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Terry Pluto's pre-game Cleveland Browns scribbles

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Terry Pluto's pre-game scribbles.

BROWNS PREGAME SCRIBBLES...

henne.jpgThe Browns need to put pressure on Miami quarterback Chad Henne, as Brian Cushing did on this sack in Houston's win over Miami last week.

1. Can the Browns find a pass rush to pressure Chad Henne? The Miami quarterback has been sacked six times in the first two games. But he also has run the ball 10 times for 85 yards -- including five first downs. They need to keep him in the pocket and keep the pressure on, because he will make mistakes.

2. The 4-3 defense puts the emphasis on the defensive ends getting to the passer. For the Browns, not only is that Jabaal Sheard and Jayme Mitchell, but Marcus Benard (who didn't play last week) could see some action. The converted 3-4 linebacker led the Browns with 7.5 sacks last season. He did have a sack in his 11 snaps in the opening loss to the Bengals.

3. Not that Henne is Dan Marino, but he is better than 157-year-old Kerry Collins, rookie Andy Dalton or veteran Bruce Gradkowski -- the quarterbacks faced by the Browns in the first two games. It was easy to make Collins feel the heat because he simply can't move.

4. The Dolphins' top pass rusher is Cameron Wake. He usually goes against the left tackle, which would be the Browns' Joe Thomas. But if you were the Dolphins, why not put him rushing the right tackle -- be it Artis Hicks, Oniel Cousins or Tony Pashos, if he tries to play. Watch where Wake lines up. Of course, the Browns have been putting a tight end on the right side to help the tackle.

5. According to profootballfocus.com, Henne has thrown 32 passes to the right side of the numbers . . . and only 12 to the left. Keep an eye on that, and see if the Browns can force him out of his comfort zone as a passer.

6. Even if Peyton Hillis plays (and I'd expect him to do so), it's critical that the Browns get Montario Hardesty into the game early and give him some carries. If Hillis was so ill that he had to miss Friday's practice, you have to wonder about his endurance. Also, it's simply time to bring Hardesty into the mainstream of the offense and see if he can stay healthy.

7. Here are three records: 3-5, 3-5 and 1-7. Those are the Browns' home records the past three years. And they are 0-1 this year. That has to change.


Browns vs. Dolphins: Live in-game chat and post-game show from the stadium

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Join cleveland.com's live chat during the Browns vs. Dolphins game today at 1 p.m. featuring The Plain Dealer Dennis Manoloff, then stay tuned to listen to our live post-game show.

Cleveland Browns StadiumJoin cleveland.com's live chat from Browns Stadium Sunday at 1 p.m.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Join cleveland.com's live chat during the Browns vs. Dolphins game today at 1 p.m.  Interact with cleveland.com producer Joey Morona and The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff live in the press box at Cleveland Browns Stadium as they describe the action on the field and post scoring updates.

You can also get updates from The Plain Dealer's Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot on Twitter and in their in-game blog.

After the game, stay tuned to listen to Manoloff and Morona break down the game and take your chat room comments and questions.

Enter your name and log onto the chat room below. Java is required to participate in the chat. Download it here

Note: To turn off audio alerts, click on round button on bottom left of chat room and click on preferences.

audio Live audio: Click on play about 15 minutes after the end of the game to listen to our live post-game show with The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff.

Cleveland Browns RB Peyton Hillis out with strep, Montario Hardesty to start

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Browns running back Peyton Hillis has already left the Stadium and won't play today against the Dolphins.

 

peyton hillis.JPGPeyton Hillis will sit out today's game with strep throat.

CLEVELAND -- Browns running back Peyton Hillis was seen by a Plain Dealer photographer getting  his car from the valet and driving away from the Stadium at about 10:45 a.m. Hillis will sit out today's game against the Dolphins and Montario Hardesty will start.

Hillis left the locker room looking like he was still feeling very ill. He came down with strep throat and a high fever on Friday and has felt horrible ever since. He spent all of Saturday throwing up and growing weaker, a source said.

Hillis rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns last week in the victory over the Colts.

Hardesty, who managed just a yard in his three attempts last week and fumbled once, will make his first NFL start in place of Hillis.

Hardesty said he was ready to shoulder a full load if called upon. "I've been working hard for this,'' he said.

In other Browns news, right tackle Tony Pashos is inactive with his left ankle injury and Artis Hicks will start in his place. Pashos has not been able to play yet this season, but is still hopeful he can come back. 

Cleveland Browns in 'constant communication' with Peyton Hillis' agent, still far apart on new deal, source says

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The two sides continue to talk every week, says a league source.

peyton hillis 2.JPGPeyton Hillis and the Browns continue to discuss the framework of a new contract extension.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Browns have been in "constant communication'' with Peyton Hillis' agent regarding his contract extension but remain far apart, a league source said.

The two sides continue to talk every week, the source said. Hillis is represented by Kennard McGuire, who could not be reached for comment.

A report last week that talks had stalled or broken down was erroneous, the source said. The important thing, the source said, is that the two sides are still willing to come to the table.

Hillis is sitting out today's game against the Dolphins with strep throat and a fever. He spent all of Saturday dealing with nausea. Montario Hardesty will start in Hillis' place.

Jerad Head promoted with Grady Sizemore, Trevor Crowe done for season: Cleveland Indians daily briefing

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Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera unsure if he'll play again this year because of bruised right elbow.

Grady SizemoreGrady Sizemore has been shut down for the last four games of the season because of soreness in his right knee. He hasn't played since Thursday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians will reach the finish line limping. In a season marked by injuries, they can't avoid them even with only four games left.

The contract of outfielder Jerad Head was purchased from Class AAA Columbus on Sunday following Trevor Crowe's left shoulder injury in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader while diving for a ball in center field.

Saturday manager Manny Acta said Crowe would not play in the Tribe's remaining games. The same goes for Grady Sizemore, who won't play again because of lingering pain in his right knee.

Sizemore has been on the disabled list three times this season.

Acta could be facing a similar situation with shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who did not play Sunday because of a sore right elbow. Cabrera, who left the second game of Saturday's doubleheader in the seventh inning, was hit by a pitch Friday.

"It hurts to swing," said Cabrera.

Asked if he was finished for the season, Cabrera said, "We'll have to see."

This is Head's second tour with the Tribe this season. Josh Tomlin (right elbow) was moved from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL to make room for Head.

Head first came to Cleveland on Aug. 28 and hit .087 (2-for-23) with two runs and a double in eight games before being designated for assignment on Sept. 7. He hit .284 (120-for-422) with 28 doubles, 24 homers, 70 RBI and 67 runs in 114 games at Columbus.

The Indians signed Head as a non-drafted free agent.

Today's game:

Twins (60-98): CF Denard Span (L), LF Ben Revere (L), DH Michael Cuddyer (R), 1B Chris Parmelee (L), 3B Danny Valencia (R), SS Trevor Plouffe (R), 2B Brian Dinkelman (L), RF Joe Benson (R), C Drew Butera (R), LHP Liam Hendriks (0-2, 6.23).

Indians (80-78): RF Kosuke Fukudome (L), 2B Jason Kipnis (L), 1B Carlos Santana (S), DH Travis Hafner (L), LF Shelley Duncan (R), 3B Lonnie Chisenhall (L), SS Jason Donald (R), CF Ezequiel Carrera (L), C Lou Marson (R), RHP Mitch Talbot (2-6, 6.33).

Umpires: H Mark Lollo, 1B Al Porter, 2B Tim Welke, 3B Jim Reynolds.

Him vs. me: Cuddyer is 11-for-43 with two doubles and two RBI against Carmona. Hendriks has never faced an Indians hitter.

Lefty-righty: Lefties are hitting .295 (114-for-386) with 10 homers and righties are hitting .252 (84-for-333) with 11 homers against Carmona. The Twins have four lefties in the lineup.

Lefties are hitting .368 (14-for-38) and righties are hitting .250 (8-for-32) with two homers against Hendriks. The Indians have six lefties, including a switch-hitter, in the lineup.

