Helmet-to-helmet hit sends Cribbs out of the game, without a penalty on James Harrison.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. --  The Browns clearly had a plan to support rookie quarterback Colt McCoy: throwing on first down early and putting the ball in Josh Cribbs's hands in the wildcat.

Half of that was still an intact strategy at the intermission after Pittsburgh's James Harrison knocked Cribbs out of the game with a helmet-to-helmet hit. Cribbs suffered a head injury and was done for the day, increasing the degree of difficulty for McCoy in his first start.

The only saving grace for the Browns was they were still in the game, trailing Pittsburgh 7-3. That happened in part because of Ben Roethlisberger's one rusty moment -- a poorly thrown ball intercepted near the goal line by Joe Haden. And because Rob Ryan's defense continued to hang in.

In the second half, the Browns are going to have to let McCoy continue to throw on first down. 

A Browns win today with Cribbs figured to go down as one of the great upsets in Browns-Steelers history. Without him? Vegas doesn't have odds on that.... 

Cribbs knocked out of game by James Harrison's helmet hit on Wildcat play gone awry.

Gene J. Puskar / Associated PressJoe Haden's first-quarter interception denied a Steelers scoring threat. The Browns defense is again holding down the opponent as Pittsburgh has a 7-3 halftime lead.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Observations, opinions and some facts on the second quarter ...

• Next time Ben Roethlisberger faces third-and-long, Browns drop eight in coverage again and rush three with a no-linemen alignment. Ben rolls to his right and fires to Emmanuel Sanders in between three defenders for a 22-yard gain.

• On next play, Scott Fujita has Ben wrapped up, but Ben throws it away. Fujita is shaken up and leaves field.

• With Matt Roth bearing down on him, Ben gets the ball away just before getting leveled. In the end zone, Mike Wallace turns the right way and Eric Wright the wrong way. Touchdown. Ben is a hero again as the yellow towels wave in homage to him.

• Nice 23-yard gain on a Colt McCoy screen pass to Peyton Hillis.

• Josh Cribbs, out of the wildcat, pulls ball down and cuts to run. His helmet is blasted by the helmet of Steelers LB James Harrison. A brutal hit to the head. Cribbs lays on the ground for several minutes, but leaves field on his own. No penalty because while running with the ball Cribbs is not considered "defenseless."

• Pinned at their 2 after nice punt by Reggie Hodges, Steelers get out of the hole with 25-yard run by Rashard Mendenhall, who bounces off a pile and trundles around left end. Abe Elam tried to pop him out of bounds after the run and Mendenhall just bounced off Elam. Nice tackling.

• Just announced: Cribbs (head injury) will not return. I think the wildcat should be erased from the playbook.

• Chansi Stuckey replaces Cribbs as the punt returner.

• Hillis with a 14-yard run blast on a quick-hitter up the middle.

• At the 2:00 warning, McCoy and Hillis have Browns at their 44. If they can just move into field goal range, it will have been a very successful half for them. Considering.

• Harrison now takes out Mohamed Massaquoi with a helmet hit. Alex Mack draws delay penalty by booting the loose ball on the ground to the sideline. Lou Groza would be proud. Harrison's second helmet hit.

• Browns wave white flag with inside handoff to Hillis on third-and-9 from the 45 with 1:07 to go. Good grief.

Halftime scribbles as the Browns are competitive with the Steelers.

Gene J. Puskar / Associated PressColt McCoy scrambles for yardage during the first half of Sunday's game against James Harrison (92), Lawrence Timmons (94) and the Steelers.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Halftime scribbles as the Browns battle the Steelers at Heinz Field.

1. When the Steelers' James Harrison put that helmet-to-helmet on Joshua Cribbs, it's amazing the Browns star was able to even stand up, much less walk off the field. Harrison and Cribbs both played at Kent State. Harrison will probably say that he didn't mean to go helmet-to-helmet with Cribbs, but the Steelers linebacker certainly led with his head. It was a far more vicious hit and seemingly more intentional that the play that led to T.J. Ward being fined $15,000 for hitting the Bengals' Jordan Shipley. The official announcement was Cribbs' having a "head injury" and is done for the day -- meaning they are without their best offensive weapon against the Steelers from a year ago.

2. Will the NFL hit Harrison -- a star -- with a huge fine and perhaps a suspension? Or will they deliver the same $15,000 as they did to Ward, a rookie? That's especially true when he hit Mohamed Massaquoi later in the game in the head.

3. Very nice first call by Brian Daboll to open the game, rookie Colt McCoy throwing a quick pass to Brian Robiskie for eight yards. Makes sense to let McCoy complete his first pass and to bring Robiskie into the action. Battling a hamstring problem, Robiskie came into the game with only three catches this season. The Browns need to find out if the Ohio State product -- and second rounder in 2009 -- can help them.

4. McCoy's second completion was to Evan Moore, another guy who needs to be a significant part of the offense. Moore made a nice grab for 19 yards. That was his sixth catch of the season, and he's averaging 22 yards per reception.

5. McCoy's interception was a Jake Delhomme type throw into tight coverage...it appeared the Steelers had three defenders around Ben Watson. It's exactly the type of throw they wanted McCoy to avoid.

6. In addition to being sacked twice, McCoy was decked hard twice on completions. He has not looked timid. For the most part, his passes have been accurate. His first-quarter poise was impressive, given that his first pro start is in Pittsburgh.

7. Wasn't it fun to watch Joe Haden run that interception back 62 yards? The rookie has looked promising on some preseason returns, and they should put him in front of Cribbs on kickoffs. The former star high school quarterback does know how to run with the ball.

Ohio State pays price for its 31-18 loss at Wisconsin. Oregon becomes the 43rd team to hold the No. 1 ranking in the AP poll, which dates to 1936.

Associated PressWisconsin's Isaac Anderson (6) catches a Scott Tolzien pass against Ohio State's Jermale Hines.

For the first time, Oregon is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll.

The Ducks climbed one place to the top spot during an off week after previous No. 1 Ohio State lost 31-18 at Wisconsin on Saturday night.

Boise State also moved up one place to No. 2. Oklahoma jumped three spots to No. 3, passing No. 4 TCU. Auburn moved up two spots to fifth.

Ohio State dropped 10 spots to 11th.

Oregon becomes the 43rd team to hold the No. 1 ranking in the AP media poll, which dates to 1936. Ohio State's loss came a week after then-No. 1 Alabama was beaten by South Carolina.

Oregon will try to avoid becoming the third straight No. 1 team to lose when it plays at home against UCLA on Thursday night.

Hines Ward's 8-yard TD caps 96-yard drive. Colt McCoy surviving, not thriving.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerBrowns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi is out of the game after taking this hard hit from Pittsburgh's James Harrison in the second quarter. Earlier, Harrison's helmet-to-helmet hit sent Josh Cribbs out of the game with a head injury.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Observations, opinions and some facts on the third quarter ...

• Mohamed Massaquoi will not return with a head injury. He and Josh Cribbs both taken out by James Harrison.

• From the 9, Colt McCoy executes a nice play-fake and throw to Chansi Stuckey for 25 yards. McCoy is showing a lot of poise out there.

• Browns just trying to eat up possession time and shorten the game now.

• With Massaquoi and Cribbs out, Evan Moore is an outside receiver in three-receiver formatioins.

