja, including the first six of overtime. Valencia Myers added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Comets. Shayla Middlebroo led the Pioneers with 15 points.

No. 5 Gilmour 55, No. 17 St. Joseph Academy 38: Emily Kelley and Naz Hillmon both scored 16 points for the Lancers. Colleen Neitzel led the Jaguars with 14.

No. 10 North Royalton 44, Lakewood 36: Gabby White (11 points), Taiyier Parks (11) and Julianne Lebo (10) all scored in double figures for the Bears. Olivia Nagy had a game-high 15 points for the Rangers.

No. 18 Bay 34, Avon Lake 28: The Rockets outscored the Shoregals 10-4 in the fourth quarter. Maddie Andrews and Maddie Holmes each scored eight points for the Rockets. Sarah Lucas led the Shoregals with nine points.

No. 22 Highland 52, Cloverleaf 48: Marlee Profitt led the Hornets with 16 points and Madison Less added 10. Lexi Civittolo led the Colts with a game-high 19 points.

Brooklyn 39, Fairview 38: The Hurricanes were outscored 11-3 in the fourth quarter, but held on. Sarah Coyne had 15 points and Jelly Benz had 13 for the Hurricanes.

Strongsville 60, Massillon 43: The Mustangs used a 21-point first quarter to pull away. Taylor Thall had 17 points, including five 3-pointers for the Mustangs.

How your team can be included in these roundups

These roundups are based on box scores and game notes entered in cleveland.com’s database by school or team representatives. If your team is not participating in the box score program please contact your athletic director or coach and encourage them to do so. They can obtain instructions and database login information from High School Sports Manager Kristen Davis at kdavis@cleveland.com. 

Kent State rallied to take the lead late in the second half, but Penn State came back to win the consolation game of the Las Vegas Classic, 75-69.

LAS VEGAS -- Junior forward Brandon Taylor scored a career high 29 points and grabbed six rebounds to lead Penn State over Kent State, 75-69, in the Las Vegas Classic consolation game Wednesday night.

Taylor, who had two steals, was 12-of-21 from the field as the Nittany Lions split their two Las Vegas games the past two nights in their first trip out West in 14 years.

Davis Zemgulis added 11 points and Josh Reaves had 10 for the Nittany Lions (9-4).

Jimmy Hall led Kent State (7-4) with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Kellon Thomas had 12 points.

Trailing by five at halftime, the Golden Flashes rallied to tie it twice, then took the lead on a 3-pointer by Chris Ortiz, who scored nine points in a 9-2 run, for a 57-51 advantage. But Penn State scored the next six, and took the lead 61-59 and stayed ahead for good on Reaves' emphatic putback dunk with 4:26 left.

The Golden Flashes scored the game's first seven points for their largest lead of the half. The Nittany Lions eventually tied it at 31, and later at 35. Penn State took its first lead, 38-37, on Taylor's fall-away 3-pointer from the right corner with 1:50 left in the half. Taylor closed out the half with another fall-away jumper inside the left arc with six seconds left and Penn State led 42-37 at halftime.

Penn State shot 29 of 59 from the field (49 percent), and outrebounded Kent State 40-29.

Tip-ins: Although the teams are separated by about 200 miles, this was their first meeting since 2000 during the NIT. The Nittany Lions won that game and reached that tournament's final four. Penn State also now leads the series 13-3.

Up next: Penn State starts Big 10 play at Maryland next Wednesday. ... Kent State plays at North Carolina A&T next Wednesday, then opens its MAC schedule on Jan. 5 at Western Michigan.

PENN STATE 75, KENT STATE 69
Kent State (7-4): Hall 6-15 2-3 15, Spicer 4-7 1-3 9, Thomas 4-7 3-4 12, Cancer 0-0 0-0 0, J. Walker 2-6 0-0 4, Avery 0-2 0-0 0, Pollard 4-6 3-6 11, Jones 1-2 0-0 2, Ortiz 2-5 6-7 11, Edwin 1-1 3-3 5, Davis 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-52 18-26 69.
Penn State (9-4): Banks 3-5 1-1 8, Taylor 12-21 4-10 29, Dickerson 0-2 0-2 0, Reaves 3-9 4-4 10, Garner 1-8 2-2 4, Zemgulis 4-5 2-2 11, Foster 2-2 0-1 4, Jack 1-1 0-0 2, Moore 3-6 1-3 7. Totals 29-59 14-25 75.

Halftime-Penn St. 42-37. 3-Point Goals-Kent St. 3-8 (Thomas 1-1, Hall 1-1, Ortiz 1-2, Avery 0-1, Pollard 0-1, J. Walker 0-2), Penn St. 3-15 (Zemgulis 1-2, Banks 1-2, Taylor 1-5, Reaves 0-3, Garner 0-3). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Kent St. 29 (Hall 8), Penn St. 40 (Banks 8). Assists-Kent St. 11 (Thomas 4), Penn St. 8 (Foster, Garner, Reaves 2). Total Fouls-Kent St. 22, Penn St. 23. A-NA.

Here is a look at girls basketball scores from around Ohio on Wednesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here is a look at girls basketball scores from around Ohio on Wednesday.

Barnesville 53, Bishop Donahue, W.Va. 49

Bellefontaine 43, Piqua 42

Bethel-Tate 48, Cin. Gamble Montessori 26

Brooklyn 39, Fairview 38

Cadiz Harrison Cent. 56, Steubenville Cath. Cent. 48

Cambridge 63, Belmont Union Local 47

Carrollton 42, Minerva 40

Chardon 57, Lyndhurst Brush 33

Cin. McAuley 56, Cin. Anderson 26

Cin. Oak Hills 57, Cin. Western Hills 16

Cin. St. Ursula 41, Loveland 33

Circleville 56, Chillicothe Zane Trace 27

Cols. Ready 54, Garfield Hts. Trinity 36

Doylestown Chippewa 55, Smithville 23

Eastlake N. 61, Painesville Riverside 35

Greenfield McClain 62, Hillsboro 33

Greenville 65, W. Carrollton 40

John Marshall, W.Va. 52, Marietta 41

Louisville 68, Can. South 18

McArthur Vinton County 44, Chillicothe Unioto 38

Morrow Little Miami 58, Goshen 31

N. Ridgeville 57, Parma Hts. Valley Forge 42

N. Royalton 44, Lakewood 36

Navarre Fairless 65, Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 50

Oak Glen, W.Va. 65, Lisbon Beaver 56

Reedsville Eastern 60, Ironton St. Joseph 36

Ridgeway Ridgemont 54, Vanlue 44

Rocky River Magnificat 64, Berea-Midpark 53

Solon 54, Elyria 47

Strongsville 60, Massillon Washington 43

Sugarcreek Garaway 60, New Philadelphia 42

Sycamore Mohawk 58, Morral Ridgedale 31

Tol. Woodward 44, Tol. Waite 32

Twinsburg 48, Akr. Hoban 39

Wadsworth 40, Avon 34

Wheelersburg 62, Portsmouth Notre Dame 20

Zanesville Maysville 66, Dresden Tri-Valley 40

Logan 70, Cols. Whetstone 38

Sylvania Northview 80, Tol. Bowsher 39

Washington C.H. Miami Trace 34, Jamestown Greeneview 33

Here is a look at boys basketball scores from around Ohio on Wednesday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Here is a look at boys basketball scores from around Ohio on Wednesday.

Arcadia 58, Northwood 52

Arlington 62, Dola Hardin Northern 28

Ashtabula St. John 75, Kinsman Badger 57

Berlin Hiland 63, Millersburg W. Holmes 43

Bethel-Tate 54, Cin. Gamble Montessori 33

Bucyrus Wynford 64, Attica Seneca E. 63

Chardon NDCL 72, Cle. John Adams 45

Circleville 62, Cols. Bexley 59

Cols. St. Charles 52, Lewis Center Olentangy Orange 41

Cols. Watterson 62, Cols. Whetstone 29

Columbus Torah Academy 44, Pataskala Watkins Memorial 36

Cuyahoga Falls CVCA 41, Peninsula Woodridge 28

Cuyahoga Hts. 49, Middlefield Cardinal 31

Delphos Jefferson 56, Kenton 55

Detroit U-D Jesuit, Mich. 63, Tol. St. John's 57

Dublin Coffman 74, Cols. Eastmoor 53

Dublin Jerome 79, Cle. E. Tech 40

Garfield Hts. 91, Shaker Hts. 71

Garfield Hts. Trinity 58, Cols. Ready 36

Lima Cent. Cath. 66, Findlay Liberty-Benton 52

Lima Perry 63, N. Baltimore 52

Louisville 67, Cle. St. Ignatius 65

Marion Pleasant 50, Cols. Hartley 44

Minford 70, Jackson 49

Minford 76, Wheelersburg 73

Montverde Academy, Fla. 81, Westerville S. 52

Morral Ridgedale 53, Carey 48

Mt. Vernon 69, Mt. Gilead 37

Painesville Harvey 64, Beachwood 42

Russia 58, Minster 48

Stewart Federal Hocking 53, Nelsonville-York 46

Van Buren 78, Fostoria St. Wendelin 43

Versailles 67, Urbana 54

W. Chester Lakota W. 39, Cin. St. Xavier 38

Wapakoneta 57, Maria Stein Marion Local 49

Wickliffe 77, Cle. Max Hayes 47

Marietta 70, New Lexington 47

Cols. DeSales 59, Logan 45

Henry Co., Ky. 50, Cin. SCPA 20

LeBron James and Kevin Love combined for 47 points and 22 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Carmelo Anthony-less New York Knicks, 91-84.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James had 24 points and nine rebounds and Kevin Love went for 23 and 13 as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New York Knicks, 91-84, Wednesday night at The Q. Kristaps Porzingis scored 23 for the Knicks, who were without Carmelo Anthony (right ankle).

