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Ohio State basketball vs. Michigan State preview: TV info, key players, stats, prediction

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The Buckeyes are back home on Sunday in a must-win game against Michigan State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State basketball looks for its first Big Ten win on Sunday when it hosts Michigan State. Here's everything you need to know before tip-off:

GAME INFORMATION

Who: Michigan State Spartans (12-6, 4-1 Big Ten) at Ohio State Buckeyes (10-7, 0-4).

When: Sunday, 1:30 p.m.

Where: Value City Arena (18,809).

TV: CBS, with Carter Blackburn and Bill Raftery on the call.

Twitter: Follow cleveland.com's Bill Landis and Doug Lesmerises for updates from the game.

Series record: Michigan State leads the all-time series vs. Ohio State 72-57, but the Buckeyes are 37-24 in Columbus. Seven of the last 12 meetings have been decided by four points or less, but Michigan State beat Ohio State three times last year (including the Big Ten Tournament) by an average of 20 points.

PROJECTED STARTERS

Michigan State: G Tum Tum Nairn (Jr., 5-10, 4.3 ppg); G Josh Langford (Fr., 6-5, 6.2 ppg); G Eron Harris (Sr., 6-3, 12.4 ppg); G/F Miles Bridges (Fr., 6-7, 14.5 ppg); F Nick Ward (Fr., 6-8, 13.6 ppg).

Ohio State: G JaQuan Lyle (Soph., 6-5, 11.7 ppg); G Kam Williams (Jr., 6-2, 10.4 ppg); F Marc Loving (Sr., 6-7, 11.2 ppg); F Jae'Sean Tate (Jr., 6-4, 14.2 ppg); C Trevor Thompson (Jr., 7-0, 10.7 ppg).

MICHIGAN STATE NOTES

The Spartans are coming off a 65-47 win over Minnesota on Wednesday night ... Michigan State freshman star Miles Bridges missed seven games in December due to injury. This will be his fourth game back, and he scored 16 points in the first half in the win over Minnesota ... Big Ten opponents have shot 39.1 percent from the field, which is the best defensive field goal percentage in conference play. Every Spartans opponent has been held under 47 percent shooting this year ... Spartans coach Tom Izzo is 27-14 in his career against Ohio State ... Michigan State is No. 12 in the Big Ten in scoring offense (72.3 ppg) and No. 6 in field goal percentage (47.3 percent) ... The Spartans are No. 8 in the Big Ten in scoring defense (66.7 ppg) and No. 4 in field goal percentage defense (39 percent).

Listen to our latest Buckeye Talk Podcast (recorded before the Wisconsin game) about the state of Ohio State basketball:

OHIO STATE NOTES

The Buckeyes are 0-4 in Big Ten play, coming off their worst loss of the season, an 89-66 loss to Wisconsin on Thursday ... Ohio State is -6.4 in rebounding margin during Big Ten play ... Ohio State allowed 28 second-chance points and 21 offensive rebounds against Wisconsin. In Big Ten play, the Buckeyes are -34 in second-chance points, and -18 in offensive rebounding ... Big Ten opponents have made nearly 40 percent of their 3-point attempts against the Buckeyes ... Ohio State is No. 11 in the conference in scoring offense (73.8 ppg) and No. 7 in field goal percentage (46.9 percent) ... The Buckeyes are No. 9 in the Big Ten in scoring defense (66.9 ppg) and No. 5 in field goal percentage defense (39.5 percent).

PREDICTION

Bill's pick: Ohio State 68, Michigan State 65. The thinking is that Wisconsin was a complete letdown under the weight of a losing streak. The Buckeyes need a win, like desperately need a win. At home against a young team, Ohio State shouldn't come out flat like it did against the Badgers. Defense and rebounding are the things that can get Ohio State back on track. A team that starts four juniors and a senior, in need of a win, should come ready to play against a team that starts three freshmen. If they don't, strap in for a long season.


Tyjon Lindsey commits to Nebraska days after decommitting from Ohio State football

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Lindsey decommitted from Ohio State's 2017 recruiting class earlier this week. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It took Tyjon Lindsey just a few days to find a new home.

Lindsey, the four-star receiver who decommitted from Ohio State earlier this week, announced on Saturday his commitment to Nebraska. Lindsey posted his commitment on his public Twitter account.

The Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman product had been committed to the Buckeyes since August when he decommitted from Ohio State early on Wednesday morning. He's the No. 6 receiver in the 2017 recruiting class, and becomes the top-rated commit in Nebraska's class.

Lindsey's decommitment from Ohio State was unexpected. He was one of three Bishop Gorman products committed to the Buckeyes in this recruiting cycle, joining defensive tackle Haskell Garrett and quarterback Tate Martell.

Cleveland.com spoke with Lindsey in Las Vegas earlier this week, but Lindsey would not completely divulge why he decommitted.

"I'm trying to pursue my career somewhere else," Lindsey told cleveland.com.

Lindsey's special message to Ohio State fans

Multiple reports had Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith in Las Vegas on Thursday trying to reconnect with Lindsey and figure things out. It appeared there was a slim chance of the Buckeyes ever getting Lindsey back into the fold after his decommitment.

Now it's official: Lindsey is heading to Nebraska.

In other Ohio State-related recruiting news on Saturday, former Buckeyes commit Antjuan Simmons announced his commitment to Michigan State on Twitter. Lindesey, who goes to high school in Ann Arbor, Mich., across the street from Michigan Stadium, decommitted from Ohio State on Nov. 30 of last year.

The Deshaun Watson hype comes with a cautionary tale for the Browns -- Bud Shaw's Sports Spin

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Deshaun Watson's stock is rising since his Clemson Tigers beat Alabama to win the national championship. The Browns' homework on Watson should include re-reading a cautionary tale they know so well.

CLEVELAND, Ohio - If Hue Jackson thought Robert Griffin III made the earth move in an impressive personal workout, what size avalanche could Deshaun Watson cause in a week of Senior Bowl practices for Jackson's South team?

Watson hasn't committed yet and might decide his value could only drop if he attends the exhibition in Mobile.

That might not be the worst thing for the Browns. Maybe you've noticed that Jackson has a bit of the evangelist in him and no shortage of confidence as a quarterback healer and whisperer.

The Browns purposely positioned themselves to score big in the 2017 draft. This is no time to let lust get in the way of logical analysis.

If any organization should understand that, it would be the one that drafted RG3 -- the Redskins, who gave up three No. 1s and a No. 2 to take him with the second overall pick in 2012.

Next would be the Browns, who signed RG3 when no other NFL team was in hot pursuit, who then handed him the starting job and watched him survive one half before getting hurt.

The trumpeting of Watson as a Top 5 pick will only grow louder if the week following Clemson's win over Alabama is any indication.

"Cleveland could take him at No. 1," a NFL personnel man told espn.com. "Look who's coaching him."

Another NFL talent evaluator told Adam Schefter Watson will go high and that the Browns will be enticed despite their keen interest in Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett.

Would a trade make more sense than a reach in the draft?

"The head coach will like him," he said of Jackson. "You can see that. He wanted to bring RG3 over -- this is a much better player than RG3, and RG3 went second in the draft."

Hold on there. Watson certainly looks better than the RG3 who's been knocked down and sometimes out since his dynamic rookie season.

But it's helpful to revisit what scouts said about RG3 before the 2012 draft. He was called "not only the most physically gifted quarterback" but also "the most talented player" in a NFL.com scouting preview.

He was credited with having "Joe Montana-like ability" to extend plays.

The report said he was "built for the position." While he lacked Cam Newton's size he made up for it with some of the "same natural talents."