• Reggie Hodges is golden today. Gets his third punt to land inside the 5 and stay out of the end zone.

• From the 4, Browns try all-out blitz. Scott Fujita hits Ben Roethlisberger as he throws, but nobody's covering Mike Wallace. He catches it between the late-arriving safeties for 50-yard gain. Steelers guard Doug Legursky hobbles off the field.

• Big Ben hits Heath Miller crossing the deep middle for 36 yards to the Browns' 10.

• Looks like Browns' red zone defense will hold, but on third down, Hines Ward spins out of Eric Wright's tackle attempt at the 5 and plows in for the touchdown and 14-3 lead. Awful tackling.

• On previous series, Browns finally lined up Shaun Rogers at right end next to Ahtyba Rubin in the 3-4 alignment.

• McCoy completes another pass of 23 yards to Benjamin Watson off play action.

Cribbs and Massaquoi leave in the first half with injuries; Colt McCoy throws for 281 yards and his first NFL TD in debut.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerColt McCoy is sent to the ground by the Steelers' James Farrior (right) after throwing an incomplete pass in the first half in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- The Browns lost two players to head injuries and one game to the Steelers on Sunday afternoon at Heinz Field.

They also found out that their rookie quarterback, Colt McCoy, can play. 

McCoy's counterpart,  Ben Roethlisberger performed well in his season's debut as Pittsburgh prevailed, 28-10.

Roethlisberger opened the season suspended because of conduct unbecoming an NFL player.

The Steelers, coming off a bye, improved to 4-1. The Browns slipped to 1-5 overall, 0-3 on the road.

McCoy, who also made his season's debut, did not embarrass himself against the Steelers' vaunted defense. He threw his first career TD pass with 4:09 left in the fourth quarter -- a 12-yarder to Ben Watson.

The Browns' Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi were knocked out of the game in the first half after hits by Steelers linebacker James Harrison.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Steelers punted three times in a row because of penalties. The third punt was muffed by Chansi Stuckey and recovered by Pittsburgh at the Cleveland 13.

Minutes later, Rashard Mendenhall scored from 2 yards for a 21-3 lead.

Pittsburgh converted a McCoy interception into a touchdown inside of two minutes to play. Roethlisberger connected with Heath Miller from 14 yards for the final margin.

THIRD QUARTER: The Steelers led the Browns, 14-3, through three quarters. 

The Steelers opened the third with the ball and moved into Cleveland territory. They punted.

The Browns took over deep in their end. Colt McCoy showed poise as he presided over a time-consuming drive that stalled in Pittsburgh territory. Reggie Hodges' punt was downed at the 4 -- his third of the game inside the 10.

On Pittsburgh's first play after the punt, Ben Roethlisberger connected with Mike Wallace for 50 yards. Roethlisberger sidestepped a blitz by Eric Wright and delivered the pass a fraction of a second before being blasted by linebacker Scott Fujita.

The Steelers eventually had first-and-goal. On third-and-goal from the 8, Roethlisberger found Hines Ward, who bulled his way into the end zone with 3:13 to play. The extra point made it 14-3.

Later in the quarter, Hodges dropped his fourth punt inside the 10.

SECOND QUARTER: The Steelers led the Browns, 7-3, at halftime at Heinz Field.

Pittsburgh built the 7-3 advantage with 10:40 left. Ben Roethlisberger, releasing the pass a split-second before getting hit, connected with Mike Wallace from 29 yards. Wallace beat Eric Wright.

The TD pass capped an 11-play, 81-yard drive that lasted 6:11. Roethlisberger had made the score possible by finding Emmanuel Sanders for a 22-yard gain on third-and-13 from the Pittsburgh 49.

With 9:12 left in the half, Josh Cribbs scrambled to the right out of the wildcat. Steelers linebacker James Harrison drilled Cribbs high and forced a fumble that the Browns recovered. The game was delayed for several minutes as Cribbs remained on the ground. Cribbs walked off the field to applause and soon went to the locker room.

Cribbs has a head injury and will not return.

Later in the quarter, Harrison knocked Mohamed Massaquoi out of the game with a shot to the head. Neither hit drew a penalty.

The Browns' drive stalled, then punter Reggie Hodges pinned the Steelers at their 2 with 7:54 remaining. Pittsburgh moved the ball to its 40 before punting. Chansi Stuckey struggled with a fair catch at the Cleveland 16.

Strong work by Peyton Hillis helped the Browns achieve a first down at their 44 with two minutes to play. The drive fell apart and the Browns punted, Hodges again pinning the Steelers inside their 10.

FIRST QUARTER: The Browns led the Steelers, 3-0, through one quarter at Heinz Field.

Phil Dawson kicked a 39-yard field goal with 1:51 remaining. Dawson became the Browns' all-time leader with 235 NFL field goals, breaking a tie with Lou Groza.

Cleveland won the toss and elected to receive. A strong return by Josh Cribbs of a short kickoff gave the Browns a first down at their 35.

On the first play from scrimmage, rookie Colt McCoy rolled right and completed an 8-yard pass to Brian Robiskie.

The Browns managed two first downs, including a 19-yard pass from McCoy to Evan Moore on third-and-long, in moving into Pittsburgh territory. But McCoy, after being sacked by Lamarr Woodley, was intercepted by Ryan Clark at the Pittsburgh 18. Clark returned it to the Pittsburgh 29.

McCoy's pass had fluttered toward Ben Watson.

The Steelers cruised down the field until, on third-and-4 from the Cleveland 14, Ben Roethlisberger threw behind his target and into the hands of Joe Haden. Haden made the pick at the 3 and returned it to the Pittsburgh 35.

The Browns turned it into three points. Dawson's field goal capped a seven-play, 14-yard possession that lasted 4:16.

McCoy made his season's debut because of injuries to Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace.

Roethlisberger made his season's debut after a four-game suspension for conduct unbecoming an NFL player.

Pittsburgh's Hines Ward has caught a pass in 183 straight games.

One big special teams penalty widens Pittsburgh's lead before Colt McCoy engineers his first NFL TD drive.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerColt McCoy's first NFL touchdown comes in the late moments of Sunday's game. The rookie from Texas surpasses 200 passing yards despite losing Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi to injury.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Observations, opinions and some facts on the fourth quarter ...

• Browns take over at their 20 after Steelers punt and touchback. On the field with Colt McCoy are Peyton Hillis, Lawrence Vickers, Benjamin Watson, Chansi Stuckey and Brian Robiskie. These are your playmakers.

• LaMarr Woodley drops an interception on pass intended for Robiskie.

• Steelers punt is nullified by a penalty. Their second punt is nullified by a penalty. There's a flag on their third punt. Chansi Stuckey fumbles the punt and it's recovered by the Steelers at the Browns' 13. That third flag? Offsides on Joe Haden. Steelers ball.

• On third down, Ben Roethlisberger flings to Rashard Mendenhall to convert the first down. Then Mendenhall plows over from the 2 for the touchdown. That offsides call on Haden was a big, big play in the gambling world.

• With the game decided, McCoy puts together his best drive of the day, hitting Watson and Moore -- he was in rhythm in the pocket -- to get the ball to the Steelers' 12.

• Colt McCoy's first pro touchdown comes when he feels the pressure and moves to his right. When Lawrence Timmons leaves Watson to challenge McCoy, it's an easy pitch-and-catch for a 12-yard score with 4:09 left.

