The decision as to whether the veteran guard is a Cavalier on the regular season's opening night is for now largely in the hands of Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerIf the Cavaliers keep Baron Davis (left), it could be to have the veteran help mentor No. 1 draft choice Kyrie Irving and serve as a conduit for head coach Byron Scott (right).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Baron Davis spent part of the NBA lockout producing a documentary on the declining sartorial standards of the American men.

But what the fashion-forward point guard wears during the regular season's opening night is for now largely in the hands of Cavaliers General Manager Chris Grant. It's an important decision, and not an easy one.

Does the GM release the 32-year-old Davis through the amnesty clause, a provision in the new collective bargaining agreement, which would free up millions in salary cap space and turn over the point-guard duties to rookie Kyrie Irving? Or, does Grant retain Davis, who made the Cavaliers appreciatively better upon his arrival late last season, and let him mentor the league's No. 1 overall pick?

A compelling argument can be made both ways.

While nothing is finalized, the clause currently enables teams to cut one player with pay during the lifetime of the agreement, provided he was on the roster as of July 1, 2011. The player gets his money and becomes a free agent. The franchise gets relief for salary-cap and luxury-tax purposes.

However, a team must make its amnesty decision before a season starts. It's believed the Cavs will be methodical in approach, going into training camp, which opens Friday, before making the call.

Forward Antawn Jamison, in the final year of a deal that pays him about $12 million (post-lockout price), is another amnesty candidate. But Davis has an extra year on his contract and the Cavs have more depth at his position.

Keeping with league mandates, Grant cannot comment on CBA provisions until they are official. That won't stop others from debating the issue:

The case for cutting Davis

The 19-year-old Irving is a franchise building block and needs all the experience coach Byron Scott can afford him. It's going to be his offense to run eventually, so why not let him run it in a season when wins and losses are not as important as development?

Irving needs to learn clock management. He requires the ball in his hands as the seconds tick away and decisions must be made. He's playing for a coach who started point guard Chris Paul 78 games in his rookie season.

If Davis is on the floor at the same time as Irving he's going to command the ball and demand the offense runs through him. He has befriended Irving and offered to help him through his rookie season. But Davis is a 12-year veteran and a two-time All Star. He's not going to be satisfied either splitting time or playing shooting guard.

Davis might also do harm to the Cavs' chances of earning another top-5 lottery pick. They went 13-54 prior to Davis' arrival and 6-9 after it. The franchise needs another injection of high-end talent from the draft and a ninth- or 10th-place finish in the Eastern Conference is going to supply it.

Releasing Davis -- owed roughly $26 million over the next two seasons -- provides tremendous financial flexibility. It also would bring the Cavs under the $58 million salary cap and make them eligible for the modified waiver process that gives such teams first crack at submitting bids for amnestied players.

The Cavs are wary of letting him become a free agent only to sign with LeBron James and the Miami Heat. But New York, Charlotte and the Los Angeles Lakers are rumored to be his most desired destinations, according to ESPN.com.

Thanks for an entertaining final month of the season, Baron, and good luck with the documentary.

The case for keeping Davis

Scott has a history of making dramatic improvements in his second season with teams. The 2001-02 New Jersey Nets enjoyed a 26-win spike en route to the NBA Finals. The 2005-06 New Orleans Hornets collected 20 more victories than the previous season.

In New Orleans, the franchise made its jump after Davis was dealt to Golden State. Coach and player have clashed, but the relationship has been repaired. It's believed Scott would be in favor of retaining the veteran.

Davis makes players around him better. He told The Plain Dealer in September he welcomes the chance to shepherd Irving through his rookie season. He knows the moods of the demanding Scott and could help his teenager teammate interpret them. There will be little practice time for Irving during a 66-game schedule crammed into four months.

Although the playoffs aren't a realistic goal, the Cavaliers have to avoid developing a losing culture, especially coming off a 19-win season. They don't want to morph into the NBA's version of the New York Islanders, a hockey franchise unable to abate losing despite a steady parade of high draft picks.

Davis's return would enable Grant to trade another guard, perhaps Ramon Sessions, for a player or future assets. If Davis plays well and Irving shows development they might also try dealing the veteran at the deadline, although next season's salary of $14.7 million is not exactly priced to move.

If the Cavaliers decide to use the provision they should cut Jamison. Meanwhile, Davis stays and invites Irving as his VIP guest to the premiere of "American Schlub" right here in Cleveland.

Breaking down the winners and losers in Sunday's schedule.

View full sizeLenny Ignelzi, Associated PressAfter tearing through some AFC opponents, will Tim Tebow and the Broncos have any difficulty with the struggling Vikings on Sunday? Tony Grossi doubts it.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Tony Grossi's take on today's games:

Denver at Minnesota, 1 p.m.

TV: WJW Channel 8.

Early line: Vikings by 1.

Tony's take: There is no stopping Tebowmania. Broncos, 20-17.

Detroit at New Orleans, 8:20 p.m.

TV: WKYC Channel 3.

Early line: Saints by 81/2.

Tony's take: Lions are reverting to kitty cats. Saints marching toward NFC showdown with Pack. Saints, 34-13.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

Early line: Steelers by 7.

Tony's take: I'm thinking A.J. Green makes a difference this time. Bengals, 23-20.

Kansas City at Chicago, 1 p.m.

Early line: Bears by 9.

Tony's take: Will Kyle Orton beat his original team? Bears, 14-10.

Atlanta at Houston, 1 p.m.

Early line: Falcons by 1.

Tony's take: Matt Ryan vs. T.J. Yates? Hmmm. That's not close. Falcons, 24-17.

Carolina at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Early line: Buccaneers by 31/2.

Tony's take: Newton. Smith. Touchdown. Panthers, 28-21.

N.Y. Jets at Washington, 1 p.m.

Early line: Jets by 31/2.

Tony's take: Jets are in desperation mode to make playoffs. Jets, 20-14.

Oakland at Miami, 1 p.m.

Early line: Dolphins by 21/2.

Tony's take: Despite improvement, Dolphins no lock at home. Raiders, 22-17.

Tennessee at Buffalo, 1 p.m.

Early line: Bills by 11/2.

Tony's take: Injury-depleted Bills had a nice run, but they're finished. Titans, 17-14.

Indianapolis at New England, 1 p.m.

Early line: Patriots by 201/2.

Tony's take: Bill Belichick runs it up for BCS points. Patriots, 42-10.

St. Louis at San Francisco, 4:15 p.m.

Early line: 49ers by 13.

Tony's take: 49ers will pummel Rams on the ground. 49ers, 30-9.

Dallas at Arizona, 4:15 p.m.

Early line: Cowboys by 61/2.

Tony's take: On their best day, Cowboys can be pretty good. Cowboys, 31-20.

Green Bay at N.Y. Giants, 4:15 p.m.

Early line: Packers by 7.

Tony's take: This could be Giants' last hope. Packers, 28-20.

GROSSI UPDATE:

Last week overall: 14-2 (.875)

Season overall: 120-56 (.682)

Last week vs. spread: 10-6 (.625)

Season vs. spread: 95-77-4 (.551)

Estranged Browns Hall of Famer Jim Brown returns to Cleveland Browns Stadium on Dec. 9 for a luncheon -- a sign that frosty relations might be thawing.

View full sizePD file photoJim Brown's frosty relationship with the Browns may be warming somewhat, thanks to long-time Brown confidant Reggie Rucker (right).

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There is a slight thaw in the rock-solid freeze between the Browns and Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown.

Relations between the Browns and their greatest player have been non-existent for almost two years since President Mike Holmgren sought to reduce Brown's role as executive adviser to owner Randy Lerner. Brown took offense, turned his back on a lesser role, and walked away from the franchise. Then he very publicly snubbed the Browns' invitation in August of 2010 to participate in the club's inaugural Ring of Honor ceremonies.

