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All right team, let's go, go, go! (Or, in the Cleveland Browns' case, not so much): Bud Shaw's Sunday Sports Spin

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The Browns have been outscored, 58-6, in first quarters this season. That's hard to do without getting lost on the way to the coin flip, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin.

shurmur-lament-bengals-abj.jpgView full sizePat Shurmur admits his team actually does discuss what it plans to do on offense for the first 15 plays of every game. Which is better than not talking about the plays --- not that Bud Shaw can tell the difference.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Unlike the movie, the use of slow motion in the Browns' version of "A Clockwork Orange" is not intentional...

While scripting the first 15 plays of games this season, Pat Shurmur's offense hasn't scored a touchdown in the first quarter. Opponents have run it up on the home team, 58-6. That's not easy to do without storming from the locker room for the opening kickoff and running directly into a broom closet.

Despite a week of preparation -- more than a week leading into the Oakland game -- the Browns have trotted out some of the weakest scripts this side of "Jack And Jill." You could say it's all about talent ... except even Chris Palmer's expansion nobodies weren't this ineffective in 1999.

While some of us (translation: me) bemoaned the grinding nature of the Eric Mangini-Brian Daboll regime, the Browns at least showed up to the start line with the car in gear.

Mangini's second-half adjustments too often called to mind the last hurrah of Coach Custer. But they outscored their first eight opponents, 36-13, in the first quarter. It was 77-40 for the season. That at least smacked of good strategy and preparation.

That was a more veteran team in 2010. That team had an off-season together. It also had a healthy Peyton Hillis. All true. Those Browns also played a much tougher schedule.

The ceiling for this team was supposed to be higher offensively, what with Mike Holmgren, Tom Heckert and Shurmur reading from the same page of the playbook. As for Hillis, Shurmur didn't commit to establishing the run early when Hillis was in the lineup. Missing Hillis and Montario Hardesty last week the Browns ran it on 11 of 12 first downs to start the game.

Hillis' free-fall is a factor. Except the Browns made a philosophical statement devaluing the running game the minute they didn't keep Lawrence Vickers to block for Hillis. They expected to pass their way to leads. All the early play-calling was done in support of that notion. They thought they were fine at wide receiver, remember? They're still too stubborn to admit they were wrong.

The West Coast design is to control the ball with an efficient, low-risk passing game. In practice, it's a bust. Shurmur's idea of accounting for a porous offensive line isn't to start games in the shotgun or no-huddle or with Josh Cribbs occasionally in the backfield. Last week it was "Ogbonnaya up the middle" in a town where that sounds a little too familiar.

"We practice the plays we're going to run throughout the week in that, say, first 15," Shurmur said at one of his press conferences last month. "We talk about what we intend to do to start the game whether we're going to stay in regular and run it or play action or spread them out and pass."

That's better than not talking about what they intend to do. But not by much.

The point isn't whether anyone expected better than 3-5 at this juncture. Or whether the Browns ever projected as a playoff team. The concern is people expected to see an offense that at least occasionally made them think the move away from Mangini Ball was absolutely, positively necessary. In their dreams, they might even have imagined Shurmur and Holmgren on the blackboard in the team president's office, solving defenses the way Matt Damon's character attacked algebraic graph theory in "Good Will Hunting."

Instead the Browns start games looking unprepared and overmatched. The arrival of a pea-shooting Rams team ranked No. 31 in scoring couldn't come at a better time for the Browns.

After all, they're only 29th.

The disraught Buckeyes throw themselves on their pen knives again...

In reponse to the NCAA's "failure to monitor" notice, Ohio State has willingly reduced its scholarship limit by five over three years.

That's not five per year? That's five total?

If the Buckeyes actually gave out their full complement of scholarships every year -- they don't -- a reduction of five total scholarships still wouldn't amount to much. They must be holding back in case the NCAA issues more reprimands.

Yep. Triple secret probation.

HE SAID IT

(And somebody needed to)

"The kids are what this is all about. Not wins or losses. Put the kids first. Don't be fooled. They all knew. Tom Bradley and all must go." -- Penn State alum John Matko holding a sign in protest while watching people get their pictures taken with Joe Paterno's statue Saturday before the Nebraska game.

SPINOFFS

Former Penn State player Sam Stellatella has donated money to alleged child molestor Jerry Sandusky's legal defense and is urging others to contribute. Yes, I know. He beat you to it, didn't he...

The Akron Zips women's team committed 46 turnovers in a loss to Notre Dame. That's still more error-free than Stellatella's decision...

The public moment of silence for the alleged victims of Sandusky before Saturday's Penn State-Nebraska game was poignant, especially after so many years of silence from those who didn't do enough to stop him...

The NFL isn't using the latest helmet technology to protect players. It's so much easier to look vigilant by reaching into their pockets and taking money from them for top speed hits. Increasingly more shameful, too...

Doctors will not confirm that Phil Dawson's migraines are a direct result of being the only original member of the expansion Browns. Not for lack of evidence. They believe some things just go without saying...

Denver's quarterback Tim Tebow is 2-1 as a starter. The last time anyone with that long of a windup had a winning record, Juan Marichal was pitching in San Francisco...

YOU SAID IT

(The Much Anticipated Game Day Edition)

"Hey Bud:

"On Sundays, who is more blitzed -- the Browns or the fans who arrive to Muny at 7 a.m.?" -- Nick

Hard to say. Both routinely require cut men and smelling salts.

"Hey Bud:

"Can you explain why I feel like I'm going to barf every Sunday morning?" -- Doug, Westlake

I don't know. Maybe you're pregnant with overconfidence?

"Bud:

"If you bring a can of food to Cleveland Browns Stadium, do you get a ticket?" -- Joe S

Yes. And if you bring a helmet you get to play right tackle.

"Hey Bud:

"Since the Baltimore Ravens are really the old Browns, can we consider them Browns Version 1.0 and our current team Browns Version 2.0?" -- Lance, Middleburg Heights

You could. But some might confuse the 2.0 with Colt McCoy's yards per attempt in the West Coast offense.

"Bud:

"With the Braves picking up $10M of recently acquired Derek Lowe's $15M salary, will that create an allegiance dilemma for Lowe if Cleveland plays Atlanta in the next World Series?" -- Chas K

I don't normally edit reader emails, but I believe you meant "when."

"Bud:

"Isn't judging Colt McCoy's potential while he is mired in this offense kinda like the Pulitzer committee judging you based on 'You Said It?'" -- Chuck Levin

First-time "You Said It" winners receive a T-shirt from the Mental Floss collection.

"Bud:

"The NFL is concerned with the effects from concussions on its players. Any chance it'll investigate the 13 years of brain trauma suffered by Browns fans?" -- Bob H, Medina

Repeat winners get the therapy they so obviously need.

"Hey Bud:

"If the Browns don't beat the Rams, Jaguars and Cardinals, do you think they will manage to become bowl eligible?" -- John Harman, Parma

Group therapy.


Woe, Purdue: Ohio State falls in overtime to Boilermakers, 26-23

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A blocked extra point wiped out what looked like an Ohio State comeback and all but knocked the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten title race.

osu-block-purdue-2011-horiz-mct.jpgView full sizePurdue's Bruce Gaston (90) deflects the extra-point attempt by Ohio State's Drew Basil in the final minute of regulation Saturday afternoon in West Lafayette, Ind. The block denied the Buckeyes from escaping Ross-Ade Stadium with a 21-20 comeback victory.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Some Buckeyes were preparing to cover the kickoff and just heard the thud of a football hitting a hand, while others sat on the bench paying half-attention, glancing toward the field and knowing only by the screams of the crowd.

Luke Fickell watched. The first-year Ohio State coach saw every bit of the breakdown that wiped out his team's otherwise assumed comeback victory Saturday afternoon, Purdue turning the opportunity granted by a blocked extra point with under a minute to play into a 26-23 overtime win.

"I watch every play, and I knew right where it came from," Fickell said. "I'm not pointing fingers at anybody to blame, but you don't see me running up and down the sideline, celebrating, thinking something is over."

He knows this team better than anyone. Assume nothing is the lesson of the upset loss that wiped out virtually any chance of the Buckeyes (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten) claiming the Leaders Division.

With Penn State's loss to Nebraska on Saturday, a trip to the first Big Ten title game would have belonged to Ohio State with wins over the Boilermakers, Nittany Lions and Michigan. When Ohio State knocked off Wisconsin on a last-minute touchdown heave two weeks ago, it seemed like the Buckeyes were maybe finding themselves, ready to roll through the back half of the season.

But that 40-yard touchdown heave was the aberration. Not the blocked extra point. Even though the Buckeyes had converted 130 straight point-after kicks, dating back to a miss against Navy in the 2009 opener, the idea of unfortunate mistakes at inopportune times for a team with little margin for error will be a lasting theme of this season.

Two years ago, the Buckeyes were upset at Purdue as well, but that team was undone by overconfidence and Purdue defensive star Ryan Kerrigan. These Buckeyes weren't flying too high or unable to contain a future first-round draft pick. They, maybe not shockingly, just weren't better than Purdue (5-5, 3-3). The Boilermakers outgained Ohio State, 363-295, had a 23-15 first-down edge and won the game in overtime on quarterback Robert Marve's 1-yard plunge after Ohio State managed only a field goal.