Next: The Indians go to Detroit for their final series of the season. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez will face Detroit's Doug Fister in the first game Monday at 7:05 p.m. STO and WTAM will carry the game.

 

Cleveland Browns fall behind Miami Dolphins, 7-0 -- Tony's take

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Dolphins scored TD in four plays after Colt McCoy interception. Cribbs not returning kickoffs or punts. Montario Hardesty playing for Peyton Hillis (strep throat).

henne-pass-fish-brns-2011-ap.jpgView full sizeMiami quarterback Chad Henne was accurate and efficient in the first quarter Sunday against the Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notes, observations and some facts on the first quarter ...

• Dolphins' first drive fizzles when Davone Bess runs backwards after a catch for first down yardage and is tackle one yard shy of the marker by Dimitri Patterson.

• Jordan Norwood fills in for Josh Cribbs (groin) on first punt return.

• Alex Smith against the second tight end.

• Montario Hardesty nets six on his first run up the middle.

• Colt McCoy, running right from pressure, is intercepted by Jimmy Wilson on pass for Mohamed Massaquoi. That's already three targets for Massaquoi without a completion.

• Chad Henne makes a play after escaping pressure when T.J. Ward abandoned coverage on Anthony Fasano for 26-yard gain.

• Convoy of blockers usher in Daniel Thomas on 10-yard screen for the touchdown.

• Buster Skrine fills in for Cribbs on kickoff return. Ball sails out, anyway.

• McCoy's pump fake allows Cribbs to sprint behind Miami secondary, but the pass is seven yards overthrown. Cribbs' groin might have held him back.

• Joe Haden is shadowing Brandon Marshall wherever he lines up.

• Dolphins convert fourth-and-1 from Browns' 41 on Daniel Thomas 2-yard run. Thomas is a big boy plowing straight ahead.

• Henne is doing a good job of moving the chains.

• Bush loses ball on sandwich hit by Ward and Jayme Mitchell. D'Qwell Jackson recovers at Browns' 19.

• Armond Smith caries for six yards.

Cleveland Browns offense sputtering as Dolphins lead, 10-7, at halftime -- Tony's take

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Josh Cribb's 33-yard TD catch had tied the score, but Colt McCoy is throwing erratically.

mccoy-scramble-vert-fish-jg.jpgView full sizeKendall Langford and the Miami defense kept Colt McCoy on the move throughout the first half Sunday afternoon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notes, observations and some facts on the second quarter ...

• Browns go three-and-out with a Josh Cribbs drop on third down.

• Chris Gocong blitz and Jayme Mitchell pressure sack Chad Henne.

• Every third-down passing situation, Henne looks for Davone Bess. This time, Dimitri Patterson tackles him short of first down.

• Dan Carpenter's 51-yard field goal try floats wide left. Dolphins special teams could be a big factor negatively on a day Miami is dominating.

• False start by Joe Thomas on first down from the 41. Yikes.

• Colt McCoy usually gets going in the second quarter. His pass for Alex Smith against a blitz was way off mark.

• Benjamin Watson bails out McCoy with shoestring catch and keeps his balance to make first down at Dolphins' 48. Big play by Watson.

• On a bootleg right, McCoy throws it up for Cribbs one-on-one with Sean Smith, who is 6-3. Cribbs leaps high to make the TD catch while Smith loses sight of the ball.

• Browns finally force a punt in three plays when Henne's completion to (no surprise) Bess is short.

• Cribbs' absence on punt returns is a real big factor.

• Montario Hardesty jukes and accelerates for 14 yards.

• Browns blow good field position when McCoy throws too high for Greg Little and too low for Mohamed Massaquoi. McCoy's accuracy is non-existent so far today.

• Brian Hartline comes down with a Henne pass and does great job of getting toes in bounds for a 31-yard play.

• Phil Taylor trots off after injuring his left leg. Looks OK.

• Both Browns' ends pressure Henne. Jayme Mitchell gets the sack after Jabaal Sheard just missed.

• On third down, what else? Henne to Bess. Henne beat blitz by Mike Adams and Bess slanted inside of Sheldon Brown.

• Man, that Daniel Thomas is a load -- seven yards to the Browns 10 for a first down.

• Hartline beats Brown crossing the middle to the Browns' 8, but Joe Haden saves TD with breakup of Brandon Marshall crossing to the middle of the end zone.

• Henne's red zone foibles result in short Miami field goal and 10-7 lead.

Cleveland Browns still lucky to be close as Miami carries 13-10 lead into fourth quarter -- Tony's take

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A spark by Montario Hardesty and a big defensive stop keep the Browns in striking distance.

watson-stiffarm-fish-horiz-jk.jpgView full sizeTight end Ben Watson has been a frequent target of Colt McCoy's passes on Sunday, and his catches helped set up a third-quarter field goal by Phil Dawson.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Notes, observations and some facts on the third quarter ...

• Montario Hardesty is sparking the Browns now. Nine yards, three and then 19 as he slams off defenders to the Dolphins' 20-yard line.

• Colt McCoy's favorite receiver has emerged -- it's Benjamin Watson. Catches of 17 and 13 on this drive.

• But on third-and-2, Yeremiah Bell gets his hand on the ball intended for Watson. Browns settled for 30-yard field goal and 10-10 tie.

• Chad Henne ducks from Ahtyba Rubin's big paw. D'Qwell Jackson cleans up for the sack. Rubin's lucky he missed. Could have been a hit to the QB's head.

• Rubin sacks Henne again, but Jabaal Sheard clubbed him in the facemask first and Dolphins get first down at their 20.

• Henne runs to Dolphins' 45 for another first down.

• Sheldon Brown has tough couple of plays. Reggie Bush juked him on a 10-yard run and then Brian Hartline beat him for a 38-yard catch to the Browns' 7.

• Big-time sack for Phil Taylor on third down. Away from ball, Brandon Marshall is flagged for knocking down Mike Adams after Adams legally jammed him. Dan Carpenter's 41-yard field goal gives Miami 13-10 lead.

• McCoy throws behind open Watson on second down. He's leveled by a blow to the head by Yeremiah Bell on third down. The 15-yard penalty gets the Browns on the move.

• Evan Moore makes a catch as quarter ends.


Minnesota Twins beat Cleveland Indians, 6-4, in 10 innings; Jim Thome makes appearance at 3B

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The Indians' last home game of the season ended in a loss, but not before an old friend made an appearance at the hot corner.

thome-leaves-grandstand-horiz-cc.jpgView full sizeJim Thome leaves the field at Progressive Field -- perhaps for the last time -- Sunday after playing third base for one pitch in the ninth inning Sunday against Minnesota. It was his first appearance at third since 1996 with the Indians.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The plan was for Jim Thome to stand at third base for one pitch in the ninth inning Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field. Manager Manny Acta cooked it up after a long and restless night Saturday.

The pitch was supposed to be wide. So wide there would be no chance a hitter would swing at it. So wide that there was no danger of it being implanted in Thome's chest.

So much for plans big and small.

Thome, in the Indians' 6-4 home finale loss to the Twins in 10 innings, pinch-hit in the eighth inning for Shelley Duncan and walked. The crowd of 22,539 cheered and gave him a standing ovation. They knew it was probably his last at-bat with the Indians and perhaps the last of his 21 seasons in the big leagues.

What they didn't figure on was Thome staying in the game after the inning ended. When the ninth opened, side-armer Joe Smith was on the mound, Trevor Plouffe at the plate and No. 25 at third base.

Thome had not appeared at third since Sept. 29, 1996, when the Indians ended the season in Kansas City. But third base is where it all started for Thome and the Indians when he made his big-league debut Sept. 4, 1991. The move to first, his tumultuous exit to Philadelphia and the bad back which divorced him from all makes of baseball gloves were still years away.

To Acta's way of thinking, it was perfect. If this really was the last game of Thome's career, or at the very least his last go-around with the Indians, why not have him go out where it began. Complete the circle at the hot corner.

"I just thought it was proper that he end where he started," said Acta.

But there was that little issue about the pitch.