Attempts by Lerner and others to reconcile relations have since been met with a frosty rejection by Brown. But that could be changing. Brown has agreed to return on Dec. 9 as the keynote speaker at the Peacemakers Alliance Recognition Luncheon. The event, featuring several community leaders, will be held in the Legends Club in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Former Brown Reggie Rucker -- one of Brown's best friends -- is president of the Cleveland Peacemakers Alliance. He invited Brown to speak.

The Peacemakers Alliance is a coalition of organizations that seeks to curb youth violence. Brown's Amer-I-Can organization is a partner. The Browns were an enthusiastic financial contributor to Amer-I-Can before the messy split with Brown. Contributions abruptly ceased. Rucker is hoping to be a peacemaker between his friend and the franchise for mutually beneficial reasons.

"I don't see any sense in the Browns and Jim being apart like they've been," he said. "I do believe without Jim here [in Cleveland], we've missed the community involvement he made. Plus, let's face it, we need [the Browns'] help."

Rucker said the Browns "have been very fair with me in respect to this event," and intend to be represented at the luncheon.

It's NFL election time: Another losing season for the Browns is having the predictable effect on fan voting for the AFC Pro Bowl team. No Browns player is close to winning the fan vote at his position. With three weeks of voting to go, three are in the top five.

Joe Thomas is running fifth at offensive tackle behind Baltimore's Michael Oher, New England's Matt Light, Miami's Jake Long and the Jets' D'Brickashaw Ferguson. Thomas has earned a Pro Bowl berth in each of his previous four NFL seasons.

Ahtyba Rubin is fifth at defensive tackle behind Baltimore's Haloti Ngata, Oakland's Richard Seymour, New England Vince Wilfork and Cincinnati's Geno Atkins. This showing is a testament to the respect Rubin has earned because he didn't have a Pro Bowl reputation entering this season.

D'Qwell Jackson is fifth at inside linebacker behind Baltimore's Ray Lewis, Indianapolis' Pat Angerer, Buffalo's Nick Barnett and Houston's Brian Cushing. This is another triumph for Jackson, who missed 24 of the previous 32 games because of pectoral muscle injuries.

It's interesting to note that Joe Haden has not cracked the top five at cornerback. His zero interceptions no doubt have cost him in the fan vote. The leading cornerbacks are the Jets' Darrelle Revis, New England's Kyle Arrington, Kansas City's Brandon Flowers, Denver's Champ Bailey and Houston's Johnathan Joseph.

Online balloting at nfl.com concludes Dec. 19. The fan vote counts one-third toward the selection of the team. Players and coaches comprise the other portions. They vote on Dec. 21-22. Teams are announced on Dec. 27.

North nuggets

Bedford's Lee Evans is healthy now after missing seven games with an ankle injury. The Ravens acquired Evans in August from Buffalo for a fourth-round pick. Evans, 30, has never been to a playoff game. He's determined to contribute to that cause down the stretch and now will be integrated into the offense as a sub for Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith and in three-receiver sets. ...

Bengals rookie duo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green might cancel each other in league rookie-of-the-year voting. If Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had a vote, he said he'd cast it for Dalton. "He does [things] that you just don't see or expect from rookie quarterbacks," Roethlisberger said on a conference call. "In college you can wait for guys to get open and throw it, [but] he throws it before guys are coming out of their breaks, before guys are getting into their holes, as he's getting pressured." ... The Bengals need to beat the Steelers Sunday to stay in the race for division title. A key matchup pits Steelers rush linebacker Lamarr Woodley against Bengals right tackle Andre Smith. Browns end Jabaal Sheard destroyed Smith in the first half last week, but the Bengals believe Smith regrouped and held his own in the second half. Teammate Anthony Collins reportedly is being credited with a halftime pep talk in which he told Smith, "This is going to make you a man. Either you are going to go in the hole, or be the player that you can be." ...

Can the Steelers make a Super Bowl run with a stuttering running game? Feature back Rashard Mendenhall is on pace for his first sub-1,000-yard season since his rookie year. The Steelers are throwing 57 percent of the time.

Stat of the week

Since 1990, only one team that was 4-7 went on to make the playoffs. It was San Diego in 2008.

On Twitter: @TonyGrossi

Victories at Wright State and Detroit a positive beginning for Vikings' big expectations.

View full sizeTeesa McClam, Dayton Daily NewsWith 21 points in Cleveland State victories over Wright State and Detroit this week, Jeremy Montgomery has helped the Vikings start the Horizon League season with a successful road trip.

DETROIT -- Playing two Horizon League conference games in December is not to the liking of any coach, and playing both on the road adds to the discomfort. But if a team is able to split, or even sweep, the advantage is huge.

For the second year in a row, that's exactly what Cleveland State has done.

"If you win them both, like we did a year ago [at Milwaukee and Green Bay] that puts us a step ahead," head coach Gary Waters said early in the week. "And it stayed that way throughout the rest of the season. We stayed at the front of the conference. Even when we faltered a little down the stretch, it still allowed us to win the conference."

It was actually a three-way tie for the crown, with the Vikings effectively finishing third, but the point is well taken.

The Vikings claimed a 45-43 HL victory at Wright State on Thursday, then topped the depleted Detroit Titans -- playing without three starters due to either injury, violation of team rules or leave of absence.

Toothless Titans: While much of the focus with Detroit has been on the "leave of absence" for 6-10 senior center Eli Holman, the loss for the season of 6-8 Nick Minnerath (knee injury) has been more harmful. The Titans are without 6-4 senior guard Chris Blake for the semester for a violation of team rules.

"It's short-term devastation for them, because of how much they were counting on him," Waters said of the loss of Minnerath (12.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg). "The other kid [Holman], don't count that one out yet."

Holman is back practicing and his return to action could come at any time. Blake is not practicing, but is expected to do so soon, and be available for a Dec. 17 home game with Mississippi State.

With the return of Holman and Blake, the Titans could still recover and challenge for a Horizon League title or make a late run to a post-season tournament.

This and that: Not counting small college Rio Grande, Cleveland State has scored 70 or more points in just one game this season, a 71-58 season-opening win over Vanderbilt. Since then CSU has scored fewer than 60 points twice, winning at Kent State (57-53) and at Wright State (45-43). ... After opening the season strong, senior guard Tre Harmon has been hot and cold, going scoreless at Kent State, posting 11 against Boston University, 4 vs. Hofstra, 14 at Rhode Island, 5 at WSU then 6 vs. Detroit. ...

CSU had held the opposition to 39.5 percent shooting from the field, 37.6 percent when playing on the road. Detroit broke the pattern, shooting 46.5 percent on Saturday. In the Vikings lone loss, on a neutral court, Hofstra shot 51.2 percent. ... Lots of talk about CSU being tired, but the Vikings have only played two games in the last six days. The five games in nine days began with three games in three days, followed by three off days, then two games in the last three. If fatigue is a problem now, that's not a good sign for the rest of the season.

For all his success, Kyle is not like the coach at many powerhouse programs.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerChuck Kyle embraced his wife, Pat, in the emotional moments after another St. Ignatius Div. I state football title.

CANTON, Ohio -- Until the rise of Chuck Kyle's program at St. Ignatius, the high-school football dynasties basically began and ended in Cincinnati. It was Massillon in the days of the poll champions, but it was the Ohio River teams when championships were decided on the field.

"It was all Cincinnati for a lot of years," said Kyle, the veteran coach of the Wildcats, referring to Moeller and coach Gerry Faust, St. Xavier and Elder, Princeton and Colerain. "When we won our first state championship [in 1988, against Princeton], we weren't just playing for St. Ignatius. We were saying, 'Hey, Cleveland football is pretty good.'"