"It's probably worse," said OSU senior center Mike Brewster, asked about this loss compared to the 2009 defeat. "Because for a second I thought the game was over. PAT, defense stops them, let's get on the bus and go home. And it didn't go down like that."

Instead, after quarterback Braxton Miller seemed to save the day again with an improvised 13-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Hall with 55 seconds to play, Purdue's Bruce Gaston shot up the middle and blocked Drew Basil's extra point, keeping the score at 20-20.

"It's a roller coaster of emotions. You're excited at that point of the game, ready to get out of there and win the game, and when you don't get what you want, you're disappointed," senior safety Tyler Moeller said. "With everything we wanted to achieve, it's heartbreaking."

Gallery preview

Nine years after the Holy Buckeye game-saving play in a 2002 win here, it went from Holy Braxton and Holy Bollman to Holy Block.

"Any one person on that can have that pressure to bear, any single kick of the year," offensive line coach Jim Bollman said. "It was the same kind of rush they'd been doing all day that we had been pretty effective on. And that one, you have to look at the kick, and they had a little penetration."

They were also the same kind of problems the Buckeyes have had this season, including a slow start. As in last week's home win over Indiana, the Buckeyes trailed, 10-0. On defense, too many missed tackles, as seen against Miami, let the Boilermakers pile up extra yards.

Offensively, the Buckeyes couldn't do much in the passing game. Five deep passes didn't come close to connecting on a day when Miller went 8-for-18 for 132 yards.

"There's definitely that part of it I feel like we're missing," Brewster said. "We always had [suspended receiver DeVier Posey] or someone to get those long balls that boost your offense. Sometimes it's hard to run 80 yards all the time."

This time, the lack of a passing game finally had an effect on the run game, as the Buckeyes were limited to 163 yards on 47 carries. Even Bollman admitted it.

"Probably," he said. "Certainly you'd like to have been more effective in that."

The effective passes came in small, inconsistent doses, like a dumpoff over the middle to running back Hall, who turned the catch into a 38-yard second-quarter touchdown. He finished with three catches, more than he'd had in the entire season. The tying drive in the fourth quarter included a quick little Miller rollout and easy 12-yard pass to Devin Smith. But in general, all season and in this game, why haven't there been more short and mid-range passes, the kind of throws the OSU defense claimed Purdue did so well Saturday?

"Keep in mind, the short passing game is very much precision, and timing oriented," Bollman said. "Were there some thrown in the game earlier? Yes. Were they successful? No. But you can always look back and say, 'should we have thrown a couple more of those?' Perhaps. You could say that. But that's part of what we have to keep getting better at."

These Buckeyes aren't very precise. After six straight on-the-field Big Ten championships -- though last season's title share was vacated -- OSU fans were accustomed to looking at the big picture. With this team, at last, fans should know all that matters is the moment, as Fickell has said all year.

The Buckeyes are too young, too knocked around by 11 months of off-field woes, too inconsistent to think about anything other than the next game, the next play, or the next extra point.

Terry Pluto's pregame scribbles from Cleveland Browns-St. Louis Rams

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Can the Browns' defense be revived in time to slow down Steven Jackson today?

jackson-rams-squ-ap.jpgView full sizeSteven Jackson ran for 130 yards last week against Arizona, and will certainly be the focus of the Browns' defense today.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Some pregame scribbles as the Browns prepare for the Rams this afternoon:

1. Unless you are a Browns fan, this sounds strange -- but this is a huge game for Pat Shurmur and the team. Because you are a fan, or at least care about the team, then you know why. You know that the Rams are 1-7, and if the 3-5 Browns can't beat a 1-7 Rams team in Cleveland...then what?

2. The Browns average 14.9 points, ranked 29th in the league. The Rams are dead last at 12.3. Quarterback San Bradford leads the league in sacks and hits. It doesn't matter that your top two running backs (Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty) are hurt. Ditto for receiver Mohamed Massaquoi and safety T.J. Ward. Who knows how long right tackle Tony Pashos (ankle problem) will last? Despite all that, you still have to find a way to win at home.

3. Some of the pressure is on defensive coordinator Dick Jauron. He knows the Rams do one thing well -- hand the ball to tailback Steven Jackson. He knows his defense has been shredded by the run, especially the last two weeks. In games at San Francisco and Houston, the Browns gave up a combined 421 yards for a 5.9 average.

4. Can it be that these guys have been on the field too much? Jabaal Sheard has played 92 percent of the snaps, fellow defensive end Jayme Mitchell has been out there for 89 percent. As for the tackles, it's 85 percent for Ahtyba Rubin and 67 percent for Phil Taylor. Mitchell and Sheard are in the top 15 of snaps played by defensive ends, as is Rubin among the top 15 of defensive tackles.

5. Jauron has defended his defense by saying he is less interested in rushing yardage than yards per carry. He wants it to be about 3.8. It's at 4.4, and that's stinks, too. OK, it's 19th, but looks worse than that after what has happened the last few weeks.

6. Here is a shocking stat: The Browns have run for 657 yards, opponents are at 1,152. Yes, after eight games, it's as if every runner they face is Jim Brown.

7. Here comes Jackson and Jacksonville's Maurice-Jones Drew in the next two games, so the defense knows exactly what is coming their way.

8. After having nine tackles and looking very good in the first two games, Taylor has drifted. In the last three games, the first-rounder has three tackles. A good guess is he's finding the NFL a tougher place than he imagined.

9. This is a big game because the defense must not embarrass itself against the run. It's big because the offense has scored only two touchdowns in the last three games. It's big because fans want something to watch, and this team has yet to score a touchdown in the first and third quarters. That's 16 total quarters, or four full games. That's just painful.

10. I hear Joshua Cribbs was chastised a bit by the coaches for hinting that he may have a bigger role in the offense. Maybe it's all a setup -- the Browns want the Rams to think Cribbs will get the ball more, and the Browns really plan to do more of the same.

11. Why do more of the same? I think Cribbs will get the ball more. I wouldn't care if the Rams know it. Cribbs ran the ball 75 times out of the Wildcat in the last two years, gaining 447 yards. That's a 5.9 average. This year, he has carried the ball once. When in the Wildcat, the world knew what was coming.

12. It's doesn't have to be the Wildcat, it just has to be something with Cribbs. That's what fans are looking for, something different on offense, something that says, "Yes, we know there is a problem and we're working at it."

13. Here's the deal: This has been a frustrating season because of the lack of offense, the injuries to Hillis and Hardesty and two consecutive road spankings. But they also have two games at home that they should be able to win -- and push the record back to 5-5.

14. After a 7-1 home record in 2007, the Browns are 9-21 at home ... and 8-22 on the road. Somehow, they need to at least be in the vicinity of .500 at home.

15. Normally, I am terrible when it comes to picking games. But I'm 6-1 this season, only missing the opening loss to Cincinnati. I have the Browns winning today. But please don't bet on it!

Browns vs. Rams: Live in-game chat and post-game show

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Join cleveland.com's live chat during the Browns vs. Rams game today at 1 p.m. Interact with The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff live in the press box at Cleveland Browns Stadium as he comments on the action down on the field.

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. Rams 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.

Former Browns coach Sam Rutigliano helps mentor kids in Cleveland school

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The program's 24 third-graders participate in after-school activities on the school premises. Students practice futsal, a sport similar to soccer, on Mondays and Fridays. Teachers and trained tutors provide literacy instruction on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A series of wellness-related experts chat with the children on Wednesdays.

inner-circle-foundation.JPGView full sizeDressed in hospital attire, Denajah Martin, 9, a third-grader at Robert Jamison Elementary School listened to a recent wellness presentation given by the Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Linda Bradley. Bradley's lecture was part of an after-school mentoring program.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Eight-year-old DaVion Evans is trying to persuade his school friend Lamire Sears to move with him to Florida.

"We can play football there," says DaVion, of Cleveland. "Then we can play for the Browns."

But the Robert Jamison Elementary student pauses for a second and explains himself. You see, college is also on his mind.

"We have to practice. And learn more. Go to school, read and graduate. First," he said.

DaVion's youthful determination to get a college diploma may be rare in the Cleveland school district, with only a 54 percent graduation rate. To foster it, a local nonprofit is mentoring DaVion and other at-risk students on healthy lifestyles.

The group, Coach Sam's Inner Circle Foundation, promotes literacy, physical activity and overall wellness. It encourages children like DaVion and Lamire to remain in school through college and use education as a means to break out of poverty.

Coach Sam is former Cleveland Browns coach Sam Rutigliano, who along with addiction psychiatrist Gregory Collins, developed a confidential support group for Browns players battling substance abuse in the late 1970s. Part of Jamison's mentoring curricula was adapted from the Browns group.

inner-circle-lecture.JPGView full sizeRobert Jamison Elementary School third-graders interact with Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Linda Bradley during a wellness presentation. Her lecture was part of an after-school mentoring program sponsored by Coach Sam's Inner Circle Foundation. Bradley shared with the children her journey of becoming a surgeon.