Here is a capsule look at the game, which was televised by Fox Sports Ohio:

Staying hot: The Cavs shot 38.6 percent from the field but managed to win their sixth in a row. They are 19-7 overall, 13-1 at home.

Wait over: The Cavs were fully healthy entering a game for the first time since Dec. 23, 2014. On that date, the Cavs defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves but lost Anderson Varejao to an Achilles' injury.

Locking them down: As expected when a team shoots 38.6 percent and wins, defense was the key. The Cavs were especially stingy in the fourth quarter, during which they outscored the Knicks, 19-12.

With 4:07 remaining, Langston Galloway's long jumper gave the Knicks an 82-80 lead. The Knicks did not score again until 36.8 seconds remained, when Arron Afflalo's layup pulled them within 88-84.

Down the stretch, the Cavs' five of LeBron, Love, Tristan Thompson, Matthew Dellavedova and Iman Shumpert repeatedly frustrated the Knicks in the halfcourt.

Shumptastic: Shumpert, as expected, was the defensive player of the game. He scored eight on 2-of-7 shooting but posted a game-best +15 in 26:30 off the bench.

His one-on-one denials included:

*Strip and steal of Derrick Williams after Williams spun into the paint.

*Block of Afflalo layup.

*Strip of Afflalo in paint.

*Forced timeout by Afflalo.

*Strip off Afflalo's leg on low block.

The best of the best came with the score tied, 82-82, and 3:21 left.

With 11 seconds on the shot clock, Afflalo received an "entry'' pass from Galloway on the left side. Shumpert's strength and fundamentals forced Afflalo to make the catch much farther from the basket than he wanted. Knicks teammates cleared out.

When Afflalo attempted to turn for a face-up, Shumpert poked away the ball. Afflalo recovered and moved toward the baseline, but he couldn't shake Shumpert. Afflalo struggled to control the ball before picking up his dribble near the baseline. Trapped  and not wanting to make a risky pass, he called timeout with four seconds on the shot clock.

Fox Sports Ohio play-by-play voice Fred McLeod said: "Afflalo with a bail-out timeout. He needs some air.''

Fox Sports Ohio analyst Austin Carr said: "He was suffocated by Shump.''

McLeod said: "Not often do you see times out called in a one-on-one scenario, but Shump put the proverbial blanket on Afflalo.''

Coming out of the timeout, Lance Thomas inbounded wide of Porzingis. Dellavedova grabbed the ball and headed upcourt, LeBron on his right. Delly flipped to LeBron, whose layup made it 84-82 with 3:15 remaining.

Long past ridiculous: In what has become a nightly occurrence, LeBron got fouled multiple times in the act of shooting but the closest referee did not blow the whistle.

With 6:17 remaining in the second quarter, LeBron received a snap-pass from Delly on the right edge of the restricted area. LeBron had established position against Thomas, who was left with no choice but to use his abdomen to re-route him and see if he could get away with it.

LeBron missed, and Thomas got away with it.

Less than one minute later, LeBron drove and blatantly was re-routed on another layup attempt. LeBron missed, and the Knicks got away with it.

Moments later, LeBron angrily slapped the ball before inbounding it. He was assessed his second technical of the season.

Finally, a referee had called a foul.

Carr said: "I'm going to tell you how I feel about the whole situation: The league is lucky that LeBron doesn't do more of this. He gets fouled a lot. Believe me, he gets fouled a whole lot but the referees do not call it. I don't know what they're looking at, but they don't call it.''

McLeod said: "He's like Shaq -- he's so big and strong, he's tough to officiate.''

Memo to NBA referees: When LeBron's body involuntarily moves from side to side while in the air, the opponent almost certainly fouled him.

Deep misfires: One of the reasons the Cavs did not shoot well is, they spent too much time passing the ball around or near the perimeter -- even though the low blocks were open all night. The Cavs too often settled for 3-pointers against a team that is good at defending them. The Cavs shot 22.7 percent (5-of-22) from 3-point range.

Georgia Southern (9-4) won the first bowl game in school history in the first year it was eligible to go to the postseason.

MOBILE, Ala. -- Favian Upshaw ran for 199 yards and four touchdowns to help Georgia Southern beat Bowling Green 58-27 in the GoDaddy Bowl on Wednesday night.

Georgia Southern (9-4) won the first bowl game in school history in the first year it was eligible to go to the postseason. The program transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2014.

The Eagles won thanks to their trademark running game. They had 452 yards rushing to top their nation-best season average of 355.6 yards.

Bowling Green (10-4) led 27-23 at halftime, but Georgia Southern scored the final 35 points.

Bowling Green was undone by a brutal stretch in the third quarter that included two fumbles by quarterback Matt Johnson deep in the Falcons' own territory.

It helped Georgia Southern score three touchdowns -- including two by Upshaw -- in three minutes and turned a 30-27 games into a blowout.

The game was tight for much of the evening, but Georgia Southern started to pull away late in the third quarter when Upshaw's 80-yard touchdown run gave the Eagles a 37-27 lead.

Then Bowling Green -- specifically Johnson -- fumbled away any chance at a comeback on a rain-soaked evening at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Johnson fumbled on Bowling Green's 14 when he lost the ball as he winding up to make a pass. Georgia Southern scored two plays later when Matt Breida ran for a 1-yard touchdown to push the advantage to 44-27.

On the ensuing drive, Johnson fumbled again when trying to make a handoff at the Bowling Green 10. Two players later, Upshaw ran for the 8-yard touchdown and the rout was essentially complete.

It was a surprising turn of events considering the first two quarters were full of interesting and sometimes off-the-wall, back-and-fourth football.

The Falcons' first touchdown came on a botched play when a bad snap forced Johnson to abandon a planned running play. He regrouped and scrambled to his right before throwing to Roger Lewis for the easy 45-yard touchdown.

Georgia Southern had its share of interesting moments, too. The Eagles blocked a Bowling Green extra point and Matt Dobson returned it 98 yards for the rare two-point score.

The Eagles briefly took a 23-20 lead late in the second quarter when they scored on a 31-yard pass from Kevin Ellison to Montay Crockett, which was only the team's fourth passing touchdown this season.

Bowling Green responded with a quick touchdown drive -- capped by Travis Greene's 5-yard run -- to take a 27-23 lead into halftime.

But the rain became more consistent after the break and Georgia Southern took advantage, capitalizing on Johnson's fumbles and slowly grinding away for their first bowl victory.

Georgia Southern was an FCS-level powerhouse before jumping up to the FBS in 2014. The transition has been impressive -- the Eagles have an 18-7 record over the past two seasons.

Bowling Green, which won the Mid-American Conference championship, was outgained 534 yards to 362. Johnson was 15 of 34 passing for 246 yards and three touchdowns.

He finished the season with 4,946 yards passing, falling just short of becoming the 15th quarterback at the FBS level to throw for 5,000 yards in a season.

It was the night the Cleveland Cavaliers had been waiting for, one that was months in the making.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It was the night the Cleveland Cavaliers had been waiting for, one that was months in the making.

They were fully loaded for the first time this season, playing the final home game before heading off for an NBA Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors, which opens a tough four-game road trip.

"It was a great feeling today," LeBron James said. "We was in the tunnel before we ran out and for the first time I cannot remember, and I can remember everything, I cannot remember the last time I looked in the huddle and we had everyone in uniform. That was a pretty good feeling."

Even with the full squad, the Cavaliers struggled against the shorthanded New York Knicks, who were playing without leading scorer Carmelo Anthony.

In danger of being upset, the Cavs used a strong fourth quarter defensive effort and some late-game offense from James to escape with the 91-84 win to extend their winning streak to six games.

Even in victory, it was clear James was less than pleased with the overall performance.

"We played like (expletive)," James said to the sellout crowd following the game.

Here are five observations from the win:

Defensive clamps - As they have done for much of the season, the Cavaliers leaned on their defense late. They held the Knicks to 12 points on 6-of-24 shooting and forced three turnovers in the fourth quarter.

"That kind of game we got some big stops at the right time and we executed three to four sets that our guys made the play on and that was the difference," Cavs head coach David Blatt said. "It was that kind of close game. Right at the end we just made the right plays and the better plays at both ends of the court to win a very close game."

The Knicks scored four points and made just two field goals in the final six minutes as their offense looked discombobulated and rookie Kristaps Porzingis, a standout in the first three quarters, vanished.

