Being a Browns fan means there will be games like this. Games that leave your throat aching, your voice a rasp and your heart pounding until it aches.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerMuch as Browns defensive back Mike Adams experienced on this play, the Browns' grip on a stunning, season-changing victory over the Mark Sanchez-led New York Jets proved just tantalizingly out of their grasp.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- If you're a Browns fan, you should be used to games like this 26-20 loss in overtime to the New York Jets.

But it hurts. Oh, does it ever hurt.

It hurts because the Browns had a chance to win this game. If only Chansi Stuckey had not fumbled on the Jets' 32 early in the overtime period.

It hurts because Mark Sanchez threw the game winning-pass to Santonio Holmes, who bolted 37 yards between Eric Wright and T.J. Ward. At least one of those defensive backs should have been able to tackle him -- instead, they seemed to hesitate for a moment, looking at each other to see who would make the play.

It hurts because rookie Colt McCoy seems to be answering the quarterback question that has been hanging over this franchise since the return in 1999. This could have been a signature game for the rookie from Texas.

It hurts because the Browns had dominated in the two previous games, beating Super Bowl contenders New Orleans and New York. Suddenly fans were wearing their old Browns jackets, shirts and caps, so close to falling in love with this team.

It hurts because the Browns are oh-so-painfully close to being relevant again. This could have been their third victory in a row, all against the NFL's premiere teams.

It hurts because even though the Browns were being physically overpowered for much of the game, they were staying close, hanging together as a team. At a few key moments, they seemed to have Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez sacked, only he would shake off a tackle and complete a pass for a first down.

It hurts because now that running back Peyton Hillis has emerged as a star and McCoy is proving to be an effective quarterback, it's possible to like this team and pull for these guys.

Then again, being a Browns fan means there will be games like this. Games that leave your throat aching, your voice a rasp and your heart pounding until it aches.

Being a Browns fan means taking some hope from how the team took over on its own 41 with 2:42 left in the game, the Jets in front, 20-13. At this point, the Browns had only 15 yards of second-half offense. They had three possessions of 3-and-out. The offense looked finished. But in the huddle, McCoy told his teammates, "We're going to go down the field and score, and then we're going to win it in overtime."

Strong words from a 24-year-old quarterback in his fourth start. But he said it in a calm, firm and confident voice with that Texas twang -- as if he had done this before.

Then McCoy took the team down the field, covering 59 yards in 10 plays, zipping a touchdown pass to Mohamed Massaquoi with 44 seconds in regulation. It was the first time in 10 games that the Browns scored a touchdown in the final two minutes of regulation.

Maybe, just maybe, the Browns do have a winner at quarterback, who showed it even in this loss. Just as was the case in the victories over New Orleans and New England, this looked like a different Browns team.

Just as was the case in the victories over New Orleans and New England, this looked like a team capable of overcoming injuries to starters Sheldon Brown, Scott Fujita, and Josh Cribbs.

Despite the final score...

Despite Stuckey's fumble that cost the Browns a chance at a game-winning field goal...

Despite defensive back Abe Elam dropping what should have been an interception that would have prevented a Jets' field goal...

Despite a temptation to second-guess them for not running out the clock late in the overtime in the shadows of their own goal posts and settling for a tie...

Despite all the missed chances...

The Browns have become watchable and worthy of your cheers once again, despite their 3-6 record.

What's your take on the loss and where do the Browns go from here? Talk Browns all day with Digital Sports Network featuring live streaming video and audio with DSN's all-star lineup.

AP Photo | DAVID RICHARDThe defense on the last play of Sunday's game will be a topic of discussion all day on DSN, cleveland.com's online streaming sports station.

Browns' gutsy, but heart wrenching loss to the Jets on Sunday.

Colt McCoy's game-tying drive. The Browns' receiving corps. Joe Haden's interception. Clock management during the final minute of overtime. The defense on the game-winning play.

Join Digital Sports Network's lineup of all-star hosts from now until 11 p.m. to talk about those topics and more with live streaming video and audio. You can listen or watch all day and even get in on the action by posting in our chat room and calling into the show.

Here's today's lineup on Digital Sports Network.

6-9 a.m.: About Last Night: Mike Cairns and Bill Boronkay

9 a.m.-noon: Locked and Loaded: Greg Kozarik, Brian Fowler and Matt Loede. Today's guest is Foxsportohio's Zac Jackson.

Noon-2 p.m.: Have a Bud with Les: Les Levine and Bud Shaw

2-6 p.m.: The Gloves Are Off: Chuck Booms and Harry Petsanis. Today's guests include former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano at 2 p.m.

6-8 p.m.: Monday Evening Quarterback with Kendall Lewis, Daryl Ruiter and Ray Yannucci

8-11 p.m.: The Final Word: Joe Lull, Bob Karlovec and Ken Silverstein

Remember, you can watch the live video stream or listen to the audio-only stream and interact with the studio via chat room, Twitter, Facebook, phone or email.

Miss a live show? Go here to listen to the archives.

Steelers, Bengals lose as AFC North goes 0-for-the-weekend

Dallas Cowboys interim coach Jason Garrett and quarterback Jon Kitna (3) react during the second quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants at New Meadowlands Stadium on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
• NFL scoreboard | Complete Browns vs. Jets coverage

Buffalo finally has a win. To get it, the Bills had to extend a record losing streak by their opponent.

Dallas has its second win, and the first for Jason Garrett as an NFL head coach.

San Francisco got its third victory of the season and, yes, might be climbing into contention in the NFC West.

After three straight close calls, the Bills made sure there would be no 0-16 teams this season by beating the only franchise to manage that ignominious feat, the Lions, 14-12 on Sunday. The win at Orchard Park, N.Y., gave Detroit a 25-game road skid, snapping a league record it held with, who else, itself.

"At the end of the game, I saw a fan pull up a sign that said something about 'the streak continues,'" Detroit receiver Nate Burleson said. "It's definitely frustrating."

The frustration of being the NFL's only winless club is over for the Bills, who got two touchdowns from Fred Jackson: a 1-yard plunge and a 16-yard catch in a sloppy game played in rain-soaked conditions between two perennial losers.

Buffalo (1-8) ended what had been its worst start to a season since going 0-11 in 1984. The Lions (2-7) broke the road losing streak they set in dropping 24 in a row from 2001-03.

"Our fans deserve it," Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams said. "The guys in the locker room deserve it. To go out there and win a football game, it means a lot."

A 33-20 victory against the New York Giants meant something extra to the Cowboys, who had lost five in a row, costing Wade Phillips his coaching job. Garrett moved up from offensive coordinator on Monday, and Dallas (2-7) made a slew of big plays to snap a five-game winning string for New York (6-3).

"The key today was we made the plays when we had to make the plays as opposed to not making the plays the first eight weeks of the season," linebacker Keith Brooking said. "We stuck together. We fought and we did everything in our power to get the win today."

San Francisco is 3-6 after its 23-20 OT win against the Rams, but that merits consideration as a contender to win the NFC West, where the leader is Seattle at 5-4. Joe Nedney kicked a 29-yard field goal with 9:38 left in overtime, and Troy Smith passed for 356 yards against St. Louis (4-5).

"When you're part of a team that has nothing but a winning tradition, you want to keep that going as a quarterback," Smith said, overlooking the 49ers' current seven-year absence from the playoffs. "There's too many tremendous athletes here to not share, for everybody to not have the opportunity to make a play."

Also Sunday, it was Jacksonville 31, Houston 24; the New York Jets 26, Cleveland 20 in OT; New England 39, Pittsburgh 26; Seattle 36, Arizona 18; Chicago 27, Minnesota 13; Denver 49, Kansas City 29; Miami 29, Tennessee 17; Indianapolis 23, Cincinnati 17; and Tampa Bay 31, Carolina 16.

The weekend began with Atlanta beating Baltimore 26-21 on Thursday night. Monday night's matchup is Philadelphia (5-3) at Washington (4-4).