Good, good, better, better and maybe best. At least on Cleveland's near West Side.

The Wildcats' 34-13 rout of Pickerington Central Saturday night was their 11th state championship in the big-school division under Kyle. Pickerington Central beat St. X, which beat St. Ignatius, but comparative scores from the regular season don't matter much when the Wildcats are on this kind of improvement arc.

Quarterback Eric Williams threw long touchdown passes to Tim McCoy and Jake Mooney early and late, and they were the bookends for another volume of excellence by St. Ignatius. Suburban Columbus, which has claimed championships by Upper Arlington and twice by Hilliard Davidson in recent years, could not match up Saturday night.

In the generation since the breakthrough victory over Princeton on a last-minute goal-line stand by St. Ignatius, Glenville, Mentor, Solon and Brunswick have reached the big-school state finals and St. Edward has won a state championship. The balance of strength in the area made more difficult the surprising run of St. Ignatius this season.

Kyle's name and St. Ignatius' reputation are magnets for academically qualified players. But it still is never easy, not with the rise of Glenville in the city of Cleveland, not with St. Ed's, just over five miles away, a college preparatory school in its own right, which was the defending state champion. St. Ignatius beat the Eagles in the playoffs.

When the Wildcats missed the playoffs in 2010, to some Ohio high school football fans, it was like November without turkey and dressing.

For all his success, Kyle is not like the coach at many powerhouse programs. The stereotype was all too often true of a tunnel-vision coach, haphazardly teaching a fluff course, while spending much of the class time on Fridays huddling with his starting quarterback, discussing the game plan.

Just this week, as the days ticked down to the state finals, Kyle fielded a telephone call from new Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, whom he already knew well.

"I think he needed to get out of Florida," Kyle said of Meyer, who had several disciplinary problems on his Gators teams, but who maintained a clean sheet with the NCAA. "People thought all of the kids were in trouble there, and it weighed on him."

That's typical of the company Kyle keeps. Meyer knows St. Ignatius turns out fundamentally sound, smart players.

But moments later, Kyle was discussing "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, which he is teaching to one of his classes. It is one of Kyle's favorite books. He makes sure no one mistakes it for a sunny children's book like Twain's "Tom Sawyer."

"It's a magnificent statement of human freedom, which is what America is all about. In many ways, it's the great American novel," Kyle said.

There is not a one-to-one equivalency in lessons between the high-school football field in the 21st century and Twain's novel from the 19th. Its critical moment, however, has universal application. That is when Huck trusts his own judgment enough, "spiritually and intuitively," as Kyle said, to defy the laws of his time and to hide the runaway slave, Jim. Across the gulf of racial prejudice, in defiance of the narrow teaching of religion, which damned him to hell if he helped a slave, Huck had the strength of his convictions and knew in his heart that Jim was a good man.

"It's in Chapter 31. I love teaching that moment," Kyle said.

"Huck Finn" is about thinking independently, about understanding what human qualities bind men together and about recognizing what to value and what to discard. To Kyle, it is every bit as much a "hot read" as his quarterback's outlet pass against a maximum blitz.

There are people who would say that if they had to win one game at any level, they would take Chuck Kyle as their coach. American Lit students don't get the same forum. But many of Kyle's students walk off as champions, too.

On Twitter: @LivyPD

The winter meetings and the free-agent market keeps Paul Hoynes' mailbag percolating.

View full sizeMCT file photoWould Juan Pierre be a candidate to help fill out the Indians' outfield in 2012? Pierre hit .279 last season, with a .329 on-base percentage and an OPS of just .657.

Hey, Hoynsie: Have to admit the Tribe brass looks like geniuses for getting Grady Sizemore and Derek Lowe for what they were going to pay Sizemore anyway. That being said, isn't Juan Pierre a free agent and not being pursued by Chicago? Wouldn't he make sense in left field and as the table-setter, forcing Michael Brantley to a fourth outfield spot where he would still see plenty of action filling in all over the outfield? -- Joe Cepec, Dublin

Hey, Joe: Pierre is a free agent, but I don't think the Indians are ready to make Brantley a bench player. Still, it's an interesting thought.

Hey, Hoynsie: Since their minor-league teams are relatively devoid of outfield prospects, do you see the Tribe looking into Jorge Soler? He's only 19 and is well looked upon by scouts. -- Chris Zanon, Canton

Hey, Chris: Every team that has gone to the Dominican Republic to scout Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes has watched Soler, another Cuban defector. They've all liked him, including the Tribe.

Soler is 19 with raw power. He can play center field, but should eventually move to right. He needs polish and time in the minors. It's going to take mad money to get him.

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that the Indians have made two big moves by their standards, will they be done until January when they can sign from the bargain bin? -- Jeremy Cronig, Shaker Heights

Hey, Jeremy: It all depends how much money they have left to spend. Right now, I think their best avenue to improve the offense is a trade. I look for them to bring several veterans into camp on minor-league deals to see if they can make the club as role players.

Hey, Dude: I like the Grady Sizemore re-signing because it's incentive-based. But I think they should move him to left to reduce the risk of injury. Do you think he signed with Cleveland because other teams wanted him to play left, but he knows the Tribe will placate his ego and let him continue to play center? -- J.T., San Diego

Hey, J.T.: It's been a long time since someone broke the dude rule. Drop and give me 20.

Hey, Hoynsie: What are the chances the Indians will trade pitching to Cincinnati for first baseman Yonder Alonso? -- Steven Alex, Gainesville, Fla.

Hey, Steven: Hard to say what offensive-minded players the Indians have targeted, but I do think they'll trade pitching for offense.

Hey, Hoynsie: I was surprised that the Tribe had to throw in a player for Derek Lowe? Why? Weren't they doing the Braves a favor? Why no interest in Bruce Chen? The Tribe doesn't have a lefty in the rotation, right? -- Robert Ross, Cleveland

Hey, Robert: The Braves still ate $10 million on the last year of Lowe's contract. The Indians could afford to throw in a player for a guy who should give them 30 starts and 200 innings.

The Indians had some mild interest in Chen before the 2011 season. I'm thinking that was negated this off-season by the Lowe signing. Like last season, the Indians will apparently go to spring training without a lefty in the rotation.

Maybe there's hope for David Huff and Scott Barnes.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think Lonnie Chisenhall is a given at third base? If his numbers were significantly better than Jack Hannahan's I could see it but, with all the groundball pitchers on the staff, I think I'd rather have the better glove at the hot corner. -- Ken Knapp, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Hey, Ken: I like Hannahan's glove at third as well, but I think the Indians have a good idea of what they're going to get from Hannahan. He'll open next season at 32 and his performance level is pretty much set. Chisenhall will play next season at 23. I'm sure the Indians have projections for what kind of player he'll be at certain stages of his career, but at this point no one really knows. The only way to find out is to let him play regularly in the big leagues.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why didn't the Indians go after a top player instead of many mediocre (at best) players? Consider adding Albert Pujols and Omar Vizquel to the lineup and this would add fan interest, greater attendance, and merchandise sales. That spells money. Don't the best fans in the nation deserve this? -- Carol Myers, Ooltwah, Tenn.

Hey, Carol: If you have an extra $200 million buried in the backyard, send it to the Indians and they just might make a run at Pujols. Otherwise, forget about it.

Hey, Hoynsie: I just saw a report on ESPN which did not include the Indians talking to Albert Pujols. Do you have an idea of what Dolan meant when he said that he would spend when the Tribe contends? Does he view the team as a non contender due to their poor last 100 games? -- Louise Klein, Beachwood

Hey, Louise: The Indians not talking to free agent Albert Pujols. I'd say alert the media, but it appears they've already been alerted.