• Onside kick doesn't work, but the defense holds the Steelers to a punt and one more McCoy possession -- beginning from his own 3.

• The pass rush may have slowed, but McCoy looks calm with completions to Stuckey and Robiskie as the two-minute warning arrives.

• Fourth sack of the day precedes a pass behind Watson and McCoy's second interception of the day, this time by Timmons. Browns aren't willing to just let the clock run out, calling their time outs -- so Steelers decide to be aggressive too, and Roethlisberger hits Heath Miller for a 14-yard TD and a 28-10 final margin.

• Evan Moore's 42-yard grab on the sideline is a nice boost to McCoy's final statistics: 23-for-33 for 281 yards, a TD and two picks. 

Sunday's loss is likely the kind of game the fans will be watching the next few weeks.

John Kuntz / The Plain DealerThe Browns' Matt Roth (left) and Shaun Rogers (bottom) occasionally put pressure on Ben Roethlisberger, but the Steelers QB kept making enough plays -- and had the talented playmakers on his offense -- to help the Steelers easily dispatch the Browns, 28-10, Sunday at Heinz Field. The result will likely be replayed in upcoming weeks, says Terry Pluto, by a team long on fortitude but very short of talent.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- I have a feeling that the Browns' 28-10 loss at Pittsburgh Sunday is the kind of game the fans will be watching the next few weeks.

The Browns will play hard. They won't back down physically, and they'll keep it reasonably close. But in the end, the lack of impact players will doom them to defeat.

What was the difference in this game?

The Steelers had Ben Roethlisberger back from a four-game suspension, and he engineered a five-play, 96-yard drive in the third quarter putting Pittsburgh in charge, 14-3.

He was knocked down by still delivered a 50-yard pass to Mike Wallace. Roethlisberger never saw the completion, as he was on his back in the end zone. Two Browns blitzers were a shade of a second too late.

Then the Browns didn't blitz, and Roethlisberger threw a 36-yarder to Heath Miller.

When the Browns blitzed, they were too late. When they rushed three men and tried to cover with eight defenders, Roethlisberger stood in the pocket long enough to bake a cake -- and picked them apart.

The defense actually had a decent day, but they couldn't force a turnover that became a touchdown. In two games last season, the Browns sacked Roethlisberger 11 times.

Not once on this day.

No big plays for the Browns. Not on offense. Not on defense. Not on special teams.

The Browns are primarily a bunch of role players who care deeply and certainly have not tuned off their coaches or given up the season.

But there is not enough talent, period.

The Browns don't have a receiver such as Hines Ward who can wrestle the ball away from Eric Wright (who should be embarrassed on this play) and then turn it into an eight-yard touchdown. They don't have a runner such as Rashard Mendenhall, who is punishing and quick -- and will be around to torment the Browns for years.

Fans don't want to hear that the Browns are better than a year ago. That their 1-5 record is somewhat the result of a brutal schedule. Heading into Sunday's action, the combined records of their opposition was 15-7.

There were some good signs.

Colt McCoy made his first pro start -- in Pittsburgh of all places -- showing poise and grit as he was 23-of-33 passing for 281 yards and one touchdown. He was sacked five times, and suffered nine more quarterback hits. On more than a few plays, he ran away from the rush -- sometimes, a bit early -- but usually out of necessity.

Most of his best throws were in the fourth quarter, when the Steelers played some prevent defense, leaving receivers open for short passes. But McCoy was fairly accurate, and is a mobile quarterback. It was the best that can be expected, and it will be interesting to see if McCoy can improve as he's expected to play next week in New Orleans.

The Browns lost two receivers in the second quarter to helmet-to-helmet hits by Steelers' linebacker James Harrison. What must Harrison do to draw a penalty flag? Will the NFL have the guts to hit him with a major fine, and perhaps a suspension?

He wiped out Joshua Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi, both leaving the game with head injuries. There was no official word and both players left the field under their own power, but who knows if they will be able to play next week? Concussions often result from these kind of violent plays.

But in the end, the Browns are 1-5. They couldn't really run the ball -- Peyton Hillis had 41 yards on 12 carries, the team 70 yards in 22 tries. They couldn't connect on a deep passing play. They couldn't do anything to make the Steelers or their fans believe that an upset was coming.

Ryan Hollins, who might be the Cavaliers' only true center, hopes he's found his niche with a team that values his quickness and agility.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerOffense isn't really Ryan Hollins' strength, but the lanky center dunked over Cavaliers draftee Sasha Kaun during Saturday's exhibition game at The Q. Hollins believes his agility and defensive game will be a good fit with the restructured Cavaliers.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Chances are, Ryan Hollins started his last game at center for a while on Saturday.

It's not because the agile 7-footer did anything wrong in the Cavaliers' loss to CSKA Moscow. In fact, he had one of his better games of the preseason, knocking in five of eight attempts and finishing with 17 points, five rebounds and a blocked shot. As a defense-first big man, piling up statistics is generally not one of his strengths.

But Hollins is likely to take a backseat now that Anderson Varejao is expected to see his first preseason action Tuesday against Philadelphia in Cincinnati. That's the role Hollins expected when he came to Cleveland in a trade with Minnesota this summer. He's comfortable there, and now has the added benefit of experience and confidence gained by five starts while Varejao sat out after the death of his grandfather.

A fifth-year pro, Hollins expected a fresh start with the Cavaliers after a rocky couple years shuttling between Charlotte, Dallas and Minnesota. So far, he's happy with his niche in coach Byron Scott's Princeton offense, encouraged to be counted on defensively and eager to learn from watching Varejao, a player he calls one of the best in the league at screening, rolling and rebounding.

"Coming here, it fits my style of play as far as running, rebounding and aggression on defense," Hollins said.

Hollins has long been considered a raw talent, a long and athletic big man who still needs to learn nuances of the game. At UCLA, he averaged just 7.0 points and 4.8 rebounds his senior season, but also finished the fourth in school history with 101 blocked shots.

He also competed for UCLA's track team in the long jump, high jump and triple jump, and he still has the leaping ability to prove it, with a 37.5-inch standing vertical leap and a 41.5-inch running vertical.

Scott Shaw / PD"Coming here, it fits my style of play as far as running, rebounding and aggression on defense," says new Cavaliers big man Ryan Hollins.

Through four NBA seasons, he's averaged 3.9 points and 2.2 rebounds. In Cleveland, however, he's nearly doubled his offensive output so far, averaging 7.6 points and 7.2 rebounds -- and adding 1.8 assists and 1.0 block per game.

"He's a guy who can get up and down the floor quick," said guard Ramon Sessions, who played in Minnesota with Hollins. "He's probably one of the quickest big men. He rebounds, hustles, takes charges. He's a guy you need on your team."

Against Moscow, Hollins said not a single offensive play was called for him. Each of his five baskets came as a result of finding an opening when rolling off a screen or snagging a rebound.

Hollins has a teammate to thank for some of his newfound attention to offense -- the player who will take his spot in the starting rotation, Varejao.

"I've been studying and watching the things he does to try to pick up some things," Hollins said. "The way he moves on the floor, the way he rolls, his passing, everything. The guy's not getting 10-plus boards a game and double-doubles by accident."

So even if he might have lost his starting position, Hollins is happy that Varejao is back, and happy to be with a Cavaliers team that values his abilities.