Off this week are Green Bay, New Orleans, Oakland and San Diego.

___

Bills 16, Lions 14

Buffalo's win wasn't assured until Detroit's Shaun Hill overthrew Brandon Pettigrew at the back of the end zone on a failed 2-point conversion attempt with 14 seconds left. The Lions had pulled within two points on Hill's 20-yard TD pass to Calvin Johnson.

"It was really frustrating, especially coming here and feeling we were the better team," Johnson said. "We weren't thinking about the streak. That should have ended it. But it didn't."

Cowboys 33, Giants 20

Jon Kitna passed for 327 yards and three touchdowns in a game delayed twice by short power outages at New Meadowlands Stadium. Kitna had TD passes of 13 yards to rookie Dez Bryant, 71 to halfback Felix Jones and 24 to Miles Austin as Dallas (2-7) rolled for the QB's first win since 2007.

Rookie cornerback Bryan McCann scored on a team-record 101-yard interception return.

49ers 23, Rams 20, OT

At San Francisco, Smith earned his second straight victory as a starter, throwing a go-ahead 16-yard touchdown pass to Michael Crabtree with 2:10 left in regulation.

After Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson led the Rams back for Josh Brown's 33-yard field goal on the final snap of regulation, St. Louis couldn't get a first down after winning the overtime coin toss.

Smith swiftly moved the host 49ers 55 yards to the winning field goal.

Jaguars 31, Texans 24

At Jacksonville, Fla., Mike Thomas caught a 50-yard touchdown pass from David Garrard that Houston defensive back Glover Quin batted into his hands on the final play in regulation. The game looked as if it was going to overtime, but Garrard heaved a pass toward the end zone with no time on the clock. Quin, who was burned all afternoon, tried to bat the ball to the ground. Instead, he knocked it right to Thomas, who was trailing behind the play and looking for a ricochet. He caught it at the 1-yard line and then stepped across the goal line for the winning score.

The Jaguars (5-4) went into a frenzy and even drew a celebration penalty that couldn't be enforced. The Texans (4-5) trudged off the field in disbelief. It was Houston's third straight loss.

At Pittsburgh, Tom Brady maintained his mastery of the Steelers, throwing three touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski and scoring once himself as the Patriots tied the Jets for the AFC's best record.

No NFL team wins more on its home field than Pittsburgh, but no opposing player wins there like Brady, who has won six of seven overall against the Steelers and four of five at Heinz Field. He was 30 of 43 for 350 yards with no sacks or interceptions, and now has 14 career TD throws and three interceptions against the Steelers (6-3).

Pittsburgh (6-3) played most of the game without wide receiver Hines Ward (neck), whose streak of 186 consecutive games with a reception ended.

Seahawks 36, Cardinals 18

At Glendale, Ariz., Matt Hasselbeck returned from a one-game absence to throw for 333 yards, Mike Williams caught 11 passes for 145 yards and Olindo Mare kicked five goals. Williams, out of the NFL the past two seasons after flopping in Detroit, had career highs for catches and yards as the visiting Seahawks (5-4) swept the Cardinals (3-6).

Arizona lost its fourth straight, its longest skid since dropping eight in a row in 2006.

Bears 27, Vikings 13

At Chicago, Jay Cutler threw for three touchdowns, Devin Hester had two big returns and Chicago (6-3) moved into a tie with Green Bay for the NFC North lead.

It was a rough day for Brett Favre and the Vikings (3-6), who needed to win and beat the Packers next week to jump back into the division race. Favre had 170 yards passing after getting a career-best 446 last week against Arizona. Favre threw three interceptions — all in the second half — and Chicago held Adrian Peterson to 51 yards rushing.

Broncos 49, Chiefs 29

At Denver, Kyle Orton threw a career-high four touchdown passes, Tim Tebow had two TDs and Knowshon Moreno topped 100 yards for the first time.

The Broncos (3-6) snapped a four-game losing streak and handed the Chiefs (5-4) their second straight loss.

The only time the Broncos scored more points was in 1963, when they put up 50 against the San Diego Chargers.

Dolphins 29, Titans 17

At Miami, the Dolphins (5-4) achieved a season-high points total. It took three quarterbacks, a flea-flicker and the revival of the wildcat.

Defense helped, too. Randy Moss managed only one catch in his first game with the Titans, and Miami takeaways led to two touchdowns.

After Miami quarterbacks Chad Pennington (shoulder) and Chad Henne (knee) departed with injuries, third-stringer Tyler Thigpen led an 85-yard drive in the fourth quarter to seal the bizarre victory.

The Dolphins snapped a five-game home losing streak, including three losses this season. Tennessee (5-4) lost coming off a bye for the first time in five years.

Kerry Collins started at quarterback for the Titans and struggled through the first half before departing with a calf injury. Vince Young replaced him despite a sprained left ankle and threw for only 92 yards with two turnovers.

Colts 23, Bengals 17

At Indianapolis, Peyton Manning didn't throw a TD pass for the second game this season, but Kelvin Hayden returned an interception for a touchdown and Javarris James ran for a TD. The banged-up Colts (6-3) didn't need Manning's arm. They scored 17 points off five turnovers and stopped the Bengals twice in the final 2:40.

The Bengals (2-7) have lost six straight and dropped to 0-7 against Manning.

Buccaneers 31, Panthers 16

At Tampa, Fla., Josh Freeman threw two touchdown passes and rookie LeGarrette Blount ran for a score. Freeman threw TD passes of 8 yards to Arrelious Benn and 20 yards to Kellen Winslow for the NFL's youngest team.

Blount scored on a 17-yard run that finished a long second-quarter drive as the Bucs (6-3) rebounded from a six-point loss to Atlanta. Cadillac Williams put the game out of reach with a 45-yard TD burst late in the fourth quarter.

Rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen made his fourth start for injury-riddled Carolina (1-8), which got 100 yards rushing from fourth-string running back Mike Goodson.

The Book of Norman is not a fan of NFL Network's pairing of Matt Millen and Joe Theismann in the broadcast booth for Thursday Night Football.

Joe Theismann doesn't talk in his sleep, he filibusters in his sleep, writes Norman Chad.

NFL Network does many things I love. Tragically, its presentation of NFL games is not one of them.

And this year, NFL Network has undertaken a social experiment of potentially apocalyptic consequences: It has created a three-man booth, two of the men being Matt Millen and Joe Theismann, which means, in effect, a 4 1⁄2-man booth.

Putting Millen and Theismann in the same booth is like putting sugar and honey in your green tea.

With no regard for a trembling and tormented nation still reeling from economic and electoral collapse, NFL Network has decided to stuff two stupefying and unrelenting voices into our living rooms every Thursday night.

Amtrak has a “Quiet Car” — it prohibits cell phone use and Joe Theismann.

Theismann doesn’t talk in his sleep, he filibusters in his sleep.

If you handed Theismann a celery stick, he would speak into it.

Millen, meanwhile, long has been potent at a very simple TV device — if you say something authoritatively, it appears you are an authority.

I don’t care that Millen was arguably the worst team president in modern NFL history, with the Detroit Lions. I do care that I can’t even shift around in my Barcalounger without him soliloquizing on inside A-gap blitzes, 5-underneath coverage and tackle- end splits.

Theismann and Millen talk in so many circles, they ought to be broadcasting from a Ferris wheel. They say too much to say too little; in fact, they will say stuff that contradicts stuff they said earlier.

Listening to Theismann and Millen reminds me of that Cialis ad — if your erudition lasts more t h a n f o u r hours, c a l l your local cable operator.

Next time you’re watching an NFL game on NFL Network, try this test: See h o w m a n y times you can count to 5 during the telecast with no one talking. I gave it a shot — if you ever get to 10, sell.

(By the way, I must admit to overwhelming guilt in regard to the fact that the current culture allows me to stay at home and watch TV, counting to 5 to see how often the talking heads are talking, and, apparently, this is an acceptable means of earning a living. At least I didn’t waste an Ivy League education preparing for this — I am University of Maryland ’81.)