Hey, Hoynsie: The decision to add Juan Diaz to the 40-man roster has received a fair amount of criticism. Do you think the surprisingly lucrative contracts given to replacement-level middle infielders this off-season forced the Indians' hand? There doesn't seem to be even a fringe big-league prospect above Low-A ball in the minors other than Diaz. -- Andy Applegate, Chicago

Hey, Andy: I have not heard one voice raised in anger over Juan Diaz being added to the 40-man. Then again we probably travel in different circles. I do know the Indians like Diaz. He received a good look during the Cactus League season last spring. During the season, he drove in 60 runs for Class AA Akron last year as a shortstop. He's a big guy and could move to first or third base in the future.

With Jason Kipnis and Jason Donald in the big leagues, and Louis Valbuena traded, you make a good point about the lack of depth in the upper levels of the minor-league system.

Hey, Hoynsie: Does the recent expansion of the wild-card system kill any chances for expanding the number of teams? -- John Mistrzak, DeRidder, La.

Hey, John: If you're talking about MLB expanding beyond 30 teams, I have not heard a word about that.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why does the Tribe trade so many players for cash? Do they not want to take on the cost of developing a player and maybe get lucky? Why does the media not report the cash amount? -- Hunter Richter, Canton

Hey, Hunter: When a player does get traded for cash, he's rarely a high profile player. Usually it's someone like Luis Valbuena, who has bounced around and has flaws in his game. In that case the Indians had to decide what was more valuable to them -- a player of similar value to Valbuena or cash. Reporters usually don't report the cash involved in such trades because the teams are reluctant to tell them.

Hey, Hoynsie: How is Grady Sizemore's recovery from multiple surgeries coming along? -- Doris Boxerbaum, Mayfield Heights

Hey, Doris: Sizemore had surgery for a sports hernia in July and bruised right knee in October. The Indians and Sizemore feel he should be ready for spring training, which begins on Feb. 20.

-- Hoynsie

David Perron scored a goal after missing 97 games in the Blues loss to the Blackhawks while Matt Moulson scored 4 goals in the Islanders win over the Stars.

David Perron scored a goal after missing 97 games in the Blues loss to the Blackhawks while Matt Moulson scored 4 goals in the Islanders win over the Stars.

As always, there's plenty of questions waiting for the wisdom of the Browns' beat writer.

View full sizePD file photoClay Matthews' first trip to the semifinal round of the Pro Football Hall of Fame voting makes it unlikely the former Browns linebacker will be inducted in the 2012 class.

Hey, Tony: Now that Clay Matthews is one of the HOF semi-finalists, what do you think his chances are (as a voter) at enshrinement? Clearly, Browns fans everywhere think he has a hall-worthy resume. -- Scott S., Philadelphia

Hey, Scott: It's going to be tough. Most candidates need to be debated in the finalist round of 15 for several years before they are elected. This is Matthews' first trip to the semifinalist round of 25. So, if he doesn't make it this year, it's far from over for him.

Hey, Tony: You mentioned that the Bengals have 11 first-round picks on the team. I will bet you a bagel from the Bagel Buggy on Union Street that the total number of all the Browns' draft picks from 1999 to 2007 still in the league is less than 11. -- Rod Sauer, Athens, Ohio

Hey, Rod: 2007 -- Joe Thomas, Brady Quinn, Eric Wright, Brandon McDonald. 2006 -- Kamerion Wimbley, D'Qwell Jackson. 2005 -- Braylon Edwards, Brodney Pool. 2004 -- Kellen Winslow Jr., Sean Jones, Luke McCown, Kirk Chambers. 2003 -- Jeff Faine, Chris Crocker, Antonio Garay. 2002 -- Andra Davis. 2001 -- Gerard Warren. That's 17. I'll have a plain with cream cheese and grape jelly, thank you very much.

Hey, Tony: How would you compare the West Coast offense with the Sam Rutigliano offense that Brian Sipe led? I ask because over my 48 years watching the Browns, I felt that offense was incredibly dynamic and threatening. Sipe was Colt McCoy's height and didn't have a rocket arm. The receivers were terrific, but not burners. That Sipe team scored TDs. Is there any team running that offense in the NFL? -- Robert Rose, New York

Hey, Robert: The Kardiac Kids ran something close to the Don Coryell offense in the 1980s. It's the old-style West Coast offense -- more vertical routes based on a power running game. Norv Turner ran that style with the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s and does the same with the current Chargers. That's much different from the stereotypical West Coast offense the Browns are trying to run. Sipe's arm may have been weaker than McCoy's, but he had incredible timing and anticipation with his passes and the chemistry with his offensive teammates was rare.

Hey, Tony: I assume most NFL contracts are laden with clauses that provide financial incentives for Pro Bowl designations. However, if a player (as many do) opt to skip the game at year's end, do they still receive this bonus? Are replacement players officially recognized as Pro Bowl players? Do replacements receive full bonuses or are they commonly pro-rated since they aren't voted-in as the original selections? -- Benny T., Strongsville

Hey, Benny: I believe players that are voted to the game -- or selected as replacements -- reach their Pro Bowl incentives.

Hey, Tony: The PD and other Browns coverage have reported the time shift of the Browns-Ravens game, but why? I doubt this game is seen as having marquee status by the NFL schedulers. -- Kevin Ryan, Toledo

Hey, Kevin: In 2006 the NFL implemented "flex scheduling" in Weeks 10-15 to accommodate the networks' Sunday afternoon and Sunday night TV packages. For this week, the NFL wanted to flex the Detroit-New Orleans matchup to Sunday night. By taking a game from Fox and giving it to NBC, the league had to reassign a game back to Fox. So it flexed the Denver-Minnesota game, originally on CBS at 4, to Fox at 1 p.m. They also moved Indianapolis-New England from NBC to CBS at 1 p.m. That gave CBS too many 1 p.m. games, so it moved Browns-Baltimore to 4:05 p.m. Season ticket holders, unfortunately, don't have any sway on this network TV issue.

Hey, Tony: I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that the Browns don't finish the season on a winning streak, but at this point what would you consider a success in these final games? James Walker on ESPN said that the game seems to move "too fast" for Shurmur. Fair assessment? -- Matthew, Maine

Hey, Matthew: Success would be 2-3 or better. As for the games moving too fast for Shurmur, I would simply say he is rookie head coach learning something every week.

View full sizeLisa DeJong, The Plain DealerColt McCoy hasn't spoken to the local media about his experiences in his rookie training camp with the Browns, but his unhappiness with his treatment is well known through other sources.

Hey, Tony: I read the Yahoo! Sports story that detailed the hazing endured by Colt McCoy, and it came as a shock that fans hadn't heard about it. You indicated that McCoy did not talk about it to local media when asked multiple times. Do you know why he wouldn't comment to the locals, but would be willing to talk to Yahoo! Sports? -- John Finney, North Bend, Ore.

Hey, John: McCoy first disclosed incidents of rookie hazing in his book, which came out in July. Then he spoke about them in August to Yahoo! Sports, and then again to the sports Web site about a month ago. Strangely, the interviews with the Web site were arranged by the team's public relations department, though it was unaware of the subject matter. Local media have asked McCoy about these incidents repeatedly and each time he has declined to speak about them. This week, McCoy apologized to local media and said he was sorry for getting dragged into the story again.

Hey, Tony: Chris Ogbonnaya gets 90 and 115 yards in consecutive weeks and all of a sudden every back is healthy and ready to go? I'm sorry but I think I just lost a little more respect for our starters. -- Randy Brown, Huntington, W.Va.

Hey, Randy: Competition is a great healing tonic.