Here's my favorite: "so athletic that defenders rarely get a shot on him."

NFL defenders get shots on any and all. Clemson's win over Alabama was Watson at his best. But he also took hits he can't take in the NFL, including the old familiar helicopter ride.

The Browns must decide whether any quarterback in the draft is a Top Five talent. I don't see it. And it matters because they'd be passing the best position player in the draft to reach for one there.

Next they have to decide what they want in a quarterback they would take that high. Do they value size, pocket presence and accuracy?

If so, that is not the definition of Deshaun Watson.

Where will QB inflation take Watson, Trubisky and Kizer? 

One take on RG3 in early 2012 said that while he didn't show a comfort level in the pocket coming out of Baylor, certainly that could be coached. Can it? How easily?

Five years later, RG3 still vacates the pocket too soon.

The Browns passed on drafting at No. 2 last year to accumulate more picks and set themselves up for a killing in 2017 and 2018. It's time to take a game-changing -- if not earth moving -- talent at the top of the draft. 

If that's a quarterback, I'll be surprised. But OK, then everybody in the organization better believe in him -- not just the head coach.

Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes searching for an edge to get out of Big Ten slump

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Ohio State is 0-4 in Big Ten play, and hosts Michigan State on Sunday afternoon. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Inside the Ohio State football practice facility at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center hangs a giant red banner that reads "The Edge."

It's kind of cheesy, as motivational tactics tend to appear to outsiders. Inside that building, though, it means a lot: Get to the edge and jump, be your best self, have an edge, a toughness, don't get out-worked, fight -- not matter what.

Maybe Thad Matta can borrow it for a while? Unlikely.

But Matta's Ohio State basketball team needs to find an edge, something to get out of this 0-4 start to Big Ten play that appeared to weigh heavily on the Buckeyes in a blowout loss to Wisconsin on Thursday night. An 0-5 Big Ten start can't happen, must be avoided at all cost. Ohio State needs to become a tougher basketball team, and fast, because Matta's 11-year streak of winning at least 10 conference games is increasingly in jeopardy.

Worse, the Buckeyes appear to be on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

But first, they need a win. So toughness, finding an edge, has been the focus since Thursday.

"Yesterday we did this drill, it started with two, then three and then four guys in the paint and the coaches throw the ball up: Get a rebound and there's no fouls," freshman center Micah Potter said. "You just have to finish. We did that for probably 20, 30 minutes.

"It was competitive. Guys were diving on the floor, pushing and shoving each other -- there's no fouls so you can do whatever you want. It was actually fun. Guys were cheering each other on, getting hyped. That's the mindset you have to take going into a Michigan State game."

The Spartans, young but (shocker) still at the top of the Big Ten stand between Ohio State and that first Big Ten win. They'll meet on Sunday at Value City Arena (1:30 p.m., CBS).

Ohio State vs. Michigan State preview

Matta has tried different tactics this year to try to get a stretch of solid basketball out of this team. This time it was half-hour stretches of no-rules basketball. The plan was to do some of the same during Saturday's practice. The goal: Avoid some of these stretches were the Buckeyes fall apart at the first sign of adversity.

"You look at our first four Big Ten games -- or a UCLA game or a Virginia game -- where the runs that happened, we've gotta be able to stop them and make more runs," Matta said. "That's been the biggest thing with this group right now: We dig ourselves in a hole, and the other night we weren't able to get out of it."

Lacking competitiveness might be the worst insult you could levy against a team because it has nothing to do with skill, but it's fair to go there with Ohio State (10-7, 0-4) right now. It's led to some drastic statistical drops during Big Ten play:

* Ohio State is getting out-worked 59-41 in offensive rebounds in Big Ten play, which has led to a 70-36 disadvantage in second-chance points. Against Wisconsin, the Badgers had 20 more field goal attempts than Ohio State.

* Ohio State's field goal percentage defense is up nearly five points in Big Ten play compared to the season as a whole (44.4 percent to 39.5), and its defensive 3-point field goal percentage is up from 33.8 percent to 39.8 percent. Buckeyes' opponents have scored 70 points or more in five straight games.

"We just haven't been as tough as we have in the past," junior forward Jae'Sean Tate said. "Why? I'm not sure. But all I know is we gotta turn it around quick."

* Ohio State's two-point field goal percentage -- including tough, contested buckets inside -- is at 45 percent in Big Ten play, three points below the national average and down from its season-long mark of 53.6 percent.

Here's a look at some important Ohio State numbers in the Ken Pomeroy advance stat metrics overall (on the left) and in Big Ten play (right):

Ohio State's KenPom stats  

* On the whole, Ohio State is +12.0 offensive efficiency compared to defensive efficiency according to the KenPom metrics, which is top-60 overall. During Big Ten play, the difference takes a precipitous drop to -14.0, which would be about No. 320 in the country if extrapolated over an entire season.

It's unlikely Ohio State fixes all of that in one game against Michigan State.

What matters is that the Buckeyes find a away to fix some of it by Sunday, and work through the rest as the season progresses.

How do they do it? Get tougher. Find a way to pull out a win. Find a way to follow the lead of a player like Tate who brings effort and energy every night even when other things aren't working.

If it's not going to happen now, when will it ever happen?

"We haven't handled adversity well throughout the course of the game -- a foul that wasn't called, a ball that was ours out of bounds and they get it," Matta said. "Hey, who cares? We get our share on the other end. You gotta keep playing."

Cleveland State comes up short against Valparaiso, 78-67

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Cleveland State's pressure defense comes close to delivering an upset against Valparaiso but the rally falls short in the end as the Vikings lose their fourth straight.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland State put the pressure on late against Valparaiso, but the Crusaders stood tall at the end, 78-67, as the Vikings lost their fourth straight conference game of the season Saturday afternoon in the Wolstein Center.

Valparaiso (14-4, 4-1) looked to have the game in hand with a 17-point lead, 53-36, with less than 15 minutes to play. The Vikings then turned to their press and steadily began cutting into the lead. CSU was within four, 68-64, with 3:10 to play on a Bobby Word 3-pointer.

But with 1:56 to play in the game, down seven, Word was whistled for an intentional foul on a Valparaiso bust-out. The Crusaders took advantage by hitting both free throws, then a short baseline jumper that put the game back over double-digits with 1:36 to play to lock down the victory.

Valpo's Alec Peters led all scorers with 30 points. Rob Edwards paced CSU with 22 points, followed by Word with 14, including four 3-pointers.

Live stats

The first half: Cleveland State came out quick against the Crusaders and built an early 16-4 lead. But once Valpo got going behind forward Alec Peters, it did not stop. A 30-12 run followed as the Vikings went cold, ending the opening half by going the final 5:07 without a field goal.

The Vikings were 5-of-10 from the field building their early lead. By the end of the half, CSU was only shooting 34.8 percent, making just 3-of-13 the rest of the way.

Next in line: The Vikings jump from the frying pan into the fire as a four-game road trip begins Monday night at Oakland, which is coming off a stunning loss to rival Detroit that dropped the Grizzlies one game back of first-place Green Bay in the Horizon League Standings.

After that, CSU travels to play at Milwaukee, then at Green Bay, before ending the road swing Jan. 28 at Youngstown State. If the Vikings can get an upset or two in that stretch, February becomes much more favorable, with five out of eight games at home.

By the numbers: The good news for Cleveland State in HL stats for the season is that the Vikings are fifth in the league in free throw shooting, making 68.6 percent from the line. The down side is only one team, Milwaukee, has shot fewer free throws than the Vikings.