"It was supposed to be way outside the batter's box," said Acta, "but Smitty has real good movement and it came back over for a strike."

That's one way of looking at it. Here's another.

"I know Joe Smith was trying to give the hitter a pitch so he could hook a ball to Thome and give him a chance to make a play, but it didn't happen," said Duncan, who continued his hot September with a two-run homer.

Thome's back is in such a state where he can play two, maybe three games in a row. Then he needs rest and all he's doing is swinging a bat. So what would Thome have done if Plouffe had hammered a grounder at him instead of taking it for a strike?

"I would have made the play," said Thome. He chuckled, but when the words left his mouth, he was serious. The kind of serious that comes from hitting 604 home runs.

"It was fun to be out there and it was a nice gesture," said Thome, who used Jack Hannahan's glove. "It felt good to be back out there. It felt like old times."

The Indians have three games left against the AL Central-champion Tigers starting Monday at Comerica Park. They have two goals left -- end with a winning record and in second place. They'll have to take two out of three from Detroit to reach the first goal. Their magic number to clinch second over Chicago is one.

If they reach those goals or not, the off-season will be an interesting one for Thome. Does he stay or does he go?

"I still love to play," said Thome. "Since I've been here for the last month, I've talked about [play or retire] a lot with you guys. I'd say the percentage of me coming back next year is higher than not. We'll leave it at that."

The Twins, who had lost eight straight to the Indians, won it with two runs in the 10th. Tony Sipp (6-3), who is going through a bout of first-batter blues, gave up a leadoff homer to Rene Tosoni and a two-out RBI single to Chris Parmelee to give the Indians a 44-37 record at home.

Duncan's two-run homer in the third gave the Indians a 4-2 lead. Duncan hit .385 (5-for-13) with one homer and eight RBI in the series. He has seven homers and 22 RBI in September.

Fausto Carmona, in his last start of the season, couldn't hold the lead. The Twins made it 4-3 an RBI grounder in the fourth and tied it on Plouffe's homer in the sixth.

The Indians went 5-4 on this last homestand and ended the season series against the battered Twins at 11-7.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

Colt McCoy rallies the Cleveland Browns to a fourth-quarter comeback -- Tony's take

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Colt McCoy completes nine passes in a last-ditch drive, capped by the winning TD pass to Mohamed Massaquoi.

hardesty-tackle-miami-jg.jpgView full sizeMontario Hardesty and the Browns offense never really got going Sunday against the Dolphins until the final four minutes in posting a 17-16 victory.

CLEVELAND -- Notes, observations and some facts on the fourth quarter ...

• Colt McCoy coughs up the ball on Cameron Wake's jarring hit to his stomach. Refs decide it's an incompletion. Browns rush to punt the ball before a Miami challenge. Brad Maynard almost whiffs on a 31-yard punt.

• After Ahtyba Rubin's sack, Chad Henne gains 11 on a scramble, which ended with Usama Young delivering a blow to Henne's head. Legal play when quarterback is running.

• Browns force punt when Henne dumps to Daniel Thomas on third-and-16 from his 45. Dolphins trying not to lose.

• Brandon Fields' punt takes a great bounce (for him) and is downed at the 2. Browns really, really missing Josh Cribbs on special teams today.

• McCoy's second-down pass hits a Miami defensive lineman. Before third down from the Browns' 5, Miami uses second timeout. Dolphins must think they can lock up a win right here with a stop.

• Nolan Carroll's interference gives Browns first down. A gift from last year's goat. McCoy's pass to a slanting Josh Cribbs was high.

• Igor Olshansky gives Browns another gift. With McCoy down after a short keeper, Olshansky's right forearm contacts McCoy's helmet for 15 yards to the Browns' 27.

• Browns can't convert third-and-2. McCoy's wobbler for Evan Moore is broken up by Sean Smith, who's all over Moore. Maynard's net punt of 24 yards gives Dolphins ball at their 41 with 6:20 to go.

• Phil Taylor penalized 15 yards for hitting Henne on the ground as he slid after a bootleg run. Four plays later, Miami's 38-yard field goal extends lead to 16-10 with 3:23 to play. Still time, but Browns' offense has not showed up yet.

• After a touchback, McCoy hits Mohamed Massaquoi for a quick first down, then finds a crossing Greg Little to the 37. Little makes a nice play to break a tackle by Will Allen and zips to a first down at the 46. Screen to Hardesty goes nowhere and the two-minute warning arrives.

• Nice catch at the sidelines by Little gets another first down. A deep ball to Brian Robiskie is underthrown, and a Watson catch and a incompletion sets up fourth and four at the 38.

• Rollout bootleg helps buy time as McCoy finds Hardesty for a first down at the 27.

• Pass to Alex Smith is too low, but the offense has still 64 seconds left. Smith and McCoy miss connections as the Dolphins drop eight into coverage. Third down.

• McCoy's hurried pass down the middle is high, but Jason Taylor is called for offside. Third and five at the 22. McCoy scrambles, then finds Evan Moore for a first down at the 14. Timeout Browns with 45 seconds left.

• McCoy's ninth completion of the drive is a perfect spiral to Massaquoi at the right side of the end zone. Browns called for a celebration penalty on Massaquoi and Ben Watson for going to the ground. That will hurt on the kickoff. McCoy 9-of-13 for 75 yards on the drive. Game is stalled briefly for the mandatory review, and Phil Dawson gives the Browns the lead.

• Still 43 seconds left and Browns must kick off at their 20. Dan Carpenter has a very big leg -- if not always accurate -- that produced a 60-yarder a year ago.

• Yikes. Horsecollar tackle by Dmitri Patterson on Clyde Gates gives Miami the ball at the Browns 47. Already in range.

• With 36 seconds left, Patterson breaks up a sideline route to Devone Bess. Henne's lob down the left sideline is caught out of bounds by Gates. Good coverage by Buster Skrine. Good pass rush by Jabaal Sheard forces Henne to rush a pass to Bess that bounces. Fourth down with 21 seconds and the Dolphins have to get a first down to get the field goal attempt. Henne's pass over the middle is picked off by Mike Adams and the Browns escape with a thrilling -- if improbable -- victory.

Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers: On deck

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Breaking down the season's final series beginning Monday in Detroit.

victor-martinez-tigers-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeIt's been a most rewarding season in Detroit for former Indians catcher Victor Martinez.

Where: Comerica Park.

When: Monday through Wednesday.

TV/radio: SportsTime Ohio; WTAM AM/1100.

Pitching matchups: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (4-3, 4.62) vs. RHP Doug Fister (10-13, 2.94) Monday at 7:05 p.m.; RHP Jeanmar Gomez (5-2, 3.52) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (14-9, 4.37) Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. and RHP Zach McAllister (0-1, 5.83) vs. RHP Rick Porcello (14-9, 4.76) Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

Season series: Indians trail Tigers, 6-9. Tigers lead overall, 1,057-1,031.

Indians update: They've lost seven straight to the Tigers, including consecutive three-game sweeps in August and September to take them out of the running in the AL Central. Detroit has outscored the Tribe, 78-59.

Tigers update: They clinched the AL Central on Sept. 16. They've won 27 of their last 36 games. Victor Martinez is hitting .311 (14-for-45) with three homers and 15 RBI against the Tribe this year. Fister (2-1), Scherzer (2-0) and Porcello (1-1) have seen plenty of the Tribe this year.

Injuries: Indians --RHP Josh Tomlin (right elbow), OF Michael Brantley (right hand), RHP Carlos Carrasco (right elbow), Shin-Soo Choo (left oblique) are the disabled list. OF Grady Sizemore (right knee), OF Trevor Crowe (left shoulder) are done for the year. SS Asdrubal Cabrera (right elbow) is day to day. Tigers: OF Brennan Boesch (right thumb), LHP Brad Thomas (left elbow) and RHP Joel Zumaya (right elbow) are on the disabled list.

Next: The Indians' 111th season is history.