Incidentally, there is a third person actually calling the games on NFL Network. His name is Bob Papa, and I believe he is part of the witness protection program; he lives an anonymous life in a booth he can never leave. Here’s a smattering of Theismann and Millen insights from Thursday’s Ravens-Falcons game:

Millen: “You look at these defenses — they both have their strengths, and they both have their weaknesses.”

Theismann (on a Matt Ryan pass): “Aerodynamically, it’s thrown perfectly.”

Millen: “If you look at the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive line versus the defensive front of the Baltimore Ravens . .. collectively they’re much better than they are individually, and they have to collectively win that battle.”

Theismann: “What impresses me about the Atlanta Falcons — on two third-and-short situations, the ball carrier knew how far he had to go . .. they’ve picked up [two] first downs just by being smart.”

Millen: “Remember, this is a one-score game right now. So [the Falcons] have to use the clock, and they have to convert here; you know, try to pick up the first down.”

Theismann: “The Ravens knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It was going to be a slobberknocker, for lack of a better word.”

Even Papa was pulled into the slobberknocker abyss. NFL Network is obsessed with thirddown statistical minutiae, leading Papa to intone, “[The Falcons] are 6-of-8 on third-down attempts between 5 and 8 yards. Third-and-4 here.”

Alas, the game mercifully ended. How did I know it was over? I could count to 5 in peace.

Is there anyone to blame for the Cleveland Browns' latest loss?

Chuck Crow/The Plain DealerCleveland Browns' Joe Haden

The New York Jets needed overtime to defeat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. It was a game where the Browns did not make a lot of mistakes, but enough for the Jets to win.

Who do you point the finger at when it comes to this loss? Did coach Eric Mangini make a mistake by not running Peyton Hillis more who finished with 19 carries for 82 yards? What about rookie Joe Haden? Should Haden have knocked down the late interception on Cleveland's 3-yard line. Instead of a New York punt on fourth down, Cleveland's offense was put in a tough spot, where a three-and-out set up New York's game-winning touchdown.

What about Chansi Stuckey? He caught a pass midway in overtime, got the first down, fought for extra yards to get into field goal range but was stripped for the turnover.

Or was it cornerback Eric Wright? His air hug in an attempt to tackle Santanio Holmes led to Holmes scoring the winning touchdown for the Jets.

Votto gets 31 of 32 first-place votes. Three-time MVP Albert Pujols got the other, finishing second.

Associated PressNational League MVP Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds.

New York, New York – Cincinnati's Joey Votto was overwhelmingly elected the National League's Most Valuable Player on Monday, ending the two-year reign of Albert Pujols.

Votto, a first baseman who helped the Reds reach the postseason for the first time in 15 years, received 31 of 32 first-place votes and 443 points in voting announced by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Votto was a first-time All-Star, finishing second in the NL in batting average at .324 and third in homers (37) and RBIs (113). He led the NL in slugging percentage (.600) and topped the major leagues in on-base percentage (.424).

Pujols, the St. Louis Cardinals' first baseman, was second with the remaining first-place vote and 279 points after winning the award in 2005, 2008 and 2009. He batted .312 and led the NL in homers (42) and RBIs (118).

Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez was third with 240 points after winning the NL batting title with a .336 average. San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez (197) was fourth, followed by Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki (132) and Philadelphia pitcher Roy Halladay (130),

Balloting was completed before he went 1 for 10 with one RBI in the first-round playoff loss to Philadelphia.

He joined Ernie Lombardi (1938), Bucky Walters (1939), Frank McCormick (1940), Frank Robinson (1961), Johnny Bench (1970 and 1972), Pete Rose (1973), Joe Morgan (1975-76), George Foster (177) and Barry Larkin (1995) as Reds to win the award. The Reds' 12 MVPs are tied with the Giants for second in the NL behind the Cardinals (17). In the AL, the New York Yankees have won 20.

The AL winner will be announced Tuesday. Josh Hamilton of Texas is the front-runner.

Pujols has 10 straight top 10 finishes. His three wins and four second-place finishes matched those of Cardinals Hall of Famer Stan Musial.

Votto, a bargain with a $525,000 salary, will be eligible for arbitration for the first time. Neither Votto nor Gonzalez ($406,000) had MVP bonus provisions. Pujols gets $100,000 for finishing second. By finishing fourth, Adrian Gonzalez gets a $100,000 raise to $6.3 million next season.

Born in Toronto, he becomes the third Canadian-born MVP, following Colorado's Larry Walker (1997) and Minnesota's Justin Morneau (2006).

Cavs play at Indiana on Tuesday night. Play three Eastern Conference powerhouses in the nine days after.

Associated PressCavaliers forward Antawn Jamison (4) is providing points and rebounds in his new role -- coming off the bench.

Cleveland, Ohio -- The Cleveland Cavaliers visit Indiana to play the Pacers on Tuesday night, the beginning of a four-game in five-day stretch for the Wine and Gold.

The Cavs will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night and visit the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

Then, three straight home games for Cleveland: The Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night; the Boston Celtics next Tuesday night; the Miami Heat next Thursday night.

The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com provides coverage of the Cavaliers, including game stories and news, along with feature stories, notes and other items about the team and the NBA.

AJ adjusts

Cavs forward Antawn Jamison, 34, is in his 13th NBA season. He's scored 17,227 points in the league.

Now, Jamison is coming off the bench for the first time in years. He struggled in the first three games this season, playing on a sore knee, then didn't play the next three games to rest the knee.

In the last six games, Jamison has shown he still has a lot of basketball left. He's averaged 15 points and 7.7 rebounds in just 26.5 minutes per game during the stretch, and is shooting 48 percent, including 42 percent on 3-point shots.

Bob Finnan writes about Jamison for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal, quoting Jamison and referring to Cavs coach Byron Scott:

"It's been a while (since I've come off the bench)," he said. "You still have to go out there and compete."

Scott wants to keep Jamison at about 25 minutes a game.

"He's so effective in those minutes," the coach said. "I'll try to keep it around there."

Scott said he's happy with the way Jamison is playing.

"He's been great," Scott said. "He's been playing extremely well for us. In practice, he's been tremendous with his work ethic, leadership."

Jamison is comfortable with Scott's Princeton offense. His former coach at Washington, Eddie Jordan, ran a version of it.

"He's one of our best guys at moving," Scott said. "He feels comfortable and at home with what we're doing. He knows it. We have some twists and turns to what he did in Washington.

"He has a good feel for what we're doing. He makes it look easy with the way he understands the offense."

Need win at Indy

Zac Jackson of FOX Sports Ohio makes five observations about the Cavaliers, commenting on their weekend games, their defensive lapses and some bright spots, too.

He also notes: 

What's ahead? More tough opponents. And a brutal schedule that includes four games in five nights this week, with the Cavaliers likely being the underdog in all four. Defense will be the emphasis, and the Cavaliers have to feel like they need a win Tuesday night at Indiana and can get one if (Mo) Williams plays well; he missed the loss to the Pacers at home eight days ago. The Cavaliers need production out of the small forward spot, improved defense and chances to run. That starts with getting stops and rebounds. It's only 12 games in, but the Cavaliers are facing a key stretch. That One Really Big Game is only 10 days away.

Fastbreak points

Forward "Jamario Moon's Player Mailbox" on NBA.com/cavaliers.

New edition of NBA team power rankings by Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

The Cavs' Tuesday night opponent, Indiana, plays at Miami tonight. Mike Wells writes about it for the Indianapolis Star, including an interesting quote from Pacers star forward Danny Granger.

The Korean Baseball Office contacted GM Chris Antonetti on Friday night about Shin-Soo Choo's military exemption.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerThe Indians no longer have to worry about the long-term availability of Shin-Soo Choo, as the right fielder was released from his military obligations in South Korea following his country's victory in the Asian Games.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti said the team received confirmation Friday night from the Korean Baseball Office that right fielder Shin-Soo Choo received a military exemption after South Korea won the gold medal at the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China last week.