"He fits in the scheme of things that we're doing pretty well," Scott said. "He has a pretty good understanding of what we're doing and he understands his role on this team."

Coach Williams? During a timeout late in Saturday's game, Mo Williams pulled Scott aside and gestured to the court. The two talked intensely for several minutes before Scott turned to his assistants to begin discussing what he was going to tell the rest of the team during the break in action.

Williams still hasn't played this preseason as he nurses a right groin injury. But if the conversation is an indication, Scott is confident that the point guard will slide into the rotation naturally when he finally takes the court.

"He saw some things on the offensive end that our guys could take advantage of and our guys really weren't taking advantage of," Scott said. "I told him he was absolutely right, it's just a matter of guys reading it. That's good when you've got a point guard who sees it. He recognized some of the things they could do just from his seat."

In another role reversal, as players worked on shooting after Sunday's practice, Scott took on rookie Christian Eyenga in a game of one-on-one. Though the 49-year-old Scott is a few steps slower than his playing days, he still rattled in a handful of long-distance jumpers.

Barring a trade or the signing of a free agent, the Cavaliers will make one more cut to get to the maximum regular season-roster size of 15 players.

Associated PressGuard Manny Harris (6), driving to the basket during a preseason game against San Antonio, has a solid chance to make the Cavaliers' regular season roster.

Cleveland, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers finish their preseason schedule with Tuesday night's game against the Philadelphia 76'ers at Cincinnati's U.S. Bank Arena, and Thursday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Value City Arena in Columbus.

The Cavaliers open the regular season on Oct. 27 at home against the Boston Celtics.

Cleveland will most likely employ the maximum regular season-roster size of 15 players, with three designated inactive prior to each game.

Rick Noland writes about the Cavs roster for the Medina County Gazette and Elyria Chronicle-Telegram:

With 16 players in camp, the Cavs only have to cut one more, with the decision likely to come down to second-year guard Danny Green and Manny Harris. Harris, a rookie from Michigan, has come on strong late in the preseason and might have the edge.

There’s also a chance the Cavs could sign someone released by another team, especially if that player has size and NBA talent, which would mean having to cut two players.

“We feel we need another big,” said Scott, though he added the Cavs wouldn’t exclude non-centers if they found a player they felt could help the team.

Cavs covered

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Cavaliers coverage includes Jodie Valade's story on center Ryan Hollins, with an anecdote about "Coach" Mo Williams; her Cavaliers Insider; her game story on the Cavs' 90-87 preseason game loss to CSKA Moscow on Saturday night; "Terry Pluto's Talkin' " includes commentary on the Cavaliers.

Mo and J.J.

Zach Lowe, for "The Point Forward" on Sports Illustrated's SI.com, ranks what he considers as the NBA's best pick-and-roll combinations, including:

12. Mo Williams-J.J. Hickson, Cleveland Cavaliers

This isn’t precisely “new,” but this particular pick-and-roll combo merited a diagram on the back of a napkin somewhere in Mike Brown‘s office last season. Now, it’s going to be featured heavily, and it might be the best (and perhaps the only) reason to watch the Cavaliers this season, save for the possibility of a true Leon Powe comeback. Defenses must respect Williams’ shooting ability, meaning Hickson should have plenty of space to dive down the lane. And if there’s one thing Hickson is good at, it’s darting through open space (hopefully the correct slice of open space), catching a basketball and dunking it.

Baseline to baseline

Jason Lloyd's story on Saturday night's game, for the Akron Beacon Journal.

Jason Lloyd's commentary on the game, for the Beacon's Cavaliers blog.

On HoopsHype.com, a video from HOOPSWORLD with forward Antawn Jamison talking about the Cavaliers. (Jamison missed Saturday night's game with a sprained knee suffered on Thursday, a day after the video was posted)

A report on Saturday night's game by Bob Finnan for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

A FoxSports.com video previewing the Cavaliers' Central Division.

Sunday's video analysis from the Plain Dealer's Browns beat writers.

Beat writers Mary Kay Cabot and Tony Grossi analyze Sunday's game in Pittsburgh

Minus two starting wide receivers and any NFL regular-season experience, Browns quarterback Colt McCoy got more than a passing grade in his debut, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerColt McCoy was under considerable duress from James Harrison (left), Lawrence Timmons and the rest of the Steelers' defense Sunday afternoon. But the rookie Browns QB handled himself well, regardless of the final outcome, says Bud Shaw.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- For Colt McCoy, Sunday brought the clear reminder of the difference between playing quarterback at Texas and playing quarterback for the Browns.

He had more weapons at Texas.

Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi were there for McCoy one minute, then gone the next on a day in which the Steelers already owned every conceivable advantage except a time machine comeback by Bradshaw, Swann and Stallworth.

McCoy termed the hit on Massaquoi "ugly," but in terms of complicating his day the loss of Cribbs in a helmet-to-helmet collision with Steelers' linebacker James Harrison was the truly hideous development.

I think it was that noted NFL analyst Hilary Clinton who said it takes a village to raise a child quarterback's play, especially in his NFL debut and even more so against the Steelers on the road.

Cribbs in the wildcat was meant to be McCoy's primary support system. The wildcat had been pretty much a rumor this season. Sunday it was a staple, a necessity. Then just as quickly the Browns had to abandon it.

"When [Cribbs] went down, you know you don't have that to lean on, ever," McCoy said.

Instead, McCoy had to stand on his own two feet with Peyton Hillis rushing for only 41 yards. By the way, that's the first bit of promising news to share where McCoy's debut is concerned.

He was still standing afterwards. McCoy surpassed that low standard for what constitutes progress for Browns' quarterbacks -- two good feet, no high ankle sprain -- and kept going, completing 23 of 33 passes for 281 yards and a touchdown in the 28-10 loss.

It wasn't storybook, obviously. The Steelers sacked him five times. They intercepted him twice. They could've easily made it three when Lamarr Woodley made a welcome-to-the-NFL drop in coverage and nearly picked off a pass meant for Brian Robiskie.

"That's a completion in college," McCoy said.

Overall, his play was enough to change how the organization views him, or at least his timetable. The Browns went from no interest in having him play in 2010 to intrigue about what comes next.

The most promising aspects of the Colt McCoy Experience were his poise in the pocket and his sense of self before and after. How else to explain his message when he addressed teammates Saturday night as the team's latest starting quarterback.

"I just told 'em the hay is in the barn," McCoy said. "For some of the city folks I had to [explain]."

As his head coach and a number of teammates said Sunday, the game didn't look too big for McCoy. After his run-for-cover training camp, that was a welcome sight.

Give Eric Mangini and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll credit. They didn't send the kid into the ring and tell him to clinch and cover up. They let him come out swinging. Where the Browns offense is concerned, this is a relative term, of course.

McCoy threw on first down early (or at least tried). He completed a dozen passes for 10 yards or longer. Six covered 20 yards or more. A chunk of his 281 yards happened late, but there was less garbage time than the final score indicates. He did more than dink and dunk.

"He took control of the huddle," guard Eric Steinbach said. "That's what a quarterback has to do. I don't care if he's a first-year guy or a 12-year vet."

Speaking of old guys, Jake Delhomme isn't close to playing. He's got ankle sprains high and low. Seneca Wallace, too, is still limping.