LSU replaces still-undefeated Oklahoma at No. 1 in AP Top 25; Ohio State remains unranked

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Louisiana State's 47-21 win at West Virginia impresses voters. Ohio State's 15 points in the voting puts the Buckeyes at No. 30. Oklahoma remains first in USA Today/Coaches poll, with OSU No. 27.

josh-williford-michael-ford.jpgLSU's Michael Ford (right) celebrates a touchdown with teammate Josh Williford during the fourth quarter of the Tigers' 47-21 win at West Virginia on Saturday.

Another decisive victory away from home pushed Louisiana State to No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time since 2007.

LSU's Tigers bumped Oklahoma from the top spot Sunday after winning 47-21 at West Virginia the night before.

The Sooners had been No. 1 since the preseason. They stayed unbeaten with a 38-28 victory at home against Missouri.

LSU received 42 first-place votes from the 60-member media panel and 1,471 points. Oklahoma received 12 first-place votes and 1,422 points.

Ohio State (3-1) got just 15 points in the voting, theoretically ranking No. 30.

The Buckeyes won at home, 37-17, over Colorado (1-3) on Saturday.

Ohio State dropped out of the top 25 for the first time in nearly seven years after its 24-6 loss at Miami (Fla.) last Saturday night. The Buckeyes were ranked No. 17 before that defeat.

Oklahoma stays at No. 1 in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25. LSU and Alabama are tied at No. 2. Ohio State is 27th. 

No. 3 Alabama received five first-place votes in the Associated Press poll and No. 4 Boise State had one.

Oklahoma State jumped two spots to No. 5 after winning at Texas A&M.

The Tigers haven't been No. 1 since winning the national championship in 2007. The Tigers held the top ranking for four weeks during the regular season that year.

LSU (4-0) added the victory against West Virginia to wins over Oregon at Dallas Cowboys Stadium and at Mississippi State. All three were ranked at the time the Tigers played them.

Oklahoma certainly hasn't struggled, with wins against Tulsa, at Florida State and Missouri. And losing the top spot in the polls after a victory isn't uncommon. It happened once last season and twice the season before.

For now, the Tigers' resume has swayed voters.

The schedule doesn't let up much for LSU, though the Tigers do play at home the next two weeks against Kentucky (2-2) and No. 12 Florida (4-0).

No. 6 is Stanford, followed by Wisconsin and Nebraska. The seventh-ranked Badgers will welcome the eighth-ranked Cornhuskers to the Big Ten on Saturday in Madison, as Nebraska plays its first game in its new conference.

Oregon is No. 9 and South Carolina is 10th.

No. 11 Virginia Tech hosts No. 13 Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference's biggest game of the upcoming week. The Tigers moved up eight spots after beating Florida State 35-30 in Death Valley.

The Seminoles slipped 12 spots to No. 23 after its second consecutive loss.

No. 12 Florida hosts Alabama in the SEC's biggest game.

Texas A&M slipped six spots to No. 14 after losing to Oklahoma State.

Baylor and quarterback Robert Griffin III, who has 13 touchdown passes against only 12 incomplete passes this season, is 15th.

No. 16 South Florida is followed by Texas, Arkansas, Michigan and TCU.

The final five were Georgia Tech, West Virginia, which slipped six spots, Florida State, Illinois and Arizona State.

The Sun Devils slipped back into the rankings after snapping an 11-game losing streak to Southern California with a 43-22 victory.

USC was the only team to fall out of the rankings this week.

Cleveland Browns post a victory for the true believers: Terry Pluto

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Confession time: I didn't see this coming. But here's the bottom line: Browns 17, Miami 16.

cribbs-td-catch-miami-horiz-jg.jpgView full sizeJosh Cribbs' leaping TD catch in the second quarter was just one of several contributions to an improbable victory by the Browns on Sunday, writes Terry Pluto.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Confession time: I didn't see this coming.

Did you think the Browns really could win this game? That Colt McCoy could put together the best, most meaningful drive of his young pro career on an afternoon where he often appeared as shaky as his passes?

Didn't you believe the excessive celebration penalty -- and the horse-collar tackling penalty -- and some other penalty or blown assignment would cost the Browns what became a 17-16 victory over Miami? Didn't you fear that Miami quarterback Chad Henne would complete a couple of clutch passes to set up a field goal as the clock turned to 0:00?

"We lost a lot of games like that last year," said Joshua Cribbs. "But that's a thing of the past."

How about losing games exactly like this on this exact same field for much of the last decade? Games Cribbs said "We should win."

This time, the Browns did just that. They won despite what coach Pat Shurmur called "a freighter full of mistakes," despite Peyton Hillis being out with a strep throat. They won despite Mohamed Massaquoi unable to practice with a sore ankle, and Cribbs unable to return punts and kicks because of a groin injury -- yet finding a way to make his own jump-for-joy touchdown catch in the second quarter.

They won because they made the two biggest plays of the game. They won for a fan base that watched the team improve to 2-1 for the first time since 2002.

They won with a rookie coach, a new offense and defense and a quarterback making only his 11th pro start.

Maybe everyone being so new is why.

McCoy and the drive

Trailing, 16-10, McCoy authored an 80-yard drive that began with 3:23 left. He trudged onto the field with a Derek Anderson-like 10-of-26 passing line to his name. But Shurmur put the game in McCoy's hands. No-huddle offense. Throw on every down. Hurry up, but don't rush. Spread the ball around.

"One drive and we can win this thing," McCoy said in the huddle. Then he completed nine of 13 passes to win the thing.

When it seemed Massaquoi was hurting and discouraged, he suddenly leaped as high as the Terminal Tower to snare a game-deciding 14-yard catch. The ball seemed to hang in the air longer than the Goodyear Blimp. Massaquoi and two Miami defenders left their feet at the same second, with it appearing that the pass was too long, that Massaquoi would catch it, but out of bounds.

But he grabbed it with 10 sticky fingers, with two feet in the end zone. Touchdown. With 43 seconds left, the Browns had transformed a 16-10 loss into a stunning victory.

"Colt knows how to win games," said Shurmur.

When was the last time that was said about a Browns quarterback not named Bernie Kosar?

It's never easy

But these are the Browns, so you know there were scary moments ahead.

After Massaquoi's touchdown, they drew a flag for excessive celebration. Then Dimitri Patterson was flagged for an illegal tackle on the kickoff.

Miami had the ball on the Browns' 47 with 36 seconds and one timeout left. All the Dolphins needed was a couple of completions and a field goal -- and it would have been another discouraging day at the lakefront. Instead, Chad Henne threw three incompletions, then fired an interception to Michael Adams.

"The defense did a tremendous job of battling, play by play," said Shurmur.

You can point to the Browns holding Miami to one touchdown. You can point to five sacks, and a strong performance by the defensive line. Or to D'Qwell Jackson's 11 tackles and one fumble recovery. Or Joe Haden keeping star receiver Brandon Marshall under control (four catches for 43 yards). Or Ahtbya Rubin all over the field with nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, two more quarterback hits. Or Jayme Mitchell with 1.5 sacks and forcing a fumble.

Or to simply say when the Browns needed its defense, the defense delivered. When it was over, fans cheered and stomped and more than a few chanted, "Here we go Brownies, here we go ... Woof, woof!"

"These are games we should win," said Cribbs.

This time, they actually did just that.

Browns vs. Dolphins: Listen to post-game show

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Join The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff after the game as he breaks down what happened on the field live from the press box at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Post-game show will start about 15 minutes after the end of the game.

colt mccoy dolphinsBrowns QB Colt McCoy vs. the Dolphins on Sunday.

Listen to The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Joey Morona break down the Browns' thrilling 17-16 win over the Dolphins.

They talked about the game-winning drive, highlighted the top performances, updated all the scores from around the NFL and took your chat room comments and questions.

Click on the play button to the right to listen or download the MP3 here.

Glenville's Ted Ginn Sr. 'working through' reasons for missing game on Saturday

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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Glenville football coach Ted Ginn Sr. did not coach the Tarblooders in their game Saturday and his status beyond this week's crucial game against St. Ignatius is uncertain. "It's personal,'' Ginn said regarding his absence from Saturday's 69-0 Senate Athletic League win over Collinwood. "I've got some things going on right now that I'm working through.''