Antonetti, in a text message, said he still hadn't talked to Choo to confirm if he'd received official word. Choo is still traveling in Asia.

South Korea, with Choo's help, beat Taiwan, 9-3, Friday to win the gold medal. Choo, who had two hits and two RBI in the title game, hit .571 (8-for-14) with three homers, 11 RBI, two steals and five walks overall.

All South Korean men are required to serve two years of military service before they're 30. Choo, 28, was running out of time. One way for Korean athletes to avoid military service is to win a gold medal in certain international events.

The Indians never seemed overly concerned about Choo's status. They believed if the matter couldn't be solved on the diamond or diplomatically, Choo would establish residency in the United States.

The gold medal victory takes care of that problem.

This will be the first off-season Choo is eligible for arbitration. He made $461,100 last season and will be due for a large raise. The Indians and Scott Boras, Choo's agent, have discussed a multiyear deal. The Indians are in control of Choo's contract for three more years before he's eligible for free agency.

Fangraphs.com, in a story projecting how much Choo will be worth in arbitration this winter, said $6 million. Following the 2011 and 2012 seasons, Fangraphs.com said Choo would be worth $9 million and $11 million, respectively, for a three-year total of $26 million.

If Choo opted for security, and signed a three-year deal that carried him to his free agent year, the total would probably be less.

The 49-31 home loss to struggling Bills clinched Bengals' 18th non-winning record in the last 20 years.

Associated PressCincinnati's Aaron Pettrey reacts after missing a field goal, but the Bengals had many larger problems during their 49-31 loss to Buffalo.

Cincinnati, Ohio -– Terrell Owens calls his team terrible. And nobody on the Cincinnati Bengals would disagree with the sentiment.

A classic collapse against the Buffalo Bills left the defending AFC North champions on the brink of a full-scale meltdown heading into the final six weeks of the season. The Bengals are 2-8 and suddenly in the hunt for the first overall pick in next year's draft.

They're playing so poorly that Owens wouldn't be surprised if their seven-game losing streak keeps on going.

"We may go 2-14 at the rate we're playing," Owens said. "We're not good, period."

Any thoughts of a late-season surge were dashed at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday. The Bengals played their best half of the season on offense, surging ahead 31-14 at halftime. Then, they unraveled in every way, losing 49-31 to a team that had only one win coming in.

"Aw, it's tough," left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. "But it's been tough. This is just something I've never been through."

His franchise has been through it a lot. The Bengals clinched their 18th non-winning record in the last 20 years, one of the worst stretches of futility in league history. They've finished with four wins or fewer in eight of those seasons.

This one could easily fit into that bad billing. The Bengals have a grueling schedule left — the Jets are next up on Thanksgiving, followed by New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, San Diego and Baltimore. The defensive backfield was virtually wiped out by injuries during the loss to the Bills. It'll be a challenge to stay competitive.

"We've got to find a way," quarterback Carson Palmer said. "It's not going to be easy."

The attention will soon drift to next year, starting with the coach's future. Marvin Lewis is in the final year on his contract. Ownership offered an extension last season, while the Bengals were on their way to winning the division title. Lewis turned it down, preferring to wait and see what ownership did.

For years, Lewis has wanted a covered practice field — they had to practice at an indoor soccer facility to prepare for their playoff loss to the Jets last season — and some other changes. If he was hoping that another good season would strengthen his bargaining position, he's out of luck.

So, the coaching countdown begins with six games left.

Lewis' more immediate concern is trying to cobble together a defensive backfield that can keep the Bengals competitive. Safety Chris Crocker tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and is out for the season. Safety Roy Williams suffered a concussion. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph went out with an ankle injury in the first half.

By the end of the game, the Bengals were considering using receivers at cornerback in an emergency.

"I know at some point in the game they were talking about (Jordan) Shipley going in and playing corner, Quan (Cosby) maybe," Palmer said. "We got down to four guys."

The Jets (8-2) beat the Bengals twice last season — 37-0 at the Meadowlands to end the regular season, then 24-14 in the playoffs at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals don't have much time to mend their defense and get over the emotional meltdown.

"I hope we don't take the disappointment into the short week, into the game against the Jets," Owens said. "If not, they may put 49-plus on us. They have a great defense. Their offense is explosive. And if we come with the performance that we played with (against Buffalo), it's over. It's lights out.

"At this point, we're playing for pride. And we're going to see what everybody's made of, me included."

McCoy has a sprained ankle and his status is to be determined. McCoy's injury might open the door for Jake Delhomme to return to the starting lineup for the first time since Week 1.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerIt's been six weeks since Jake Delhomme limped through the second half of the Browns' Oct. 10 loss to John Abraham and Atlanta at Cleveland Browns Stadium. With Colt McCoy nursing a sprained ankle, Delhomme could make his return against his former team when Carolina comes to town next Sunday.

BEREA, Ohio -- Colt McCoy's status for Sunday's Browns game against Carolina is uncertain because of a sprained left ankle, perhaps opening the door for Jake Delhomme to start against the team he once led to a Super Bowl.

In a Monday afternoon meeting with reporters, coach Eric Mangini did not speak to the extent of McCoy's injury. Mangini did not say whether McCoy has a high-ankle sprain, only that the ankle is "definitely" sprained and the team will know more Wednesday.

McCoy was expected to have an MRI scan Monday. He was injured early in the third quarter of Sunday's 24-20 loss at Jacksonville. His left foot bent for a split-second during a sack by Jeremy Mincey. McCoy remained in the game and eventually exited the locker roomwearing a orthopedic boot.

McCoy has played in five games, all starts (2-3). He is 81-of-127 for 975 yards and three touchdowns. He has been intercepted three times. His rating is 85.3.

Delhomme, acquired as a free agent in the off-season, started the opener at Tampa Bay and suffered a high-ankle sprain while being dragged down as he threw an interception. Mangini on Monday said Delhomme is "back to 100 percent, or as close to 100 percent as anyone is."

Seneca Wallace replaced Delhomme for a Week 2 start against the Chiefs in Cleveland. In his fourth start, Oct. 10 against the Falcons, Wallace suffered a high-ankle sprain while being sacked. McCoy, who had not been scheduled to play this season, started the next week at Pittsburgh.

Delhomme signed with Cleveland after seven seasons with the Panthers. In 2003, his first season in Carolina after five years in New Orleans, Delhomme threw for 3,219 yards and led the Panthers to the Super Bowl. The Panthers lost to New England in Super Bowl XXXVIII despite Delhomme's 323 passing yards.

None of the three Browns quarterbacks was available to the media Monday. The closest encounter came when Wallace moved toward his locker near the end of reporters' access to players. As a crowd gathered, Wallace smiled and said, "I pumped-faked y'all," as he continued walking into another room.

Wallace was the backup quarterback and Delhomme the No. 3 for the Jaguars game. It marked the first time since Oct. 10 that Delhomme was in uniform.

Mangini was asked if he would need to decide between Wallace and Delhomme.

"I'd like to wait until Wednesday to see how it does shake out in terms of where [McCoy] is," Mangini said. "That's really what I'd like to do. We'll figure it out at that point."

McCoy went 17-of-28 for 241 yards and one touchdown against the Jaguars. He threw one pick and was sacked six times. He was more efficient and productive in the first half (10-of-14, 135 yards, TD) but had a chance to be a hero in the final minute of the fourth quarter.

Trailing, 24-20, with 1:16 left, the Browns took over at their 20. McCoy twice found Mohamed Massaquoi for 17 yards and 12 yards, then connected with Chansi Stuckey on a shallow cross. The play lasted 15 seconds and gained zero yards, Stuckey being tackled at the Cleveland 49. McCoy spiked the ball with 18 seconds left.

Mangini knows that McCoy, a rookie who has been playing like a veteran, would like to have the Stuckey pass back.