A week after finding himself in a duel with Ben Roethlisberger, McCoy will likely need to face Drew Brees and the Saints at high noon in New Orleans.

As quarterback options go for the Browns, at least until after the bye week, the hay is in the barn. Surprisingly Sunday, Colt McCoy didn't get buried under it.

After eight years of lounging on the couch, swimming in the pool and being a popular fixture in a Parma neighborhood, Rocky died Oct. 3 after a bout with cancer.

John Kuntz/The Plain DealerIn this photo taken on Dec. 10, 2002, Michael Billy plays with Rocky, a Rottweiler around a year-old, as his wife Charlotte watches at their Parma home.

Whatever Happened to . . .

. . . . . . Rocky, the Rottweiler raised by a Parma couple after he was left to starve by a family in Akron when they moved in 2002?

. . . the Benedictine High School plans to build a $2.5 million athletic pavilion and artificial turf football practice field?

View full sizeJohn KuntzRocky, a Rottweiler shown here in 2002 when he was around a year-old, was adopted by the Billy's after the dog was found abandoned and emmaciated at a house in Akron this summer.

Whatever happened to Rocky, the Rottweiler raised by a Parma couple after he was left to starve by a family in Akron when they moved in 2002? After eight years of lounging on the couch, swimming in the pool and being a popular fixture in a Parma neighborhood, Rocky died Oct. 3 after a bout with cancer.

Charla Billy, who fell in love with Rocky at first sight after he was rescued from a ramshackle house in 2002, hardly talk about him with choking up.

"He was the greatest dog in the world," she said. "He gave us a very happy eight years and we miss him every single day. There will never be another dog like him."

Charla almost cried the first time she saw Rocky, who was so emaciated that every rib was visible.

His owners in Akron moved away and abandoned the dog, but the loyal animal stood guard on the front porch of the house, protecting the property of those who left him to starve.Neighbors refused to feed or water him because, "He's not my dog."A good Samaritan got word to the city animal control officer and the dog was picked up. A newspaper story attracted a lot of offers for adoption. Charla and Michael Billy fell in love with the dog and gave him a home.

Six months later, he weighed 100 pounds and was the center of the Billy household. Before his recent illness, Rocky was up to 145 pounds!

He was a gentle giant, like the punch-drunk fighter played by Sylvester Stallone for whom he was named. He thought he was a lap dog who never missed a chance to cuddle with the Billys, their children and grandchildren, giving everyone sloppy dog kisses.

But dogs don't live as long as people.

"One day in September he was limping," Charla said. "We took him to the vet and learned that he had inoperable bone cancer. They gave him pain medicine, but we knew it would be just a matter of time until we would have to do the humane thing."

She said they cherished those last few weeks with him. When their grandchildren would visit, Rocky would forget his pain and play with the kids, as he had gone for almost a decade.

One Sunday, it was clear that the time had come.

"Michael said, 'I don't think the big guy is gonna make it," Charla said. "He was just lying there, couldn't even drink water. We took him in and they put my Rocky baby to sleep."

The Billys have help getting over their loss. Two years ago, in a turn of events similar to the way Rocky was adopted, their grandson found a bedraggled Rottweiler-German Shepherd living on the porch of an abandoned building near his job.

He bought the dog hamburgers every day, which she ate gratefully.

Finally, after determining that no one owned the dog, he took her to the one place he knew she would be happy: his grandparents. She fit right in and quickly became Rocky's girl.

Her name? Adrian, of course.

-- Michael Sangiacomo

View full sizeC.H. Pete CopelandLong Time Benedictine Football coach Augie Bossu, shown here in August 2006 when he was 90.

Whatever happened to the Benedictine High School plans to build a $2.5 million athletic pavilion and artificial turf football practice field?

Those plans, announced last year by the school, are still alive, according to the Rev.  Gerard Gonda, the school president.

Officials had hope to break ground earlier this year, but Gonda said plans slowed when the economy soured.

"We've been quietly going about meeting with alumni and friends," Gonda said, "and we're getting close to our goal."

That goal is to raise nearly $1 million, which has been done through written pledges. Half the money has been collected in cash. Gonda said when $700,000 in cash is collected, ground will then be broken.

"We are getting closer to our goal," Gonda said. "We could hurry up and break ground now, but the wiser decision is to wait. We're not that far from getting this project started."

He also said that once the silence phase the school has been completed - contacting individual alumni and friends - the school will initiate their general phase of accepting donations from anyone wishing to do so.

The new facilities will be dedicated to the memory of three school giants. One is Augie Bossu, the beloved and legendary football and baseball coach who died Jan. 1, 2008 at age 91.

Bossu coached the Bengals to state high school football championships. He is a member of the National High School Hall of Fameand Ohio High School Halls of Fame for football and baseball.

The second figure is the late Joe Rufus, who coached Benedictine to three city titles in 1948 - in baseball, basketball and football - and later became the school's athletic director. He was Bossu's predecessor as football coach.

Gonda said the last name is Bishop Roger Ories, who was an standout athlete at Benedictine and a school principal before becoming an auxiliary bishop of Cleveland.

The complex will also include an all-weather track. The facility will be located on the school's 16-acre campus in between the school and Saint Andrew Abbey.

--Pat Galbincea

Ben Roethlisberger was not perfect in his return to a game that mattered Sunday afternoon, but he didn't need to be to beat the Browns.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerWith three touchdown passes in his return to the Steelers, there was plenty for Ben Roethlisberger to celebrate on Sunday. "It's football for me," he said. "I'm just happy to be out there, to be with those guys and win a football game."

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was not perfect in his return to a game that mattered Sunday afternoon, but he brought more than enough to help defeat the Browns in Heinz Field.

Roethlisberger completed 16 of 27 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-10 victory. He was intercepted once and posted a 112.7 rating.

Roethlisberger had served a four-game suspension for violations of the NFL's personal-conduct policy. The Steelers went 3-1 in his absence.

"I thought Ben played well -- but I'm not surprised by that," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "He was sharp in training camp and in the preseason. He came in in great condition and he's been working. When given the opportunity, we know this guy's capable of playing the way he did."

Roethlisberger's first pass of the season went to Rashard Mendenhall for three yards early in the first quarter. Later in the drive, though, he missed badly on third-and-4 from the Cleveland 14. The pass intended for Mewelde Moore landed in the hands of Browns defensive back Joe Haden at the 3. Haden returned it 62 yards.

"I got a little antsy," Roethlisberger said. "Mewelde Moore was open. I wanted to get him the ball right away when I needed to just settle down and get it to him."

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerParticularly in a first half that ended with just a 7-3 Steelers lead, Ben Roethlisberger had a few difficult moments -- including pressure from Shaun Rogers on this play that led to an incomplete pass. But he finished 16-of-27 for 257 yards with three TDs and an interception.

For the remainder of the game, Roethlisberger looked like the quarterback who has won two Super Bowls and who owns the Browns. Roethlisberger improved to 11-1 against Cleveland.

"It's football for me," he said. "I'm just happy to be out there, to be with those guys and win a football game."

Roethlisberger threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace in the second quarter to make it 7-3. His eight-yard completion to Hines Ward in the third gave the Steelers a 14-3 cushion. His third scoring pass, 14 yards to Heath Miller, came with 1:25 remaining in the fourth and accounted for the final margin.