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Glenville football coach Ted Ginn Sr. did not coach the Tarblooders in their game Saturday and his status beyond this week's crucial game against St. Ignatius is uncertain.

"It's personal,'' Ginn said regarding his absence from Saturday's 69-0 Senate Athletic League win over Collinwood. "I've got some things going on right now that I'm working through.''

Ginn, who also missed some practices last week, declined to elaborate. The staff is splitting up the coaching duties in his absence.

"I talk to the referees before the start of the game when Coach Ginn isn't there,'' said offensive coordinator Tony Overton. "As far as game-situation calls and dealing with the daily duties of the program when Coach Ginn isn't there, the entire staff works together.'' 

The timing couldn't have come at a worse time, since Saturday's game will be the last nonleague game for the Tarblooders, who after an 0-2 start, entered the weekend 19th in the Division I, Region 1 computer rankings. The top eight teams in each region qualify for the postseason.

Glenville (2-2) will play league games the last four weeks of the regular season, putting its string of eight consecutive postseason appearances in jeopardy. St. Ignatius stands 4-1 midway through the regular season.

"I don't know how many practices I'll be at this week but I do plan on coaching against Ignatius,'' said Ginn.

And what about after Saturday's game and the near future?

"We're just taking it one day at a time,'' Overton said.


First pitch for the Cleveland Indians is a 'surreal' moment for essay winner Sgt. Josh Snyder

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The winner of an essay contest sponsored by The Plain Dealer and the Indians had waited the whole season for this -- the chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

snyder-first-pitch-2011-vert-cc.jpgView full sizeStaff Sgt. Josh Snyder reveled in his chance to throw out the first pitch in Sunday's home finale for the Indians. The winner of The Plain Dealer's Fan Memories contest spent most of the summer on tour in Afghanistan. "That was frightening and awesome at the same time," he said of the pitch.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Josh Snyder stood on the mound at Progressive Field, eying the target set by Indians reliever Vinnie Pestano. The winner of an essay contest sponsored by The Plain Dealer and the Indians had waited the whole season for this -- the chance to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

A moment that almost didn't happen.

Snyder, 27, an Army Reserves staff sergeant serving his second tour in the Middle East, was scheduled for a two-week leave in late September. He just didn't know when, and the season was winding down. His plane left Afghanistan on Thursday night for Kuwait, where he waited 14 hours for the long flight to Atlanta, by way of a layover in Ireland. Finally, on Saturday afternoon, he was back in Cleveland -- just in time for the final home game of the season.

Snyder got the call to serve again in March, soon after learning he'd won the contest. In Afghanistan, he thought about the first pitch a lot, but really couldn't prepare. He was a catcher and played some outfield at Northwestern High in West Salem, class of 2002. But the best he could do in a war zone was practice throwing rocks and imagine.

A lifelong Tribe fan, he followed the season online.

"First thing I pulled up every morning when I came in," he said. "Why? It's part of home."

On Sunday, Snyder, in his Army fatigues, waited for his pre-game introduction outside the Indians' dugout with his father, Ron, and best friend Anthony Griffith.

"You can't bounce it," warned former Indian Paul Sorrento, one of Snyder's favorites. A handful of the guys from the incredible run in the '90s were there to honor Jim Thome on Friday.

"Great," Snyder said, throwing his head back as if to say, "that's not what I needed to hear right now."

"Don't bounce it, don't bounce it." That's all he could think about.

"I'm used to people trying to blow me up," he said. "I'm not used to trying to throw a ball over the plate with thousands of people watching."

That included a few dozen family and friends, from the bleachers to the field boxes. Some held signs that read, "Welcome home, Josh!"

"Very proud," his father said. "I've got goosebumps for him."

Before the big moment, Indians manager Manny Acta stepped from the dugout to chat. Then Pestano and Sandy Alomar.

"Oh, Manny Acta; are you kidding me?" said Griffith, amazed. Finally, he took the mound. He wound, kicked up a dusty boot and ... fired a perfect strike to Pestano, then punctuated the pitch with a fist pump.

josh-snyder-baseball.JPGStaff Sgt. Josh Snyder, Army Reserves, from Creston, Ohio, celebrates after throwing out a ceremonial first pitch before the Cleveland Indians baseball game against the Minnesota Twins today.

"That was frightening and awesome at the same time," he gushed. The awesomeness wasn't quite over. As Snyder was led down the dugout steps, he ran into Thome with a bat in his hands.

"It's great to have you back," said the soldier from Creston, his eyes growing wider despite exhaustion from the long trip and stress of his line of work. Thome repeatedly thanked him for his service. Tribe second baseman Cord Phelps made a special point to come over and shake his hand.

As Snyder walked the tunnel to the clubhouse with his dad on one side and best friend on the other, he said to no one in particular, "It's surreal, man."

In case you missed Snyder's essay...

Some days are impossible to forget. Some games are better then the rest. Some friends just take both of them to another level.

I came home from Iraq needing a break from things I can't explain and a loneliness that could consume the strongest of men. Baseball, mostly the Tribe, had been keeping me going for about two months, along with long emails from my best buddy. Finally, my turn for leave had come and my buddy purchased me a coming-home present, Tribe tickets.

I can't recall the score, the other team or much of what happened in the game, but what I experienced was something beyond all that. The smell of grass and not sand mixed with the cheers of joy and not pain. The comfort of having my buddy next to me enjoying the one thing that we both loved. Mostly the escape into baseball and its atmosphere.

I returned to Iraq not long after and did not come back for over a year, but this one day lived on above all. I had freedom, friendship, and baseball.

NFL early games roundup: Cincinnati Bengals lose home opener to SF 49ers with 1/3 of seats empty

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Browns' next opponent, Tennessee, wins, but might have lost star receiver Kenny Britt to a knee injury. Giants defeat Eagles, whose quarterback, Michael Vick, left with a broken right hand. Bills stun Patriots. Lions continue on upswing.

kendall-hunter.jpgThe 49ers' Kendall Hunter (32) runs for a seven-yard touchdown past Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson (93) and linebacker Thomas Howard (53) during San Francisco's 13-8 win at Cincinnati.



San Francisco 49ers 13, Cincinnati Bengals 8

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Kendall Hunter ran 7 yards for the game's only touchdown with 3:59 to go, rallying the San Francisco 49ers to a 13-8 victory in front of the Cincinnati Bengals' smallest crowd for a home opener in 30 years.

Hunter's run completed the only noteworthy drive by the 49ers (2-1), who didn't even cross midfield until midway through the third quarter.

Cincinnati (1-2) was limited to a pair of field goals by Mike Nugent during rookie quarterback Andy Dalton's first dismal performance. He threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter, the first of his career.

There were only 43,363 fans at 65,500-seat Paul Brown Stadium, the Bengals' smallest crowd for a home opener since they played at Riverfront Stadium in 1981. The 49ers sent them heading for the exits when Reggie Smith intercepted Dalton's forced throw with 1:45 left.

David Akers kicked three field goals for San Francisco, including a 53-yarder after Dalton's first interception, pushing the lead to 13-6. After Smith intercepted Dalton again with 1:45 to go, punter Andy Lee ran out of the end zone for a safety to finish it off with 2 seconds left.

It was a satisfying start to the 49ers' weeklong stay in the Buckeye State. They'll practice at Youngstown State the next few days, then head to Philadelphia for their next game.

An ugly arrival ended with Alex Smith's only good moments. He led a 10-play, 72-yard drive, hitting tight end Vernon Davis with a 20-yard pass on a misdirection play to set up the winning touchdown.

Until the closing minutes, it appeared the 49ers had forgotten to pack their West Coast offense. Ugliness abounded. Running back Frank Gore fumbled to set up Cincinnati's field goal for a 6-3 lead in the fourth quarter. He also had a pass hit him in the facemask. Referee Jerome Boger said one 49ers false-start penalty was on "the entire offensive line." The late drive saved them.