"We needed to," Blatt said about the extra attention on Porzingis late. "Necessity is the mother of invention. He was hurting us. We just got up and got into him and were a lot more attentive and a lot more alert and a lot more aggressive in defending him, didn't let him lift to shoot, didn't give him any freedom of movement and held him scoreless in the last quarter because he was hurting us for three quarters. That's a very good young basketball player. Very good."

Through three quarters, Porzingis had scored 23 points on 8-of-17 from the field, including 4-of-4 from three-point range. He also grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds. But in the final period, as the Knicks were searching for some late-game offense in the absence of Anthony, Porzingis got one shot attempt, a last-second heave from 60 feet while the game had already been decided.

"He's a very good player," Kevin Love said of the Knicks' rookie. "Before this (last) five games he wasn't particularly shooting the ball well from the three-point line and he came out and his shot, I probably should have been up on him a little bit more, but he got into a good rhythm. And then in the fourth quarter, we sent three, four different defenders at him and slowed him down a little bit."

With Anthony sidelined because of an ankle injury and the Cavs' attention focused on Porzingis, off-season addition Arron Afflalo tried stepping up. But Iman Shumpert, who spearheaded the late lockdown defense, thwarted Afflalo's efforts.

"He was a huge factor in that game," Blatt said of Shumpert. "First half offensively he did some things and second half defensively he was terrific. He's a guy that does ignite our defense. He gave us a great basketball game tonight. It sure is good to have him back because he's a difference maker for us."

Afflalo scored eight points on 4-of-10 from the field in the fourth quarter, including 0-for-3 in from three-point range. He had been making some tough shots and keeping the Knicks in the game. Then in the final minutes, the one-on-one matchup against Shumpert became one-sided.

Along with a costly turnover, Afflalo missed three of his final four shot attempts while screaming for whistles that never came.

"It's what the game's about," Shumpert said. "It's a sword fight, as I like to call it. Usually it's on an island with a guard, but like you said, Afflalo is one of those guys that prides himself in being strong on the low block and I got the best of him tonight."

James has repeatedly praised Shumpert's defense, saying he has the best hands in the NBA and pushing for him to eventually get recognition on the league's All-Defensive Team. He wasn't surprised to see Shumpert step up in crunch time. 

"We know he can," James said about Shumpert matching up one-on-one late. "Just try to get him communication, let him know where the help is if needed, but he takes individual matchups very seriously and for him to continue to get stop after stop after Afflalo kind of got it going was big for our team."

Season of giving - The Cavaliers struggled from the field, shooting 38.6 percent against the improved New York defense, which entered the night holding opponents to 43 percent from the field.

But even with the repeated misfires, the Cavaliers offense flowed well and they were sharing the ball in a way that oftentimes leads to success. They assisted on their first nine shots and finished the first quarter with 31 points before slowing down a bit in the final three periods.

"We had 23 assists on 32 made field goals and we only had eight turnovers," Blatt said. "We just didn't make shots. We had a lot of looks that maybe normally we knock down and didn't. The Knicks are a team, because of the way they play offense, they keep you on the defensive end maybe a little more than other teams who play faster, with more fast break and you get more possessions. Perhaps it's a little easier to get loose and get a rhythm."

Admittedly it will take Blatt some time to figure out his rotation, especially with such a deep roster. But no matter who is playing or what combination is on the court, the key for the Cavs on offense is to avoid falling into the isolation-heavy attack. 

"We should always want to move the ball, and I thought we did that tonight," James said. "In order to get assists you've got to make shots and we missed some very open shots. Myself, I missed some easy shots around the rim. I remember we had one possession where we had like five or six passes from one side to another side and Swish (J.R. Smith) got a wide-open three in the corner by their bench. He missed it. We had another swing, swing, swing all the way to the right corner away from their bench where Kyrie missed a three. It was the same in the third quarter with Kev, he made one but he also missed one as well. So, we had an opportunity to have one of those thirty-plus assist games, we just didn't make timely shots."

Postgame shooting session - With the Cavs clinging to a one-point lead in the fourth quarter, Irving reached his limit of 19 minutes for the night.

"It's tough but all part of the plan," Blatt said when asked if he thought about leaving Irving in the game late. "We were and are determined to stay true to that and recognize that we're still not in January even and we're not even halfway through the season, not even close. We're thinking long term with Ky and want him well and want him to get back to where he was gradually and through the process that we've laid out. But sure I want to see him out there more. He's a great, great basketball player and I want to see him out there more. Fortunately other guys are stepping up and doing their part and that's what makes a team really good."

Replaced by Matthew Dellavedova, Irving came to the bench and ripped off his arm sleeve, showing his frustration after a rough shooting night. He overcame a slow start in his season debut Sunday to finish with 12 points on 5-of-12 from the field. But couldn't do the same against the Knicks, scoring five points on 1-of-7 from the field.

After the buzzer sounded, the players bolted to the locker room, showered, dressed and met with the media.

Not Irving.

The starting point guard stayed on the court for well over 30 minutes, going through a late-night shooting session with assistant coach Phil Handy. It wasn't until around 10:30 p.m., as James was meeting with reporters, when Irving came into the locker room to change out of his uniform, which was soaked in sweat.

His rhythm is a bit off and his conditioning isn't where it needs to be. It will take Irving some time to return to his All-Star form. In the meantime, Blatt will likely try to keep his workload around 20 minutes.

Second chances - On a night when shots weren't falling at the usual clip, extra possessions became important. Thanks to the non-stop hustle of Tristan Thompson, Love and Timofey Mozgov, the Cavs pulled in 14 offensive rebounds, leading to 13 second-chance points.

Thompson finished with a game-high 14 rebounds, and half of those came on the offensive end, falling two offensive rebounds short of matching New York's total of nine.

Feeling salty - The Cavaliers return to Oracle Arena for the first time since a 13-point Game 5 loss in the NBA Finals, one that gave the Warriors a 3-2 series lead.

The boisterous building has been a dwelling of horrors for the opponent the last few seasons and it played host to some terrible memories for the Cavaliers in June. 

Some have downplayed the matchup, but Shumpert, who was hobbled because of a groin injury during the series, tried to put his feelings into words.

"I can't speak for everybody else. It plays a part," Shumpert said. "But we're going to come out and approach the game like we approach all games. But, I'm salty. I am."

Since June, the Cavs have been left to wonder what could have been. Would they have been good enough had Irving not fractured his left kneecap in Game 1? Would Shumpert had been more impactful on the defensive end had he not been dealing with a groin injury? How would Love have helped?

"I'm happy," Shumpert said. "I'm happy that we're playing the Golden State Warriors. Yes." 

Of course, those memories from about six months ago won't be erased Friday. They can't. Not in December, which is a point James and others have tried to make. But even Blatt, who has tried to keep from looking ahead, started to smile thinking about the marquee matchup. 

"It's an exciting game," he said. "I know everybody is looking forward to it. The significance of the game is probably more in terms of the excitement that it's generating than the actual meaning of it. It's another game in an 82-game season. I don't think there's anybody on our team that doesn't remember the Finals and I don't think there's anybody on their team that doesn't remember, either. I don't think the fans have forgotten because that was a very good NBA Finals.

"I know we're going down there finally with a full roster. I can't say that we're 100 percent in terms of where I know we're going to be once we get everyone ready and in shape. We're looking forward to going down there. I don't see it as a replay of the Finals by any stretch but on the other hand it's great for the game that so many people are interested in it and so many people are excited about it. We're a part of that and that says something, too."

Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson will remain hot and easily defeat St. Louis Rams, while Johnny Manziel helps Cleveland Browns beat the spread against Kansas City Chiefs. DMan's NFL Picks.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Quarterback Russell Wilson remains historically locked in as the Seattle Seahawks handle the St. Louis Rams on Sunday in Seattle.

At least that is how I see one of the outcomes from NFL Week 16 games when picking against the spread (for entertainment purposes only).

Among other games: Johnny Manziel's Cleveland Browns stay close enough at the Kansas City Chiefs to be an ATS winner.

Season's record ATS: 109-109-6

• Week 1: 8-7-1
• Week 2: 8-8
• Week 3: 10-6
• Week 4: 5-10
• Week 5: 6-7-1
• Week 6: 6-6-2
• Week 7: 9-5
• Week 8: 6-7-1
• Week 9: 4-9
• Week 10: 6-8
• Week 11: 6-8
• Week 12: 10-6
• Week 13: 9-7
• Week 14: 9-7
• Week 15: 7-8-1

Week 15 summary: Mediocrity is absolutely unsettling, but I can't be upset in this particular case because I easily could have been 4-11-1 or 4-10-2.

I had @ N.Y. Giants +5 1/2 over Carolina. The Giants trailed by 28 late in the third quarter before rallying to tie. The Panthers won, 38-35.

I had @ Pittsburgh -6 over Denver. The Steelers trailed by 17 in the first half. They won, 34-27.

I had @ New England -14 over Tennessee. The Patriots led by 11 late in the fourth quarter. They kicked field goals with 3:30 and 1:06 remaining and won, 33-16.