The program's 24 third-graders participate in after-school activities on the school premises. Students practice futsal, a sport similar to soccer, on Mondays and Fridays. Teachers and trained tutors provide literacy instruction on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A series of wellness-related experts chat with the children on Wednesdays.

"This is about helping these kids emotionally, intellectually, socially and physically," Rutigliano said, adding his motto: "Kids don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

Rutigliano and Collins, now section head of the Alcohol, Drug and Recovery Center at the Cleveland Clinic, teamed again for this mentoring project. They enlisted the help of local experts in education, health and sports to develop the nonprofit's "Whole Child" program.

It started with a nine-week trial last spring among Jamison second-graders. Some of the students rolled over to this semester's 12-week program.

Jamison Principal Judith Snow said that for some children, the carrot of the program was the 90-minute twice-a-week futsal practice. She said that does not matter. What matters is the improvements the kids have shown in literacy skills.

Compared with a group of children who did not receive the after-school tutoring, the reading scores of participants have advanced an average two-thirds of a school year. Nearly half of the students improved their oral reading by one full year, and 73 percent showed growth in word recognition.

"Now, some of these students don't want to miss school because they don't want to miss tutoring," Snow said. "Their study habits have improved, and they finish the work that they didn't in the past."

"Whole Child" teachers encourage students to explore different types of literature, read aloud and independently. A firefighter, EMS sergeant, occupational therapists and doctors have spoken at the wellness lectures.

On a recent Wednesday, Linda Bradley, vice chair of the Clinic's Obstetrics Gynecology and Women's Health Institute, shared her journey from when she was an elementary school student doing math problems until becoming a surgeon.

"Who's the best person to believe in?" Bradley asked the third-graders.

"Yourself," they enthusiastically replied.

The foundation hopes to eventually enroll 192 children from four schools. But for now, the main focus is to ready this group for the state academic performance tests.

DaVion and Lamire plan to continue with the after-school activities. DaVion said the program could help him and his friend get to Florida.

Who knows if they'll make it. But some of the lessons have already stuck with them.

"I learned that if you get kicked down, you have to get up again like bowling pins," DaVion said.

Cleveland Browns advance to Rams' 26, kick field goal -- Tony's take

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Browns' offensive gameplan includes three handoffs on first down to Chris Ogbonnaya, but also the return of the Wildcat for one play.

bradford-taylor-horiz-ap.jpgView full sizeRams QB Sam Bradford looks around Phil Taylor during a first-quarter pass play Sunday. Bradford had the Rams moving as the quarter came to an end.

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

• Josh Brown plasters line drive through the wind and out of the end zone for touchback to start.

• First Browns series: Chris Ogbonnaya up middle for 3. Greg Little catch for 5. On third-and-2, Colt McCoy pass to Little for 1.

• Rams make two first downs in no-huddle offense, and then have to punt from Browns' 34. Memo to Rams: Everybody's making long field goals this year, guys.

• On their first three first-down plays, Browns hand off to Ogbonnaya each time. On their fourth, McCoy scrambles for 2 yards.

• Short WR screen to Josh Cribbs nets 20 yards.

• On first down from Rams' 32, Cribbs lines up in Wildcat formation, takes direct snap and runs for 4 with McCoy split wide left. Here we go again.

• Browns getting close to red zone. But on third-and-4 from Rams' 26, McCoy's short pass is behind Cribbs. Phil Dawson kicks 44-yard field goal.

• Great one-handed catch by Brandon Lloyd on left sideline after putting an inside move on Joe Haden. Takes Rams out of trouble.

• Steven Jackson now carving up Browns. For 11 yards, 12, 5.

• Rams mixing up the no-huddle nicely.

• Quarter ends with Rams at Browns' 7.

Cleveland Browns using razzle dazzle, but still no TDs -- Tony's take

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A Wildcat play has Colt McCoy throwing to Seneca Wallace for 21 yards. And the play started with Josh Cribbs at quarterback.

jackson-run-rams-browns-jk.jpgView full sizeSteven Jackson ran for 71 yards in the first half as the Rams tried to control the ball and the clock against the Browns.

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

• Brandon Lloyd completes Rams' scoring drive with 7-yard sliding touchdown catch vs. Joe Haden. Beat him twice on the series with nice moves.

• There's another Josh Cribbs Wildcat run for 2 yards. Rams pass pressure picked up and knocked down Colt McCoy twice in three plays. Punt.

• On third-and-7, Rams pick up Browns blitz and Sam Bradford has time to hit Austin Pettis for 16 yards. Very next play, Scott Fujita tips Bradford pass and intercepts it near mid-field. Nice play.

• Hand off to Thomas Clayton. Three-yard loss.

• Sideline out to Cribbs nets a first down at Rams' 39.

• Razzle dazzle time. Out of the Wildcat formation, Seneca Wallace comes from the right side for an a handoff. He pitches to McCoy coming from the other side, who then throws to Wallace down the left sideline -- 21-yard gain.

• On third down from Rams 14, McCoy rolls right, stops, pops for Jordan Cameron, and it's broken up in the end zone. Field goal.

• Sheldon Brown gets a well-time breakup on a pass for Pettis on third down. Rams three-and-out.

• A bad Brad Maynard punt and good return by Pettis gives Rams possession at Browns' 47. Steven Jackson taking this series over. With Brown wrapping up his legs, Jackson knocks down D'Qwell Jackson with a shoulder thumb and continues for 22-yard gain to Browns' 15.

• Browns defense holds Rams to 29-yard field goal. Rams up, 10-6.

• McCoy sets up long pass to Greg Little with a pump-fake. Little hauls it in at the Rams' 10-yard line with :14 left. Fifty-two yard play.

• From the 10, McCoy's lob for Evan Moore is broken up. Moore is called for facemasking against Josh Gordy off the line of scrimmage. Dawson kicks 43-yard field goal.

Cleveland Browns pull out the stops and still can't get in endzone -- Bud Shaw blog

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The mighty struggle to move the ball on offense benefited from what boxing promoter Don King once called "trickeration."

dawson-kick-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeFor all of the Browns' "trickerations," their offense continued to come from the foot of Phil Dawson.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Colt McCoy threw downfield. Josh Cribbs operated out of the wildcat. Seneca Wallace caught a pass.

And the Browns trailed 10-9 at the half on three Phil Dawson field goals. In case you raking leaves and didn't see it for yourself, I am not making this up.

The mighty struggle to move the ball on offense benefited from what boxing promoter Don King once called "trickeration." That it was required in order to keep pace with the 1-7 St. Louis Rams is scary but no less welcome. Two plays breathed life into a stadium where the Sunday nightmare is watching Browns receivers run 5-yard crossing patterns in what appears to be quicksand.

One was Cribbs pitching to Wallace out of the wildcat. Wallace then pitched back to Colt McCoy who looked off the Rams' secondary and threw back to Wallace for a 21-yard gain.

The other was a long pass to a wide-open Greg Little for 52 yards just before the end of the half. The Browns, of course, still had to settle for a field goal after a facemask penalty on tight end Evan Moore.

After those two plays, Mardi Gras broke out in the stands.

The Browns don't have any "should win" games on their schedule. This is one they better win or they might go winless the rest of the season.

But if they don't continue to use their imagination on offense in the second half, don't bet on it.


High-profile role with players' union not an issue for Cleveland Cavaliers' Anthony Parker

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Despite his free-agent status, Anthony Parker doesn't expect any repercussions from his union activity.

parker-mug-ss.jpgView full size"I'm a hard worker and I'm a professional," says Anthony Parker about the ramifications of being the Cavaliers' player rep. "I think the owners understand this is a negotiation ... and I don't think it will hinder my future."

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Anthony Parker's criticism of the last NBA proposal was stripped across the bottom of ESPN programming for about 24 hours in the middle of last week.

"Once the league's offer was spelled out clearly, everyone [in the room] said it was worse than they thought," said the Cavaliers player representative.

Parker's words, uttered after locked-out players rejected the league's offer last Tuesday, unfurled across the ESPN crawler about every 15 minutes.

"Usually, you have to do something very good or very bad to be on there for that long," Parker said. "In that case, I think I was somewhere in the middle."

Parker returns to New York Monday as player reps meet with the union's executive committee to decipher the latest NBA proposal and decide whether to accept a deal. The league is offering a 72-game season, starting on Dec. 15, should players ratify an agreement.

If the proposal gets rejected, some players will push for decertification of the union or disclaimer of interest in the union, moves designed to gain leverage by threatening to take the league to federal court. Options are few and none particularly appealing for the players. NBA Commissioner David Stern vows the league is done negotiating and he says the next offer will be a far worse one for the union.

Parker finds himself in the middle of an escalating labor war as an unrestricted free agent. It's not an envious position for a 36-year-old player in search of a contract. But the husband and father of two boys said he's not worried that teams might hold his union activity against him once the lockout is resolved. It's believed the Cavs have strong interest in resigning him.

"I think my reputation speaks for itself," said Parker, who spent six seasons playing overseas before becoming an NBA regular in 2006. "I'm a hard worker and I'm a professional. I think the owners understand this is a negotiation ... and I don't think it will hinder my future."

League officials spent the weekend trying to quell rumors and correct misunderstandings about their proposal. Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver were scheduled to answer collective bargaining-related questions online Sunday night.