Hey, Tony: Is it too optimistic a view to say that this year's team is two freak plays away from being 6-4 right now despite a rash of injuries and being very young with a first-year coach? -- Peter Pats, Jr., Worcester, Mass.

Hey, Peter: That's one way of looking at it.

Hey, Tony: With the draft picks in the upcoming draft is it possible for the Browns to draft WR Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State, RB Trent Richardson from Alabama in the first round and a OT and LB in round 2? Is Baylor QB Robert Griffin III a possibility? -- Darryl Holmes, Houston

Hey, Darryl: Anything else? You don't need a GM. You need Santa Claus. Let's see where the Browns' two picks fall in the first-round draft order before drawing up a wish list.

Hey, Tony: Where does the money go when a player gets fined by the NFL? And if the NFL needs any help finding something to do with it pass along my e-mail address, I'll help them spend it! -- Chris Archer, Belpre, Ohio

Hey, Chris: All fine money is dispensed equally to four charities spelled out in the league collective bargaining agreement.

Hey, Tony: I've come up with a way to solve Phil Dawson's problem to get the right call on field goals: put lasers on the uprights. If the ball goes directly over the uprights, it explodes. -- David Skeen, Cedar Park, Texas

Hey, David: Kind of like Ronald Reagan's Star Wars missile defensive shield?

Hey, Tony: You were a big advocate for Steve Spagnuolo and Leslie Frazier as possible head coaches for the Browns prior to Eric Mangini being hired, correct? How's that working out? After all, Mangini was 9-11 in his last 20 games. -- Mike B, Dover, Ohio

Hey, Mike: I don't know where you get this stuff. I never advocated either Spagnuolo or Frazier. You are so enamored with the former Browns coach that you can't think straight. You devise elaborate conspiracy theories to explain to yourself why the former coach was fired.

Hey, Tony: For as long as I can remember, you've disdained two things: free agency and taking a WR at the top of the first round. Lately you're constantly lamenting (1) the Browns passing on Julio Jones and (2) their inactivity in free agency. Can't have it both ways and still be like Pittsburgh! Don't we need to have several quality drafts before we sign free agents, and try (as you always advised) to find receivers in later rounds? -- Jonathan Kirk, St. Louis

Hey, Jonathan: My point on taking Jones was that the franchise owed it to itself to support its young quarterback with an elite wide receiver -- if he were available. Jones qualified. As for free agency, I agree I have changed on that, too. I believe the Browns are so far from their rivals that they have to use every means available to improve the team. They are never going to catch Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati by simply thinking they can outdraft them. They don't need more quantity in free agency. They need more quality. Their record since 1999 in signing offensive playmakers is abysmal.

Hey, Tony: How about we give a nickname for Ogbonnaya that might catch on? How about Obi-Wan-Konnaya? -- Robert Benjamin, Crestview, Fla.

Hey, Robert: I wouldn't put it on a T-shirt. How about Ogbonnaya on Fire?

Hey, Tony: Is Phil Dawson missing all of these critical kicks in hopes that Cleveland will let him walk after the season? It seems like ever week now he is missing a kick he would normally make. -- Christopher Hastie, Havelock, N.C.

Hey, Christopher: Have you heard about the problems with the long snapper? by the way, I think Dawson will not be re-signed by the Browns and he will get his wish to leave in free agency.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerIs Greg Little the only rookie receiver in NFL history to have a problem with drops? Some fans might think so, but Tony Grossi is considerably more forgiving.

Hey, Tony: How long are the Browns going to put up with Greg Little as a receiver ? I can see why he kept the ball after his touchdown because with all the drops he does not know what it feels like to catch a football and they complained about Braylon Edwards? -- Ronald Cox, Brunswick

Hey, Ronald: Jerry Rice overcame the dropsies as a rookie. So have many others. It's too early to write off Little.

Hey, Tony: The Browns have the most drops of any other team in the NFL. After watching McCoy last year and this year, do you think that most of those drops were because of poor throws? You can usually count the balls thrown either high or behind receivers or in the dirt on both hands. Do you think that McCoy will ever develop into a QB who can drop back and deliver confident strikes like Dalton did in last week's loss? -- Doug Furtado, Vermilion

Hey, Doug: I don't attribute the drops to poor throws. Many of the incompletions, though, are the result of inaccurate throws. From what I've seen, I certainly think that Dalton is more comfortable throwing from the pocket. Dalton has better players around him, of course.

Hey, Tony: Seriously Tony? You have been around a long time. As has the west coast offense. How do you not understand the fullback? I tell you what, how about you put in a call to Tom Rathman and see if he can explain it to you? Fullbacks are a dying breed unfortunately because everyone wants a game changer. What ever happened to the game controllers? -- Matthew Loar, Muncie, Ind.

Hey, Matthew: I think I know what a fullback is. He's the big guy who lines up in front of the tailback and blocks for him, right? Sometimes carries the ball, usually with both arms wrapped around it, plowing straight ahead for short-yardage gains? What I don't understand is why coaches who run the West Coast want the fullback to play a variety of roles rather than just let him do what he is physically built to do best.

Hey, Tony: It seems obvious to me (and it should to Mike Holmgren, too) that the Browns lose almost all close games because of the lack of a playmakers. Do you see anyone on the current roster who would scare another team (outside of Josh Cribbs on returns)? I'm not saying I want Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow back ... but -- Joe Reis, Crescent Springs, Ky.

Hey, Joe: The only offensive player with the potential to scare another team is Peyton Hillis at his best. Your point is well made and supports my reasoning for disagreeing with the draft day trade and passing up a playmaking receiver. You are right about Edwards and Winslow. Say what you want about their personalities and off-field issues. They were the main reasons why the Browns had a fun, productive offense in 2007.

Hey, Tony: DeSean Jackson seems to be on the outs here in Philly. Since he will be a free agent this year, will Tom Heckert try to bring him to Cleveland? Or is this a bad idea? -- Brian Carlin, Conshohocken, Pa.

Hey, Brian: Jackson is an exciting playmaker, to be sure. With him comes the issue of character. He has made it clear he is unhappy with his contract and he has put himself above his team. On Thursday night, he looked like he quit on his teammates. I wouldn't want to bring aboard the reincarnation of Andre Rison. Heckert knows him better than anyone in Cleveland. My gut feeling is Heckert would stay away from him.

Hey, Tony: While it is frustrating to watch the Browns play, you have to admit that they are going in the right direction. Did you know the three longest-tenured players are Dawson, Pontbriand, and Cribbs? A kicker, a long snapper and a return man. Shouldn't that tell you how bad this organization has been over the past 12 years? -- Tyrone Patterson, Tucson, Ariz.

Hey, Tyrone: At times I feel the team is headed in the right direction. At times I feel they are light years away from competing with their division rivals. I'm well aware of the lack of playmakers. Each year at the end of the season I rank the players from 1 to 52 and Dawson is routinely in the top 10. That speaks volumes.

Hey, Tony: I had no idea Braylon Edwards had a Little brother. -- Rudy Lesko, Las Vegas

Hey, Rudy: And you are appearing as the lounge act in what casino off the main strip?

Hey, Tony: Would you agree that one of the problems with the defense is that the outside linebackers lack speed? I don't see them moving quickly from sideline to sideline, tracking down and tackling running backs. When holes open, there are no linebackers filling. Ahtyba Rubin seems to get to the sidelines quicker, and he's 300+ pounds. -- Fred Thompson, Euclid

Hey, Fred: Agreed.