Smith was under constant pressure and finished 20 of 30 overall for 201 yards and five sacks. The 49ers blunted drives with penalties, and Kevin Huber's punts pinned them at their own 10, 11, 12, 14 and 17, leaving too much ground for one of the NFL's least-productive offenses to cover. Also, the 49ers were missing receiver Braylon Edwards, who hurt his right knee during an overtime loss to Dallas last Sunday.

The Bengals were at full-strength after deciding to let receiver Jerome Simpson play. He missed two days of practice because he's the focus of an investigation into a drug shipment to his home. He got into the game on the opening series and finished with only one catch for 6 yards.

Dalton had passer ratings above 100 in his first two starts, but repeatedly forced throws against the 49ers' defense. He went 17 of 32 for 157 yards and a rating of 40.8.



Tennessee Titans 17, Denver Broncos 14



NASHVILLE, Tennessee -- The Tennessee Titans won the game. How long they'll lose receiver Kenny Britt remains to be seen, though it didn't look good as he limped to the sideline.



Matt Hasselbeck threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham with 4:24 left, and the Titans rallied for a 17-14 victory over the Denver Broncos.



The Titans (2-1) lost Britt, the AFC's leading receiver, when his right knee buckled underneath him in the second quarter, and he was carted to the locker room. Hasselbeck found other players to throw to, including Graham, whose first catch of the season came against his former team.



The Cleveland Browns (2-1) host Tennessee next Sunday at Browns Stadium.



Hasselbeck passed for 311 yards and two touchdowns to lead Tennessee to its second straight win.



The Titans intercepted Kyle Orton twice, sacked him once and also stopped Willis McGahee on fourth-and-goal at the 1 early in the fourth quarter.



Denver (1-2) drove to the Titans 38 before Will Witherspoon sacked Orton, and two plays later, Jason Jones batted Orton's pass into the air. Witherspoon picked it off with 1:39 left to seal the victory.



A veteran signed to mentor rookie Jake Locker and to win now, Hasselbeck did just that as Denver held Chris Johnson to only 21 yards on 13 carries in his third game back from his contract holdout. Hasselbeck took control on the go-ahead drive that started at the Tennessee 5, completing passes to five different receivers, with the longest a 58-yarder to tight end Craig Stevens. He also tossed a 14-yard TD to Nate Washington.



Britt, who had 271 yards receiving coming into the game, was hurt with 5:55 left in the second quarter. He had just caught a swing pass from Hasselbeck, eluded a tackler and tried to turn upfield when he fell to the ground and lost the ball. The Titans forced Denver to go three-and-out, then punter Brett Kern came up with Tennessee's longest rush this season.



Tennessee outgained the Broncos 333-231, and Denver didn't score a point off two fumbles recovered. That included a fumble by Hasselbeck recovered at the Titans 13 late in the third quarter.



At the end of that drive, Denver coach John Fox took a timeout, pulled kicker Matt Prater off the field and went for it on fourth-and-goal. Derrick Morgan, Tennessee's first-round pick a year ago, stopped McGahee for no gain.



The Titans led 10-7 at halftime before Orton took control of the third quarter with a 16-play drive using up more than eight minutes. He converted four third downs with completions, the last a 5-yarder to McGahee for a TD and a 14-10 lead with 1:17 left in the quarter. Orton was 9 of 10 for 51 yards on the drive.



Denver rookie Von Miller sacked Hasselbeck, knocking the ball loose, on the ensuing drive. That gave Denver the ball at the Titans 13 and seemingly all the momentum.



Hasselbeck completed 10 of his first 11 passes for 125 yards and a TD. He even connected with Johnson on a 34-yard pass down the left sideline that Fox challenged to make sure the running back got both feet in on the catch.



Buffalo Bills 34, New England Patriots 31



ORCHARD PARK, New York -- Rian Lindell hit a 28-yard field goal as time expired to cap a stunning comeback by the Buffalo Bills for a 34-31 victory over the New England Patriots. The win snapped Buffalo's 15-game losing streak against the Patriots that dated to 2003, and sparked a wild celebration in which stadium officials guarded the goal posts to ensure fans didn't bring them down.



As Lindell's kick sailed through the uprights, holder Brian Moorman jumped on Lindell's shoulders, and receiver David Nelson went running down the other end of the field pumping his fist.



The Bills (3-0) won courtesy of yet another Ryan Fitzpatrick-led rally, overcoming a 21-0 second-quarter deficit. It was reminiscent to what the Bills did in a 38-35 win over Oakland a week earlier, when they scored touchdowns on their final five possession to overcome a 21-3 deficit.



This time, they did it against their longtime AFC East nemesis.



Tom Brady went 30 of 45 for 386 yards and four scores for New England (2-1), which had a 10-game regular-season winning string ended. Wes Welker had 16 catches for a franchise record 217 yards and two scores.



Despite setting a league record for most yards passing over a three-game stretch, Brady matched a career worst with four interceptions. That included Drayton Florence's 27-yard interception return for a touchdown with 10:22 left that came 14 seconds after Buffalo's Fred Jackson tied the game at 24 with a 1-yard plunge.



Though Brady led the Patriots back to tie the score at 31 on a 6-yard touchdown pass to Welker -- on fourth-and-goal, no less -- the Bills would not be denied.



Getting the ball back with 3:25 remaining, Fitzpatrick needed only three plays to get the Bills into scoring position.



Facing first-and-10 at the Patriots 39, Fitzpatrick hit Jackson on a short crossing pattern over the middle. Jackson broke lose and was attempting to dive into the end zone before being tackled from behind by Devin McCourty.



Officials initially ruled Jackson had scored before having it overturned on video review.



That wound up an advantage to the Bills, who ran down the clock by kneeling. The Patriots ran out of timeouts -- and composure as an unsportmanlike conduct penalty against Vince Wilfork gave Buffalo another set of downs at the 1.



Dating to 1950, the Bills became the only team to overcome deficits of at least 18 points to win in consecutive weeks, according to STATS LLC. In fact, only six teams have won twice in one season when trailing by 18 or more points.



The last team to do so: the Patriots in 1996.



This comeback started before halftime. Down 21-0, Fitzpatrick capped a 96-yard drive by hitting Stevie Johnson for an 11-yard touchdown. Brady's first interception came on the following possession, which led to Lindell's 42-yard field goal.



Johnson had eight catches for 94 yards and a touchdown for Buffalo. Tight end Scott Chandler also scored on a 3-yard catch.



It was a back-and-forth game featuring two of the NFL's top-scoring teams. The Bills racked up 448 yards on offense and 24 first downs. The Patriots were even more productive, finishing with 495 yards offense and 30 first downs.



Brady's 387 yards passing gave him 1,326 in three games. That eclipsed the record of 1,257 set in 2006 by New Orleans QB Drew Brees. It was also Brady's 37th 300-yard career game, moving him into ninth place, one ahead of John Elway.



Detroit Lions 26, Minnesota Vikings 23 (overtime)



MINNEAPOLIS, MNinnesota -- The old Detroit Lions would have wilted after falling behind 20-0 at halftime. These are not the same old Lions.



Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes in the second half to rally Detroit from the big halftime deficit, and Jason Hanson kicked a 32-yard field goal in overtime for a 26-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.



Calvin Johnson had seven catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns for the Lions, who are 3-0 for the first time since 1980. They won in the Metrodome for the first time since 1997, snapping a 13-game skid.



Adrian Peterson rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown, but only 5 of those yards came in the second half as the Vikings (0-3) gave away a large halftime lead for the third week in a row.



Stafford completed 32 of 46 passes for 378 yards, and he saved his best throw of the day for his last.



With blitzing Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway right in Stafford's grill, the young quarterback heaved a pass off his back foot in Johnson's direction. The 6-foot-5 Johnson made a brilliant 40-yard catch with Cedric Griffin all over him, and Hanson calmly drilled the field goal for the winning score.



Stafford looked completely lost against the Vikings' aggressive array of zone blitzes in the first half, throwing for just 64 yards.