CSU entered the Valpo game with 299 attempts on the season to Milwaukee's 251. By contrast, Illinois-Chicago leads the league with 464 attempts.

Women first: The Cleveland State women (9-7, 4-1) defended their home court with ease, earning a 77-59 victory over Illinois Chicago (3-14, 0-6) in the opening game of the double-header. The Vikings had four players in double figures, led by Kayla Livingston with 19 points, Olivia Voskuil with 17, Ashanti Abshaw with 16 and Jade Ely with 14.

LeBron James said Golden State Warriors are NBA's 'best team,' not a 'rival'

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LeBron James called the Golden State Warriors the "best" team in the NBA not once, but twice Friday night. How's that for stoking the flames of what's supposed to be the league's best rivalry? Watch video

SAN FRANCISCO -- LeBron James called the Golden State Warriors the "best" team in the NBA not once, but twice Friday night.

How's that for stoking the flames of what's supposed to be the league's best rivalry?

"We don't look at it as a rival," James said. "They're a great team. They've been the best team the last couple years, last three years."

James' words on the subject range somewhere from debatable to nonsensical.

The Cavs and Warriors are rivals. The splitting of the past two Finals. The smack talk. The finger pointing. The obsession that haunted the Cavs for much of last season, and the rage that drove them when they were down 3-1 and felt disrespected. The Halloween Party (much more on that in a minute).

And while it's true the Warriors own the NBA's best record over the past 2 1/2 seasons, it was the Cavs who beat them when it mattered most, in June. And of course Cleveland won again on Christmas, coming back from 14 points down to win 109-108 on Kyrie Irving's late jumper.

Kyrie's Christmas winner not only Game 7 similarity

So when the two franchises meet again at 8:30 p.m. Monday at Oracle Arena, it will be the NBA-leading Warriors (34-6) against the East-leading Cavs (29-10) in the latest iteration of a rivalry. James might be only one saying it isn't (Tyronn Lue, as he's done several times, said again Friday it was).

But when it comes to the best team, it's the Cavs who've won the last four games in this series, starting with Game 5 of the Finals. So count this as James applying his own form of gamesmanship to Monday's festivities.

"It's just the next game, it's Golden State," James said. "They're a helluva team, like I said the best team in the league and they've been that way the last three years, four years, however long it's been, I'm not quite sure. But, listen, you guys know, we don't put all our eggs in one basket for one game."

James scored 31 on Christmas to Kevin Durant's 36, who experienced the Cavs-Warriors rivalry for the first time. Irving scored 25. Klay Thompson had 24. It was 20 for Kevin Love and 15 for Stephen Curry.

Both teams know not to make much out of a regular-season game against the other. At one time, the Warriors had defeated Cleveland seven times in a row, ranging from the 2015 Finals, to both games last season, through games 1 and 2 of the 2016 Finals. And in the end that momentum didn't get them far enough (included in there was a 34-point drubbing by Golden State at The Q, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in fact).

But the Warriors seem to be putting a fair amount of emphasis on this one. In a wide-ranging interview with USA Today, Thompson said his team wanted to "win so bad ... because we still have a bad taste in our mouth" from blowing a 3-1 lead in the Finals.

Oh, and Thompson didn't like James' Halloween Party.

Around the time of the party, pictures instantly hit social media showing a skeleton behind a drum, on which was inscribed "3-1 lead." There were tombstone cookies for Thompson and Curry.

Then, following the Christmas Day game, ESPN reported that guests at James' party had to step over a Curry doll.

"It's obviously not respectful, so it's got to be on the other side of the spectrum, so that's fine with us," Thompson told USA Today. "They can do that childish stuff. It doesn't matter to us. All we've got to do is handle it on the court, you know?

"I still think we need to play with more of an edge next time we see them." Thompson continued. "I mean when we won the championship, though, we didn't do some stuff like that. But that's OK. People are built differently. We're not going to - I'm not going to hold it against them. I'm just going to go out there, and we just want to beat them down next time we see them. That's how it is. Hold that in the memory bank, and just remember that they do that stuff...It's a good rivalry, and it's good for the NBA."

Thompson, of course, is the one who, before Game 5, told James on the podium that the NBA was a "man's league." And there was Curry wondering aloud if the visitor's locker room at The Q still smelled like champagne from the '15 Finals.

Irving was given the chance to make the same crack Friday night, after the Cavs dumped the Sacramento Kings 120-108. He was asked if the memories of Game 7 would come rushing back when he walks into Oracle, and he said: "I wouldn't go that deep as memories flashing, but it's just an exciting thing, man.

"We'd be lying if we didn't say that it wasn't a great competitive game that we're looking forward to. Who doesn't want to see that?"

No one, Kyrie. No one.

Fairmont State, No. 2 in Division II, too much for Notre Dame College

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Seven Ohio natives on Fairmont State's roster welcomes victory on home turf against Notre Dame College.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -  A visit to Notre Dame College on Saturday afternoon unfortunately provided Fairmont State, the No. 2 team in the country in Div. II, all of the motivation it needed.

And Notre Dame did not have much of an answer.

"They're really good," said Notre Dame coach Tim Koenig. "If you miss easy baskets, like we did, they'll make you pay. There's no secrets [on how good they are]. We're pretty good, too, but they got us tonight."

Timely offensive rebounds and key second-half 3-pointers were too much for the Falcons to overcome as they fell, 97-77, to Fairmont State in a packed Murphy Gymnasium on the South Euclid campus.

Fairmont's Matt Bingara led his team with 32 points and 12 rebounds. J'Sean Lewis led the Falcons with 17 points.

The loss snapped Notre Dame's eight-game winning streak, but the loss came against one of the best teams in the country. Fairmont State (15-0) extended its own streak, the longest since the school won 18 during the 1998-99 season.

But the victory was even sweeter for Fairmont because it  avenged last year's conference tournament loss to Notre Dame.

"We talked about [that loss] for five or six months," said Fairmont coach Jerrod Calhoun, a graduate of Cleveland's St. Joseph High School. "We were looking forward to this game. The key for us was grinding this out. When we make passes and make [easy] shots like we did, we're really hard to beat."

Several players also found motivation because of a homecoming of sorts. Seven team members were raised in Ohio.

"Playing at home meant everything," said sophomore guard Vonte Montgomery, a graduate of Garfield Heights High School, who finished with 14 points. "I knew we were going to have a pretty good fan base, and it didn't seem like a road game. We were pumped for it."

Bingaya, out of Delaware, Ohio, was especially inspired to play against Notre Dame's Will Vorhees, last week's Div. II Player of the Week. It was a week where Vorhees averaged 35 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.

Vorhees scored 12 points and had seven rebounds on Saturday.

"Everyone talked about Vorhees, but the difference was Bingaya," Calhoun said. "Matt wanted to show who was the best player in the league tonight . . . He's the best in the country."

That was especially on display late in the second half, as Notre Dame trailed by 11 but never managed to cut the deficit into single digits. Bingaya scored eight points, including a resounding dunk, over the final four minutes. His highlight-reel dunk extended the lead to 24 with 1:24 left.

"It's another win," Bingaya said. "We're continuing to take a step forward with this program and the culture we've built. Our defense is really coming together and I'm excited about the rest of this season. And it's nice for us Ohio guys to get a win in familiar waters."

Atlanta Falcons soar into NFC title game with 36-20 victory over Seattle

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Matt Ryan threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Falcons to an NFC title game against either Dallas or Green Bay.

ATLANTA -- Matt Ryan looked very much like an MVP, and the Atlanta Falcons are headed to the NFC championship game.