"It's of grave concern to the league that there is an enormous amount of misinformation concerning our proposal, both on Twitter and in the more traditional media," Silver told the New York Times on Saturday. "We believe that if the players are fully informed as to what is and is not in our proposal, they will agree that its terms are beneficial to them and represent a fair compromise."

Parker said he's remaining quiet about the offer until he meets with the executive committee. He's attempted to keep Cavs players in the loop through phone calls, emails and text messages. He won't know whether the union will recommend putting the offer to a rank-and-file vote, Parker said, until after Monday's meeting.

"We've got to sift through the information," Parker said. "You hear this and read that, but we don't know what's right until you go over it."

Cleveland Browns fourth field goal gives them 12-10 lead -- Tony's take

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A big Rams fumble forced and recovered by Chris Gocong saves thwarts a possible scoring drive.

haden-adams-reax-horiz-jk.jpgView full sizeMike Adams (left) and Joe Haden celebrate a good defensive play. The Browns held the Rams scoreless in the third quarter.

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

• First-and-15 run by Steven Jackson for 17 yards.

• Rams left tackle Rodger Saffold of Bedford is hurt and helped off the field. Out with possible concussion.

• Sam Bradford aborts a shovel pass and keeps for a first down. Ahtyba Rubin falls on Bradford's ankle. Bradford leaves for one play.

• Short pass to Austin Pettis. Sheldon Brown misses the tackle. Pettis bounces off for 12 yards.

• Big play by Chris Gocong. After catch by Jackson, Gocong puts a helmet on the ball and recovers the fumble at Browns' 29. Rams decide not to challenge.

• Seneca Wallace shows up for the third time as a wideout. Just to keep the Rams on their toes.

• Screen pass to Chris Ogbonnaya nets 17 yards and a first down. But drive fizzles at 50 when Rams rush four and send McCoy scampering for a yard.

• Browns now having some success stopping Jackson's runs. Browns force Rams punt from their goal-line. Great bounce on end-over-end punt rolls dead at Browns' 23.

• Josh Cribbs scoots 22 yards on an end-around, but Greg Little's holding penalty reduces it by seven.

• Ogbonnaya rips off an inside run for 32 yards. Longest Browns' run of the season. Ben Watson follows with an acrobatic one-handed catch over two defenders at the Rams' 15. Twenty-two yard play.

• Browns play for the field goal with three safe play-calls. Phil Dawson's 27-yard field goal gives Browns 12-10 lead.

Ed Demyan, terminally ill Browns fan who wanted to go to Super Bowl: Whatever happened to ...?

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Demyan was a window and door sales representative from Brooklyn who had been given up to a year to live when he went to Super Bowl XLV in Dallas last Feb. 6.

demyan.jpgEd Demyan, right, and his fiancee MaryKaye Mackulin met Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Alice Cooper at the Akron Civic Theatre after his show on Aug. 9.

"Whatever happened to . . .?" is a weekly series updating some of the most newsworthy and interesting local stories covered in The Plain Dealer. Have a suggestion on a story we should update? Send it to John C. Kuehner.

Today, we answer this question:

Whatever happened to Ed Demyan, the terminally ill Browns fan who said going to the Super Bowl was the last item on his bucket list?

Demyan, a window and door sales representative from Brooklyn, watched the Packers win in Super Bowl XLV.

"If it can't be the Browns, it has to be the Packers," he said before heading to Dallas with his fiancee, MaryKaye Mackulin of Strongsville, for the Feb. 6 game.

The Browns helped secure Super Bowl tickets. Donated Continental Airlines miles made the trip possible. He also met former NFL quarterback Jim McMahon.

The Dream Foundation, a California-based wish-granting organization for adults in the end stages of life, picked up other expenses and handled arrangements. Most of Greater Cleveland seemed to send prayers and good wishes.

Demyan, who was a first-team All-Ohio offensive tackle at Brooklyn High School, class of 1981, had been given up to a year to live when he went to the Super Bowl.

He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the disease that claimed sportscaster Casey Coleman, actor Patrick Swayze and, most recently, Steve Jobs.

"We don't know how long I have. It is what it is," Demyan said cheerfully at the time. "I just live like I would normally as best I can. There's nothing to dwell on -- all I can do is move forward."

He did, with his three daughters and Mackulin, who blogged about his progress and to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer at edandmk.blogspot.com.

He went deep-sea fishing with buddies off Key West in April. He took a brief cruise with Mackulin in May. He spent July "mostly relaxing and fishing out at my mom's cottage near Marblehead," Mackulin said. "He was happiest just to stand on the pier and bass fish. He was fairly limited physically due to the pain from his bone cancer."

They saw Alice Cooper -- "one of his rock heroes" -- at the Akron Civic Theatre in August. Friends arranged a private meeting after the concert.

"For 15 minutes, Ed was able to just visit with Mr. Cooper like he was an old friend," Mackulin said. "It was magic. Ed went to sleep that night a very happy man. Unfortunately, he never was really fully awake again after that night. His body was done."

He entered the Hospice of the Western Reserve at The Renaissance on Aug. 11. He died on Aug. 17, at age 48.

But his battle continues. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, and Cleveland will be among 50 cities participating Sunday in the first PurpleLight National Vigil for Hope. Sponsored by the local chapter of the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the vigil aims to raise awareness about the disease and honor those fighting it.

The vigil begins at 5 p.m. Sunday at Cuyahoga Community College-East, 5250 Richmond Road, Highland Hills. Parking is free in lot B1. More here.

"We're where breast cancer was 40 years ago," Mackulin said. "Their survival rate is our mortality rate. Seventy-five percent die in the first year after diagnosis. It's the No. 4 cancer killer and has the highest mortality rate of all the major cancers.

"After 12 months," she said, "you're considered a survivor. There were 18 of them including Ed at our Purple Stride event at the Metroparks Zoo in June, out of 2,300 people there.

"Ed fought hard," she added. "We made the most of the time that we had, and we had a great life together. God bless you all that prayed for him, that never met him, but still prayed."

Cleveland Browns play for the field goal, but get only frustration -- Tony's Take

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Browns play for the field goal, but don't get it after snap is deflected.

cribbs-vert-run-rams-ap.jpgView full sizeJosh Cribbs was more of the offense on Sunday, but an expanded offense still couldn't get the Browns into the end zone against St. Louis.

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

• Tight end Michael Hoomanawanui is the fifth player lost by the Rams because of injury.

• Big defensive stop for Browns, forcing punt after Rams had first down at their 41.

• James Laurinaitis plays off an Owen Marecic block and tracks down Colt Mccoy for 8-yard sack. Punt.

• Rams take over at their 35 with 11:39 to play. On third down, Joe Haden drops an interception at the 50. Rams punt, and David Nixon strips ball from Josh Cribbs. Ben Leber recovers at Browns' 27 with 10:39 to play.

• Phil Taylor sacks Sam Bradford at the Browns' 16. Josh Brown makes field goal from 34 yards for 13-12 Rams with 7:42 to go.

• Josh Brown's kickoff to right corner goes out of bounds. Big break. Browns take over at their 40. Browns 25 yards away from Phil Dawson's range.

• Greg Little picks up 21 yards on two plays -- pass from McCoy and end-around run.

• McCoy chased by Fred Robbins. Robbins reaches for McCoy's jersey and gets called for horse collar tackle. McCoy's 5-yard pass completed to Alex Smith. First down at Rams' 19.

• On third-and-2 from 11, Owen Marecic pummels ahead for 3 and a first down.

• On second down, McCoy hands off to Alex Smith, lined up as fullback. Smith never secured ball. Josh Cribbs recovers at Rams' 8.

 * Browns complete task of setting up field goal with safe handoff to Chris Ogbonnaya to the 4. Dawson on field for 22-yard field goal. Ryan Pontbriand's snap glances off Alex Mack's leg. Brad Maynard gets the hold down, but Dawson's timing is off and kick is missed left.

What a kick in the pants: Cleveland Browns bungle final attempt at win, suffer 13-12 loss to lowly St. Louis Rams

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Phil Dawson hits four field goals, but his fifth is wide left after the snap is bumbled.

browns-missfg-rams-jk.jpgView full sizeThe Browns and kicker Phil Dawson are in disarray and the Rams begin their celebration after Dawson's 22-yard field goal was missed wide left in the final minutes Sunday.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The fifth time, Phil Dawson couldn't deliver.

Called upon to knock in his fifth field goal of the game through the uprights when his Browns couldn't find the end zone all game, Dawson's 22-yard field goal attempt after a bumbled snap sailed wide left with 2:04 remaining.

That allowed the St. Louis Rams to claim a 13-12 victory over Dawson, who scored all the points for his Browns on Sunday. The Rams improved to 2-7 while the Browns fell to 3-6 in head coach Pat Shurmur's first game against his former team.

Though Dawson hit four field goals, his final one was the most important for the Browns, who had 335 yards offense, but no touchdowns. But long snapper Ryan Pontbriand's snap appeared to glance off the leg of offensive lineman Alex Mack in the end, though holder Brad Maynard managed to somehow come up with the ball and hold it upright for Dawson to kick.

Still, apparently thrown off by the bobbled snap, Dawson's kick was low and wide left.