Hey, Tony: By no means was I a Mangini fan, but can you name more than one player who is performing at a higher level this year than under the previous regime? Looking objectively, most players -- McCoy, Hillis, Haden, Mack, Watson, Ward, Cribbs, Moore, Pontbriand, et al. -- appear as though they have significantly regressed. At some point, somebody seriously has to question Pat Shurmur's ability to be a head coach. It looks to me as though he is in way over his head and his huge learning curve has seriously set back most of the younger players. -- Mark Rutkus, Columbus, Ohio

Hey, Mark: One factor is that both systems on offense and defense have changed and sometimes players need a year to adjust. Your point, however, is valid with some of the players you mention, but not all. I believe Haden is having a better year, though his interception total (zero) is not indicative of that. Cribbs, also, has more catches and touchdowns than he had all of last year, when injuries reduced him, of course. Ward was not much of a factor last season after his illegal hit on Jordan Shipley and league fine.

Hey, Tony: Since we live in a win now society, do you have any stats that show most NFL teams that are bad and rise up for one year tend to fall back to earth the following year? As exciting as 2007 was, I would give it up for consistency. -- Mike T, Eastlake

Hey, Mike: Kansas City and Tampa Bay are two recent examples. They had good years in 2010 and fell back to mediocrity in 2011. Injuries have played a big role in Kansas City's demise.

Hey, Tony: A lot of national media people are saying Andy Reid might be out in Philly. If that happens, any shot the Browns go after Reid? -- Mike Q, Baltimore

Hey, Mike: 1. Holmgren has vowed not to make a coaching change, especially after one season. 2. Head coaches make so much money these days, it is rare for them to step into another job soon after being fired. Reid's been burning the oil for 13 years in Philadelphia. If he were relieved -- which I don't expect -- he most likely would take a year off like Jeff Fisher to recharge his batteries.

Hey, Tony: The Browns defensive line would appear to be a strength, yet we are still terrible against the run. Is the D-line not as good as advertised or the linebackers need serious upgrading? -- Mike Maloney, San Antonio

Hey, Mike: The ends are not great against the run and the outside linebackers and safeties have not been great, either.

Hey, Tony: How about signing Mike Flynn in free agency, tagging Peyton Hillis and trading him to the Packers for Jordy Nelson. Both know the West Coast offense and GB needs a running back? This frees our drafts for other holes. -- Dave Vanek, Lakewood

Hey, Dave: I'm not completely sold on Flynn, though I'd look into it. As for your trade, Green Bay is too smart to make that trade. Their offense is based on a top-of-the-game quarterback throwing to a fleet of good, young receivers. They are not going to be trading Nelson, an emerging star.

-- Tony

Wisconsin edged Michigan State in a the first Big Ten Championship, giving the conference everything it could ask for.

View full sizeMichael Conroy, Associated PressJeff Duckworth gathers in a 36-yard fling from Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson on fourth-and-6 late in Saturday night's Big Ten championship game despite the efforts of Michigan State's Isaiah Lewis (left) and Trenton Robinson. The play set up the Badgers' winning touchdown, a seven-yard run by Montee Ball.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The switch happened sometime after Michigan State followed a touchdown on a lateral from one receiver to another receiver with a two-point conversion off a faked extra point.

The first Big Ten Championship game wasn't packed to the rafters, had no effect on the national title picture and didn't feature any top 10 teams or traditional conference powers.

But, man, did you see that thing?

Action-packed, if nothing else, Wisconsin's 42-39 win over Michigan State was like a mid-week MAC explosion packaged by Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, dropped in a dome in Indianapolis and slathered in Sparty mojo and Badger will.

The first half alone featured a halfback pass by Wisconsin running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Montee Ball to quarterback Russell Wilson; Michigan State's touchdown on the lateral from Keith Nichol, who was being knocked out of bounds at the 6, to B.J. Cunningham, who dove into the end zone; Wilson breaking an NCAA record with a touchdown pass in his 37th straight game; Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins throwing two touchdowns, including a 30-yarder on a fourth-and-1 rollout; and, of course, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio calling some kind of trick play.

The game was a rematch of the Big Ten's previous game of the year, the Spartans' 37-31 Hail Mary win over the Badgers on Oct. 22. It didn't take long for Big Ten proponents to start contrasting this Big Ten vaudeville act to the SEC's Game of the Century -- No. 1 LSU's 9-6 overtime win against No. 2 Alabama on Nov. 5.

Of course, this was No. 13 Michigan State (10-3) vs. No. 15 Wisconsin (11-2), not the two best teams in the country. But if some reasonably wanted the first Big Ten championship to be played outdoors, in a place like Chicago's Soldier Field, to better fit the conference's rough-and-tumble ideals, this game adapted to the fast track it was given.

• Wisconsin-MSU boxscore | College football scores

The first five possessions of the game led to touchdowns. The teams combined for 816 yards of offense (Michigan State held the edge, 471-345). That big SEC matchup had 16 punts -- this one had eight.

This wasn't the Big Ten's best year, not with what Penn State and, to a far lesser degree, Ohio State dealt with off the field. There were four first-year coaches, and there will be at least three more next season. But Dantonio and Wisconsin's Bret Bielema have built programs that introduced the Big Ten to conference championship weekend in style.

There wasn't a lot of conference love, though. When the previously announced individual Big Ten award winners, including Ohio State Freshman of the Year Braxton Miller, were introduced on the field during a first-half timeout, most were booed. That's OK -- this was time for the Spartans and Badgers to shine.

The attendance was announced at 64,152, but there were empty seats, including a good portion of a second deck section in one end zone, several rows on both sidelines around the 40 and maybe 20 percent of the upper deck. If Ohio State gets to Indianapolis one day, it's hard to imagine Buckeye fans, with Columbus just three hours away, allowing any seats to go unclaimed.

But it wasn't as if Lucas Oil Stadium felt empty. While the Pac-12 played its first conference championship game at the home stadium of top seed Oregon on Friday, aiming to preserve a "collegiate atmosphere" according to Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott, Saturday night didn't feel like an Indianapolis Colts game. The Badger fans wore red, the Spartans fans wore green and waved white towels, and the play was worthy of a championship.

Ball, for instance, scored four touchdowns, giving him 38 on the season, one more than Ohio State scored as a team this season. The third brought the Badgers within two points in the fourth quarter, but the conversion pass failed, maintaining Michigan State's 36-34 lead. The fourth followed Wilson's 36-yard sling on fourth-and-6 that Jeff Duckworth caught at the 7, and it allowed the Badgers to reclaim the lead they last held at 21-14 in the second quarter.

That put Michigan State back on the field with 3:42 to play, trailing 42-39. But the Spartans' drive ended when Keshawn Martin's one-handed, tiptoe, 15-yard sideline catch on third-and-eight was stupendously attempted, called good on the field and overruled by replay. Remember, Michigan State won the first game only after the Hail Mary pass was ruled a touchdown on replay.

This time, slow-mo went to the Badgers.

When the Spartans called two timeouts and held the Badgers one last time, forcing another punt on fourth-and-three, Martin nearly saved the Spartans again, returning the punt to the 3. But Michigan State's Isaiah Lewis drew a penalty for running into Wisconsin punter Brad Nortman.

That was it. First down Wisconsin. The Badgers took a few knees and ran out the clock.

"Wow," Delany said when taking the microphone for the trophy presentation.

Wisconsin will head back to the Rose Bowl for a second straight year, this time to face Oregon. The Spartans, trying to reach their first Rose Bowl in 24 years, will hope bowl reps respect the effort. The Big Ten will walk away from its first championship knowing, on this night, it couldn't have asked for much more.

Josh Cribbs' frustration is understandable, sports columnist Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerSo Josh Cribbs is getting heat for saying how much he wants the Browns to win? That's not exactly a negative in assessing the veteran Browns do-it-all player, says Bud Shaw.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Stop Josh Cribbs when he says something that isn't true...