No surprise here: The Browns let me down. I had Cleveland +14 over @ Seattle; the Seahawks won, 30-13. I eyeballed the coveted garbage touchdown to pull within 10, but Browns QB Johnny Manziel was intercepted when forcing a pass to ... Dwayne Bowe.

Week 16 picks: The lines, as will be the case all season, are from MGM Mirage via vegasinsider.com as of Wednesday afternoon unless noted (entertainment purposes only).

Thursday

@ Oakland -5 1/2 over San Diego

Skinny: Chargers are likely to be emotionally spent after a victory in potential home-finale-for-good (30-14 over Miami). Raiders are young, talented and pesky. Raiders, 26-20.

Saturday

@ Philadelphia -3 over Washington

Skinny: The erratic Eagles rebound from a home thumping by Arizona. They do so by frustrating Redskins QB Kirk Cousins. Eagles, 20-16.

Sunday

N.Y. Giants +5 1/2 over @ Minnesota

Skinny: Vikings win, but Giants and QB Eli Manning keep it relatively close -- even without WR Odell Beckham Jr. Vikings, 28-23. 

@ Tampa Bay -3 over Chicago

Skinny: Buccaneers, coming off back-to-back disappointments, prevail thanks to another strong showing by rookie QB Jameis Winston. Buccaneers, 21-17.

Carolina -7 over @ Atlanta

Skinny: QB Cam Newton and WR Ted Ginn Jr. fuel the Panthers, who are insulted that the spread isn't higher. Panthers, 30-16.

@ Buffalo -6 over Dallas

Skinny: Vegas was kind to the Cowboys. Bills, 27-10.

@ New Orleans -3 1/2 over Jacksonville

Skinny: Line from VI Consensus. Saints' offense controls clock, keeps their defense off the field. Saints, 29-23.

@ Detroit -8 1/2 over San Francisco

Skinny: Lions QB Matthew Stafford puts up huge numbers; 49ers possess nowhere near the firepower to keep up. Lions, 28-12.

Cleveland +12 1/2 over @ Kansas City

Skinny: My only justification for this pick is that the brown-and-orange flavor of Kool-Aid tastes good. Chiefs win their ninth straight, but it isn't as easy as it should be. Chiefs, 27-16.  

@ Miami -1 1/2 over Indianapolis

Skinny: Because of how underwhelming both teams are, I readily admit to having no feel about this one. Dolphins, 17-13.   

New England -3 over @ N.Y. Jets

Skinny: The Jets, one of the NFL's feel-good stories, need another reminder that they are not on the Patriots' level: Patriots, 24-17.

Houston +4 1/2 over @ Tennessee

Skinny: If QB Brian Hoyer can't go and Brandon Weeden gets the opportunity to start for the Texans, get the popcorn ready. Texans, 19-15.

@ Arizona -4 over Green Bay

Skinny: I keep thinking this is a field-goal game either way. I'm going against my better judgment because I've been so impressed by the Cardinals, who have won eight in a row and looked good doing it. Cardinals, 23-17. 

@ Seattle -13 1/2 over St. Louis

Skinny: Teams other than New England typically can't be expected to cover back-to-back spreads of at least 13 points. The Seahawks, though, are playing as well as anybody. They covered at -14 against the Browns last week (30-13) and are itching to dominate an opponent that has given them problems. Wilson stretches his six-game run to 6-0 with 22 TDs and 0 INTs. Seahawks, 30-13.     

Pittsburgh -10 over @ Baltimore

Skinny: Not long ago, a double-digit spread in a game involving these two teams would be unheard of. But the Ravens are a shell of themselves and the Steelers are an offensive machine. Steelers, 27-13.

Monday

@ Denver -3 1/2 over Cincinnati

Skinny: This spread is far too low. Bengals QB A.J. McCarron can't be expected to succeed in Denver, especially with so much on the line for the home team. Broncos, 23-10.

The Bulldogs, No. 1 in the cleveland.com Top 25, used 26 points and 13 rebounds from Willie Jackson and another 24 points by Frankie Hughes to fuel the comeback.

GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Down by 16 points, Garfield Heights quickly trimmed that deficit and turned around a 91-71 win Wednesday night against boys basketball rival Shaker Heights.

The Bulldogs (8-0), No. 1 in the cleveland.com Top 25, used 26 points and 13 rebounds from Willie Jackson and another 24 points by Frankie Hughes to fuel the comeback vs. No. 23 Shaker Heights (2-4). Watch the video above for reaction from Jackson and coach Sonny Johnson, plus highlights.

If that's not enough, look below for more highlights and a breakdown of how the game unfolded.

Shaker Heights led 29-20 after the first quarter on Dale Bonner's 3-pointer just before the clock expired.

Here's how the first quarter ended. A 3 by @DaleBonne. pic.twitter.com/UEjeMazRNe

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 24, 2015

The teams combined for 12 3-pointers in the first half. A few came consecutively as Hughes and Raiders sophomore Jordan Burge traded shots and barbs.

Remember what I said about Frankie Hughes and Jordan Burge going at it? Here's a sample. pic.twitter.com/guAFyVp0uh

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 24, 2015

Burge finished with a team-high 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. Senior brother Jeramie Burge added 13 points. They helped the Raiders' lead increase to 36-20 in the second quarter.

Brothers Jeramie and Jordan Burge combined for 29 points. Jordan also had six rebounds, three steals. @jordvnb_09 pic.twitter.com/McnVYTGAGJ

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 24, 2015

Hughes helped the Bulldogs cut their deficit to two by the final minute of the first half. Hughes' stat line included 24 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks.

Frankie Hughes' stat line: 24 pts, 8 reb, 3 steals, 3 blocks. @_4l0w pic.twitter.com/hclRD9zpf5

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 24, 2015

The first half ended with Marreon Jackson momentarily giving the Bulldogs back the lead before J'Van Beasley sent the Raiders into the locker room with a 48-46 lead.

Here's how the half ended. Sums up this game. pic.twitter.com/ZO2rqFqwNn

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 24, 2015

The Bulldogs starting lineup accounted for all but four points, which A.J. Rose scored late in the fourth quarter. Outside of Hughes and Willie Jackson, point guard Marreon Jackson scored 14 points and guard Shawn Christian had 19. Both are juniors.

Shawn Christian 19 pts. Marreon Jackson 14 pts. Here's some of their work. @shawnchristian_ @marreon_jackson pic.twitter.com/R3Zne1dW7Y

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 24, 2015

Missouri-bound Willie Jackson finished with 26 points and 13 rebounds, including a second half of 18 and 11.

Willie Jackson: 26 points, 13 rebounds. Had 18 and 11 in second half. @willie_jack2 pic.twitter.com/fdH8pm3eeB

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 24, 2015

For the second half, Garfield Heights outscored Shaker Heights 45-23.

Final: Garfield Heights 91, Shaker Heights 71 pic.twitter.com/lKyd0oqzSI

— Matt Goul (@mgoul) December 24, 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) or email (mgoul@cleveland.com). Or log in and leave a message below in the comments section.

Three reasons each way while figuring out if the Buckeyes will be motivated to play their best in the Jan. 1 Fiesta Bowl.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No one said, "Yeah, we're going to blow it off." They never do.

But through another college football bowl season, the common factor that matters most in each matchup isn't rushing offense or pass defense or tempo or turnovers. 

It's motivation. Is there a team that doesn't want to be there? And is that team maybe playing another team with something to prove?

How's that shake out for the Fiesta Bowl matchup between No. 7 Ohio State and No. 8 Notre Dame? Here are three reasons the 11-1 Buckeyes should be up for their trip to Arizona, and three reasons they may not be.

MOTIVATED

No. 1 - Check the Michigan game: That was Urban Meyer's answer when I asked about the Buckeyes potential motivation for this trip. The boss spun right to the last game of the season, which followed the Buckeyes' only loss of the season to Michigan State.

The result there - a 42-13 destruction in Ann Arbor to spoil Jim Harbaugh's debut against the Buckeyes as Michigan's head coach - was all the proof Meyer needed. He pointed out that he looked for indicators all year with this team to see if the players were locked in, and he liked what he saw.

Michigan was another check.

"We had a great indicator, and that was we got on buses for three hours, we went up to a team that doesn't necessarily have a lot of affection for Ohio State, and played as hard as we possibly played and won a game against a very good team," Meyer said. "So that's a very good indication of what kind of human beings we have on this team. So I would anticipate that we would play our tails off."

LESS THAN MOTIVATED

No. 1 - The call of the NFL: The suggestions that Ohio State lost to Michigan State or somehow didn't play to its potential this season because of players looking to the NFL had no basis. People said it, but there wasn't evidence.

Look at those NFL-ready players: Joey Bosa, Ezekiel Elliott, Taylor Decker, Michael Thomas, Vonn Bell, Adolphus Washington, Darron Lee, Joshua Perry ...

Are they why Ohio State isn't in the playoff? No.

They were in during the season.

But now?

With a 34-day layoff between the Michigan game the Fiesta Bowl, there's plenty of time to think about other things. Millions of others things.

Again, no one will say it now. But Nick Saban said it this summer.