Dawson hit field goals of 44, 32 and 27 yards. The rest of the offense floundered, despite the Browns' attempt to inject some trickery into their playbook. Josh Cribbs had a couple plays at quarterback, quarterback Seneca Wallace lined up at receiver, and tight end Alex Smith tried his hand at fullback -- though he fumbled his only handoff.

The Rams overcame injuries to six players in the game, including three defensive backs.

Browns quarterback Colt McCoy was 20-for-27 with 218 yards. Chris Obgonnaya had 90 yards on 19 carries.

The only touchdown of the game was Sam Bradford's seven-yard pass to Brandon Lloyd in the second quarter. Otherwise, the two offenses moved between the 20s but struggled to seriously threaten.

Cleveland State shocks No. 7 Vanderbilt, 71-58, in men's basketball

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The Vikings looked fresh and sharp in dealing a stunning loss to SEC power Vanderbilt.

csu-douglas-drive-vandy-vert-ap.jpgView full sizeCleveland State guard Sebastian Douglas drives past Vanderbilt's Kedren Johnson on his way to the basket Sunday afternoon in Nashville, Tenn. Douglas scored seven points in the Vikings' upset of the Commodores.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- D'Aundray Brown scored 18 points and Cleveland State opened the season Sunday by upsetting No. 7 Vanderbilt, 71-58, in a regional game of the Legends Classic.

Cleveland State, a veteran team with four seniors back from winning the Horizon League last season, hadn't played since an exhibition Wednesday night. The Vikings looked very fresh, while Vanderbilt (1-1) appeared sloppy and slow after opening Friday night with a late tipoff against Oregon.

Cleveland State scored first on a 3-pointer by Trevon Harmon within the first minute and never trailed. The Vikings forced Vanderbilt into 21 turnovers -- 15 of them steals. Harmon finished with 11 points and Jeremy Montgomery added 10.

John Jenkins, the Southeastern Conference's leading scorer with 19.5 points last season, had 17 for Vanderbilt. Lance Goulbourne added 11.

With the early tipoff, Cleveland State came into a Memorial Gym barely half full, and the Vikings jumped to a 16-point lead and were up, 37-24, at halftime. They outshot Vanderbilt, hitting 50 percent (27 of 54) compared to 35.3 percent (18 of 51) and scored 22 points off the Commodores' turnovers.

Vanderbilt, with its highest preseason ranking since starting No. 5 in 1965, never got closer than six in the final 10 minutes. The loss snapped Vanderbilt's 20-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents dating to Dec. 3, 2008, in a 74-55 loss to Illinois-Chicago.

The Commodores were sloppy, missing easy layups, throwing the ball away repeatedly and even struggling at the free throw line despite a huge advantage there.

They had more turnovers through the first 13 minutes (nine) than they had in their opening win over Oregon (eight), and one of those came when they couldn't inbound the ball quickly enough. Vanderbilt wound up with more turnovers in the first half (13) than made shots (seven).

Cleveland State couldn't have been more refreshed and looked much quicker than Vanderbilt. They helped themselves by repeatedly driving the lane for easy baskets with a 34-20 scoring edge in the paint. Cleveland State led, 37-21, before Steve Tchiengang managed a three-point play with 33.7 seconds left to trim it to 37-24 at halftime.

Vanderbilt used a 14-2 run to get back into the game capped by a pair of free throws by Goulbourne and then his dunk to pull within 41-38 with 13:31 left.

Then Harmon hit a jumper from the top of the key that kicked off a 9-2 Vikings spurt, and Charles Lee's bucket with 9:50 left put them up 50-40. Vandy never got closer than six down the stretch.

A baffling, bewildering, befuddling loss for the Cleveland Browns: Terry Pluto

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When it came time to trust his quarterback to take at least one shot at a victory -- Pat Shurmur took the ball away and played for a field goal.

unhappy-fans-browns-horiz-jk.jpgView full sizeBrowns fans displayed their dismay in a plain, brown-paper way after the stunning final moments of Sunday's loss to the Rams.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There are times when I watch the Browns and have no idea what to say.

Like now, after the Browns lost, 13-12, to St. Louis on missed 22-yard field goal with just over two minutes left.

I say "the Browns," and not Phil Dawson. He had very little to do with this defeat -- and Dawson is the only reason they scored at all with four field goals. They lost because Ryan Pontbriand's snap glanced off the leg of Alex Mack and bounced to holder Brad Maynard -- by then, Dawson's timing was shot, and the kick was shanked.

Mack -- the starting center -- was at left guard on the kick team. He either slipped or was pushed backyards as the play began, putting him in the path of the snap. He was at guard because in the 6-3 victory over Seattle, the Browns had two field goals blocked when a Seattle defender went over Jason Pinkston and another Brown who split the guard duties.

Can you say this stuff didn't happen when Eric Mangini had Brad Seely running the special teams over the last two years? The current Browns don't want to hear that, but it's a fact. This is not to turn the back-to-back 5-11 Mangini regime into the Paul Brown era, but the special teams were indeed special when he was here.

Meanwhile, the Browns lost at home to a one-win team, that has scored more than 13 points only twice all year. They lost because they were trying to win their second home game of the season without scoring a touchdown.

Think about that for a moment. There is a general rule in the National Football League -- no touchdowns, no victories.

Consider that the Browns had the ball on the Rams 19, first down. On the next six plays, they ran the ball. Six plays, not one shot at the end zone. Four runs to Chris Ogbonnaya. One to Owen Marecic.

Six plays, which included a handoff to Alex Smith! Yes, the tight end was in for his first carry of the season -- and fumbled. Fortunately for the Browns, they recovered.

"We tried to hand the ball to him and he dropped it," said coach Pat Shurmur.

For the record, Alex Smith has been in the NFL for seven years covering 86 games -- and never carried the ball until Sunday. Nor has he worked on taking handoffs in practice. He was at fullback because starting fullback Marecic was shaken up on an earlier play.

OK, Marecic was hurt, but why hand the ball to Smith? Just give it to Ogbonnaya again if you are determined to run it.

Back it up, the Browns had the ball on Rams' 9. Ogbonnaya ran the ball ... zero.

Smith fumbled ... Joshua Cribbs recovered for a sloppy and scary 2-yard gain.

Ogbonnaya ran the ball ... three yards.

Botched field goal. Loss.

Not once did Shurmur allow McCoy to throw the ball anywhere near the end zone. McCoy had a decent day with 20-of-27 passing for 218 yards and no interceptions. He's had only six passes picked off all season. So it's not like he's a walking interception waiting to happen.

"We wanted the points," said Shurmur, explaining the conservative play call and taking the game out McCoy's hands.

Shurmur did show some creativity with his play calls, as the Browns had five plays of at least 20 yards. But when it came time to trust his quarterback to take at least one shot at a victory -- the coach took the ball away and played for a field goal.

It cost him and the Browns what should have been a victory.


Browns vs. Rams: Listen to post-game show

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Listen as The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Joey Morona broke down the Browns' loss to the Rams during the post-game show.

brownsListen to cleveland.com's post-game show with Dennis Manoloff.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Listen as The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff and cleveland.com's Joey Morona broke down the Browns' 13-12 loss to the Rams during the post-game show.

They talked about the botched field goal, the conservative play calling in the red zone, the opening up of the playbook and propsects for the rest of the season. They also read your chat room questions and comments.

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

Cleveland Browns: What do you think of them now? Poll

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The Browns are 3-6, their wins over bad teams. Are the Browns' players simply not good enough? The coaching? Injuries?

brandon-lloyd-joe-haden.jpgThe Rams' Brandon Lloyd catches a pass from Sam Bradford despite the defense of Browns cornerback Joe Haden. St. Louis defeated Cleveland, 13-12.



CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns found another way to lose a game on Sunday, falling to the flailing St. Louis Rams, 13-12, at Browns Stadium.



Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage details how the Rams were able to gain their second win of the season. Both teams had their share of injuries going into the game. During the contest, the Rams seemed to lose another key player virtually every other series.



Had everything gone right for the place-kicking unit and Phil Dawson hit yet another field goal for a 15-13 Browns' win, the victory would have only been a diversion from the Browns' problems.



The Browns' three wins have been over teams (Indianapolis, Miami, Seattle) with a combined three wins going into Sunday. Losing to the Rams jeopardizes the Browns' claim to being the best of the worst.



Cleveland plays another lightweight, the Jacksonville Jaguars, next Sunday at Browns Stadium.



That will leave the Browns with six games -- five of them against the other AFC North teams, all legitimate playoff contenders.



In our poll, we leave out team ownership and the front office so as to not complicate the choices. But we don't let them off the hook. Remember, talent acquisition and coaching hires reflect on front office decisions. The front office chiefs are there because ownership wants them there.




Browns Fan Chat: Browns vs. Rams

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Who's to blame for the Browns' loss to the Rams? Where do they go from here? Talk about these topics and whatever you like with other fans in our open Browns Fan Chat room. Just remember to play nice with others.

browns vs. ramsTalk about the Browns-Rams game in our open chat room.

Who's to blame for the Browns' 13-12 loss to the Rams? Did coach Pat Shurmur go too conservative late in the game? Is there any hope for the rest of the season?