"I didn't really want Ben to be flawless coming back," Wallace said. "If he had been, we wouldn't have anything to work on."

Wallace finished with three catches for a game-high 90 yards. As important as touchdowns are, a Roethlisberger-to-Wallace strike for 50 yards late in the third quarter arguably was Pittsburgh's offensive play of the game.

After Browns punter Reggie Hodges pinned Pittsburgh at its 4, Roethlisberger dropped back in the end zone. He sidestepped a blitz by Eric Wright and unloaded a fraction of a second before being blasted by linebacker Scott Fujita. Wallace waited patiently at the other end.

"You're at risk near the goal line, so I just chucked it," Roethlisberger said. "It was one of those plays where we wanted to take a shot. [Fujita] got my arm when I let it go, but fortunately the ball was gone when he hit me."

The Steelers eventually had first-and-goal. On third-and-goal from the 8, Roethlisberger found Ward, who bulled his way into the end zone for a double-digit lead. The drive covered the 96 yards in five plays.

Roethlisberger's off-field conduct had put his team in a potentially bad spot, but the Heinz Field faithful greeted him with loud, positive noise during introductions. For those Browns fans who have an intense dislike for Roethlisberger, they may or may not want to know that Big Ben was touched by the warm welcome back.

"Amazing!" he said. "I got a little bit of tears in my eyes. To hear a cheer like that was truly something special."

Mediate holed out for eagle for the 4th straight day, hitting a pitching wedge approach from 116 yards that spun back into the cup on the par-4 17th Sunday en route to a 1-stroke win over Bo Van Pelt and Alex Prugh in the Frys.com Open.

Associated PressRocco's Mediate's win at the Frys.com Open is his first PGA Tour victory since 2002.

San Martin, Calif. -- Rocco Mediate holed out for eagle for the fourth straight day, hitting a pitching wedge approach from 116 yards that spun back into the cup on the par-4 17th Sunday en route to a one-stroke victory over Bo Van Pelt and Alex Prugh in the Frys.com Open.

The 47-year-old Mediate won his sixth PGA Tour title and first since 2002, finishing with a 2-over 73 for a 15-under 269 total on the CordeValle course. He had a hole-in-one on the par-3 third hole Thursday, holed out from 160 yards Friday on the par-4 fourth, and holed out from 111 yards Saturday on the par-5 15th hole.

Prugh shot a 69, and Van Pelt closed with a 71.

Mediate, whose career has been hindered by back problems, lost a 19-hole playoff to Tiger Woods at the 2008 U.S. Open Championship and had not finished higher than ninth since.

Steelers linebacker James Harrison knocked Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi out of Sunday's game, but had no regrets.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerBrowns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi is sent reeling from this second-quarter hit by Steelers linebacker James Harrison Sunday afternoon. Massaquoi did not return to the game for a play that some Browns considered illegal. "If I get fined for that, it's going to be a travesty," Harrison said. "There's no way I could be fined for that. It was a good, clean, legit hit."

Mary Kay Cabot

and Dennis Manoloff

Plain Dealer Reporters

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- James Harrison knocked Browns receivers Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi out of Sunday's 28-10 Steelers victory with crushing blows to the head about seven minutes apart in the second quarter. Afterward, Harrison showed no remorse and his teammates praised the hits.

"I thought Cribbs was asleep," said Harrison, the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. "A hit like that geeks you up -- it geeks everybody up -- especially when you find out that the guy is not really hurt -- he's just sleeping. He's knocked out, but he's going to be OK. The other guy, I didn't hit that hard, to be honest with you. When you get a guy on the ground, it's a perfect tackle."

Both Cribbs and Massaquoi were diagnosed with head injuries and will undergo further tests on Monday to determine if they suffered concussions. Harrison wasn't flagged for the hits, but could get fined this week.

"[Harrison] plays hard like that every week," said Steelers linebacker James Farrior. "Today was especially good because he took out their top dog, really. He took out the biggest weapon they had. He didn't do it intentionally, but with the intensity he plays with, it's liable to happen sooner or later."

Cribbs was running out of the wildcat when Harrison drilled him helmet-to-helmet. Cribbs fell face-first to the ground as the ball popped loose. Guard Floyd Womack recovered the ball, but Cribbs didn't recover his senses, at least not for a few minutes. He remained face down and motionless for a while before the medical staff turned him over.

"[Harrison's] a beast," said Steelers receiver Hines Ward. "You see a guy like that -- knocking guys out like that -- he's a man on a mission. Hopefully nothing seriously was wrong with those guys. But he set the tempo for everybody else. He's our emotional leader."

John Kuntz / The Plain Dealer"I thought Cribbs was asleep," said Harrison of his hit on Josh Cribbs. "A hit like that geeks you up -- it geeks everybody up -- especially when you find out that the guy is not really hurt -- he's just sleeping. He's knocked out, but he's going to be OK."

Cribbs eventually walked off the field with assistance, and tried talking the doctors into letting him go back in. A few minutes later, he walked into the locker room, helmet in hand, and was done for the day.

"I know Josh," said Harrison, a fellow former Golden Flash. "We're cool. But when it's us vs. them, all friendships are off until the game is over."

Harrison said Cribbs was about to cut back when he nailed him. "I was pursuing to the ball and got a good hit on him," he said.

Helmet-to-helmet is a good hit?

"It doesn't matter what it is -- he's running the ball, so that's a legal hit."

His primary thought about knocking Cribbs out of the game?

"That ends the wildcat," said Harrison. "It's out the window. That's his thing.

"I don't want to injure anybody. But I'm not opposed to hurting anybody," he said. "There's a big difference between being hurt and being injured. You get hurt, you shake it off and come back the next series or the next game."

On the Massaquoi hit, Harrison launched and smashed his forearms into Massaquoi's head after he dropped a short pass to the left. Massaquoi slumped to the ground, holding his hands up to his helmet. He experienced memory loss and neck pain, a source told The Plain Dealer.

"If I get fined for that, it's going to be a travesty," Harrison said. "There's no way I could be fined for that. It was a good, clean, legit hit. He came across, I put my head across the bow. I could have put a lot more into that hit than I did."

He said it wasn't helmet-to-helmet, despite the opinion of some Browns -- such as Peyton Hillis -- that it was.

"I thought it was helmet-to-helmet contact for sure and I thought he should've gotten a penalty," said Hillis. "We ended up getting a penalty ourselves. I was pretty upset about it, but the refs make the call."

"No. 47, [Lawrence] Vickers, said, 'Hey, man, that's football. That happens,'" Harrison said. "And the flag wasn't even on us [Alex Mack was penalized for kicking the ball after the play]."

In week two, Harrison was fined $5,000 for slamming Tennessee's Vince Young to the turf -- despite not being penalized. For comparison's sake, Browns rookie safety T.J. Ward was fined $15,000 for hitting Bengals receiver Jordan Shipley in the head with his helmet. Rules state that a player can't launch and hit a defenseless player in the head or neck area with the head, shoulder or forearms.

"They were legal hits, not fineable hits," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. "He played good football. James is always ready to deliver for his teammates. That's why they have so much respect for him."

Said defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau: "They were hard plays, both guys were running hard. We're thrilled that both players walked off the field, that's the good thing. I'm sure [the league will] look at it."

Staff writer Tony Grossi contributed to this report.