"The one decision that was a young-guy decision was the shallow cross to Stuckey," Mangini said. "We talk about that a lot. You're fighting two things: distance and time. Unless you think it's going to be some catch-and-run type deal, it's not where you want to go with the ball. It sometimes happens, especially with a younger guy. Sometimes he'll try to hit a check-down. You actually tell the back there, 'Drop it.' If he makes that mistake, don't make it worse."

McCoy completed a 22-yarder to Evan Moore, who ran out of bounds to stop the clock with 13 seconds remaining. McCoy's next pass, intended for Ben Watson over the middle, was deflected and intercepted by safety Sean Considine inside the 5.

"Colt saw Ben get over the top of a linebacker and was trying to get a little air under it so he could catch and run," Mangini said. "It came behind him. The split safety they were playing, that's the softness of the defense right down the chute, so I think it was a good decision in terms of where he went with the ball.

"But even if Ben had caught it, unless he somehow bounced off and fell in, the game would have been over. We wanted to take two shots into the end zone and hopefully come up with one."

For a team to possibly lose three quarterbacks to ankle injuries at various points of one season does not necessarily surprise fullback Lawrence Vickers.

"That's football," Vickers said. "This is the National Football League. Anything -- anything, I tell you -- is possible around here. It's a physical game. So at any time, one wrong move can cost a guy.

"Is it crazy? It's kind of out of the norm. But, at the end of the day, we're going to have a quarterback back there who's going to make plays. We're all talented, and we all believe in each other."

Wisconsin tries to keep its focus on its conference-ending game with Northwestern ... which could become a conference-winning game with Northwestern.

View full sizeAP FileWisconsin coach Bret Bielema, in his Monday press conference, tries to focus on the Badgers' game this Saturday with Northwestern. But the real focus is on Wisconsin's virtual lock the Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl berth.

Milwaukee -- Bret Bielema was at Camp Randall Stadium the last time Wisconsin won a Big Ten title, watching the Badgers' offensive attack roll over Iowa 41-3 in 1999 as a member of the Hawkeyes staff.

Bielema, in his fifth year as head coach at Wisconsin (10-1, 6-1), sees similarities in his offense and the one from 1999 that featured Ron Dayne.

"I remember the way that Wisconsin played, basically imposing our will on us," Bielema said in his weekly news conference from Madison. "I think the last two weeks, I've been able to see that on the field, but also on film when I watch on Sunday to realize what was happening and the way our players are playing, but also the reaction of our opponent. (It) is a very gratifying experience."

Or a humbling one for opponents.

On Saturday, the fifth-ranked Badgers face Northwestern (7-4, 3-4) with a share of the conference title at stake. They have been on a roll since a 31-18 win over then-No. 1 Ohio State.

Wisconsin has put up 131 points and 695 yards rushing against Indiana and Michigan and has won six straight games, scoring at least 31 points in each to set up a chance to at least share the Big Ten title.

The Badgers, looking for their first Rose Bowl appearance since 2000, have done it recently without reigning Big Ten offensive player of the year John Clay, who is still recovering from a sprained right knee suffered three weeks ago.

If Ohio State, Michigan State and Wisconsin all win on Saturday, they'll split the Big Ten title. The tiebreaker for the conference's spot in the BCS will go to the highest ranked team in the BCS standings, which has been Wisconsin (7th) followed by Ohio State (8th) and Michigan State (10th).

"We're in a great position headed into Northwestern to put ourselves right where we want to be," defensive end J.J. Watt said after the 48-28 win over Michigan on Saturday.

And they haven't needed Clay in the process.

Bielema switched Clay with backups James White and Montee Ball on the depth chart, and Clay remains questionable. The three backs have combined for 39 rushing touchdowns.

"John really hasn't done much. No fault of John's. I think he has pushed himself as hard as he can," Bielema said. "(We're) planning on just James and Montee but John, I went through the training room this morning, he was braced up and ready to go run. He was telling me how good it felt."

Bielema said Clay would likely practice on Tuesday and Wednesday.

No matter, Ball is averaging 155.6 yards rushing in his last three games. He said preparing for the Wildcats wouldn't change despite the bigger implications.

"(It's the) same thing we've been doing every week," Ball said after the game. "Fix our mistakes, come in Tuesday ready to work and have the 1-0 mentality."

That 1-0 mentality has been Bielema's overused catch phrase his first five years as coach. He even received practice shorts stitched with the slogan, but he hasn't needed to repeat it much now.

"There hasn't ever been a talk about a jump to the championship or anything like that," Bielema said. "That's why I really believe in what we've done now -- just maintaining each week's focus."

When Wisconsin went 12-1 in Bielema's first year as head coach in 2006, the Badgers' record was push aside because they didn't play Ohio State and lost in an ugly game at Michigan.

Wisconsin failed to reach a BCS bowl because both the Wolverines and Buckeyes were selected. But this Wisconsin team has a much better resume, beating Ohio State, Michigan and Iowa in the same season for the first time in 51 years.

"I understand everybody's going to ask the questions," Bielema said. "I know where the media attention is, but our focus in our house, in our room is about Northwestern and the details of winning that game."

It only took 13 minutes to get to a question about the Wildcats. Then it was back to the bigger topic at hand, a final query about what a Big Ten title would mean for the program.

"Rather talk about it after the game," the coach said. "It's great to be in this position, we've worked very hard to get where we are, but none of that really matters until we get through Saturday."

"Byron Scott's biggest challenge this year will be to keep the team hustling after these next seven or so games. It is clear that they can compete, but only when they never let up. They have enough depth to play that way and we will soon find out if they have enough character." - rwbbowg

View full sizeGetty ImagesByron Scott needs to get the most effort possible for his team to have a chance to win.

In response to the story Terry Pluto's talkin' ... about the Browns' linebackers, Colt McCoy's accuracy, a third-base answer for the Tribe and the point-hungry Cavs, cleveland.com reader rwbbowg wants the Indians to look internally for their bridge to third base. This reader writes,

"Byron Scott's biggest challenge this year will be to keep the team hustling after these next seven or so games. It is clear that they can compete, but only when they never let up. They have enough depth to play that way and we will soon find out if they have enough character."

Watch a weekly high school football playoffs edition of Starting Blocks TV -- cleveland.com's five-minute video show featuring analysis and predictions. Stay tuned to the end of the show for predictions on all semifinals with a local team.

Who is going to win the Division II state semifinal rematch between Lake Catholic and Maple Heights? Watch the video to see what Plain Dealer reporters Bob Fortuna and Tim Warsinskey think.

Watch a weekly high school football playoffs edition of Starting Blocks TV -- cleveland.com's five-minute video show featuring analysis and predictions.

Stay tuned to the end of the show for predictions on all semifinals with a local team.

Freshman standout Sullinger league's co-Player of the Week. An analyst ranks Diebler the nation's 5th best shooter.

Associated PressOhio State's Jared Sullinger scores during the Buckeyes' 93-75 win at Florida on Nov. 16.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Ohio State's men's basketball team is 3-0. Better yet, it's an impressive 3-0, including the second win, a 93-75 decision at Florida that has bumped the Buckeyes to No. 3 in the national rankings.

Freshman forward-center Jared Sullinger has deservedly received most of the Buckeyes' individual accolades thus far, including being named by the Big Ten as its co-Player of the Week, as reported on ohiostatebuckeyes.com.

Going about business in his usual way has been shooting guard Jon Diebler, who has hit 10 of 22 3-point shots (45 percent) in the first three games and continued to play his typically strong defense.

Jeff Goodman ranks the top shooters in the nation for FoxSports.com. He lists Diebler at No. 5, noting:

After a brutal freshman campaign, Diebler has found his stroke the past two seasons. He made 41.6 percent of his 3s as a sophomore and was 116 of 271 for 42 percent last season.