The Alabama coach's comments at SEC Media Days in July to a group of reporters caught the attention of everyone in college football. Here's what those reporters on the scene in Birmingham reported.

"Our team chemistry from the SEC Championship game to the playoff game was affected by something," Saban said. "So we're trying to get ready for a game and, all of a sudden, a guy finds out that he's a first-round draft pick or a guy that thought he was a first-round draft pick finds out that he's not a first-round draft pick, and we're trying to get ready to play a playoff game."

Some saw that as Saban making an excuse for Alabama's loss to Ohio State in last season's Sugar Bowl playoff semifinal. Saban responded by saying it wasn't an excuse, just something the team dealt with.

If Ohio State loses to Notre Dame? Meyer may say something similar next July, because it might be true.

The NFL guys were in for 12 games. Now that the 13th game doesn't really matter, it won't be a shock if something changes. 

MOTIVATED

No. 2 - A sense of history: The Ohio State seniors are 49-4 in their careers, which is just a crazy good record. You know how the saying goes, "You win 12, you lose one."

From 12-0 as freshmen to 12-2 as sophomore to 14-1 as juniors and now 11-1 as seniors, the Buckeyes could become the first college players to ever win 50 games in their careers.

A lot of that is just math - teams didn't used to play this many games. But it's still historic. This little era of Ohio State football - the first four years of Meyer - already has its high point, when the confetti fell last season. But other than just wanting to win because you always want to win when you play, getting to 50-4 would be quite a thing for the record books.

"We've been  fortunate to kind of get this program back on course because there was a little rough patch there," senior left tackle and captain Taylor Decker said. "We've been through a lot and we got to do a lot of cool things, and that would be icing on the cake to not only go out with a win over a quality opponent but 50 wins in four years would be pretty amazing."

LESS THAN MOTIVATED

No. 2 - It's not the playoff: Ohio State gets the first test of the new playoff world. What does the champ do when the chance to defend is gone?

Champions face this every year in every sport, but in the second year of the four-team playoff, this is different, especially since so many expected the Buckeyes to at least repeat a playoff run, if not a title. This is a team that was a unanimous preseason No. 1 in the AP poll.

The single game BCS National Championship was one thing. But the two-game playoff requirement? The Buckeyes conquered that a year ago - and the Fiesta Bowl is not that.

"I get there's a lot of people that said National Championship or bust and that's fine," Decker said. "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But this is a huge game."

You can imagine a few of the players on the roster sharing that "bust" opinion. The playoff made college football bigger than ever, and Ohio State lived that.

"The College Football Playoff has taken on a life of its own, it's March Madness basically," Meyer said after the Fiesta Bowl matchup was announced. "Great friends of mine are basketball coaches, they always talk about the intensity of March Madness. March Madness for us starts in August. That's the way it is."

But it really happens in January. The Buckeyes are basically saying "that was awesome" and then adding "but this is cool, too."

It's not the same. Ohio State knows that more than any team in the nation.

MOTIVATED

No. 3 - Meyer in the postseason: Feel free to run out a statistical situation, and Meyer's record in that given scenario will look impressive. That's what happens when your career record is 153-27.

So, get ready: Meyer is 9-2 in the postseason.

His only losses were to Michigan in the Capital One Bowl after the 2007 season at Florida, and to Clemson in the Orange Bowl after the 2013 season at Ohio State.

In the year constantly compared year to this 2015 Ohio State season, at Florida in 2009, the Gators followed a crushing loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship with a 51-24 win over Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl.

(Note: Notre Dame is not Cincinnati. And Brian Kelly, who left the Bearcats before that bowl game to take the Notre Dame job, will coach against Meyer this time.)

When it comes to motivation, Meyer's teams have found it in bowl season.

"If you don't play well in these games, you're a phony," Decker said. "The whole culture of your program is a lie. I'm not saying we're guaranteed to win a game, but if you come out and play hard, that's a good indicator."

LESS THAN MOTIVATED

No. 3 - The Princess: The traditional home of the Buckeyes when they travel to Arizona, the Scottsdale Princess, is a lovely hotel. Lovely. Relaxing. 

Also, In-And-Out Burgers are readily available.

Ohio State isn't in the playoff, so what can the Buckeyes get out of playing Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State players were insistent last week that the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame hasn't lost any luster just because both teams were hoping for something more this year.

But what's there to gain from a game that ultimately doesn't mean anything?

Well the last time Ohio State played Notre Dame, the Buckeyes used a Fiesta Bowl bowl win as a springboard to a 2006 season in which Ohio State made it all the way to the national championship. Could that happen again this time around?

Our Ohio State beat writers preview the Fiesta Bowl against the Fighting Irish in this installment of the B.A.D. Ohio State Podcast.

If you've missed any of our previous podcasts, you can follow us on SoundCloud.

You can also get this and every cleveland.com sports podcast by subscribing on iTunes.

Here's the latest edition of the B.A.D. Ohio State Podcast:

Take a look at what players on your fantasy roster may not suit up in week 16 due to injury.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The National Football League injury report, as provided by the league (OUT - Definitely will not play; DNP - Did not practice; LIMITED - Limited participation in practice; FULL - Full participation in practice):

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at OAKLAND RAIDERS -- CHARGERS: OUT: T King Dunlap (ankle), LB Kyle Emanuel (concussion), NT Sean Lissemore (shoulder). QUESTIONABLE: TE Ladarius Green (ankle), WR Stevie Johnson (groin). PROBABLE: T Chris Hairston (abdomen), CB Steve Williams (hip). RAIDERS: OUT: S Nate Allen (knee). QUESTIONABLE: CB Neiko Thorpe (neck). PROBABLE: WR Amari Cooper (foot), DE Khalil Mack (knee), WR Seth Roberts (abdomen), S Charles Woodson (shoulder).

WASHINGTON REDSKINS at PHILADELPHIA EAGLES -- REDSKINS: DNP: S Dashon Goldson (rib, knee, shoulder), DE Jason Hatcher (neck, knee), WR DeSean Jackson (foot, knee), LB Perry Riley Jr. (foot). LIMITED: WR Ryan Grant (abdomen), RB Matt Jones (hip), LB Ryan Kerrigan (toe), C Josh LeRibeus (ankle), T Morgan Moses (ankle). FULL: LB Will Compton (neck), DE Kedric Golston (calf), S Jeron Johnson (hamstring), DE Frank Kearse (finger), TE Jordan Reed (shoulder), LB Keenan Robinson (shoulder), RB Chris Thompson (shoulder). EAGLES: DNP: WR Seyi Ajirotutu (ankle), DT Bennie Logan (calf), CB Byron Maxwell (shoulder). FULL: QB Sam Bradford (left shoulder), CB Eric Rowe (concussion).

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at NEW YORK JETS -- PATRIOTS: DNP: LB Jonathan Freeny (hand), TE Rob Gronkowski (not injury related). LIMITED: WR Danny Amendola (knee), TE Scott Chandler (knee), S Patrick Chung (foot), S Nate Ebner (ankle), WR Julian Edelman (foot), LB Dont'a Hightower (knee), G Josh Kline (shoulder), WR Brandon LaFell (foot), S Devin McCourty (ankle). FULL: CB Justin Coleman (hand), DE Chandler Jones (abdomen). JETS: DNP: CB Dee Milliner (hamstring), QB Geno Smith (illness). LIMITED: TE Kellen Davis (back), WR Quincy Enunwa (neck), LB David Harris (back), LB Calvin Pace (abdomen). FULL: WR Eric Decker (knee), QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (left thumb), T Breno Giacomini (ankle), C Nick Mangold (hand), WR Brandon Marshall (ankle).

HOUSTON TEXANS at TENNESSEE TITANS -- TEXANS: DNP: S Rahim Moore (illness), WR Cecil Shorts III (hamstring). LIMITED: QB Brian Hoyer (concussion), T Derek Newton (elbow), DE J.J. Watt (hand, groin). FULL: RB Alfred Blue (back), LB Max Bullough (shoulder), LB Jadeveon Clowney (hamstring), DT Christian Covington (ankle), TE Ryan Griffin (Achilles), CB Kareem Jackson (ankle), C Ben Jones (hand, ankle), LB Whitney Mercilus (back), RB Chris Polk (knee), G Xavier Su'a-Filo (calf). TITANS: DNP: NT Sammie Hill (knee), QB Marcus Mariota (knee). LIMITED: S Da'Norris Searcy (hamstring), WR Kendall Wright (ribs).

CLEVELAND BROWNS at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS -- BROWNS: DNP: RB Isaiah Crowell (not injury related), WR Taylor Gabriel (not injury related), RB Duke Johnson Jr. (hamstring), C Alex Mack (calf), DT Randy Starks (not injury related), T Joe Thomas (knee). LIMITED: DE Desmond Bryant (thumb), G Cameron Erving (ankle), WR Marlon Moore (ribs), CB K'Waun Williams (shoulder). FULL: K Travis Coons (right groin). CHIEFS: DNP: S Husain Abdullah (concussion), LB Tamba Hali (thumb, knee), LB Justin Houston (knee). LIMITED: RB Spencer Ware (rib). FULL: G Jeff Allen (ankle), TE Travis Kelce (groin), WR De'Anthony Thomas (concussion).