After going 1-11 last season, Miami sits at 4-3, 3-0 for 2010 following its win over the defending MAC champions.

David Kohl / Associated PressZac Dysert's evolution as a college quarterback was on display in Miami's win over Central Michigan on Saturday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The signature play of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's career at Miami was a last-second, 70-yard tipped Hail Mary pass to Eddie Tillitz for a 30-27 victory over Akron in 2001.

Zac Dysert went a yard longer, 71 yards to Andy Cruse, for a 27-20 road win over Central Michigan on Saturday that could ultimately define his career with the RedHawks.

After going 1-11 last season, Miami sits at 4-3, 3-0 for 2010 following its win over the defending MAC champions.

That marked the second road game in a string of five of six on the schedule for Miami. Still ahead are games at Buffalo, Bowling Green and Akron. That's not exactly Murderers Row, but the RedHawks must first deal with Ohio (4-3, 2-1) this Saturday at home. The Bobcats are the defending East champions.

Miami ends the season at home against preseason conference favorite Temple.

Midway through his second season, Dysert has passed for 4,233 yards with 20 TD and 22 INT. Dysert is on target to finish the season with 2,777 passing yards, with a total of 5,388 after just two seasons.

Zoom Zoom: Toledo's defense melds undisciplined play (first in penalties) with big-play capabilities. The offense is good enough to get the job done yet inconsistent enough to cause concern. Combined, the Rockets (4-3, 3-0) are tied with Northern Illinois (5-2, 3-0) for first place in the West. Toledo travels to Normal, Ill., to face the Huskies on Nov. 9.

Something to play for: Akron (0-7, 0-3) continues its search for a win. Next on the schedule is a Saturday home game vs. Western Michigan (2-4, 1-1). A Nov. 6 road game at Ball State (2-5, 1-2) offers another opportunity.

Kent State (2-4, 1-2) can play spoiler in the East, with both Temple (5-2, 2-1) and Ohio (4-3, 3-1) visiting Dix Stadium. But to do so, the Golden Flashes must recover after letting a 21-7 halftime lead turn into a tough road loss at Toledo.

Eric Wright, who struggled against the Ravens in week three, gave up two of the three TD passes on Sunday.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerEric Wright lost his grip on Hines Ward and the football as Ward spun away for a third-quarter touchdown Sunday afternoon. Wright was twice victimized on Pittsburgh TD passes. "There's not really anything you can be too frustrated about," he said. "Just have a short-term memory and move on. Those type of plays happen."

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Browns cornerback Eric Wright, who struggled against Baltimore's Anquan Boldin in week 3, gave up two of Ben Roethlisberger's three touchdown passes en route to the Browns' 28-10 loss on Sunday.

In the second quarter, Wright got turned around on a 29-yard TD catch by receiver Mike Wallace to put the Steelers up, 7-3. Matt Roth hit Roethlisberger a split-second after the throw.

In the third quarter, Wright went for the ball on a pass to Hines Ward and missed, enabling Ward to skate past him at the 5 for an eight-yard TD.

"I felt myself slipping off the tackle so I already had my hand on the ball so I tried to rip it," said Wright of the Ward play. "I knew we had some guys around. But I've got to make the tackle. We're on the 2-yard line or wherever. If I get him down, we've got a chance to stop them."

In his defense, Wright didn't get much help in terms of pressure up front -- the Browns had no sacks and only two hurries -- but he took the blame for the Wallace TD.

"I felt like I was in good position," he said. "I turned and looked for the ball and couldn't find it. Next thing I know he had it in his hands for a touchdown. You've got to find a way to put yourself in better position to see the ball. Maybe if I would have backed up and got off a little earlier, I would've been in better position. But I felt like I was close enough to make a play, I just couldn't track the ball."

Wright said he's not going to dwell on the mistakes.

"That's the name of the game," he said. "There's not really anything you can be too frustrated about. Just have a short-term memory and move on. Those type of plays happen. You've got to find a way to put yourself in better position to find the ball."

He said Roethlisberger's ability to extend plays makes it all the harder.

"That's not something the world doesn't know already," he said. "That's what he does. We worked on that aspect of his game, to continue to fight when the play's extended. That's tough for us on the back end, but we have to find a way to stay on our guy."

Roethlisberger's final TD, the 14-yarder to tight end Heath Miller, was surrendered by Sheldon Brown.

Dawson does it: Phil Dawson's 39-yard first-quarter field goal set the franchise all-time NFL record at 235, passing the 234 kicked by Hall of Famer Lou Groza.

Coach Eric Mangini stepped out onto the field to congratulate Dawson just before the ensuing kickoff. But Dawson, who takes losses as hard as anyone, wasn't exactly jubilant.

"I've been around here long enough to understand what this rivalry is all about," said Dawson. "As I stand here right now, that's all that really matters to me. We just got beat by the Steelers. That's about as tough as it gets."

Kickball, anyone? After James Harrison drilled Mohamed Massaquoi in the head in the second quarter, a flag was thrown -- but not on Harrison. It was on Alex Mack for kicking the ball after the play. Mack received a five-yard penalty to put the Browns in second and long, and they punted two plays later.

"What I was trying to do was, I thought it was a fumble and I was trying to get it out of bounds so no one could recover it," said Mack. "I wasn't just trying to kick a ball.

"Unfortunately it didn't turn out well. That's the way the cookie crumbles."

Untimely error: Chansi Stuckey was pressed into service as a punt returner after Josh Cribbs went down, and realized how hard a job it is. He fumbled a fourth-quarter punt, and the Steelers converted it into a TD.

"I definitely have a newfound respect for Josh and what he does," said Stuckey. "Their punter did a great job. He got a lot of movement on the ball, but still, it's my job to catch the ball and it's something I've got to go work on this week."

Stuckey said the ball hit his hands and "then they were in my face and they kind of got it before I could, so it was unfortunate. But that's what happened."

He said he's only returned punts in practice and preseason, "so I'm still getting used to it. It's something I've got to do and I've got to work on it this week." He fair-caught two others.

Stuckey also caught four passes for 46 yards. In his last three games, Stuckey has 14 receptions for 156 yards.

A foot of distinction: Browns punter Reggie Hodges was the highlight on special teams, placing four punts inside the 10.

"Their punter did a nice job," said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. "They had us backed up. We were looking at a full field for a majority of the early portion of the game."

A debut by the numbers: Colt McCoy became the 16th quarterback to start for the Browns since 1999. He also became the 12th rookie in franchise history to start for Cleveland. His 281 passing yards were the second-most ever by a Browns rookie QB, trailing only Eric Zeier's 310 at Cincinnati on Oct. 29, 1995.

It is also the most by a Brown in his starting debut since Kelly Holcomb's 326 against Kansas City on Sept. 8, 2002.

Extra points: Rashard Mendenhall's two-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was the first rushing touchdown the Browns have surrendered this season. It snapped a streak dating back to 2009, covering 33 consecutive quarters over nine games. ... Rookie cornerback Joe Haden recorded his first career interception off Roethlisberger and returned it 62 yards to set up a field goal. ... Safety T.J. Ward led the team with 10 tackles, which tied his best this season. He has been the Browns' top tackler in four of the six games and leads the team with 48 tackles. Ward also added one special teams tackle, and is tied for the team lead with six. ... Peyton Hillis said his pulled quad felt OK during the game.