He was a different quarterback in the second half, certainly closer to the No. 1 overall pick in 2009 who led the Lions so capably in the first two weeks. He calmly dissected the Vikings defense, completing 14 of 23 passes for 257 yards, with much of his damage done to Brandon Pettigrew over the middle.



Pettigrew had 11 catches for 112 yards for the Lions, who were favored in Minnesota for the first time since 1981.



Jared Allen had three sacks, Brian Robison added two and Donovan McNabb threw for 211 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings.



For the third week in a row, the Vikings came out of the gates flying. Peterson had a 6-yard touchdown run, and the defense sacked Stafford, who had hardly been touched in the first two weeks, three times in the first half.



The Lions had minus-7 yards of offense in the first quarter, and Marcus Sherels' 53-yard punt return set up McNabb's 8-yard TD to Visanthe Shiancoe for a 20-0 lead.



Stafford hit Johnson for a 32-yard TD, and Hanson's 27-yard field goal cut the lead in half at 20-10.



Jahvid Best's 60-yard screen pass gave the Lions a first-and-goal at the 5 as the quarter came to an end, one that saw the Lions outgain the Vikings 190-6.



Stafford's 5-yard TD to Johnson made it 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, and Frazier decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Detroit 17 rather than kick a field goal. Toby Gerhart was stuffed by DeAndre Levy.



Stafford drove the Lions right back down the field, and Hanson's 50-yard field goal tied the game with 5:20 to play.



New York Giants 29, Philadelphia Eagles 16



PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- With Michael Vick knocked out of another game, Eli Manning and the New York Giants wouldn't let the Philadelphia Eagles finish off their comeback.



Manning threw four touchdown passes, including two to Victor Cruz, in the Giants' (2-1) 29-16 win over the Eagles.



Vick started despite suffering a concussion in last week's 35-31 loss at Atlanta. He left with a broken right hand in the fourth quarter after helping the Eagles overcome a 14-0 first-quarter deficit to take a 16-14 lead.



It's uncertain how long Vick will be out. Without their Pro Bowl quarterback, the Eagles (1-2) hardly look like the "Dream Team" that entered the season with Super Bowl or bust expectations.



Manning threw for 254 yards, and Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 86 and had 53 more receiving, including a TD. Filling in for the injured Mario Manningham, Cruz had three catches for 110 yards and his first two career scores.



Aaron Ross, who was benched in the second half of New York's win over St. Louis last Monday, had two interceptions that led to 14 points.



LeSean McCoy had 128 yards rushing and one TD for Philadelphia, which has blown two fourth-quarter leads in consecutive games.



After McCoy was stopped for a 3-yard loss by Michael Boley on fourth-and-1 from the Giants 43, Manning drove New York in for the go-ahead score. He tossed a 28-yard TD pass to a well-covered Cruz to put the Giants up 20-16. Jacobs ran in for the 2-point conversion to make it 22-16.



Cruz outfought Nnamdi Asomugha and Jarrad Page to make the catch near the goal line and fell into the end zone, losing the ball after he crossed.



Mike Kafka replaced Vick on the ensuing possession and Ross intercepted his first pass. Manning connected with Bradshaw for an 18-yard TD pass to put the game away.



Vick finished 16 of 23 for 176 yards and one interception. He ran for 31 yards. Vick looked shaky early, but made a few nice throws before leaving. He didn't seem all that happy after the Eagles kicked a field goal to pull within 14-13 at halftime. Vick looked angry as he walked off the field, waving his arms and pointing. Jackson tried to calm him down, but Vick didn't seem interested in listening.



The Eagles dominated time of possession by a nearly 3-1 margin throughout the first three quarters, but didn't take the lead until the final minute of the third when Alex Henery kicked a 21-yard field goal. It was a disappointing end to a drive that began at the 10 and stalled at the Giants 1. The Eagles had a first down at the 2 and failed on four runs to get it in.



Vick left the game for X-rays on his right hand after that drive and was temporarily replaced by Kafka. But he returned during a time out while Kafka was in the huddle and played one more drive before going to the bench.



Steve Smith made a crucial mistake on the first ball that came his away against his former team. Smith left the Giants for Philadelphia and returned ahead of schedule from knee surgery to be ready for Week 1. Vick's third-down pass on Philadelphia's first drive hit Smith in the hands and bounced in the air to Ross, who caught it at the Giants 8. Ross returned the interception 19 yards, and Manning needed six plays to lead New York into the end zone.



Rookie linebacker Casey Matthews, who was moved from the middle to the weakside spot earlier in the week, bit badly on a play-fake that allowed Jacobs to get wide open. Manning's perfect throw hit him in stride and the Giants went up 7-0.



Manning connected with Cruz late in the first to give New York a 14-0 lead. Cruz caught a short pass at the Giants 34, but broke Kurt Coleman's tackle and sprinted down the sideline. Cruz again got away from Coleman, when he collided with Asomugha at the Eagles 46, and the second-year pro cruised into the end zone for his first career score.



Philadelphia answered with a long drive that resulted in a 21-yard field goal by Henery. After the Giants turned it over on downs at the Eagles 29, Vick got going. He had completions of 13 and 17 yards on a drive that was finished off by McCoy's nifty 11-yard TD run. McCoy broke a tackle, cut outside and ran into the end zone to get the Eagles within 14-10. Henery nailed a 38-yard field goal before the half ended to cut it to 14-13.



New Orleans Saints 40 , Houston Texans 33



NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana -- Drew Brees passed for 370 yards and three touchdowns, and twice led the Saints back from fourth-quarter deficits in a 40-33 victory over the Houston Texans.



Mark Ingram's first career touchdown on a 13-yard run gave the Saints (2-1) the lead for good with under 3 minutes left. Brees was intercepted twice, but redeemed himself with three touchdown passes in the second half, including a 27-yarder to tight end Jimmy Graham and a 16-yarder to Lance Moore.



Matt Schaub passed for 373 yards and three TDs of his own, and the Texans' prolific offense moved the ball well for most of the game. Houston (2-1) was doomed in the end by four drives inside the 20 that resulted in only field goals, along with Schaub's lone interception that Jabari Greer snagged near midfield in the fourth quarter, setting up Moore's touchdown.



The lead changed hands five times in a thrilling second half that included a slew of big plays and one bizarre touchdown in which Saints linebacker Jonathan Casillas' bobbled interception attempt put the ball in the lap of Kevin Walter. The receiver then darted into the end zone for a 20-yard score that gave Houston a late 33-32 lead and stunned the Louisiana Superdome crowd.



New Orleans marched right back down the field, though, covering 93 yards in eight plays for Ingram's winning score. The key play on the drive was Brees' 23-yard pass on third-and-10 to Jimmy Graham, who absorbed a late hit that was called for a personal foul and got up flexing both arms. Brees capped the drive by hitting Moore on a 2-point conversion on the same out-route they had used for a 2-point conversion after a previous touchdown.



Houston, which was trying to improve to 3-0 for the first time, finished with a 473-454 advantage in total yards and had a lead as large as 26-17 after Schaub found James Casey for a diving 20-yard catch along the right sideline early in the fourth quarter.



The play capped a drive that began when Danieal Manning picked off a pass that Graham never saw and returned it to the New Orleans 42. Graham redeemed himself, though, hauling in a scoring pass that capped a four-catch, 100-yard, one touchdown performance for the second-year converted basketball player out of Miami.



The comeback brought a joyous end to the fifth anniversary of the Saints' first game in the rebuilt Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. That victory over Atlanta five years ago featured a blocked punt by Steve Gleason, who is now struggling with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, but who was able to participate on the coin toss as an honorary captain while the crowd stood in an emotional applause.



Houston's Ben Tate, who was trying to become only the second running back to open his NFL career with three 100-yard rushing games, was held to 82 yards on 19 carries. Andre Johnson had seven catches for 128 yards and Casey finished with five receptions for 126, including a 62-yarder to set up Houston's first TD.



Brees' first touchdown pass went to Robert Meachem, who made a diving catch for a 2-yard score when Brees threw while rolling to his right. That gave New Orleans its first lead at 19-17 early in the second half.