Ryan threw for 338 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Falcons to a 36-20 victory over the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round Saturday. Atlanta will face either the Dallas Cowboys or the Green Bay Packers, who meet Sunday in the NFC's other divisional game.

After the Seahawks zipped down the field for a touchdown on the opening possession, Atlanta's young defense largely shut down Russell Wilson & Co. the rest of the way.

Ryan and the high-scoring Falcons took it from there -- getting a huge boost from a holding penalty that wiped out an 80-yard punt return by Devin Hester.

Ryan hooked up with Julio Jones on a 7-yard touchdown and Tevin Coleman for a 14-yard score before finishing off the Seahawks with a 3-yard toss to Mohamed Sanu in the corner of the end zone with just under 4 minutes remaining, sparking a raucous chant of "MVP! MVP! MVP!" from a Georgia Dome crowd that stood most of the game, giving the Falcons the sort of home-field advantage that Seattle is used to having at the Link.

Before a foot injury limited him in the second half, Jones made life miserable for Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, who got away with an apparent pass interference penalty on Atlanta's star receiver when the teams met during the regular season, preserving a 26-24 victory for the Seahawks.

Jones was targeted eight times, coming up with six receptions for 67 yards to set a tone that Atlanta would not be intimidate by the Legion of Boom.

But, as usual, Ryan spread the ball around to everyone. Speedy Taylor Gabriel had a 37-yard reception.

Running back Devonta Freeman slipped out of the backfield to haul in a 53-yard pass, putting a dazzling fake on replacement free safety Steven Terrell right in the middle of the field.

In all, eight players caught passes for Atlanta.

For only the fourth time in their 51-year history, the Falcons (12-5) will be playing for the conference title and a spot in the Super Bowl. They made their only Super Bowl appearance during the 1998 season, falling to Denver in John Elway's final game, and lost in the NFC title game during the 2004 and 2012 seasons.

The Seahawks (11-6-1) couldn't follow up a dominating win over Detroit in the opening round, the game turning dramatically on a holding penalty in the second quarter that wiped out Hester's return to the Atlanta 7. Instead of having first-and-goal and a chance to extend a 10-7 lead, Seattle was backed up to its 7. After Thomas Rawls was thrown for a 3-yard loss, Wilson attempted to drop back for a pass.

One problem: rookie right guard Rees Odhiambo, taking over after Germain Ifedi was injured, stepped back onto Wilson's foot, sending the quarterback tumbling down in the end zone. Ben Garland fell on Wilson for a safety that turned the momentum Atlanta's way.

Matt Bryant's 35-yard field goal put the Falcons ahead to stay, and the home team closed out the first half with a 99-yard drive touchdown that was extended by Sanu's brilliant, one-handed catch for 22 yards with Jeremy Lane grabbing at his arm.

After getting beat on Seattle's first possession, an Atlanta defense featuring four rookies and a bunch of second-year players limited the Seahawks to a pair of a field goals before giving up a meaningless 31-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin in the closing minutes.

DYNAMIC HESTER

Facing his former team, Hester certainly had quite an impact on special teams.

Even though his longest play was wiped out, he had five kickoff returns for 194 yards, including a 78-yarder.

Hester played for the Falcons in 2014 and '15. He signed with the Seahawks just before the playoffs.

INJURY REPORT

Seattle's tight ends took quite a beating. Brandon Williams went out with a concussion and Luke Willson was evaluated for a possible concussion late in the game.

Also, Seahawks cornerback DeShawn Shead did not return after being helped off the field with a left knee injury early in the second half.

The Falcons lost defensive end Adrian Clayborn with a biceps injury on Seattle's opening drive.

UP NEXT

If Green Bay upsets the Cowboys, the NFC championship game would be next weekend at the Georgia Dome, extending the 25-year-old stadium's tenure one more game.

The Falcons are moving to $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium next season.


Cleveland Monsters fall to Charlotte Checkers, 5-3

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Five unanswered goals, including an empty-netter as time ran out, lifted the Charlotte Checkers to a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Monsters in an AHL Central Division game Saturday night at Bojangles Coliseum in North Carolina.

Five unanswered goals, including an empty-netter as time ran out, lifted the Charlotte Checkers to a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Monsters on Saturday night at Bojangles Coliseum in North Carolina.

Cleveland's second loss in two nights to Charlotte dropped the Monsters to 17-14-1-3, in fourth place in the AHL's Central Division. The seventh-place Checkers improved to 16-20-2-0.

Cleveland took the lead at 6:57 of the first period with a short-handed goal by Sonny Milano on a breakaway assisted by T.J. Tynan and John Ramage.

Oliver Bjorkstrand made it 2-0 with his team-leading 11th goal, assisted by Justin Scott, at 13:57 of the opening frame. Jordan Maletta extended the lead at 3:08 of the second period with a shot from the point fed by Dillon Heatherington and Ramage.

But Phil DiGiuseppe started the scoring for the Checkers with a power-play goal at 16:36 of the second period, and Andrej Nestrasil followed just nine seconds later from the left circle.

Goals by Lucas Hallmark at 12:16 of the third period and Sergey Tolchinsky at 17:13 gave Charlotte the lead, 4-3, before Hallmark found Cleveland's open net at 19:59 as the Monsters tried to force overtime.

With both Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo called up by the Columbus Blue Jackets -- Forsberg after playing Friday night against Charlotte -- veteran Brad Thiessen returned in net for Cleveland for the first time since October. He stopped 27 of 31 shots in taking the loss.

Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 22 of 25 for Charlotte.

Next up, the Monsters return to The Q against the Rockford IceHogs at 7 p.m. Wednesday and Friday.

Ex-Files: Former Cleveland Browns Alex Mack, Taylor Gabriel factor in Atlanta Falcons' playoff victory

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The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Seattle Seahawks, 36-20, in an NFL Divisional Round game Saturday in Atlanta. Two former Browns played a role in the outcome.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Browns center Alex Mack and receiver Taylor Gabriel helped the Atlanta Falcons handle the Seattle Seahawks, 36-20, in an NFC Divisional Round game on Saturday afternoon at Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Mack and Gabriel made their NFL postseason debuts.

Mack, a first-round pick of the Browns in 2009, signed with Atlanta in March. He started every game this season as the Falcons put up video-game numbers offensively en route to an 11-5 record and NFC South title. Ryan was an MVP candidate.

Mack was the fulcrum on a line that performed well, on balance, in the passing and running games Saturday. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan went 26-of-37 for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Ryan did not throw an interception and was sacked three times.

The Falcons rushed 29 times for 99 yards and one touchdown.

During a Falcons drive late in the fourth quarter that turned out to be their final touchdown Saturday, Fox Sports analyst John Lynch said: "The one move this team made this offseason....Getting a center isn't a really sexy move, but man, has it made this team better. Alex Mack came from the Cleveland Browns. He's a very good player. He's also incredibly smart.

"The great players -- they don't just play well, they make everyone around them better. This offensive line has improved so much, and I think he's a vital, vital cog. The offensive line has made this a better team.''

Where Mack is concerned, it is easy to say that the Browns "let an All-Pro-caliber o-lineman walk.'' Too easy. In fairness to the Browns, Mack had been itching to go elsewhere. It was not a surprise.

The Browns signed Gabriel as an undrafted free agent in 2014. He caught a total of  64 passes for 862 yards and one touchdown in 2014-15. He was cut this past September; the Falcons claimed him the next day and have been happy since.

Slot-receiver Gabriel has provided Ryan a dependable target. Gabriel caught 35 passes for 579 yards and six touchdowns, and rushed four times for 51 yards and one touchdown, in 13 regular-season games.