The Buckeyes play at home against Morehead State (2-2) on Tuesday night. OSU must be ready for 6-8 center-forward Kenneth Faried, who totaled 20 points and 18 rebounds in the Eagles' 61-55 loss at Florida on Sunday. 

Tuesday night's Morehead State at Ohio State game is previewed by Brett Huston for STATS and the Associated Press.

The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com covers Ohio State basketball, football and other Buckeyes sports teams. 

Sam returns

Ohio State's women's basketball team (3-0), ranked seventh in the nation, is hosting East Tennessee State (2-1) tonight.

Making her season debut for the Buckeyes will be star point guard Samantha Prahalis. She served a three-game NCAA suspension for a secondary rules violation.

Jim Massie writes about Prahalis for the Columbus Dispatch:

Her teammates won all three games - including over Eastern Michigan and Louisiana State -while Prahalis donned a gray jersey and ran the second team in practice.

"I think she handled it after the initial shock," coach Jim Foster said. "Now how do you come back from it? The day we left for Temple, we left early in the morning and she showed up with a bag of donuts for the kids."

Prahalis also apologized to the team.

"That's part of growing up," Foster said. "I think she was relieved that we went 3-0. She put the burden of responsibility on her shoulders, and they took care of it."

The East Tennesse State at Ohio State game was previewed by Jim Massie for the Columbus Dispatch.

Pick and rolls

Ohio State men's basketball record book, on Bucknuts.com.

Yes, it's early, but two Buckeyes are projected by NBADraft.net as first-round picks -- assuming they declare themselves for the draft -- in the 2011 NBA draft.

Where ESPN.com ranks Ohio State women basketball's 2011 high school recruiting class. 

The women's basketball top 25 national rankings, on ESPN.com. 

What should be the Browns' rally cry for the rest of the season? Try, 'We're not awful!"

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerEric Mangini, Rob Ryan and the rest of the Browns coaching staff need at least four wins in the team's final six games to confirm substantial improvement from the 2010 season, says Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- At some point, the Browns have to stop being a lousy team.

In the NFL, a lousy team is one that loses at least 10 games, which the Browns have done in six of the last seven seasons.

A lousy team beats Super Bowl contenders New Orleans and New England in the same season, but still finishes no better than 6-10. That's why the 3-7 Browns have to find a way to win at least four of the last six games.

This is not just about Eric Mangini and his coaching staff keeping their jobs. It's not about playing young guys -- virtually all of the top picks are regularly on the field.

It's about the Browns at least moving into the ranks of the mediocre, that mass of teams with records between 7-9 and 9-7.

It's a group that proudly can proclaim: We're not awful!

These Browns aren't terrible. These are not the Browns who lost seven games by at least two touchdowns in the 5-11 season of 2009. Or the Browns who scored only one touchdown in their final six games of the 4-12 season of 2008.

They are not the 1-9 Carolina Panthers, who come to town Sunday with a lame-duck coach in John Fox and no discernible quarterback. They are not the 2-8 Buffalo Bills, or the 2-8 Cincinnati Bengals -- both coming up on the schedule.

No matter who is the quarterback without a sprained ankle in a walking boot, the Browns should be able to beat those teams. The Browns must show their fan base -- and themselves -- that they don't stink.

They need to beat the bad teams so they know they no longer are a bad team. They need to show that "the green sticker" character guys imported by Mangini and the new front office can play hard and well in a season when the playoffs are not a possibility and several teams have players who just want to go home.

The Browns did it last season, winning their final four games. It was against rather sad competition (other than Pittsburgh), but a four-game winning streak indicated signs of progress.

So would a 7-9 -- or, especially, 8-8 -- record, putting an exclamation point next to the upbeat sentences about the team's improvement.

The most disturbing part of Sunday's 24-20 loss at Jacksonville was not the 75-yard screen pass to Maurice Jones-Drew that set up the winning touchdown. No excuse for that. But what should bother the players and coaches was how the offensive line was physically overpowered by a team with a shaky defense.

There also have to be some questions about the preparation.

Jacksonville stacked the line of scrimmage to stop the run -- which was expected. But the Jags also sacked Colt McCoy six times, the most allowed by the Browns this season.

When a defense is determined to stop the run, it rarely has a six-sack day. That's especially true against an experienced offensive line. But the Browns looked surprised by some of the formations and blitzes from Mel Tucker's Jacksonville defense, which entered the day with only 14 sacks in nine games.

In their next four games, the Browns face opponents with a combined 10-30 record. Miami is 5-5, but has major injury problems at quarterback.

So the Browns should aim to be at least 7-9, something only done three times (2001, 2002 and 2008) since the team returned in 1999. Furthermore, they have enough talent to do it.

In a perfect world, KSU's new coach will be familiar with the Mid-American Conference and Northeast Ohio.

Joshua Gunter / The Plain DealerKent State Athletic Director Joel Nielsen says the replacement for outgoing football coach Doug Martin will not need to be a head coach with another program.

KENT, Ohio -- The search for Kent State's next head football coach is already under way, according to athletic director Joel Nielsen.

Nielsen said the person who lands the job will have the "character and integrity" of current coach Doug Martin, who resigned over the weekend and will coach his last game at the school Friday against Ohio.

But in a perfect world, the new man also will be familiar with the Mid-American Conference and Northeast Ohio. "They have to understand they will be walking into a heck of a challenge," Nielsen added Monday in a meeting with the media.

Nielsen said he has already called on prominent current and former coaches who have KSU ties -- Alabama's Nick Saban, Missouri's Gary Pinkel, ESPN analyst Lou Holtz and the retired Don James among them -- for advice and direction. Nielsen, in his seventh month as AD, also said the next coach could come from any level on the college coaching spectrum and could be a current head coach, or not.

Nielsen also recognized that finding the right fit, particularly on offense, is a delicate process, and even though there is returning talent on the roster, the reality of taking two steps backward to go forward is a possibility. "There is no fool-proof method," Nielsen said.

This was expected to be a breakout season for Kent behind an offense that returned its starting quarterback and had proven depth both at tailback and wide receiver. It just never happened.

On Monday, the emotional fallout of Martin's decision was still evident within the program. A pair of seniors, receiver Leneric Muldrow and safety Brian Lainhart, said while the news of Martin's departure was no surprise, it was still felt deeply.

"Not many men can say they took a chance on Leneric Muldrow," said the receiver who, like Lainhart, is among many Flashes who received just one Division I scholarship offer, and it was from Martin and Kent State. "That's why this hurts so much."

The players said the fault for this season's rests with them, not Martin.

"I blame me and the rest of the guys," Lainhart said. "We made the plays."

Muldrew added: "We don't want to let him down, and unfortunately we did."

Both players said the challenge for the team now is to send Martin out with a victory in Friday's 11 a.m. home game against OU. Then all will look toward finding the next head coach for Kent State football. And Muldrew knows what that coach should look like.

"I want to see another Doug Martin that will get us over the hump," he said.

If Cavs' coach Byron Scott is leaning toward changing his starting lineup, he's handling the move like Eric Mangini confirms quarterback decisions.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey / The Plain DealerJoey Graham (12, driving on Philadelphia's Andres Nocioni) is a candidate for the starting lineup this week with the Cavaliers, although it will be his defense that might earn him the chance, and not his offense.

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- If Cavs' coach Byron Scott is leaning toward changing his starting lineup, he's handling the move like Eric Mangini confirms quarterback decisions.

Asked after practice Monday whether fans can expect to see a new face in the starting five Tuesday in Indiana, Scott kept his plans on the "QT."

"That I don't know. I'll let you know tomorrow," he said.

He was pressed. Thinking about it?

"Yes, I am."

At forward?

"I won't say which," he said with a smile that suggested a mind already made up. "I'm thinking about it."

The Cavs (5-7) head to Indianapolis fresh off a rude two-game road trip in which they allowed 108 points in New Orleans and 116 in San Antonio.