Talk about these topics and whatever you like with other fans in our open Browns Fan Chat room. Just remember to play nice with others.

Then Monday afternoon, listen and fire away with your questions for Tony Grossi as he'll join us for an audio chat at noon.

Tony Grossi chat will begin Monday at noon.

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

A blind love for college football distorts fans' perspective: Commentary

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Collegiate administrators and coaches often morph from humans who react with humanity into vassals charged with protecting the institutional image.

fans-paterno-house-ap.jpgView full sizeAfter Saturday's loss to Nebraska, some Penn State fans walked to Joe Paterno's home and took their place alongside various signs of support for the former coach.

Kate Fagan

The Philadelphia Inquirer

(Editor's note: Kate Fagan played basketball at the University of Colorado from 1999 to 2004. During that time, Colorado's football program was under legal and NCAA investigation for its recruiting practices.)

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- While NBC Nightly News dimmed the lights inside the arena, set up two chairs facing one another, and adjusted the cameras, I paced the baseline and wondered if my answers would make the University of Colorado proud.

My school was mired in a recruiting scandal. NBC wanted to know how a female student-athlete felt about the charge that our football program used sex as a recruiting tool. The national media were pouring into Boulder as if the coasts had been lifted, everyone tumbling to the middle.

We were closing ranks inside the athletic department. Buffaloes above all else. The University of Colorado was being attacked from all sides; we were in self-protection mode.

Those months in 2004 were a light sprinkle compared to the thunderstorm that has descended upon Penn State. Former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is charged with sexually assaulting young boys. Important members of the hierarchy, such as head coach Joe Paterno and athletic director Tim Curley, are charged -- some formally, some in the court of public opinion -- with failing to report Sandusky's actions to police, for failing to protect our children in favor of their program.

As a 21-year-old in Boulder, I couldn't see the humanity -- the women whose lives had been damaged -- standing just outside our black-and-gold athletic gates. I pulled on my CU letter jacket and refused to understand why a few women wanted to destroy our athletic family.

I explained to NBC that our sports teams were shiny and clean. Anyone claiming otherwise didn't understand "what we stood for." May those in Happy Valley not repeat my mistake.

Everyone -- coach, athletic director, and president -- went down in the Colorado scandal. Paterno was removed from his job by the university's board of trustees on Wednesday. The only thing standing between other Penn State officials and that same fate is time.

But what will these "resignations" change? Heads rolling is absolutely necessary and unusually justified. But what's more important is addressing the culture inside these programs.

Video: Nebraska's Bo Pelini would have welcomed cancellation of game



Penn State will remove these people, insert others, and eventually the gears will begin churning again. That's what happened at Colorado, and we've seen no shortage of college scandals since.

Big-time athletic programs are not entirely unlike nation-states. Everyone wears the colors, says the pledge, and sings the school anthem. Everyone worships the logo, recites the fight song, and reports up the chain of command.

Everyone's committed to defeating a common enemy: Ohio State or Nebraska or Michigan.

This is what makes college athletics galvanizing and wonderful. And also, for anyone who has been inside it, it's what can make college athletics frightening. When you're inside, you're often a rah-rah believer. Blind acceptance exists that coaches and administrators, those who have established the institution's culture, possess absolute authority. They're accountable only to one another or not at all. The bad stuff can be handled internally, must be handled internally, unless it's so bad it seeps out the office door.

Is it a coincidence that Penn State is responsible for two of the most inflammatory college scandals of the last quarter-century? Women's basketball coach Rene Portland "resigned" amid charges of anti-gay discrimination. She had coached successfully at Penn State for 27 years. The Penn State administration -- Curley was Penn State's athletic director then, too -- allowed Portland to run her program in whatever way suited her personal beliefs. She scared lesbians into the closet and revoked scholarships based on sexuality.

Just look the other way. Nothing to see here.

Sound familiar?

But Penn State is no more guilty than other powerhouse athletic departments and universities. Believe this: These things could have happened anywhere. It's the protective cocoon of big-time athletics.

The longer you reside within that cocoon, the more entrenched you become in the culture. Administrators and coaches often morph from humans who react with humanity into vassals charged with protecting the institutional image. Preserving legacy and mystique are placed ahead of a child's -- or a woman's -- pain.

When we are finally allowed to ask questions of Paterno and Curley and Penn State president Graham Spanier, we should be less concerned with precisely what they knew and when they knew it. We should be concerned with understanding the answer to only one answer: why?

Why not go to the police immediately? Why endanger additional innocent children?

I think when you wade through the rhetoric, you'll find a very frightening answer, one that mirrors my flawed thinking while pacing, waiting, for that NBC interview.

They couldn't see the humanity standing outside their blue-and-white athletic gates.

NFL early afternoon games roundup: Pittsburgh Steelers defeat Cincinnati Bengals; Philadelphia Eagles 'Dream Team' now 3-6

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Eagles lose to Arizona Cardinals, 21-17. Browns' next opponent, Jacksonville Jaguars, top winless Indianapolis Colts, 17-3.


jerricho-cotchery.jpgSteelers wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery (89) is congratulated after catching a 16-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger during Pittsburgh's 24-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Roundup of early afternoon NFL games


Pittsburgh Steelers 24, Cincinnati Bengals 17


CINCINNATI, Ohio -- With the game on the line, rookie Andy Dalton couldn't handle a little old-fashioned Pittsburgh defense.


Rashard Mendenhall ran for a pair of touchdowns, and the Steelers intercepted Dalton twice in the fourth quarter, holding on for a 24-17 victory over the upstart Cincinnati Bengals.


Pittsburgh (7-3) ended the Bengals' five-game winning streak and got a needed victory. Ben Roethlisberger led long, balanced drives while thousands of Steelers fans waved Terrible Towels in the first sellout crowd of the season at Paul Brown Stadium.


Mendenhall's 9-yard run put the Steelers' up 24-17 late in the third quarter. Cincinnati (6-3) had a couple of late chances behind its impressive young quarterback, who handled most of what Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau threw at him.


Dalton had two more touchdown passes, giving him 14 overall -- the most by a rookie quarterback in his first nine games since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. He wasn't sacked even though the Steelers blitzed him every way they could.


Near the end, a Steelers defense that's starting to get healthy and force turnovers finally thwarted him.


Pittsburgh came in with only two interceptions all season. Cornerback William Gay anticipated Dalton's throw and stepped in front of Jerome Simpson for a clinching interception inside the Pittsburgh 20-yard line with 2:27 left.


Dalton was 15 of 30 for 170 yards and touchdown passes of 36 yards to fellow rookie A.J. Green and 1 yard to Jermaine Gresham. Green twisted his right knee on his first-quarter catch and was limited the rest of the way, relegated to standing on the sideline for the decisive moments of the fourth quarter.


Once the Steelers stopped their self-destruction, they put it away.


The defending AFC champions needed this one. The Steelers already have been swept by Baltimore, and a loss in Cincinnati would have left them 0-3 in division games -- a bad mark in a big tiebreaker.


They got off to another fast start, then held on in a gusty wind that made the goal posts shimmy and passes float.


Roethlisberger was 21 of 33 for 245 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He was sacked five times, matching his season high.


Roethlisberger found Jerricho Cotchery uncovered in the end zone for a 16-yard score that got thousands of Terrible Towels waving. It was the fifth time in the last six games that the Steelers reached the end zone on their opening possession.


Mendenhall ran 2 yards for a 14-0 lead on the Steelers' next possession. At that point, Pittsburgh had a 132-8 advantage in yards.


Dalton got the Bengals back in it by doing what he does best -- throw the ball Green's way so he can make a game-changing play. After running away from the pass rush, Dalton threw 36 yards to Green, who went up between safeties Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark to make the catch in the end zone.


Green, the NFL's top rookie receiver, landed awkwardly on his right leg on the play. He lay on the field for a couple of minutes and limped off with a sore right knee, but returned for the next series. He was on the sideline during the second half.


The Steelers helped the Bengals keep it close.


Tight end Heath Miller bobbled a pass directly to cornerback Leon Hall for an interception that set up Mike Nugent's 43-yard field goal, cutting it to 14-10. Miller had another bad moment late in the first half, wiping out an apparent touchdown with an interference penalty. Shaun Suisham's 39-yard field goal gave Pittsburgh a 17-10 halftime lead.


Hall, the Bengals' top cornerback, hurt his left Achilles tendon on that drive and didn't return.


Dalton pulled the Bengals even with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Gresham on their first drive of the second half. Pittsburgh then pulled off a tone-setting drive, covering 81 yards in 11 plays. Mendenhall's 9-yard run put the Steelers up 24-17 late in the third quarter.


Jacksonville Jaguars 17, Indianapolis Colts 3


INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Blaine Gabbert and Maurice Jones-Drew finally got Jacksonville moving against the winless Colts.


Somebody had to.


The rookie quarterback threw for a touchdown, while Jones-Drew ran for another, leading the Jaguars (3-6) to their first road victory of the season, 17-3 in Indianapolis.


Jacksonville plays at Cleveland against the Browns next Sunday. The Browns are 3-6 after their 13-12 loss to the St. Louis Rams.