Gabriel caught four passes for 71 yards on Saturday. Late in the second quarter, Gabriel had an 18-yard reception on second-and-10 from the Atlanta 36. Three plays later, the Falcons scored a touchdown to cap a 99-yard drive.

Granting that Gabriel is far from a superstar, he should be good enough to stick with a franchise starving for any degree of talent. Why he was cut by the Browns is not quite as understandable as the Mack exit.

Notable: Former Browns defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin notched one of the sacks of Ryan.

Brecksville goes undefeated in finals to win 2017 Bill Dies Memorial Tournament

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Brecksville wrestlers went a perfect 3-for-3 in championship matches to win the 2017 Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at Firestone. Brunswick's Nick Kiussis also defeated three-t...

AKRON, Ohio — Brecksville had three wrestlers competing in the finals of the Bill Dies Memorial Tournament on Saturday at Firestone.

All three won, and the Bees needed all three wins to hold off Elyria in the race for the team title.


Brecksville’s Julian Tagg (106 pounds), Gabriel Tagg (113) and Marco Regalbuto (132) won to help Brecksville to a team title, beating Elyria by just 5.5 points.


“For us on our schedule, this is kind of the start of that peak,” Brecksville coach Todd Haverdill said. “This is where we start to pick up some momentum, typically. So it means a lot. It shows improvement.


“It’s cool to win on January 14. But the plan is to continue to get better for March.”


RELATED: See final results as well as video highlights.


Both Julian and Gabriel Tagg faced Elyria wrestlers in their respective finals matchups.


Julian needed a tiebreaker to beat Elyria’s Mick Burnett, 4-1. Burnett nearly escaped at the end of the first half of the tiebreaker, but did not get it in time. Julian got an escape and takedown on the other half of the tiebreaker to get the win.


“It made me realize the things I need to fix, things I need to work on and what he’s good at, his weaknesses,” Julian Tagg said. “But he wrestles a lot like I do. So that was kind of tough on my part.”


In the 113 final, Gabriel Tagg shut out Elyria’s Dylan Shawver, 5-0.




Regalbuto helped secure Brecksville’s team title with a 6-3 win against Garrettsville Garfield’s Logan Kissel in the 132 final. Regalbuto held a 4-3 late but added a takedown to help clinch the match.


“I knew his style is kind of like mine. He likes to kind of throw around,” Regalbuto said. “I knew that going in if I was winning close that I had to kind of sag my hips and get him to where he can’t elevate me and put me to my back.”


Elyria had three champions as well with Josh Breeding (126), J.T. Brown (182) and Kevin Vough (285) all taking first in their respective weight classes.


Brunswick’s Nick Kiussis, a three-time state runner-up, had one of the biggest wins of the finals by beating three-time state champion Kyle Lawson from Olentangy Liberty, 5-3. Kiussis relied on a pair of reversals to score the crucial points.


“It’s definitely good winning here, try to get in his head a little bit, too,” Kiussis said. “But like my coaches said, this isn’t the one that counts. It counts on Saturday night, March or wherever I see him next. It’s a good win, but it’s not like I just won state.”




Kiussis’ teammate, Aaron Naples (195), defeated Tyler Stein of Canfield, 3-0, in the 195 final.


Lukus Stricker of Archbishop Hoban (120) and Paul Skye of Mogadore (220) also won their respective weight classes.

Bill Dies Memorial Tournament 2017 final team, individual results and video highlights

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Check out the final results and video highlights from the 2017 Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament.

AKRON, Ohio — Here are the final results from the 2017 Bill Dies Memorial Tournament at Firestone. Check back later for more video highlights.

Read more about the finals here.


How they finished (Top 10 plus locals): 1. Brecksville 233, 2. Elyria 227.5, 3. Olentangy Liberty 202.5, 4. Canfield 158.5, 5. Perrysburg 130, 6. Rootstown 126, 7. Midview 110, 8. Olmsted Falls 108, 9. Brunswick 107, 10. Woodridge 91, 13. Barberton 82, 14. Crestwood 78, 17. Buckeye 70.5, 19. Streetsboro 65.5, 20. Archbishop Hoban 64.5, 22. Tallmadge 62, 24. Copley 59, 24. Revere 59, 27. Norton 54, 28. Akron Manchester 50, 29. Madison 48, 30. Parma 47, 31. Mogadore 46, 32. Firestone 44.5, 33. Green 44, 34. Twinsburg 42, 35. Highland 41, 36. Cuyahoga Falls 40.5, 37. Garrettsville Garfield 37, 38. Coventry 33.5, 40. Avon 32, 40. Cuyahoga Heights 32, 42. Akron Springfield 28, 44. Garfield Heights 15, 45. Rocky River 11, 47. Euclid 1, 48. Buchtel 0.


Championship-round results (ordered in first place, third-place and fifth-place matches)


106: Julian Tagg (Bre) d. Mick Burnett (Ely), 4-1 TB; Blake Saito (OL) d. Ed Suber IV (Tall), 1-0; Thane Kaufman (West Holmes) p. Michael Shaw (OF) 1:38.


113: Gabriel Tagg (Bre) d. Dylan Shawver (Ely), 5-0; Zach Larue (AM) d. Kyle Ryan (Per), 8-5; Caleb Graber (Green) inj. def. Dom Carone (Str).




120: Lukus Stricker (AH) d. Logan Heil (Bru), 2-0; Eric Bartos (Buck) d. Andrew Perelka (Bre), 4-0; Brendon Fenton (Ely) d. Jordan Rosselli (OL), 3-2 UTB.


126: Josh Breeding (Ely) m.d. Joshua Baitt (Jefferson Area), 12-3; Niko Chilson (Root) d. Derek Dolph (Canton South), 4-2); Nolan Wochna (Bre) inj. def. Ronnie Rowan (Fire).


132: Marco Regalbuto (Bre) d. Logan Kissell (GG), 6-3; Austin Woldcott (Sheridan) p. David Genovese (Wood), 2:57; Zach Furnas (OL) d. Jake Bartinelli (Buck), 2-1.


138: Moises Guillen (Per) d. Jake Martinez (Licking Valley), 7-1; Gavin Stika (Norwayne) d. Brody Muir-Johnson (5-2); Brady Linder (High) ff. Trey Combs (CH).


145: Carson Kharchilava (OL) d. Antwan Pugh (Cop), 7-4; Jason Bronstrup (Bre) d. Josh Jaeckin (OF), 6-3; Drew Newton (Per) d. Zack Brunty (Cre), 3-2.


152: Connor Brady (OL) d. Anthony D’Alesio (Can), 9-2; Luke Sorboro (Root) d. Nick Vespucci (Cre), 2-1); Trever Begin (Mid) d. Quinton Kelley (AH), 3-0.


160: Nick Kiussis (Bru) d. Kyle Lawson (OL), 5-3; Zenik Vovk (Massillon Jackson) m.d. Noah Broski (OF), 14-5; Josh Herhold (Per) inj. def. Hank Carey (Str).




170: Trevor Lawson (OL) d. David Crawford (Can), 3-2; Gary Wokojance (Bar) d. Bryan Zehe (Mad), 7-2; Clay Smock (JA) d. Josh Baldridge (WH), 3-2.


182: J.T. Brown (Ely) d. Zach Steiner (Nor), 3-2); Dominic Cooper (Can) d. Seth Frambach (Mid), 3-2; Chris Langguth (Root) d. Qysean Blackmon (CS), 4-2.


195: Aaron Naples (Bru) d. Tyler Stein (Can), 3-0; Cam King (Ely) m.d. Caleb Rupert (Columbiana), 12-3; Mike Ezenekwe (OL) p. Owen Loughman (Sher), 0:23.