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS at MIAMI DOLPHINS -- COLTS: DNP: S Colt Anderson (ankle), S Winston Guy (hamstring, shoulder), LB Josh McNary (groin), WR Donte Moncrief (toe), CB D'Joun Smith (knee). LIMITED: TE Jack Doyle (toe), LB Jerrell Freeman (hamstring), QB Matt Hasselbeck (back, ribs), LB D'Qwell Jackson (quadriceps), QB Andrew Luck (abdomen, kidney), LB Erik Walden (foot). DOLPHINS: DNP: T Branden Albert (knee), DT Earl Mitchell (calf), C Mike Pouncey (foot, ankle). LIMITED: T Ja'Wuan James (toe), LB Jelani Jenkins (ankle), WR Jarvis Landry (knee), RB Lamar Miller (quadriceps), G Billy Turner (calf). FULL: WR Rishard Matthews (ribs), TE Jake Stoneburner (foot).

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS -- JAGUARS: DNP: DE Chris Clemons (not injury related), WR Allen Hurns (thigh), DT Roy Miller III (knee), LB Telvin Smith (shoulder, finger), RB T.J. Yeldon (knee). LIMITED: DE Ryan Davis (knee), LB Dan Skuta (hamstring). FULL: S Sergio Brown (thumb), CB Dwayne Gratz (hamstring), TE Nic Jacobs (hamstring), LB Paul Posluszny (hand), RB Denard Robinson (foot), WR Bryan Walters (back). SAINTS: DNP: T Terron Armstead (knee), QB Drew Brees (foot), WR Marques Colston (chest), LB Dannell Ellerbe (hip), T Zach Strief (elbow), TE Benjamin Watson (knee). LIMITED: S Jairus Byrd (knee).

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS at DETROIT LIONS -- 49ERS: No Data Reported LIONS: DNP: S Glover Quin (concussion). LIMITED: LB Josh Bynes (foot), WR Calvin Johnson (ankle), DT Haloti Ngata (neck), T Michael Ola (knee), DT Caraun Reid (ankle), G Larry Warford (quadriceps).

DALLAS COWBOYS at BUFFALO BILLS -- COWBOYS: OUT: TE Gavin Escobar (Achilles), QB Tony Romo (shoulder). DNP: WR Cole Beasley (knee, illness), WR Dez Bryant (foot), CB Morris Claiborne (hamstring). LIMITED: S Jeff Heath (shoulder), P Chris Jones (knee), DE Demarcus Lawrence (chest), LB Kyle Wilber (shoulder), TE Jason Witten (chest). FULL: LB Rolando McClain (concussion). BILLS: DNP: RB LeSean McCoy (knee), S Bacarri Rambo (knee). LIMITED: LB Nigel Bradham (ankle), DT Stefan Charles (shoulder), TE Charles Clay (back), CB Ronald Darby (groin), RB Boobie Dixon (knee), G John Miller (ankle), WR Walt Powell (hip), RB Karlos Williams (shoulder), C Eric Wood (shoulder). FULL: CB Ron Brooks (neck).

CHICAGO BEARS at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS -- BEARS: DNP: WR Alshon Jeffery (hamstring), LB Shea McClellin (concussion). LIMITED: S Adrian Amos (shoulder), CB Bryce Callahan (quadriceps), LB Pernell McPhee (knee), CB Tracy Porter (ankle), WR Eddie Royal (knee). BUCCANEERS: DNP: LB Kourtnei Brown (groin), WR Vincent Jackson (knee), G Logan Mankins (knee), DT Akeem Spence (ankle). LIMITED: S Chris Conte (knee). FULL: LB Bruce Carter (ankle), DE George Johnson (calf), DT Gerald McCoy (hand).

CAROLINA PANTHERS at ATLANTA FALCONS -- PANTHERS: DNP: LB David Mayo (hamstring), RB Jonathan Stewart (foot). LIMITED: WR Ted Ginn Jr. (quadriceps), DE Charles Johnson (calf), DT Kyle Love (concussion). FALCONS: DNP: G Chris Chester (shoulder). LIMITED: WR Devin Hester (toe), DT Grady Jarrett (shoulder), T Jake Matthews (back), NT Paul Soliai (calf), LB Paul Worrilow (knee).

NEW YORK GIANTS at MINNESOTA VIKINGS -- GIANTS: DNP: WR Dwayne Harris (shoulder), LB Devon Kennard (foot), DT Markus Kuhn (knee), S Cooper Taylor (concussion). LIMITED: RB Orleans Darkwa (illness), LB James Morris (quadriceps), DE George Selvie (concussion). VIKINGS: DNP: TE Rhett Ellison (ankle), RB Adrian Peterson (ankle, shoulder), CB Josh Robinson (concussion). LIMITED: LB Anthony Barr (knee), DT Sharrif Floyd (not injury related), DE Everson Griffen (shoulder), DT Linval Joseph (foot), S Harrison Smith (knee, hamstring). FULL: WR Charles Johnson (ankle).

ST. LOUIS RAMS at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS -- RAMS: DNP: T Andrew Donnal (knee), CB Eric Patterson (ankle). LIMITED: CB Lamarcus Joyner (back), WR Bradley Marquez (knee). SEAHAWKS: OUT: RB Marshawn Lynch (abdomen). DNP: DE Cliff Avril (not injury related), WR Doug Baldwin (hamstring), S Kam Chancellor (pelvis), DT Jordan Hill (toe), CB Jeremy Lane (knee), TE Anthony McCoy (knee/ankle), T Russell Okung (calf). LIMITED: DE Michael Bennett (toe), WR Jermaine Kearse (calf). FULL: S Deshawn Shead (ankle).

GREEN BAY PACKERS at ARIZONA CARDINALS -- PACKERS: DNP: T David Bakhtiari (ankle), DT Mike Daniels (hamstring), LB Jayrone Elliott (quadriceps), DT Letroy Guion (foot), CB Sam Shields (concussion). LIMITED: T Bryan Bulaga (ankle), RB Eddie Lacy (rib), G T.J. Lang (shoulder), LB Clay Matthews (ankle), G Josh Sitton (back). FULL: C Corey Linsley (ankle), CB Quinten Rollins (groin). CARDINALS: DNP: RB Andre Ellington (toe), S Rashad Johnson (ankle), DT Josh Mauro (calf), LB Sean Weatherspoon (illness). LIMITED: TE Jermaine Gresham (knee), QB Carson Palmer (right finger), CB Jerraud Powers (calf), DE Cory Redding (ankle), DT Frostee Rucker (ankle), C Lyle Sendlein (knee), DT Ed Stinson (shoulder). FULL: CB Patrick Peterson (ankle).

PITTSBURGH STEELERS at BALTIMORE RAVENS -- STEELERS: DNP: CB William Gay (not injury related), LB James Harrison (not injury related), S Mike Mitchell (shoulder). RAVENS: DNP: WR Marlon Brown (back), LB Albert McClellan (ankle), CB Jimmy Smith (thigh), G Rick Wagner (knee).

CINCINNATI BENGALS at DENVER BRONCOS: No Data Reported

We've given reasons both ways for how the Buckeyes will play. Now tell us what you think.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State was a unanimous No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press poll, while Notre Dame was No. 11.

Through four games, both teams were undefeated, the Buckeyes still on top and the Fighting Irish at No. 6.

By the time the first College Football Playoff rankings were released after nine weeks, undefeated Ohio State was No. 3 with one-loss Notre Dame at No. 5. The next week the Irish had moved to No. 4.

At that point, 10 weeks in, both Ohio State and Notre Dame looked like College Football Playoff teams. Neither made it. Instead, No. 7 Ohio State (11-1) and No. 8 Notre Dame (10-2) get each other in the Fiesta Bowl.

"We take this game as one that could be played as a championship game," Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said on a conference call after the matchup was announced.

Will it be played like one? In particular, do you believe Ohio State will be motivated enough, after falling short of a shot at a repeat, to play its best game?

The Buckeyes are 4-5 in their last nine postseason games, dating back to their loss to Urban Meyer's Florida Gators in the BCS National Championship after the 2006 season.

Tell us in the comments and vote in our poll to show how you think the Buckeyes will play on Jan. 1.

Preview, TV schedule and updates for Friday's Popeyes' Bahamas Bowl featuring Western Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee State.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Western Michigan Broncos face the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders today in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl in Nassau, Bahamas (ESPN, noon).

WMU coach P.J. Fleck was expected to be snapped up by a power conference team, but that never happened. Now the first order of business is to get a bowl win, which would be the first in six chances for the Broncos. Consider this a jump start to the 2016 season when the Broncos will arguably be favorites to win the Mid-American Conference title.

This is the sixth of seven bowl games involving MAC teams. The MAC is now 2-3 in bowl games after Bowling Green and Northern Illinois were both soundly defeated on Wednesday. This is one of the few bowl games where a MAC team is actually favored to win.