Houston went back in front 19-17 on Neil Rackers' fourth field goal of the game. Of five Houston drives inside the Saints 20, only one ended with a touchdown, a disappointment for a club that looked to improve in that area after scoring only four TDs on 11 trips inside an opponents' 20 in its previous two games.



Carolina Panthers 16, Jacksonville Jaguars 10



CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Cam Newton didn't come close to matching those impressive passing numbers from his first two games. Instead, he overcame a shaky performance by directing a clutch fourth-quarter drive to earn his first NFL victory.



Newton found Greg Olsen over the middle for a 16-yard touchdown with 4:20 left to help the Carolina Panthers to a 16-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.



Newton, the No. 1 overall draft pick, also found Olsen for the ensuing 2-point conversion that helped Carolina rally from a 10-5 halftime deficit. The win also marked the first for coach Ron Rivera with the Panthers.



Newton threw for more than 400 yards in each of the first two weeks, setting an NFL record with 854 yards passing in the opening two games of his career. He finished with just 158 yards on 18-for-34 passing against the Jaguars and their own highly drafted rookie quarterback in Blaine Gabbert. But he completed all three of his passes on the go-ahead drive for the winning score.



Gabbert, the 10th pick in the draft, threw for 139 yards in his starting debut, including a 36-yard touchdown pass to Mike Thomas on the final play of a rain-drenched first half. He even had a chance to snatch the victory away from Newton in the final minute, driving the Jaguars all the way to the Carolina 35-yard line in the final seconds. But Carolina linebacker Thomas Williams batted away Gabbert's final pass for Jason Hill as the clock expired.



After the Jaguars took over at their own 10 on their first series, offensive lineman Eugene Monroe was penalized for illegal use of hands to wipe out a chain-moving completion on Gabbert's first throw. That backed the Jags up even more, and Greg Hardy got past Guy Whimper on the right side to trip up Gabbert in the end zone for a safety.



His next drive wasn't much better, starting at the Jacksonville 6 and ending when Charles Johnson sacked Gabbert on third down. He got the Jaguars on the board by directing a field goal drive, aided by the Panthers jumping offside on a punt to give Jacksonville a first down after what was going to be a three-and-out.



Conditions got even tougher for both passers when a heavy downpour of rain arrived in the second quarter, sending fans fleeing to the concourse for cover and leaving massive puddles on the field and around the sidelines.



But Gabbert and the Jaguars came up with a stunning scoring drive right before the half, with Thomas catching a long pass from Gabbert and leaping across the goal line as time expired for the 10-5 lead.

Bill Haas defeats Hunter Mahan in playoff to win Tour Championship tournament and FedEx Cup

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Haas, who earlier made a stunning par save from shallow water, parred the third playoff hole for the win. His $11.44 million payoff includes $10 million for finishing first in season-long FedExCup standings.

bill-haas-hunter-mahan.jpgBill Haas (left) is congratulated by Hunter Mahan after winning the Tour Championship tournament and FedEx Cup. Haas defeated Mahan on the third hole of a playoff.

Bill Haas made a stunning par save from shallow water, then won the high-stakes FedEx Cup on Sunday worth $11.44 million in the most riveting conclusion of the PGA Tour's playoff.

One week after a meltdown at Cog Hill, Haas really showed his mettle.

He won the Tour Championship over Hunter Mahan on the third extra hole of a sudden-death playoff, the first time the FedEx Cup has been decided in such fashion.

Haas won $1.44 million for the Tour Championship title, and the $10 million bonus for winning the FedEx Cup. He came into the week at No. 25, the highest seed ever to win golf's richest prize.

There was so much at stake that while Haas won $11.44 million, second place for Mahan was worth $1.564 million.

 

Toledo's Rockets have plenty to kick about after botched call vs. Syracuse

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The focus is on an extra point attempted by Syracuse's Ross Krautman late in the fourth quarter.

toledo-beckman-syr-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeSaturday's loss to Syracuse provided another exasperating moment for Toledo head coach Tim Beckman and the rest of the Rockets.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Once again, the Toledo Rockets are in the midst of an officiating firestorm.

Earlier this season, the frequently penalized Rockets were hit with 14 yellow flags in a 27-22 loss at Ohio State. Saturday, in a 33-30 OT setback at Syracuse, the Rockets were victims of bad officiating on the field and in the replay booth.

The focus is on an extra point attempted by Syracuse's Ross Krautman with 2:07 remaining the regulation. The kick was ruled good despite apparently sailing left of the uprights. When put under official review, it was validated again even though TV coverage showed the ball clearly passing in front of -- then to the left -- of the goalpost.

The PAT gave the Orangemen a 30-27 lead. A Toledo field goal in the final seconds tied the game and sent it to overtime -- instead of potentially giving the Rockets a 30-29 victory.

The Big East admitted the mistake hours after the game. In overtime, Toledo threw an interception on its possession. Syracuse then kicked a field goal for the victory.

Toledo Athletic Director Mike O'Brien wants some public action.

"I requested of our Mid-American Conference commissioner, Jon Steinbrecher, that he contact the Big East Conference relative to yesterday's UT-Syracuse game, and ask that the win be vacated and awarded to the University of Toledo," said O'Brien.

"I want to make certain that everyone is aware that this was not a missed holding call. This is about a call that was missed on the field -- that happens. However, the opportunity was given to the replay officials to correct it, and it was not. The play was reviewed by the Big East Conference and they indicated that it was an incorrect call and put out a statement to that effect.

"I realize this is most likely unprecedented," O'Brien continued. "[But] I think it's important we show our football team that we truly support them, that we show our football coach and his staff we're here for them and support them and tell our fan base that it wasn't a situation where the University of Toledo just lays down."

Here is the post-game statement from Big East Conference coordinator of football officiating Terry McAulay.

"After studying the videos of the Syracuse extra point attempt ... we have concluded that the ruling on the field that the kick passed between the uprights was incorrect, and that the replay official made an error in failing to reverse that ruling. In reviewing the video, we have determined that the angle from behind the kicking team shows conclusively that the ball passes outside the ... upright.

"Our review of the process determined that the replay official mistakenly focused his attention on the sideline angle, which proved to be distorted. We are confident that our officiating staff will learn from this situation in order to prevent a reoccurrence."

As of Sunday, McAulay's statement was the Big East's lone public comment on the outcome of the game.

There were 10 plays run after the disputed Syracuse PAT, all by the Rockets, culminating with the field goal as time expired. It is certainly arguable that Syracuse would have played differently knowing that a UT field goal would have won the game, instead of just forcing an overtime.

"There is no mechanism to go back and change the outcome of the game," MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said Sunday afternoon. "This is not a good feeling."

A grateful Manny Acta thanks Tribe fans: Indians Chatter

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The Indians' improved play this season was reflected in an increase in attendance.

thome-tribe-fans-2011-horiz-cc.jpgView full sizeJim Thome was the focus of attention as the entire Indians team greeted fans entering Progressive Field for Sunday's home finale. The Indians' attendance increased from roughly 1.4 million in 2010 to 1.8 million this season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Clubhouse confidential: The Indians' improved play this season was reflected in an increase in attendance. They drew just over 1.8 million fans after drawing just under 1.4 million last year.

"I'm very grateful for the support of our fans all year long," said manager Manny Acta on Sunday, "especially on a day like today when the Browns are playing in town. I thought it was a really good crowd and I'd like to thank them."

The Indians drew 22,539 to Sunday's home finale. Just how much of the revenue generated by the increase in attendance will be used to improve the club has yet to be determined, GM Chris Antonetti said recently.

Giving back: Matt LaPorta will join SportsTime Ohio President Jim Liberatore and others on a trip to Haiti to assist the country as it recovers from the 2010 earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people.

"Since the earthquake I've wanted to go to Haiti be a part of helping in whatever it may be," said LaPorta. "Jim Liberatore asked me if I wanted to go and I'm really excited about it."

LaPorta and the STO team will leave on Oct. 6 and stay four days, visiting schools, support facilities and orphanages.

Stat of the day: Opening Day 2012 at Progressive Field is 193 days away.

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