If Scott's mantra is "effort and intensity," that lack of defense won't fly. At least it didn't Monday. The team watched game film from the Spurs' loss, then focused on communicating better on defense -- calling out positioning and coverages, making sure teammates know where they're supposed to be.

"If we played like we played in practice today, teams would probably average about 90, 92 points against us instead of 100," said Scott, who was pleased with the result. "It's that big of a deal."

Heading into Monday night's game in Miami, Indiana (5-6) had averaged just over 100 points per game. The Pacers aren't among the Hornets-Spurs elite, but defense is defense.

"Like I told them," Scott said, "until they start getting upset with each other about guys not doing the things they're supposed to do -- and when they do start getting upset and really holding each other accountable -- then we will start growing as a basketball team."

At this point, he said, only 12-year pro Antawn Jamison, the team's most seasoned player, has been comfortable being that guy.

"And we probably need a couple of more guys to start doing that," Scott said.

Whether the need for stingier defense and more vocal leaders dictates a change in the starting lineup -- possibly Joey Graham for Jamario Moon at small forward -- remains to be seen.

Moon, averaging 6.3 points per game this season, hadn't been told of a pending switch, but said he was fine coming off the bench if that was the decision.

"If coach figures he needs to go with a different lineup to give us a better chance to win or whatever, it is what it is," he said. "It's not for me to think about it. I still have to do my job."

If the 6-7, 230-pound Graham, who adds a bit more bulk and sturdiness to the position, was told to be ready to start, he wasn't letting on entirely.

"A possibility," he said. "No telling right now."

If Graham does get the start, he'd have to face Pacers' 6-9 forward Danny Granger, who scorched the Cavs for 34 points in 39 minutes earlier this month. They entered the NBA together. Graham said he's very familiar with Granger's game -- and he's a man with a plan.

"A lot of guys in the league, no matter who it is, if they're a scorer, they don't like to be uncomfortable," he said. "I'm going to crowd him. I'm going to make sure he's very uncomfortable with shooting shots and make sure he just shoots a lot of tough shots. And we're going to throw numbers at him. It's not going to be me, per se, on him. It's going to be a group of guys."

Easy does it: Extra-large sheets of bubble wrap might help.

The Cavs aren't taking any chances with Anderson Varejao's tender ribs. The 6-11 center practiced Monday, with none of his trademark "Wild Thing"-type diving and banging allowed.

"We're keeping him out of all contact," Scott said. "So he got all the running done and all that, he got his free throws in. He got some of his post moves, some of his jump shots, but when we're going live, five-on-five contact, we're keeping him out of that right now."

Varejao suffered bruised ribs in a game against New Jersey on Nov. 10, which kept him out of the first Cavs-Pacers meeting this season.

No apologies: Ryan Hollins, the Cavs' 7-0, 240-pound center, isn't known necessarily as an enforcer, but his two recent flagrant fouls threaten to remake his reputation. Neither were intentional, he said, just a byproduct of the game. Not that he's backing off from setting the tone with physical play underneath.

"Definitely, as a five-man that's your job to protect the middle and not give up layups," he said. "I feel like I can definitely do a better job of that and, me being thin ... maybe my size surprises people, but I'm going to get down there and bang and hit with people."

Round two: When the Cavs and Pacers last met, on Nov. 13 at The Q, they went into halftime tied at 54. The Cavs were then outscored, 45-31, in a second-half collapse, losing, 99-85.

Maple Heights-Lake Catholic II offers Northeast Ohio's two most dynamic teams whose names don't begin with Saint and end in Edward.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey / The Plain DealerA year ago, Maple Heights' DeVonte Ransom tumbled into the end zone for the deciding points in a Div. II state semifinal victory over Lake Catholic. This year's showdown is worth far more than the price of admission, says Tim Warsinskey.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- This is the week. This is the game. This is what I've been waiting for since Aug. 27.

This is it: Maple Heights-Lake Catholic II. It's Northeast Ohio's two most dynamic teams whose names don't begin with Saint and end in Edward.

This is Shaq Washington versus Richie Sanders.

This is DeVonte Ransom versus, well, Richie Sanders.

The rematch of last year's memorable Division II state semifinal will be Friday in Solon's Stewart Field. Maple Heights is 13-0 and aiming to get back to the state final and finish this time, after losing to Winton Woods last year. Lake Catholic is 12-1 and has had this date circled a very long time after losing, 21-17, to Maple Heights in 2009.

What sets this game apart is the intriguing matchup of its gifted skill players and a truckload of talent in the trenches and on defense. The styles are similar and the potential for something wonderful to happen exists on every play. They're fast, disciplined and they're such a joy to watch.

Washington (5-9, 170), Ransom (5-10, 180) and Sanders (5-10, 180) share much in common.

Washington and Ransom are Maple Heights' senior backfield duo who can, and often do, score from any spot on the field. Between them, they have more than 50 TDs. Last week against Olmsted Falls, Ransom had a 50-yard run and a 78-yard kickoff return for touchdowns. He's the guy who carried Maple Heights while Washington missed three starts early in the season with a knee injury.

Ransom reminds me of Sanders. Identical in size, both make big plays out of nothing. Given what they've meant to their teams, both should receive serious consideration for Mr. Football.

Sanders is so good he turned normally pass-happy Lake Catholic into a running team, but in his case, that doesn't mean the Cougars are boring. The twin brother of state hurdles champion Jerica Sanders, Richie has sprinter's speed and is relentless even after he's hit. He has scored 31 touchdowns.

Sanders has an electricity also clearly visible in Washington.

With a bounce in his step and a confident voice, Washington has been saying since the start of last season, when virtually no one was listening, Maple Heights would win a state championship. Before this season, he committed to Cincinnati. He's scored on a lot of big plays this year, but the most impressive play I've seen him make was a 90-yard run last week in which he, incredibly, did not score (kudos to Olmsted Falls Zach Ferster for sticking with the play and making the tackle). Shaq zigged and zagged through a picket fence of defenders and twice stopped on a dime to avoid tackles.

The talent in this game goes way beyond those headline grabbers. It's the other guys who really make this a fascinating semifinal. Lake Catholic offensive and defensive tackle Chase Hounshell quite possibly is the area's best two-way lineman. Lake Catholic tackle Bobby Zappitelli and Maple Heights defensive end Claybourne Miller and center Donovan Garner are unheralded players who could have a huge impact Friday.

Lake Catholic linebacker Jimmy King and defensive backs Marty Gibbons and Tommy Michals fly to the ball. Can they keep up with Maple Heights wideouts Dana Day and Andre Stubbs, who have 74 catches and 17 TDs? The Cougars, who have allowed just 14 touchdowns in 13 games, remind me of Winton Woods, which gave up yards in big chunks, but held Maple Heights to two touchdowns in last year's state final.

If it comes down to a kick, Maple Heights is in trouble. It has made just 66 percent of its point-after attempts while Lake Catholic's Kresimir Ivkovic is 61-for-61, and has made seven field goals.

My prediction? Maple Heights 19, Lake Catholic 17.

Let the fun begin.

Scott Fujita felt the fans' pain while watching the broadcast of the Browns' loss Sunday in Jacksonville.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerScott Fujita was having an All-Pro season before injuring his knee against the Jets. Watching Sunday's loss from his home, Fujita was as mystified by the outcome as most fans.

BEREA, Ohio -- From his residence in Northeast Ohio, injured linebacker Scott Fujita felt the fans' pain while watching the broadcast of Sunday's 24-20 loss in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Browns fell to 3-7 despite a turnover differential of plus-5. The Jaguars coughed up the ball six times.

"I've never seen a game like that, I've never heard of a game like that," Fujita said. "Defensively, the guys made a lot of big plays. You have to give a lot of credit to the secondary for coming up with a swagger. It was impressive. I was proud of all of those guys."

Fujita injured a left-knee ligament early in the Browns' 26-20 overtime loss to the Jets on Nov. 14. He is wearing a brace.

"It was a tough game to watch -- really, the last two weeks were," he said. "I would have loved to be out there, but right now the best thing I can do is stay in the training room and be back as soon as possible."