Andy Pettitte doesn't know how he'll pitch Monday for the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALCS. The winningest pitcher in postseason history is still looking for that special something to "click in."

Kathy Willens / Associated PressAndy Pettitte is one of baseball's most experienced postseason pitchers, but a lack of time on the mound over the last few months is a concern for the Yankees' starter in Game 3 Monday against Texas.

• Phillies even NLCS with 6-1 win over Giants

NEW YORK -- Andy Pettitte would ace any test about how to pitch in the postseason.

He knows how to study an opposing lineup, formulating a game plan in his head, and turning it into reality on the field. Pitching at Yankee Stadium in October has never been a problem because he's done it forever. He can slow the adrenaline rush and control his heartbeat.

Pettitte isn't going to trip on his way to the mound. He won't bail the first time he has to make a 3-2 pitch with two out and the bases loaded.

He knows how to play the chameleon, the overlooked veteran facing the latest hot-shot with unbeatable stuff and pinpoint control. Ask him and he'll say that's the role he's played his whole career.

Name a playoff situation and the tall Texas left-hander has not only pitched in it, but succeeded. He's won 19 postseason games, 18 with the Yankees and one with Houston, the most in postseason history.

There's just one thing Andy Pettitte doesn't know. He doesn't know if he can be Andy Pettitte Monday night when the Yankees face Cliff Lee and Texas in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series with the series tied, 1-1.

Pettitte felt the same before facing the Twins in Game 2 of the ALDS on Oct. 7. It turned out fine as Pettitte allowed two runs in seven innings and the Yankees won the middle game of a three-game sweep.

"I felt as unprepared for that start as I have in any of my postseason starts," said Pettitte. The anxiety still lingered in his voice Sunday afternoon in the Bronx before a workout.

He kept saying things like, "Can Andy go out and there, get locked in, get a good feel for his pitches and throw the kind of game I would like to throw? That's the meat and potatoes of it."

The cause for Pettitte's concern is a two-month gap in his season. He strained his left groin muscle against Tampa Bay on July 18. He didn't rejoin the Yankees until late September, making three starts to prepare for the postseason.

He did OK against the star-struck Twins, who seem to roll over for the Yankees every postseason. The Rangers are a different ball club. In Friday's ALCS opener, they wasted a 5-1 lead as the Yankees scored five in the eighth for a 6-5 victory. The next day the Rangers rebounded, 7-2.

Monday they have Lee, their ace, on the mound. Lee is 6-0 in seven postseason starts since last season. Two wins came against the Yankees in last year's World Series when he pitched for Philadelphia.

The groundswell around Lee has been so strong that Yankees manager Joe Girardi went out of his way to remind reporters after Saturday's loss that there was another left-hander pitching in Game 3.

"He's won a lot of playoff clinchers for us," said Girardi.

Last season, Pettitte won clinching games in the division series, the ALCS and the World Series. Those are hard things to overlook, but Pettitte understands the lure of Lee.

"I feel like there's not a whole lot of attention I get anyway," he said. "It's been like that kind of my whole career. ... That's totally fine with me.

"I'll be pitching for the New York Yankees, and that's fine with me."

From one lefty to another, however, Pettitte has enjoyed watching Lee pitch.

"I think what is separating him from any other pitcher right now is his cutter and how late it breaks," said Pettitte. "People say he doesn't have dominating stuff, but that cutter has to be pretty dominating. It has to be cutting extremely late for guys to have such a tough time handling it."

Pettitte, 38, will make his 42nd postseason start. Only four other pitchers have made more. He'll do his homework, he'll have a plan, but can he make it work?

"I'm just hoping with the intensity of the playoffs for that good old feeling to click in again," he said.

Wisconsin's offensive line delivers payback for its poor performance in last season's loss to OSU. Numerous links to what the loss means for Ohio State.

Associated PressWisconsin wide receiver Isaac Anderson (6) and quarterback Scott Tolzien (16) after the Badgers' 31-18 win over Ohio State.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Recalling how defending national champion Alabama dropped from No. 1 to No. 8 after its Oct. 9 loss to South Carolina, it was clear that new No. 1 Ohio State would take a mighty plunge after Saturday's 31-18 loss at Wisconsin.

The Buckeyes dropped all the way to No. 11. That's not the worst effect of the loss. Now, only an unlikely set of circumstances would allow Ohio State to climb to No. 1 or No. 2 in the final BCS standings, and thus play in the national championship game.

And, OSU probably has to win out and also get some help to earn at least a share of a sixth straight Big Ten title.

The Buckeyes routed Wisconsin, 31-13, last Oct. 10, handing the Badgers their first loss by shutting down their running game and putting big pressure on quarterback Scott Tolzien.

Pete Fiutak writes for FoxSports.com and CollegeFootballNews.com how Wisconsin turned the tables on the Buckeyes in Saturday's game:

Before the 2009 game against Wisconsin, the Ohio State defensive line had been called out. It had been struggling a bit, it wasn’t doing enough to get into the backfield and it was underwhelming. It stepped up its game against the Badgers, dominated the line throughout and forced several mistakes — including two pick sixes that ended up making a tight game a blowout.

Wisconsin’s offensive line got embarrassed.

One of the nation’s most experienced and talented offensive fronts had Saturday's game circled for more reasons than just because it was against Ohio State. This was the game the line, to a man, talked about as the one it needed to dominate to establish itself as something special. All the accolades and praise meant nothing unless the front five could own the Buckeyes, and it did.

Buckeyes watch

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' OSU-Wisconsin game story; his post-game story on Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor; his OSU report card; his Best and worst from the game; his On The Clock; Bill Livingston's column on the game. 

Early turning point

Ohio State had to play catch-up after Saturday night's very first play, a 97-yard kickoff return by Wisconsin's David Gilreath for a touchdown.

John Kampf writes about the play for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal, quoting OSU quarterback Terrelle Pryor:

Gilreath opened the game by taking the kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead 12 seconds into the game. It's the fourth special teams touchdown given up by the Buckeyes this year — including both a punt and kickoff return for scores against Miami and a blocked field goal for a touchdown against Marshall.

"Nothing against our special teams," Pryor said, "but that really hurt us. That kicked us in the rear end."

The kickoff return certainly did not come to a slouch. With the return, Gilreath set a Big Ten record for kickoff return yards in a career with that return. He now has 2,627 kickoff yards, breaking the previous record of 2,575 yards set by Michigan State's Derrick Mason (1993-96).

Blitz package

What was learned about the Big Ten on Saturday, by Adam Rittenberg for ESPN.com's Big Ten Blog.

Ohio State needs help in the national championship and Big Ten races, by Erick Smith for Campus Rivalry on USAToday.com.

Wisconsin's power game worked against OSU, by Andy Staples for Sports Illustrated's SI.com.

The Badgers played the game the way Woody Hayes-coached OSU teams did, by Bob Hunter for the Columbus Dispatch.

The aftermath of Wisconsin's win, by Tom Dienhart for Rivals.com and Yahoo! Sports.

Wisconsin celebrates, by Jordan Schelling for BadgerBlitz.com and Rivals.com.

The updated Heisman Trophy watch, by Dari Nowkhah for ESPN.com.

Ohio State vs. Wisconsin game story, by John Kampf for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

Can't blame Wisconsin fans for being happy with the win, by Bob Hunter of the Columbus Dispatch.