Josh Cribbs would be a dangerous, complementary piece on a team as good as the Baltimore Ravens. With the Browns, by default, he's had to act the part of one-size-fits-all playmaker over the years: return man, receiver, Wildcat threat.

The problem for Cribbs and the Browns in 2011 can't be traced to any one issue, let alone to how one of their team captains handles himself in the locker room. The league has legislated against the kick return. Eric Mangini's obsession with special teams is gone. So is excellent special teams coach, Brad Seely. Head coach Pat Shurmur is installing an offense that (correctly) considers the Wildcat a gimmick borne of weakness elsewhere.

So, of all the people to blame for the fact that the best playmaker on the Browns in the second year of Holmgren-Heckert is not only an undrafted, converted special teamer but a frustrated one, I'd put the undrafted, converted, frustrated special teamer way down that list.

Cribbs took more than his share of media criticism this week for post-game comments in Cincinnati in which he said he was sick of losing (who isn't?), and for letting questions simmer about his limited opportunities in the offense.

Is Cribbs guilty of pandering to fans? Sure. The easiest thing in the world to do is tell people how great they are, or how they deserve so much better than they're getting. On both fronts, they tend to agree. Give him this much, though. He's served some hard time here. With that goes some license to speak for the people who are laying out good money for bad football in a terrible economy.

Other regimes and other players have come and gone without grasping the pain felt outside the walls of Berea so often since expansion promised a fresh start. If that's Cribbs' worst crime, the Browns not only can live with it, they can win with it -- provided they ever get around to surrounding Cribbs with other players who worry opposing defenses.

Let's keep Cribbs' words in perspective. He's not complaining about his touches while the team is winning. He hasn't written a self-serving book titled, "Just Give Me The Damn Ball."

Cribbs isn't saying he's all that. He simply sees the obvious: On a team with a dearth of playmakers, why not him when a single play here or there could make the difference?

"I am sick and tired of losing, like everybody is," Cribbs said this week in clarifying his comments. "And I think I have to start saying that. Me being sick and tired doesn't mean I want to leave. ... It means I want to win. It's not like I wasn't tired of losing before, but I'm really tired."

It's no surprise Cribbs thinks he can do more. My goodness, look around. The only other passing game threat is a converted running back who didn't play at all last year.

Evan Moore is used sparingly after signing a new deal. One week Owen Marecic and Alex Smith are taking handoffs in fourth-quarter red-zone situations. The next a pitch wide to Peyton Hillis loses yards when yards can't afford to be lost.

View full sizeLynn Ischay, PDHe inspires Vikings and their supporters around Northeast Ohio.

Frustrated early in the season, Cribbs volunteered to launch himself downfield on special team coverage. Show me where Terrell Owens or Keyshawn Johnson ever did that.

Still frustrated three months in, Cribbs says it's getting embarrassing to look fans in the eye after these losses. Would you rather hear him talk about the incremental improvement the offense is showing as a third consecutive 5-11 season appears on the horizon?

Don't others in Berea already have that topic covered?

Ad nauseum?

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

Radio host Don Imus and Cleveland State's mascot Magnus. -- William D. Forsythe

View full sizeAP fileThis morning talker often gets in hot water, but his listeners don't mind.

Sunday trivia: What was higher the last time the Browns played the Ravens: Colt McCoy's QB rating or Peyton Hillis' total yards rushing?...

Answer: Depressing either way. Hillis ran for 35 yards. McCoy's QB rating was 27.0.

Who most needs a strong finish to the season? Gotta be Hillis. Unless McCoy bombs, look for the Browns to justify another season with him on the basis that he deserves to see what he can do with actual playmakers around him. Two first-round picks should supply that.

Hillis needs to give the Browns reason to not only bring him back but to offer him something remotely close to his inflated opinion of what he's worth. Playing Baltimore and Pittsburgh in four of the remaining five games is tough sledding for Hillis.

He made a difference in Cincinnati last week. But to close the gap between what he's asking and what the Browns consider to be his value, starting today he's going to have to do more than simply move the pile on third down...

SPINOFFS

Christmas isn't about opening presents. Keep in mind the real point of the season this year: The gift that comes with turning on the TV and seeing the Miami Heat have to sit and watch the Dallas Mavericks raise a NBA championship banner...

According to ProFootballTalk.com, Bengals' receiver Jerome Simpson won't be fined for flopping when Browns' linebacker Scott Fujita barely touched him after a play in last Sunday's game. If you didn't see it, Simpson pulled Fujita away from a pile. Fujita put a hand on him and Simpson flew like a hot dog wrapper.

I don't want to say the flop was the stuff of pro wrestling, but Anderson Varejao thought it was a bit much...

Like an world-weary Batman protecting Gotham City from dark forces, Urban Meyer made it sound like he got too involved in trying to clean up the college game as Florida's head coach, and that it contributed to him burning out and stepping down. He said he won't do that this time around...

Just what the NCAA hoped for out of Columbus: An OSU head coach who vows to leave compliance issues to someone else...

Tim Tebow's No. 15 is the sixth-highest selling jersey in the NFL this year. Yes, surpassing even Carlton Mitchell...

HE SAID IT

"You know, we've got about a 3, 4, 5 percent chance of getting on a run and something good happening at the end, so we're all just out here trying to enjoy ourselves ... and win." -- Redskins' QB Rex Grossman, to ESPN, sounding the kind of rallying cry last heard just before Walter Mondale carried one of 50 states running against Ronald Reagan in 1984.

YOU SAID IT

(The Josh Cribbs Apparently Isn't The Only One Tired of Losing Edition)

"Bud:

"Is it just me, or do other guys in the area now hope their wives present them with 'Honey Do' lists between 1 and 4 p.m. every Sunday?" -- Jeff, Westlake

Not always. Occasionally, they hope it's from 4 to 7.

"Bud:

"Was the term 'Deadlines' coined for Cleveland sports?" -- Joe S

No. You must be thinking of "dead on arrival."

"Bud:

"Do you know when the fans can start voting for [Chris] Ogbonnaya to get on the cover of the next Madden video game?" -- Matt D, Brunswick

Given Peyton Hillis' season, better you vote for Ben Roethlisberger.

"Bud:

"I haven't missed watching or attending a single Browns' game since 1982. For the past 10-12 years, my best friend and I have wished the Browns played more like the Ohio State Buckeyes. Is it only because we are Cleveland fans that we are finally getting our wish?" -- Robert Newman, Medina

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

"Bud:

"I'd like to commend Greg Little for 'going green' and providing us with a place to recycle all our old Braylon Edwards jokes." -- Ignatowski

Repeat winners get a case of deja vu.

"Bud:

"Do Browns fans get a choice of paper or plastic?" -- Joe S

Repeat winners also get well-deserved anonymity.

If the Browns are to upset Baltimore, it probably will take a big game from Peyton Hillis.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerIf the Browns are to avoid a rampaging Ravens assault on Colt McCoy, Peyton Hillis needs to deliver some 2010-vintage power to the running game Sunday afternoon.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- As the weather chills, the opinions heat up ...

About the Browns ...

1. If the Browns are to upset Baltimore, it probably will take a big game from Peyton Hillis. The Ravens lead the NFL with 38 sacks. They have allowed seven touchdown passes this season -- fewest in the league. As hard as it is to run the ball, it's even more difficult to attack the Ravens with the passing game.

2. According to ESPN.com: "Colt McCoy has thrown 76.1 percent of his passes 10 yards or fewer downfield this season. He averaged a career-low 4.4 yards gained on his 34 pass attempts at the Bengals last Sunday. McCoy's average yards per attempt is 5.9, the lowest of any qualifying quarterback."