There is no target date for Fujita's return, but he did say he was optimistic about getting back on the field by the end of the season. Fujita was in the midst of a Pro Bowl-caliber year.

"I would like to say [the target] is next week, but I still have a brace and I'm hobbling around," he said. "It's tough to say with these injuries. I've always felt like I'm a fast healer, and I'm hoping for the best."

Can't win for losing: The Browns continue to find creative ways to lose. One of the turnovers against the Jaguars was a fumble forced and returned for a touchdown by safety Abe Elam. The other five turnovers led to a total of three points. In those five possessions, the Browns managed zero passing yards, zero first downs and minus-9 net yards.

Eric Mangini, asked is he could imagine having a plus-five differential and losing, said: "No -- but we lived it."

The Browns have lost four games in which they led in the fourth quarter. That does not include the Jets, whom they tied late in regulation.

"When you don't make those big plays at those critical moments in the game, that's what prevents you from winning," Fujita said. "It's disappointing. This team has shown a lot of progress week in and week out. I think there's a lot of things to be proud of, it's just that the margin for error is so small in this league."

Fullback Lawrence Vickers, asked if the Browns have the talent to close, said: "Absolutely."

The Browns thought they had turned a corner with impressive victories against New Orleans and New England, only to be tripped up by the Jets and Jaguars.

"I think the one thing is really understanding how to win consistently, and being able to play the same way throughout the course of four quarters," Mangini said.

Mangini immediately followed that comment with a tweak of the defense's performance Sunday. Yes, the defense -- with some assistance from the Jaguars -- was responsible for getting the turnovers. From Mangini's perspective, though, late breakdowns trumped the ball-hawking proficiency.

The Jaguars scored two fourth-quarter TDs.

"When you come out on the final two drives and give up two touchdowns, you don't come away feeling like it was a really great defensive effort," Mangini said.

Mangini singled out the screen pass that Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew turned into a 75-yard gain to the Cleveland 1 with two minutes left. Two plays later, Jones-Drew scored as the Jaguars took a 24-20 lead.

Jones caught the pass on the right side and worked his way left.

"A screen to Maurice Jones-Drew -- he cuts it back, that's what he does," Mangini said. "We had three guys with a chance to make the tackle. One guy tried to strip it because he thought the other guy had him posted up. [Jones-Drew] has a low center of gravity. That's who he is, that's how he runs. We chose wrong and it went a long way."

The defense would have been helped, especially late in the game, if the offense would have held the ball longer on most of its possessions. The post-turnover possessions, as the minus-net yards indicate, were particularly troubling.

Mangini was asked if the play-calling was too conservative after the turnovers.

"I know exactly what you're saying," he said. "I really believed that we were going to be able to turn the corner in the running game. I know that [offensive coordinator] Brian [Daboll] believed that, and the offensive players believed that. It felt like we had some good answers there. We didn't execute very well and our answers weren't as good as we thought they were. That's the frustrating part of it."

The Browns rushed 26 times for 88 yards.

"I don't think they did anything we didn't expect," Vickers said, "they just executed better than we did."

Tight end Evan Moore tipped his helmet to the Jaguars' four-man front.

"They came at us similar to the way Atlanta did (a 20-10 loss on Oct. 10), doing a lot of stuff up front in the run game," Moore said. "They made it kind of confusing for us, and we're a run-first offense. Therefore, it kind of shook us up a little bit."

Injury updates: Mangini said of special teamer Blake Costanzo, who suffered a groin injury Sunday: "It doesn't look great."

Mangini said defensive back Mike Adams (abdomen) and all-purpose Josh Cribbs (toes) are "making some progress."

Cornerback Eric Wright, who injured his left knee when Ahtyba Rubin fell on him in the first quarter, walked into the locker room with one crutch and exited with the crutch over his shoulder.

"I just banged my knee up a little bit," he said.

Mangini said he will know more on Wright's status Wednesday.

While the Buckeyes were pushed around by Wisconsin, Michigan's spread offense is what the OSU defense is geared to handle, starting in the middle.

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain DealerBrian Rolle was a dominant defender for Ohio State against Adam Robinson and the Hawkeyes on Saturday, and he'll need to repeat that performance against Denard Robinson and Michigan's high-scoring offense. "I feel like in between the lines, I think there's very few people in the country that can run away from me," he said Monday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Brian Rolle never played better as a Buckeye than he did last week at Iowa, and the Ohio State senior captain and Big Ten defensive player of the week picked a fine time to peak.

When 6-foot, 193-pound Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson gets moving Saturday, Ohio State's 5-11, 218-pound middle linebacker will have to be leading the chase.

"I feel like in between the lines, I think there's very few people in the country that can run away from me," Rolle said Monday.

Averaging 21 carries and 140 rushing yards per game, Robinson is unlike any other quarterback the Buckeyes have seen this season, and his role in the Rich Rodriguez spread is unlike the other Big Ten spread offenses.

"We have to slow down an offense that is doing unbelievable this season. Nobody's really slowed them down yet," Ohio State defensive lineman Dexter Larimore said. "They've just been putting points on the board, they've been running all over the place."

But the Wolverines also haven't faced a defense quite like Ohio State's, with the Buckeyes third in the nation in fewest yards allowed, third in fewest rushing yards and fifth in fewest points. While the Buckeyes were pushed around by Wisconsin in the first half of their only loss this season, and linebackers Rolle and Ross Homan were rendered ineffective, this is the type of offense this defense is now more geared to handle, starting in the middle.

"Most people look at it like that, me being a guy that plays better against spread offenses than a team like Wisconsin, where people say I was at a disadvantage," Rolle said. "But I feel that's not true, because I can play against the run just as good as I can a spread offense."

Yet Rolle went on to explain how he does fit into this game.

View full sizeMarvin Fong / The Plain Dealer"This week is a good game because you know (Michigan will) run zone plays where it's not straight downhill at you," said Brian Rolle, "and they're going to run [screens] and throw the ball deep so that is an advantage [with me] being able to run like I can do."

"This week is a good game because you know they're going to run zone plays where it's not straight downhill at you, and they're going to run [screens] and throw the ball deep so that is an advantage [with me] being able to run like I can do," Rolle said.

And now when he runs, he's attacking. He led the Buckeyes with 10 tackles against the Hawkeyes and thought he played to a level that warranted consideration for the conference's weekly defensive award. That performance was a present to himself on his 22nd birthday.

"After the game I said to myself it feels good to know I played probably my best game ever since I've been here," Rolle said. "Everyone tells me it was because it was my birthday, but I just felt like going on the road it was needed that the seniors step up and play well and I did that. And as a captain I felt obligated to do my best and that's what I did."

"I thought he played very well," senior safety Jermale Hines said. "He was active, physical, sideline to sideline. That's what I expect from him. When he's at his best he's always attacking, he's not second guessing. He sees something and he's shooting to it."

That's not always the easiest thing for a linebacker to do when the Buckeyes are so intent on doing only their 1/11th of the defensive scheme. There needs to be aggression within parameters and the balance can be tricky. Larimore said he saw linebackers like James Laurinaitis and A.J. Hawk find it in the past.

"Those guys were good at, boom, just going and making a decision and hitting them," Larimore said. "He's definitely doing a lot better on reading his keys and shooting those gaps. Sometimes at the linebacker position you can think too much, you kind of hesitate, and I think what he's kind of turned on is just going and just really reacting.

"Early on I think he was doing that well, and then he got thinking too much, and now he's on track to just explode through those holes and make tackles."

Four years ago, Rolle, a Florida native attended the Ohio State-Michigan No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in Ohio Stadium as a recruit and it made him want to be a Buckeye. Saturday he'll play his final game in that stadium with a full understanding of it all.

"I tell my parents I feel like I'm from Ohio," Rolle said. "I feel like this is where I'm from. This is where I belong."

This team. This game. This defense. Against this offense.