For Jones-Drew, it was another banner day against his old nemesis. He carried 25 times for 114 yards, becoming the second player in franchise history to rush for 6,000 career yards -- more than 1,000 of that coming against the Colts. His game-sealing 3-yard TD run capped an 8-yard scoring drive that was set up by Dan Orlovsky's fumble.


For the Colts, it was another dismal performance that had fans booing and leaving early. Indy, the NFL's last winless team, is 0-10 for the first time since 1997. The Colts have now lost as many regular-season home games this year as they did in the previous three seasons combined and were eliminated from the AFC South title chase when Houston beat Tampa Bay 37-9.


With two of the league's worst offenses on the field, the game lived up to its inept billing.


How bad was it?


Curtis Painter and Gabbert each threw interceptions in the first five plays.


Indy finished with 212 total yards; Jacksonville had 251. After rushing for 58 yards in the first quarter, the Colts finished with only 84. And of the combined 61 first-half plays, 35 went for 2 or fewer yards. Even when Painter picked up a rare first down after Jacksonville was called for a face mask penalty, he tossed his helmet to the equipment guys because it malfunctioned.


So did the offenses on a brutal day under the roof in Indy.


Gabbert was 14 of 21 for 118 yards with the 11-yard TD pass to Jarrett Dillard that broke a 3-3 tie late in the third quarter.


Painter finished 13 of 19 for 94 yards with two interceptions before getting yanked early for the second straight week. Donald Brown led the Colts with 14 carries for 53 yards.


There's more.


Josh Scobee's 45-yard field goal attempt just before halftime started right and never had a chance, and the only first-half scores came on consecutive eight-play drives -- ending with Scobee's 44-yard field goal late in the first quarter and Adam Vinatieri's 42-yarder early in the second quarter.


The Jags finally broke through in the second half thanks to, of course, a Colts mistake.


Indy appeared to have Jacksonville stopped midway through the third quarter when Robert Mathis sacked Gabbert on third-and-11, but Tyler Brayton was called for illegal hands to the face, giving the Jaguars an automatic first down. Eight plays later, Gabbert hooked up with Dillard to make it 10-3.


The Colts never got into serious position to tie the score again, and Orlovsky's fumble and Jones-Drew's scoring run wrapped it up.


Broncos 17, Chiefs 10


KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Tim Tebow only threw eight passes and completed two against the Chiefs.


It turned out one completion was all he really needed.


The former Heisman Trophy winner connected with Eric Decker on a 56-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, helping the Denver Broncos beat the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 despite playing almost the entire game without their top two running backs.


Willis McGahee went down with a hamstring injury on the Broncos' first offensive series, and Knowshon Moreno left later in the first quarter with a knee injury. That left journeyman Lance Ball to tote the ball 30 times for 96 yards, churning up a defense that had to know what was coming.


Since taking over for Kyle Orton, Tebow has led the ground-based Broncos (4-5) to victory in three of their last four games. They moved into a tie with Kansas City and San Diego behind the AFC West-leading Oakland Raiders (5-4), who beat the Chargers on Thursday night.


tim-tebow.jpgDenver's Tim Tebow scores on a seven-yard touchdown run during the Broncos' 17-10 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Denver coach John Fox scrapped a large chunk of his playbook when he made Tebow the starter, trying to cater to his deft ability to run the read-option. And despite losing his best two running backs, Fox stuck with the ground game, content to wear down the Kansas City defense.


Tebow finished 2 of 8 for 69 yards, but added 44 yards and a score on the ground.


Kansas City's offense made those meager numbers look good.


Matt Cassel was 13 of 28 for 93 yards and a touchdown, and the Chiefs only managed 258 yards of total offense, a performance every bit as just as ugly as last week's 31-1 loss to Miami.


The Chiefs' four wins have been by 40 points; their five losses are by 120.


The Broncos made it clear that they weren't going to throw the ball a whole lot on their first possession, when Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy called eight consecutive runs.


Moreno had the highlight carry when he hurdled the Chiefs' Brandon Flowers on a 24-yard scamper, and Tebow finished off the drive when he went straight up the middle from 7 yards out, bouncing around like a pinball before plowing over the goal line to give Denver a 7-0 lead.


McGahee was hurt on the seventh play of the drive when he ran up the legs of one of his offensive linemen. He remained down until trainers could help him off the field.


He didn't return to the game, though it didn't matter the way Kansas City was executing.


The Chiefs' offensive line was called for holding, a false start and gave up a sack to rookie Von Miller on their opening drive. Cassel was 4 of 9 for 29 yards and Kansas City had five first downs and 72 yards of total offense in the entire first half.


Rookie wide receiver Jon Baldwin tried to give Kansas City a spark when he hauled in an acrobatic 58-yard pass in the second quarter, reaching around safety Brian Dawkins to make the grab. Baldwin held onto the ball, still behind Dawkins' back, as both players fell to the ground, but the play was called back because wide receiver Steve Breaston had lined up illegally.


Matt Prater's 38-yard field goal gave Denver a 10-0 lead at halftime.


Tebow wound up missing all four of his pass attempts in the half, making Denver the first team to lead at the break without a completion since the Green Bay Packers led the Chicago Bears 14-0 on Oct. 31, 1994, according to STATS LLC. Brett Favre was 0 for 6 at halftime of that game.


Kansas City finally scored when Cassel hit Le'Ron McClain on a play-action pass from just outside the goal line midway through the third quarter. It was the first points scored by the Chiefs' offense since 12:01 left in the fourth quarter against San Diego two weeks ago.


The Broncos snuffed out the comeback bid with 6:44 left in the game, when Decker ran past Flowers and safety Reshard Langford. Tebow hit him in stride for the touchdown.


Ryan Succop kicked a field goal with 7 seconds left for Kansas City, but the Broncos recovered the onside kick to seal the win.


Cardinals 21, Eagles 17


PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania -- With John Skelton leading the way, the Arizona Cardinals sure look like a different team.


Skelton threw a 5-yard TD pass to Early Doucet with 1:53 left and the Cardinals rallied for a 21-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.


Michael Vick had another so-so performance and the Eagles (3-6) blew a fourth-quarter lead for the fifth time this season.


Starting for the injured Kevin Kolb, Skelton threw three touchdown passes to lead the Cardinals (3-6) to their second straight win. He threw a tying TD pass to Larry Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter of a 19-13 overtime win against St. Louis last week that snapped a six-game losing streak.


Fitzgerald had two TD catches and made a sensational, over-the-shoulder diving catch to set up the go-ahead score on Sunday.


The defending NFC East champion Eagles were expected to be Super Bowl contenders after a slew of big-name acquisitions in the offseason. Instead, they've struggled miserably and have lost seven of their past eight home games.


Alex Henery kicked a 36-yard field goal with 5:06 remaining after Nnamdi Asomugha's interception to put the Eagles up 17-14.


But the Cardinals answered.


Skelton completed a 30-yard pass to LaRod Stephens-Howling on fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals 32 to keep the winning drive going. On third-and-10 from the Eagles 38, Fitzgerald made an incredible catch to the 1.


Beanie Wells was stopped for no gain and lost 4 yards on the next run. But Skelton hit Doucet coming out of the backfield for a go-ahead TD to cap an 87-yard drive and give the Cardinals a 21-17 lead.


early-doucet.jpgArizona's Early Doucet scores on a five-yard touchdown pass from John Skelton with 1:53 left in the game, the final and decisive score in the Cardinals' 21-17 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vick's desperation deep pass on third-and-20 was intercepted by A.J. Jefferson to seal Arizona's win.


Asante Samuel returned an interception 20 yards for a touchdown and LeSean McCoy had a 1-yard TD run to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead.


Vick was 16 of 34 for 128 yards and two interceptions. He's hardly resembled the guy who was an MVP candidate and Pro Bowl starter last season.


Skelton completed 21 of 40 for 315 yards, three TDs and two picks.


Asomugha made up for a costly penalty by intercepting Skelton at the Cardinals 30 and returning it to the 26. Vick left the game after taking a hard hit to the side on a 7-yard run. Vince Young handed off on third down, setting up Henery's field goal.


Cardinals kicker Jay Feely missed two field goals in the first quarter, hooking a 35-yard attempt wide left and a 43-yarder wide right.


The Eagles played without three starters, including two-time Pro Bowl wideout DeSean Jackson. He was inactive after missing a team meeting Saturday morning, two people familiar with the situation said.


Helped by a crucial penalty, the Cardinals tied it at 14 on Skelton's 7-yard TD pass to Fitzgerald in the fourth quarter. An offside call on Asomugha allowed Arizona to extend the drive after an incomplete pass on third-and-10.


A few plays later, Fitzgerald caught a pass that was tipped by Joselio Hanson and scampered into the end zone for his franchise-record 70th career TD. Roy Green had 69 TDs for the Cardinals from 1979-90.


Vick made another poor pass that was intercepted by Richard Marshall at the Eagles 44 on the following series. But Philadelphia coach Andy Reid challenged after seeing several replays on the stadium's video board and the play was overturned because the ball hit the ground.


The Eagles went ahead 14-7 late in the second quarter after a holding penalty on Marshall negated Adrian Wilson's interception in the end zone. Vick scrambled 14 yards to the Cardinals 3 one play after his pass into triple coverage was picked.