220: Paul Skye (Mog) d. Spencer Berthold (Mid), 3-1 SV; Austin Norris (JA) p. Ryan Hatcher (Bre), 5:34; Ryan Boyle (Root), 3-0.


285: Kevin Vough (Ely) p. Mason Giordano (Can), 4:28; Tim Davin (Col) d. Zach D’Anna (Bre), 5-4; Austin Hindley (Wood) inj. def. Connor Franks (Tall).

Dion Lewis' 3 TDs (run, return, reception) sparks New England's 34-16 win over Houston

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A one-time Brown who never saw the field because of injury, Lewis was the deciding factor in sending the Patriots to the AFC title game.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots are headed back to a familiar spot: the AFC championship game.

Dion Lewis had a 13-yard touchdown reception, a 98-yard kickoff return for a score, and a late 1-yard touchdown to help the Patriots hold off the Houston Texans 34-16 on Saturday night and advance to an NFL-record sixth straight conference title game.

Lewis became the fifth Patriots player to score three touchdowns in a playoff game. He's also the first player in the Super Bowl era to score on a rush, a catch and a kick return in a postseason game.

The Patriots (15-2) survived a gritty effort by the Texans' top-ranked defense, which intercepted Brady twice. Houston's special teams also forced a third turnover.

But the Texans (10-8) couldn't find enough traction on offense to take full advantage of the Patriots' mistakes, settling for field goals on both of Brady's picks.

New England led just 17-13 at the half, but pushed its lead to 24-13 early in the third quarter on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Brady to James White. Houston's Brock Osweiler was intercepted three times after that, and the Texans managed only a field goal the rest of game.

It was the first breakout game of the season for Lewis, who spent the first eight games of the season on injured reserve recovering from off-season surgery on his left knee.

Brady finished 18-of-38 for 287 yards and two touchdowns and was showered with chants of "MVP! MVP!" and "Brady! Brady!" late in the game. Julian Edelman was Brady's most dependable target, catching eight passes for 137 yards.

Osweiler was just 23-of-40 for 198 yards with the two turnovers.

When New England did have the ball in the first half, it gave Houston a steady diet of Lewis early with LeGarrette Blount coming off an illness that limited him during practice this week.

Without Blount to contend with, the Texans applied pressure to Brady. A.J. Bouye intercepted a slightly overthrown ball by Brady late in the first quarter on a pass that bounced out of the hands of receiver Michael Floyd. That led to a 27-yard field goal that cut New England's lead to 14-6.

On the ensuing kickoff, Lewis coughed up the ball on a hit from Akeem Dent. Eddie Pleasant fell on it at the Patriots 12, and two plays later, Brock Osweiler hit C.J. Fiedorowicz from 8 yards out to cut the deficit to 14-13.

Brady only threw two interceptions during the regular season. With his 28 touchdown passes, that was the lowest touchdown to interception ratio in NFL history.

CLOWN TIME IS OVER

Jadeveon Clowney was in Brady's face all game, flattening him in the first half with a legal hit and bringing him down a couple of times in the second on plays that were a little more questionable.

In the third quarter, Brady was chased out of the pocket before heaving the ball downfield. Clowney dragged him to the turf, and Brady came up kicking. The Patriots quarterback made his case to the referee, but no penalty was called.

Early in the fourth, though Clowney was called for roughing the passer for Brady after he got rid of the ball and while he was in the clutches of defensive end Christian Covington.

PILING UP POINTS

Patriots kicker Stephen Gostkowski continues to climb the NFL's career postseason scoring list.

He made an extra point in the first quarter to pass Rice and move into third place on the league's career list. It was Gostkowski's 133rd postseason point, breaking a tie with the San Francisco 49ers receiver.

Next up are kickers Gary Anderson, David Akers and all-time leader Adam Vinatieri, who had half of his 234 career postseason points with New England before moving on to the Indianapolis Colts.

INJURIES

Texans: RB Tyler Ervin left in the second quarter with a concussion. Defensive end Joel Heath exited in the fourth quarter with a knee injury and did not return.

Patriots: WR Chris Hogan left in the third quarter with a thigh injury.

UP NEXT

Texans: End of season.

Patriots: Will host either Pittsburgh or Kansas City in next week's AFC title game.

PGA Tour 2017: Sony Open live leaderboard, TV, tee times for final round

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Justin Thomas is in great shape to secure back-to-back PGA Tour victories in Hawaii.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Justin Thomas led by seven shots entering the final round of the PGA Tour's Sony Open on Sunday in Honolulu.

Thomas went 59-64-65 for 22-under. Zach Johnson (69-61-65) was in second. Three players were tied for third at 14-under.

Sunday's tee times

The PGA Tour's Hawaiian play-cation concludes with the Sony Open. Last week, at the SBS Tournament in Maui, Thomas shot 22-under 270 to defeat Hideki Matsuyama by three shots. Three players, including Jordan Spieth, were six back.

Spieth and Thomas are close friends. Spieth was ninth at 12-under at Sony.

Sunday's live leaderboard:

PGA TOUR

SONY OPEN

Site: Honolulu.

Course: Waialae Country Club.

Purse: $6 million (First prize: $1.08 million).

Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Saturday, 7-10:30 p.m.; Sunday, 6-10 p.m.).

Defending champion: Fabian Gomez.

Last tournament: Justin Thomas won the SBS Tournament of Champions.

Notes: Ernie Els in 2003 is the last player to win both Hawaii events in the same year. ... Justin Rose is playing as part of the tour's new "Strength of Field" policy that requires players to compete in a tournament they have not played in the past four years. ... Nine players from Kapalua are not at the Sony Open, including three players in the top 10: Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Bubba Watson. Johnson is playing next week in Abu Dhabi. ... Branden Grace is playing the Sony Open, then heads straight to Abu Dhabi for the European Tour event. ... The field at Waialae includes 60-year-old Fred Funk. ... The Sony Open has been played at Waialae every year since 1971. The only tournaments with a longer consecutive run at the same course are at Augusta National (1934), Pebble Beach (1947) and Colonial (1950). ... Davis Love III set the course record with a 60 in 1994. ... Tadd Fujikawa was a Monday qualifier. He tied for 20th as a 16-year-old in the 2007 Sony Open. ... Jordan Spieth is playing the Sony Open for the second time. He missed the cut in 2014.

Next week: CareerBuilder Challenge.

Online: www.pgatour.com

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Will the Browns try to trade for AJ McCarron or even Tony Romo? Hey, Mary Kay!

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We've heard a lot about Jimmy Garoppolo and Deshaun Watson. Will the Browns try to trade for A.J. McCarron? Or even Tony Romo? Hey, Mary Kay! Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Hey, Mary Kay!

Hey, Mary Kay: I read and hear a lot of local speculation on the Browns trading for Jimmy Garoppolo or drafting Deshaun Watson or Mitch Trubisky. I am a fan of any of these choices. Is there any talk of going after other quarterbacks such as AJ McCarron or someone else? -- Erik Krevh, Willoughby Hills, Ohio  

Hey, Erik: The Browns are looking at all of their options, including drafting DeShaun Watson and Mitch Trubisky in the first round, and trading for a veteran such as Jimmy Garappolo. They will also probably look at Cincinnati's A.J. McCarron, but the Bengals won't be eager to trade within the division. I think the Browns would probably have to surrender their No. 12 pick to land Garappolo. They'd probably also have to draft Watson or Trubisky with the No. 1 overall pick. Everything is on the table, including looking into Dallas' Tony Romo. One way or the other, the Browns will acquire their possible franchise QB.