Popeyes Bahamas Bowl fact box:

What: Middle Tennessee (7-5, Conference USA) vs. Western Michigan (7-5, Mid-American Conference).
When: Noon, ESPN.
Line: Western Michigan by 4 1/2
Series: First meeting.
What's at stake: Western Michigan is seeking its first bowl victory in school history, as the Broncos have lost all six of their previous bowl appearances. A victory also would give Western Michigan consecutive eight-win seasons for the first time. Middle Tennessee is seeking to end the season on a five-game winning streak.
Key matchup: Western Michigan wide receivers Corey Davis and Daniel Braverman vs. Middle Tennessee secondary -- Davis and Braverman have each exceeded 1,200 yards receiving this season, which marks the first time since 2010 that two Football Bowl Subdivision teammates have reached that mark. They're facing a Middle Tennessee defense that has 16 interceptions, tied for 15th among all FBS teams. Free safety Kevin Byard has 19 career interceptions, which matches the highest total among active FBS players.
Players to watch: Middle Tennessee QB Brent Stockstill -- The son of Middle Tennessee coach Rick Stockstill has thrown for 3,678 yards, putting him 379 yards shy of the NCAA freshman record set by Florida State's Jameis Winston in 2013. He also has 301 completions and needs just 20 more to match the NCAA freshman record set by Kentucky's Jared Lorenzen in 2000. Stockstill, who redshirted last year, has thrown 27 touchdown passes and only eight interceptions.
Western Michigan WR Corey Davis -- He has accumulated 100 yards receiving in six straight games and has 3,602 career yards receiving to lead all active FBS players. His 32 touchdown catches rank him second among all active FBS players, behind only Baylor's Corey Coleman.
Facts and figures: Western Michigan's Braverman is the only player to rank among the top eight FBS performers in receptions, yards receiving and touchdown catches. Braverman has 103 catches for 1,270 yards and 12 touchdowns. ... Braverman ranks second nationally with 8.6 catches per game, while Middle Tennessee's Richie James is third with 8.3. ... James, who has 100 catches, is the second player in Middle Tennessee history to have at least 1,000 yards receiving in a season. ... Middle Tennessee averages 44.3 points per game at home but only 24.2 per game away from home. ... Western Michigan ranks second among all FBS teams in time of possession. The Broncos are controlling the ball for 34 1/2 minutes per game. - Associated Press

Twitter updates from across the MAC:

Tweets from https://twitter.com/EmilyMBamforth/lists/mac

Links:

• Losses to Big Ten teams helped WMU football grow. (Detroit Free Press)
• Middle Tennessee brings 'explosive' offense to Bahamas Bowl behind QB Brent Stockstill. (MLive.com)
• 5 keys for MTSU in the Popeyes Bahamas Bowl. (Daily News Journal)
• Evenly matched teams square off in Bahamas Bowl. (The Tennessean)

The Cavs are in different and better shape than they were a year ago at this time. The same goes for the last time they saw the Golden State Warriors. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - LeBron James couldn't remember the last time he saw what he saw Wednesday night.

That is, he saw a full Cavaliers team, all the players healthy and in uniform, in the huddle before they trotted from the hallway onto the court at The Q to play and beat the New York Knicks.

"I cannot remember, and I can remember everything," James said, after the Cavs beat New York 91-84.

Let's help him out here. Would you believe that, until this one against the Knicks, the last time the Cavs had no one on the injury list was precisely one year ago, Dec. 23 of 2014, when a full Cleveland outfit suited up to play the Minnesota Timberwolves?

In that game, Anderson Varejao went down with a torn Achilles, canceling the rest of his season.

Cleveland would play the Miami Heat two days later on Christmas, in what was to be a highly emotional return for James to the city where he played for four seasons and won two championships. It didn't go well for him and the Cavs on South Beach, and after two more games it was announced James would miss the next two weeks with injuries.

So 365 days after Varejao's devastating injury, Mo Williams returned to uniform after sitting the past two games with a sprained thumb, joining Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert - thus giving coach David Blatt a full complement of players from which to choose for the first time in 2015.

That's counting this season and last.

On Dec. 23, 2015, James led the Cavs with 24 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, defeating a Knicks team that was sans Carmelo Anthony (ankle injury) and inexplicably ignored Kristaps Porzingis (23 points, all through three quarters) in the final frame.

More to the point, no one wearing a Cleveland shirt was injured during the game. So now that all the Cavs - not just James - can finally prepare for their highly emotional return to a city where they made memories on Christmas, they can do it in much better physical and emotional shape than they found themselves at this point a year ago.

Finally, the Cavs are heading out West to play the Golden State Warriors, the team that beat them in the Finals when Cleveland was far less than whole.

"The memories will come back as soon as we walk into the building," James said.

Oracle Arena is where, in overtime of an epic Game 1 in which James could've won for the Cavs with his shot at the end of regulation, Irving broke his kneecap, forever changing the series.

Kevin Love was already out because of shoulder surgery, Shumpert was playing on a bad groin, and somehow Cleveland stole Game 2, again in overtime, this time behind James' 39 points in 50 minutes.

The Warriors' building is where James declared he was (is) "the best player in the world," after the Cavs fell by 13 in Game 5. It's the last time he was there, at Oracle, when it was already apparent Golden State had found its stride and Cleveland was out of bodies to keep up.

"I'm salty," Shumpert said Wednesday night, describing his emotions about the Warriors rematch.

James spent much of the day insisting this next game is just one of 82, and technically he is of course correct. But he was probably a little closer to the true emotions involved with playing the Warriors when said the memories would come flooding back.

James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists in the Finals, becoming the first player to ever lead both teams in those categories during a championship round. He was so distraught following a series-deciding Game 6 loss at The Q, that he questioned whether it was worth the effort to make it to the Finals and lose.

In 2011, James' Heat played the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas on Christmas, following the Mavericks' Finals win over the Heat the previous June.

"The difference between that game and this game, first of all, is the lockout," James said, referring to the shortening of the 2011-12 season due to a lockout that pushed the start of games back to Christmas.

"So the first game was Christmas Day, in Dallas, and it was the first game of the season," he said. "I think everybody was like salivating at the mouth just to get back on the floor. This game is obviously a Christmas Day game but we have 25-plus games already under our belt."

And the difference between Friday's game and the last time James faced Stephen Curry and the Warriors?

"Friday will not be the end of our season, like it was in June," James said. "We play Saturday and then we play Monday and Tuesday. We want to play well, going against a great caliber team, the best team in our league right now, but it's not like the season ends if we lose or if we win, or whatever the case may be."

Oh, and one other difference. This time, the Cavs are healthy.

"After talking with my family and coach, we feel it's in my best interest to decommit from Temple," Wint wrote on his public Twitter account. "I would like to thank the Temple staff for everything they've done and giving me a chance to be a part of a great organization. But I will be opening my recruitment back up."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When three-star athlete Jahsen Wint of Brooklyn (N.Y.) Erasumus Hall visited Ohio State a few weeks ago, he was committed to Temple and didn't have a Buckeyes offer. 

Things are a lot different today. 

That's because Wint earned an Ohio State offer during his official visit to Columbus in mid-December. And on Thursday, Wint announced his decision to decommit from Temple. 

"After talking with my family and coach, we feel it's in my best interest to decommit from Temple," Wint wrote on his public Twitter account. "I would like to thank the Temple staff for everything they've done and giving me a chance to be a part of a great organization. But I will be opening my recruitment back up." 

The 5-foot-11, 186-pound Wint told cleveland.com shortly after his official visit that it was hard for him not to commit to Ohio State once he earned the scholarship offer because of his respect for Temple. 

Rated the No. 142 athlete in the 2016 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings, Wint now has to be considered the favorite to be the next commit in Ohio State's 2016 recruiting class. 

Since earning an Ohio State offer, Wint has picked offers up from Rutgers, Penn State and Boston College. 

pic.twitter.com/shF7g5h5Bg

-- Showtime Wint (@JahsenW) December 24, 2015

The embattled cornerback has played just 50 defensive snaps this season.

BEREA, Ohio - Justin Gilbert's is "trending in the right direction."

At least that's the opinion of his coach.

Mike Pettine believes the maligned 2014 first-round draft pick, who's missed the past three games recovering from a concussion, is making progress in his second season despite playing just 50 snaps on defense.

The cornerback started just one game - against the Ravens on Nov. 30 in place of an injured Joe Haden - and largely has been an afterthought except in the kickoff-return game.

"He did, and there was progress there, but he'd be the first to tell you it wasn't enough," Pettine said. "At least he's still trending in the right direction. The injury stuff (hip flexor in training camp and the concussion late in the season) was a setback, but we're all hopeful that he can use what momentum he has from this season."

That's a comment likely to draw skepticism from Browns fans, who have seen the No. 8 overall pick pushed down the depth chart over the past two seasons.

Gilbert's technique, practice habits and desire have come into question. He's also dealt with off-field problems, including a road-rage incident in September prior to the opener.

"We're in that process now of talking to all of our guys," Pettine said. "It's critical for a lot of guys, Justin included, how they plan to spend (the offseason). As you know, the league rules, the (players) are not here. Sometimes, how they do in the fall depends on what choices they make, where they want to spend, who they want to train with and where they're going to be in the spring.