A play later, McCoy scored for the ninth straight game, setting a team record.


Dallas Cowboys 44, Buffalo Bills 7


ARLINGTON, Texas -- Facing the best team they'll see for a month, Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys looked pretty good themselves.


Romo guided touchdown drives on his first four series and Terence Newman returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown, leading the Cowboys to a 44-7 victory over the Buffalo Bills.


The Cowboys (5-4) won their second straight and could be starting a big surge considering their next three foes went into this weekend a combined 6-18. The really exciting part for coach Jason Garrett is how thorough this victory was. The offense was efficient, the defense protected an early lead and the special teams came through as well. The result: Dallas' most points since Sept. 9, 2007, and its most lopsided win since Oct. 22, 2000.


Romo completed his first 13 passes, including touchdown throws of 34 yards to Dez Bryant and 58 and 5 yards to Laurent Robinson. He finished 23 of 26, setting the franchise record for single-game accuracy by hitting 88.5 percent of his passes. They covered 270 yards.


Although Romo didn't lead any more touchdown drives after that opening stretch, he avoided the mistakes that have doomed him in other games this season. That's especially noteworthy because they were facing the team that leads the NFL in takeaways and had the second-most interceptions.


Buffalo (5-4) lost its second straight and third in four games. It also was a rude homecoming for coach Chan Gailey and running back Fred Jackson. Gailey coached the Cowboys to the playoffs in 1998-99, his only two years on the job, and Jackson grew up in this suburb, at one time living on the property that's now Cowboys Stadium.


The Bills trailed 21-0 before they got their lone touchdown, a 3-yard pass to David Nelson. Perhaps their most memorable moment of the afternoon was Nelson presenting the TD ball to his girlfriend -- a Cowboys cheerleader.


Ryan Fitzpatrick was 20 of 31 for 146 yards and that touchdown. He also threw three interceptions, the two to Newman and another to Frank Walker at the 1-yard line on Buffalo's final snap.


Dallas' defense was opportunistic from the start, with DeMarcus Ware sacking Fitzpatrick on their first snap. The Cowboys racked up four turnovers, including safety Gerald Sensabaugh forcing and recovering a fumble by Jackson. The local product still had a productive day, gaining 114 yards on 13 carries.


While the Cowboys were bolstered by the performance of Rob Ryan's defense, it was Romo and the offense that have folks thinking big.


Romo is clearly benefiting from the rapid development of rookie running back DeMarco Murray. He turned 20 carries into 135 yards and a touchdown, and had 35 yards on six receptions. He was a concern of the defense all day, drawing enough attention to help open space for Romo to throw toward in the secondary.


Murray also continued to show it's going to take a lot of guys to stop him as he made several highlight-worthy moves, such as hurdling safety Jairus Byrd and, on another play, cutting back across the field to turn a likely loss into a 25-yard gain.


Another reason for Romo's crisp performance: He's finally over the broken rib he suffered in Week 2. This was the first game he played since then without a special vest for protection.


Bryant caught six passes for 74 yards, Robinson had three catches for 73 yards and tight end Jason Witten caught five passes for 37 yards. Witten also passed Hall of Famer Ozzie Newsome for the third-most catches by a tight end in NFL history.


Rookie kicker Dan Bailey made field goals of 31, 36 and 45 yards. He's made 21 straight, the third-best streak in franchise history.



New Orleans Saints 26, Atlanta Falcons 23 (Overtime)



ATLANTA -- Mike Smith sent out the punting team for the Atlanta Falcons, then changed his mind.



Boy, did that turn out to be a mistake.



The Falcons were stuffed on fourth down deep in their own territory after the coach decided to go for it in overtime, setting up John Kasay to kick a 26-yard field goal that handed the New Orleans Saints a 26-23 victory.



The Falcons (5-4) rallied from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter, tying it on Matt Bryant's 27-yard field goal on the final play of regulation.



In overtime, Atlanta appeared to pick up a first down on a pass to Mike Cox, but he was ruled just short after referee Terry McAuley looked at the replay. Then, stunningly, Smith decided to go for it on fourth down from his own 29.



Michael Turner was stuffed, and Kasay made the winning kick for the Saints (7-3), his fourth field goal of the game.



New Orleans took control of the NFC South race, snapping Atlanta's three-game winning streak. But this one will be long remembered for Smith's gutsy call that backfired horribly.



After each offense went three-and-out on its first possession of overtime, Atlanta faced third-and-1 from the 29. Matt Ryan flipped a pass to Cox, the backup fullback, who was met short of the 30 but stretched out the ball with his right arm, appearing to get it across the line. It was initially ruled a first down, but the replay showed he was bobbling the ball as he was going down along the sideline, and the spot was moved back.



The Falcons initially sent on the punting team, then called timeout. After thinking it over, Smith decided to go for it, figuring his team could pick up the foot or so needed to keep the drive going.



Ryan handed off to Turner, but the bruising runner never had a chance. He actually lost a couple of feet, and the jubilant Saints took over. Four plays later, Kasay ended the game.



A disconsolate Smith walked slowly across the field to shake hands with his New Orleans counterpart, Sean Payton, who coached the game on crutches in his return to the sideline after a collision with one of his players left him with a broken left leg and severe knee injuries nearly a month ago.



Drew Brees went 30 of 43 for 322 yards, including a pair of touchdowns. Ryan threw a staggering 52 passes, completing 29 for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Turner rushed for 96 yards, but couldn't get the one yard that mattered most.



In regulation, Atlanta was down to its last chance, facing fourth-and-3 at the New Orleans 45 with about 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Ryan kept the drive going by hitting Roddy White on a 6-yard completion, then struck quickly with two more passes to make a game of it. A 19-yarder to White was followed by a 20-yard touchdown to Tony Gonzalez with 4:13 to go, bringing the Falcons to 23-20.



With only one timeout remaining -- Smith lost one early in the half by losing a challenge of a Saints completion -- the Falcons felt compelled to try an onside kick. It didn't work.



The Saints converted one third down, but failed on their next attempt and sent out Kasay for a 45-yard try. He drilled it right down the middle, but Jimmy Graham was called for holding and New Orleans decided to back up the Falcons with a punt.



After Eric Weems made a fair catch at the Atlanta 5, the Falcons put together a clutch drive that forced OT. Ryan hooked up three times with Harry Douglas on completions totaling 66 yards, and Atlanta actually had plenty of time to take three shots at the end zone for a winning touchdown.



They caught a break on Ryan's first throw over the middle, which was right in the hands of New Orleans safety Roman Harper. He couldn't hang on. Ryan then looked for White, but Jabari Greer got a hand on the ball to knock it away. With 10 seconds left, Ryan dropped back one more time, saw no one open and just threw it over the end zone. Bryant trotted on to make his third field goal.



Tennessee Titans 30, Carolina Panthers 3



CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Chris Johnson, not Cam Newton, made the big plays.



Johnson ran for a season-high 130 yards and a touchdown, and the Tennessee Titans used a stifling defense to frustrate the rookie quarterback in a 30-3 rout of the Carolina Panthers.



The Titans (5-4) sacked Newton five times and took away Carolina's vertical passing game. Carolina came in ranked fifth in the league on offense and first in plays of 20-plus yards, but the Titans limited Newton to 209 yards passing and held Steve Smith's, the NFC's leading receiver, to 33 yards.



Johnson had 174 yards from scrimmage and eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the first time since Oct. 2. Marc Mariani returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown, and Matt Hasselbeck threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Damian Williams, who finished with 107 yards receiving.



The Panthers (2-7) came in averaging 415 yards and more than 23 points behind a big-play offense, but Tennessee's defense completely took away their downfield passing game -- and just about everything else.



Carolina's longest pass play went for 19 yards, and DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart were limited to 58 yards rushing as the Titans continuously put the Panthers in third-and-long situations.



Five of Carolina's eight first-half drives ended in three-and-outs. Two others were halted by costly mistakes by tight end Greg Olsen. Olsen fumbled in the red zone early on then dropped an easy 16-yard reception late in the first half that would have made for a short field goal attempt by Olindo Mare. Instead, Mare missed the ensuing 50-yard kick on the final play of the first half, and the Titans took a 17-0 lead into the locker room.



Johnson took over from there.



He had 104 yards rushing in the second half and scored for just the second time this season on the ground.



The Panthers were coming off a bye week and appeared stuck in their slumber on Sunday.



After Carolina went three-and-out on its first possession, Mariani returned Jason Baker's punt 79 yards for a 7-0 lead. It was the third long punt return for a touchdown allowed by the Panthers this season and the 11th against Baker, the most of any active punter in the NFL.



Tennessee made it 14-0 on its first possession when Williams turned a short pass from Hasselbeck into a 43-yard scoring play after Panthers defensive backs Sherrod Martin and Darius Butler missed tackles.



Hasselbeck finished 15 of 27 for 219 yards with his only mistake, a third-quarter interception, leading to a Carolina field goal. Even then, the Tennessee defense held after the Panthers took over deep in Titans territory.



The Panthers' previous low scoring output this season was 16 points.



Rob Bironas added three field goals, and Johnson closed out the game late in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard TD run.



The teams combined for 21 penalties for 191 yards.

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