Hey, Mary Kay: We were on the verge of defeating Pittsburgh and that's a great rivalry to restore. It was nice to see the running game return with Isaiah Crowell and the rearranged offensive line. With a healthy offensive line and perhaps a draft pick the offense should be improved. Your thoughts?  -- Rob McCoy, Fairmount, West Virginia

Hey Rob: With all due respect, the Browns were on the verge of beating Pittsburgh in the season finale because the Steelers rested Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell. If those three had played, it would've been  a blowout. But I do think the Browns have some good offensive building blocks for 2017, including Crowell, Duke Johnson, Pryor, and Corey Coleman. They do need some upgrades on the offensive line, but will be okay if guards Joel Bitonio and John Greco (Lisfranc midfoot surgeries) recover in time for the season. Center Austin Reiter will also be back from his torn ACL. If the Browns can significantly upgrade the quarterback position, they can turn around the points-starved offense next season.

Hey, Mary Kay: When the Browns were drafting in 2016, did they compare the QB's available in 2016 compared to 2017? Is it just me or does the draft class of 2016 look more talented. Wouldn't you take Carso Wentz and his size over any of 2017 draft QB options. Just saying! Hope they grab BEST AVAILABLE PLAYER AT #1 NOT JUST A QB.  -- Carl Pallas, Palmetto, Fla.


Hey Carl: I'm sure the Browns looked ahead at the 2017 class of Deshaun Watson and DeShone Kizer figured they'd have some good options. At the time, they didn't know much about Mentor, Ohio native Mitch Trubisky, who didn't start until this season. I still like Carson Wentz better than any of these prospects, in part because Trubisky has only 13 starts, but one top talent evaluator told me that Trubisky might have more upside than Wentz. If the Browns feel that way, they'll take him at No. 1.

Hey,  Mary Kay: I saw a rumor online that Hue Jackson was being very vocal about wanting them to hire a GM. He already has some in mind. This goes along with your opinion that the Browns need another "football guy" in house. I agree and hope it happens but what do the think the realistic chances are?  -- Tom Weirs, Akron, Ohio

Hey, Tom: Jimmy Haslam assured us after the season finale that he has the right people in place and that he has no plans to add anyone. Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown also said the Browns won't add to the personnel department, so I doubt it will happen. If anything, I guess they could use a consultant to help with key decisions, but I don't even know if they will do that. I think the one change they've made in the talent evaluation department this offseason is giving Hue Jackson more say over personnel moves. It's a good start, but not enough.

If the Browns want Deshaun Watson or Mitch Trubisky, they'll likely have to take him at No. 1


Hey, Mary Kay: With Cam Erving failing at center is it possible he can be utilized at a guard or tackle position? Does he have enough of a skill set to be successful down the offensive line. -- Don Marteny, Akron, Ohio

Hey, Don: Erving played the season finale in Pittsburgh at right tackle and showed some promised at that spot. He's acknowledged it's tough to play center at his height (6-5) and that it felt good to be back at tackle, where he began on the o-line at Florida State before switching to center for his final five games. I believe the Browns will look to upgrade the center position and give Erving more of a look at tackle.  


Pittsburgh Steelers-Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay Packers-Dallas Cowboys: Sunday's NFL Playoffs 2017 previews (photos)

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Ice storm moves Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs game into prime time on Sunday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Day two of the divisional round of the 2017 NFL Playoffs is on Sunday and your day of football will start later than originally scheduled.

The game between the Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs was previously scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday but has now been moved to 8:20 p.m. on NBC due to an impending ice storm.

The decision to move the time was based on weather pattern information which is the best window to play the game and provide safest commute for fans to and from the game.

So now the game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys is no longer the prime game because it starts at 4:40 p.m. on FOX.

Here are capsule previews of Sunday's game. You can follow along live all day on our NFL Scoreboard and also find previews, stats and updates.

SUNDAY

Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (12-4)

  • When: 8:20 p.m., NBC
  • Why watch: The Steelers, along with the Packers, are the hottest teams in the postseason. The Steelers have won eight straight and they play a Chiefs' team that hasn't won at home in the postseason since 1993. QB Ben Roethlisberger will play after tweaking his ankle last week, but when has a minor tweak ever stopped Big Ben?
  • Series history: The Steelers and Chiefs will meet for the 32nd time and for the second time in the playoffs. The Steelers hold a commanding 21-10 lead in the series. The Chiefs beat the Steelers 27-24 in overtime in a 1993 AFC wild-card game at Arrowhead Stadium. Pittsburgh is 10-7 at Kansas City, but the Chiefs won the last meeting, in 2015.
  • Injury report: Steelers -- Out - LB Anthony Chickillo (ankle). Doubtful - TE Ladarius Green (concussion). Questionable - DE Ricardo Mathews (ankle) and RB Fitzgerald Toussaint (concussion). Chiefs - None.

Green Bay Packers (10-6) at Dallas Cowboys (13-3)

  • When: 4:40 p.m., FOX
  • Why watch: QB Aaron Rodgers has the Packers on a roll and they have become the scariest team in the playoffs. The Cowboys had a great regular season but how will that translate into the postseason for such a young team? The Cowboys will play without suspended DE Randy Gregory. Cornerback Morris Claiborne comes back Sunday but how will his rust affect the team?
  • Series history: This is the 42nd meeting in this series that the Dallas Cowboys lead 21-20, including 4-3 in the playoffs. The Cowboys won the regular season meeting earlier this year 30-16, but the Packers won the last playoff meeting, 26-21 in 2014. Dallas won the last playoff meeting in Dallas, 38-27 in 1996. The Cowboys are 4-1 against the Packers in the playoffs.
  • Injury report: Packers - Out: WR Jordy Nelson (ribs), RB James Starks (concussion), C J.C. Tretter (knee). Questionable: LB Jayrone Elliott (hand), WR Jeff Janis (quadricep), CB Quinten Rollins (neck, concussion). Cowboys - Questionable: CB Morris Claiborne (groin), DT Tyrone Crawford (shoulder), LB Justin Durant (elbow), DE Demarcus Lawrence (back), DT Terrell McClain (ankle), T Tyron Smith (knee), DT Cedric Thornton (ankle).

Amir Riep National Signing Day 2017 player profile: Ohio State's best recruiting class ever

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Riep is rated the No. 14 cornerback and the No. 123 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings. Watch video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football program will sign cornerback Amir Riep on Feb. 1 as part of its recruiting class for National Singing Day 2017. Here is an in-depth look at this member of the Buckeyes' recruiting class. 

Amir Riep 

School: Cincinnati (Ohio) Colerain 

Position: Cornerback 

Height, weight: 5-foot-11, 185 pounds

247Sports Rating: Riep is rated the No. 14 cornerback and the No. 123 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class in the 247Sports composite rankings. 

Other schools: Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, UCLA, USC and others. 

What's his deal? Sometimes ratings and scholarships offers don't add up. If you look at Riep's offers list, you'd think he'd be one of the top-rated prospects in the 2017 class. Maybe he should be. 

Regardless of his rating, Riep's recruitment was specifically intense for Ohio State cornerbacks coach Kerry Coombs. Why? Because Coombs was the head coach at Colerain -- where Riep went -- for a decade, and he had to go back and recruit his old program. It was a tough situation for Coombs because if he got Riep everyone would say it was expected, and if he didn't, people would wonder what he did wrong. It was tough for Coombs, but it worked out because Riep is a Buckeye. 

Michigan State ended up pushing Ohio State the most, but the cornerback pledged to the Buckeyes on July 23 and never looked back. 