"That's part of the year-end process for us as a staff to visit with everybody. 'Hey, where are you going to be? What are your plans?' We're still allowed to communicate with them but we're not allowed to do anything from a coaching standpoint. This is an important time for everybody to kind of cast that."

Gilbert's future with the club is anything but secure.

Holiday cheer

The Browns (3-11) will not practice on Christmas Day as they prepare for Sunday's game against the Chiefs.

The coaching staff elected to conduct longer practices elsewhere in the week, Pettine said, so the players could spend Friday with their families.

"What we did is we lengthened yesterday, we lengthened today and then we will lengthen Saturday," the coach said. "We end up getting the same number of reps over the course of those three days, the same amount of meeting time, just it being Christmas, instead of taking the morning off and come in from 1-5 p.m. and that whole deal.

"Places I've been, I've done it both ways. Just given where we are, it made sense to load up on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and give the chance - we talked about it in the meeting - to take tomorrow to stick your head above water for a second, reflect, recharge, refocus for these last two, and hopefully, we'll have a positive result on Sunday."

Emotional game

Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil had no issue with the sideline spat between safety Donte Whitner and rookie corner Charles Gaines during Sunday's 30-13 loss to the Seahawks.

FOX cameras showed Whitner saying something to the youngster and Gaines shoving the 10-year veteran in response. The two teammates later fist-bumped and got back to action.

Gaines said the confrontation was a "little football talk," and he respects Whitner's desire "to win every down."

O'Neil had no problem with the exchange.

"I love that. I want our guys to be emotional and into it," the assistant said. "Two emotional players, they want to win. It's an emotional game. Unless you've been on an NFL sideline, it's hard to explain it. There is a lot of emotion. Those guys want to get off the field on third down. They want to stop touchdowns. They want to make plays. They want to win football games. You can't do that if you're not emotional."

Impressive debut

Kick returner Raheem Mostert enjoyed a strong debut in the loss to the Seahaws. He ran back five kicks, averaging 31.8 yards, including a 53-yard return that set up a second-quarter field goal.

The Purdue product had spent time with the Eagles, Dolphins and Ravens before signing with the Browns.

"He is a guy that I know to a lot of people came out of nowhere," special teams coordinator Chris Tabor. "As we studied him in Baltimore - I have written him up many a time - I felt pretty good about what he could do. He showed that there in Seattle. He has great vision. He hits it. He is explosive, and he is a running back . . . He is a running back that is strong. They have a natural knack of running behind their pads, good vision, good ball security."

Quotable

O'Neil on whether the NFL's 26^th ranked defense (387.9 yards per game) is still missing pieces.

"No, I'm not going to say that. We were happy with what we had. We just have to be more consistent."

No changing of the guard

The Browns will open against the Chiefs on Sunday the same way they finished against the Seahawks on the offensive line.

Austin Pasztor will start at left guard with struggling rookie Cam Erving at right guard. Erving replaced John Greco (knee) on the game's first series. He allowed two sacks, including a strip-sack, and drew a holding penalty.

Injury report

Pettine said defensive back K'Waun Williams (shoulder) will likely be a game-time decision. He sat out the Seahawks' game with the injury.

Left tackle Joe Thomas (knee), center Alex Mack (calf) and running back Duke Johnson (hamstring) returned to practice today.

Receiver Taylor Gabriel (personal) running back Isaiah Crowell (personal) and Glenn Winston (concussion) remained idle.

Feel the noise

Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said the Browns are playing in the two loudest venues in the league in back-to-back weeks.

Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium was considered the hardest place to play for the opposition noise-wise until Seattle's CenturyLink Field came into existence in 2002.

"I forget what year it was; it may have been 2012 when I was with the Raiders (and Kansas City) set a Guinness World Record for noise and then Seattle broke it the next week to break their record," DeFilippo said. "I am not going to say one or the other, but they are both very loud."

Browns Danny Shelton took heat from some fans and media for wearing the wrestling title belt awarded to the team's defensive player of the week. It came after the big loss to Seattle. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- The fashion police came out in full force Wednesday after Danny Shelton wore the big, gold wrestling title belt around the locker room given to the Browns defensive player of the week.

Paired with the Polynesian lava lava skirt he always wears around the Browns facility, he made quite the fashion statement.

"I think (so), yeah,'' said Shelton. "I want to keep the belt and continue to produce and help out the team. I felt good, felt comfortable. It was just an awesome game for me. At the same time, I was disappointed because we didn't get the win.''

But some fans and media took exception to the No. 12 overall pick parading around Wednesday in the championship belt awarded to him after the Browns lost 30-13 to the Seahawks Sunday to fall to fall to 3-11. The Browns also surrendered 182 yards rushing to drop from 29th to 31st in the NFL in run defense.

"I didn't hear anything,'' Shelton said. "Everybody has an opinion, but my opinion, I don't care what they say. This is an award. It's just like you winning employee of the month or employee of the week. That's how much it means to me. I'm going to represent and make sure people recognize that I tried my best that Seahawks game and the result was the result and I'm going to continue to do what I do.''

Browns defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil, who awards the belt each week win or lose, was surprised anyone would have a problem with Shelton modeling it.

"When you're 3-11, you have to find a way to have some fun in the locker room,'' he said. "Otherwise, this becomes pretty brutal. I'm all for it."

O'Neil was glad that fun-loving Shelton, who bounces around practice and the locker room keeping things light, showed off the belt.

"That's good,'' said O'Neil. "That's who he is. I'm glad he's having fun with it, that the guys are having fun in the locker room. Again, that's a reward that we give each week for 'Play Like a Brown' plays. We're rewarding behavior that leads to victories. He did the best on the defense this past week. Even though we didn't win the football game, he put seven or eight exceptional plays on tape that we would consider 'Play Like a Brown.' To me, you get everybody playing like that, then that is what we feel like will lead to more wins."

But Shelton was one of the few bright spots in Seattle, where the Browns couldn't get off the field on third down, allowing 9-of-12 to be converted for 75%.
Shelton finished third on the team with seven tackles, including one for a 2-yard loss on the Seahawks' opening drive. It was one of his best games of the season.

"I was happy with how he played in the middle,'' said defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil. "He was disruptive. He was in their backfield. He made some good plays. He pushed the pocket in the pass game. He's just continued to get better and better every single game that he's been out there for us.''

O'Neil joked that Shelton, a Washington grad and native, turned it up a notch in front of the Shelton clan -- about 30 strong.

"I know he had a lot of family in the stands so if he's going to play like that, we've got to bring all those family members to every game that we play,'' said O'Neil.

Shelton, who will face the red-hot Chiefs in Kansas City this week, wanted to be one of the few belt-winners to actually wear it.

"Some guys just had the belt in their locker and I wanted to be the guy to cherish the moment, cherish having the belt,'' he said. "You never know when you'll get the belt back. I had probably my best game and I got the reward for it.''

Related: Alex Mack on his looming opt-out decision: "Winning is very important to me'

Shelton, who hasn't been happy with his production most of the season, acknowledged that the belt motivated him.

"I know it had that affect on me that made me push myself even more to try to win the belt,'' he said. "So me wearing it around is going to hopefully inspire the other guys to do the same, to want to get the belt back or get the belt.''

O'Neil said that Shelton, who recently admitted he was just realizing he had to keep his pad level low, has improved as the season's gone along.

 "I know he said on record that it's way more physical,'' O'Neil said. "There are more blocking schemes that you have to be aware of, the pass protection is better. Those are all things that you have to learn as a rookie. As a nose tackle, you're never going to jump off the stat sheet; you're going to be a guy that causes a lot more production for people than you getting production.

"He has been a guy for us as the season has gone on who has been able to get vertical penetration into the backfield, cut a play in half, eat up two blockers a lot at the point of attack for us.''

O'Neil said the next step for Shelton will be to collapse the pocket in the passing game.

"He's done a really good job for us in the run game,'' said O'Neil. "The pass stuff will come. Not to say that he hasn't done a good job for us - he has when he has been out there - he just hasn't had a lot of opportunities on third down. He got a few more this past week, and he did some good things for us."

Coach Mike Pettine has also watched the big run-stuffer grow into the job this season and avoid hitting the rookie wall.

"He's getting better,'' said Pettine. "He's learning. He's played a good amount of snaps, and he's getting experience against some veteran offensive linemen and learning the tricks of the trade. He has been able to start to apply them on the field. He has a much better understanding of what we're trying to do and even moreso what the other team is trying to do.''

Pettine had no problem with Shelton being hard on himself all season.

"You want guys that are like that,'' he said. "He didn't walk in here thinking he had the NFL all figured out and knew that there was a learning curve that he was going to be on. (You don't want) a repeat offender from a mistakes standpoint. 'Hey that guy got me on that one time. That is not going to happen again.'''

Shelton clutched the belt while it was slung over his shoulder during his interview on Thursday. He didn't look anywhere near ready to give it up.

"Yeah, I'm planning on trying my best to get a repeat,'' he said. "We'll see after this Sunday.''