How he fits into Ohio State's plans: Ohio State lost both of its cornerbacks to the NFL when Gareon Conley and Marshon Lattimore announced their intentions to leave college early. That means there are two open spots, but one will likely go to Denzel Ward, who rotated into the game regularly with Conley and Lattimore this past season. 

Riep is a very talented player, but he's one of six defensive backs Ohio State is signing this year. He'll likely resurface in a position battle in the future, but it may take a few years. 

Projections for 2017: He'll likely redshirt. If Ohio State needs someone in this recruiting class to start opposite Ward next season, it will likely be Kendall Sheffield, a former five-star prospect who committed to Alabama in the 2015 class. Sheffield transferred from Alabama to a junior college before ultimately committing to the Buckeyes this week. He's the most game-ready cornerback coming into the program in this class. 

Player comparison: How about Doran Grant? Grant is similarly sized and had a similar recruitment, though he was from Northeast Ohio. Grant was a productive Ohio State corner and is still making money in the NFL. 

Why he's important to the best class in Ohio State history: Though Urban Meyer has a handful of five-star prospects, Riep is important because he is the No. 3-rated player in Ohio and he's from Cincinnati. Meyer has kept his vow to keep the best Ohio players home, but it's been a bigger challenge in the Cincinnati area. Not with Riep. Any time Ohio State can keep a nationally-ranked player from Cincinnati home, it's crucial. 

Highlights: 

What we've written about Riep: 

Inside look at Coombs recruiting Colerain

The No. 1 question for Cleveland Browns heading into 2017 NFL Draft: Crowquill

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The No. 1 question for the Cleveland Browns as they head towards April's NFL Draft with the No. 1 overall pick.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the Cleveland Browns' front office absorbs the lessons hopefully learned from the past year's 1-15 record, they have a lot of questions to ask themselves about the team's overall direction and personnel.

For instance, the Browns have the No. 1 overall pick in April's 2017 NFL Draft. The pressure is on. Should Cleveland use the pick to choose a quarterback or use the pick to fill one of the other many holes in their lineup, like pass rusher?

It probably doesn't really matter which hole they decide to fill first, so long as the chosen one's play skews more towards Peyton Manning than Tim Couch.

Crowquill, by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, appears three times a week on cleveland.com.

Cleveland Browns fans and the death of David Modell -- Terry Pluto

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Cleveland Browns fans know that David and Art Modell will never realize what they did to their customers or the city.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- When I heard David Modell died, I had this strange feeling.

It was sadness.

I had met David Modell a few times when his father was still the owner of the Cleveland Browns.

I didn't really know him.

But the death of David Modell at the age of 56 from lung cancer opened some old wounds.

I remember Art Modell telling me, "I'm moving the team to keep it in the family."

Art Modell was talking about David. He was supposed to take his place as the primary owner when the Browns became the Baltimore Ravens.

Art Modell was ripping the Browns out of Cleveland so his family could keep control of the franchise.

It didn't happen.

Just as was the case in Cleveland, Art Modell had massive money problems in Baltimore. He was convinced a new stadium would fix everything.

That was his other reason for leaving.

The Indians and Cavaliers were receiving new facilities from the Gateway Corporation. He was waiting. He also was out-flanked by two owners who were wiser in the ways of business and Cleveland politics.

Art Modell kept trying to convince Dick Jacobs to share a stadium with him.

Jacobs was the Cleveland Indians owner in the 1990s when the new Tribe stadium was built.

I asked him about Art Modell wanting him to be a partner.

"It's never smart to share the same lunchbox," Jacobs told me.

He was wiser than to go into any sort of business with Art Modell. He had seen more than enough from 1986-93. That was when he owned the Tribe and they were a tenant at the old Cleveland Stadium, which was run by the Modell family.

MOVING TO BALTIMORE

After the 1995 season, Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore. He was given a brand new stadium with an amazing lease:

  1. He paid no rent.
  2. He paid $1 per year for rent on a practice facility.
  3. He received revenue from ticket sales, concessions, advertising and naming rights.

It was everything Art Modell could want and more. After the move, David Modell became team president.

Modell still couldn't make it work financially. He had to bring in a minority partner, a man named Steve Bisciotti.

Four years after the move, Bisciotti bought 49 percent of the franchise.

By 2004, the Modell family had to sell the rest to Bisciotti. Modell kept 1 percent.

That also was the end of David Modell being president, although he remained involved with the franchise.

THEY DIDN'T GET IT

Modell failed to understand the outrage over the move.

He was afraid to come back to Cleveland, where he had lived from 1962-95. It's where he had been involved in some incredibly good charities.

He left all that behind.

It was Al Lerner who helped Modell move the franchise to Baltimore. Lerner had connections in the banking business. He put them together with Modell. The deal to move was signed on Lerner's private jet.

And Lerner could never understand why so many people in Cleveland -- his hometown -- were angry with him.

Lerner was one of the richest men in the country. He was a minor owner of the Browns, often sitting in the same suite with the Modells during games.

"Why didn't you just buy the team from Art and keep it here?" I once asked Lerner.

"He wanted to keep it in the family," Lerner told me. "The only way for that to happen was to move. I just thought I was helping a friend."

He was clueless.

Lerner later became the owner of the expansion Browns, who returned to the field in 1999. He died in 2002 of cancer. His son, Randy, never really wanted to own the team. He kept it until 2012, selling to Jimmy Haslam.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

I always wondered what would have happened if Lerner had taken over the old Browns.

Lerner had the political clout to get a stadium built. He had the money to run a first-class operation. His general manager would have been Ozzie Newsome, who was running the front office when the old Browns moved to Baltimore.

Two Super Bowls later ... in Baltimore.

And 17 years later ... two winning seasons in Cleveland with the new Browns.

David Modell was interviewed by ESPN for it's BELIEVELAND special about Cleveland sports.

He said: "The real reality of Cleveland being without their football team, the Cleveland Browns, was a scant four or five months. There was a waiting period for the stadium to be built. So, in reality, the Cleveland Browns never moved. It paused for a period of time."

Yes, he really said that.

"I get the anger," David Modell added. "Got it. Understand it. We all didn't do all the right things. Got it. Got it all. But at the end of the day, what pound of flesh is necessary?"

I counter with, was the move to Baltimore really necessary -- and worth it?

Ryan Merritt sends thank-you notes to Cleveland Indians fans who cleaned out his wedding registry

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The outpouring of support for his postseason feat did not go unnoticed. Neither did the blenders, the hand towels or the cutlery. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The outpouring of support for his postseason feat did not go unnoticed. Neither did the blenders, the hand towels or the cutlery.

Ryan Merritt morphed from an unknown entity into an overnight sensation in October. When he delivered the performance of his career in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series in Toronto, Tribe fans located his online wedding registry.

This week, Merritt and his soon-to-be wife, Sarah, sent thank-you notes to those fans who all but supplied the couple with every item on their list. The two will tie the knot on Jan. 27 in Minnesota, Sarah's home state. 

Merritt checked the registry the morning of Oct. 21, just two days after he blanked the Blue Jays for 4 1/3 innings. Only three gifts remained. That same day, Merritt met with reporters and joked that, "If more people want to come [to the wedding], I guess they can come." Brave winter's harsh grip if you dare.

Prior to his postseason cameo -- which was prompted by injuries to Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer -- Merritt had totaled only 11 big-league innings. The southpaw spent the start of the Indians' playoff run in Arizona, keeping his arm in shape in case the club needed him later on. It did.  

"Growing up, those are the things you kind of dream about, those moments," Merritt said before the World Series.

Ryan Merritt, the talk of the town

Merritt jokes that fans can attend his wedding

Merritt, from the desert to the World Series

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