3. Is it McCoy or the offense? Last season at St. Louis, Sam Bradford averaged 5.95 yards per attempt -- No. 30 in the NFL -- in Pat Shurmur's offense. McCoy was at 7.10. Shurmur sometimes uses short passes as if they are runs, designed to keep the offense on the field for long drives. It hasn't always worked out, but that's the intent.

4. Which brings us back to Hillis, the one Brown who worries the Ravens. In Week 3 last season at Baltimore, Hillis ran for 144 yards on 22 carries (6.6 yards per carry) and caught seven passes for 36 yards. In Week 16 in Cleveland, the Ravens held him to 35 yards on 12 carries and one pass reception for five yards. A healthy Hillis is a dual threat because he demands attention no matter if he is running the ball or going out for a short pass.

5. Having Hillis as a safety-valve receiver has to make life easier for McCoy. The Browns need to tell McCoy there is no need to throw more than a third of his passes to Greg Little, as he did in Cincinnati -- especially when Little is having a poor game.

6. Tight end Ben Watson is a solid receiver. Hillis and Chris Ogbonnaya are both effective in the passing game, but the Browns threw only four passes to backs in Cincinnati. Though the RBs combined for just three catches and zero yards, it seems the Browns didn't give that part of the offense enough of a chance.

7. Then there's Evan Moore, who has played only 22 percent of the snaps this season. He had a season-high 41 snaps against Seattle, but in the five games since he's played only 64 snaps. He has caught 19 of 26 passes thrown (one drop), and remains a viable threat. But the Browns seem concerned about his blocking, and don't use him. They should reconsider that, especially given all the problems with receivers this year.

8. According to ESPN.com, Baltimore has averaged an NFL-best 152 yards after Dec. 1 since John Harbaugh became coach in 2008. So expect them to run right at the Browns, who have allowed a league-high seven backs to rush for 100 yards. The Browns rank 29th against the run.

9. Some good news -- after the Browns had 11 penalties in their opener, they have averaged only 5.5 since. Overall, they rank 12th of 32 teams in fewest penalties.

10. Joe Haden leads the Browns with seven penalties, followed by Shawn Lauvao and Dimtri Patterson with six. Joe Thomas has the most false starts with four. The defense has been called for only one offside penalty this season -- by Haden.

View full sizeAP fileThe Cavaliers should be able to find out during the 66-game season whether Omri Casspi can provide needed scoring punch from the small forward position.

About the Cavaliers ...

1. One of the questions the team wants answered this season is if Omri Casspi can be their starting small forward. They haven't had any production there since LeBron James left (Alonzo Gee played quite a bit there last season). The Cavs have liked Casspi (6-9) for a few years and they traded J.J. Hickson for him.

2. The Cavs like Gee, who averaged 7.4 points and shot 46 percent from the field. But his strength is defense, and they need athleticism and scoring from small forward. That's especially true because they also don't have a natural shooting guard. The Cavs probably are weakest at the two most athletic positions -- small forward and shooting guard.

3. In his two seasons with Sacramento (148 games), Casspi averaged 9.5 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 43 percent from the field -- 37 percent on 3-pointers. He became frustrated with losing games and minutes. The native of Israel is only 23 and has played in the U.S. just two years, and the Cavs believe he can develop into a productive starter.

4. On draft day, the Cavs didn't see any wing players worthy of the top four picks. They believe Derrick Williams (who went No. 2 to Minnesota) is a power forward, and they believed point guard Kyrie Irving is more likely to become an impact player. When No. 4 came, they took Tristan Thompson -- a power forward. The first true wing player to be drafted was Klay Thompson, who went to Golden State at No. 11.

5. The point is ... the draft lacked what the Cavs needed -- wing players. That's why they traded Hickson to the Kings for Casspi and a first-round (lottery protected) draft pick. Jan Vesely (No. 6 to Washington) is supposed to be a small forward, but "The Flying Czech" is 6-11 and could have some major defensive problems at that position.

6. There will be some big trades and free-agent signings, but the Cavs won't be involved. Their goal this season is to give experience to their young players and position themselves to make significant moves in the off-season.

7. But it won't be a surprise if they deal Ramon Sessions, especially if they can add a draft pick in return. With Daniel Gibson, Baron Davis and Irving -- the Cavs are loaded at point guard. It's possible Sessions could be used to bring a shooting guard, as teams often are looking for good backup point guards.

8. Sessions is a valuable player. In 38 starts last year, he averaged 14.5 points and 5.9 assists, shot 44 percent from the field and 80 percent from the line. He also led the Cavs in free-throw attempts.

9. While the Cavs debate the merits of keeping Davis vs. cutting him under the NBA's amnesty plan, they definitely have decided to keep veteran forward Antawn Jamison. He is in the final year of his $15 million deal and it's possible there will be a trade market for him.

10. The Cavs will probably trade backup center Ryan Hollins. They want to go with Semih Erden as the backup to Anderson Varejao at center. They also have plenty of power forwards -- Jamison, Thompson and Samardo Samuels.

View full sizeChuck Crow, The Plain DealerJason Kipnis will turn 25 in April, and will be expected to be a large part of the Indians' offense.

About the Indians ...

1. Travis Hafner is the only Indian older than 30 expected to be a regular in 2012. (Grady Sizemore is 29, but his knees are seemingly a lot older.) The Indians expect the offense to improve because some key players have gained experience.

2. That said, they continue to shop for a right-handed bat -- with some relief pitchers available to trade. But the main reason for optimism is that Lonnie Chisenhall, Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana and Michael Brantley should improve.

3. Consider that 20 of Chisenhall's 54 hits last season were for extra bases. In his final 100 at-bats, he batted .290 with four homers and 15 RBI. A big issue is 49 strikeouts to eight walks in 223 plate appearances. Chisenhall never walked much in the minors, but the ratio was not that extreme.

4. The strange part of Chisenhall's season was that he batted only .200 vs. lefties last season at Class AAA but with the Indians he was a .260 hitter (.888 OPS) against lefties. He hit .253 (.640 OPS) against righties. Five of his seven homers came against lefties. Is that a sign of maturity, or a fluke?

5. When considering Chisenhall, it is important to remember he saw his first major-league action at age 22 -- very few guys are in the majors at 22. Kipnis and Brantley are 24, Santana is 25. While Santana is ahead of the others in climbing the big-league ladder, it's fair to assume he will improve.

6. While some fans are stuck on Santana's .239 batting average, the rest of his numbers were strong for a player in his first full season -- 27 homers, 79 RBI, 35 doubles, .351 on-base percentage and an .808 OPS. He hit 12 homers in 55 games after Aug. 1. He'll turn 26 on April 8 and should be coming into his prime.

7. Kipnis will be 25 on April 3 and made the transition to the majors last summer look easy. He's a career .297 hitter (.863 OPS) in the minors, and batted .272 (.841 OPS) in 36 games with the Tribe. Kipnis has always hit, the only question will be if he can improve at second base.

8. It's probably not fair to assume Asdrubal Cabrera will hit 25 homers with 92 RBI again. He never came close to those power numbers before. He will play all of next season at 26, and it is safe to assume he can hit 15-20 homers and at least .280.

9. The interesting player will be Shin-Soo Choo, who is 29. After hitting .300 and averaging 21 homers and 88 RBI the previous two seasons, he had a nightmare 2011. He opened the season in a slump, batting .231 on June 14. Then he was arrested for drunken driving. He then was hit by a pitch and broke a thumb that required surgery. He came back, began to hit, and then pulled an oblique muscle. His final numbers were .259 with eight homers and 33 RBI in 85 games. He seems likely to bounce back.

10. When it comes to Hafner and Sizemore, who really knows? Injuries have haunted them for years. But when it comes to Cabrera and Choo, it's fair to expect Cabrera to decline a bit but for Choo to step forward.

11. Brantley is critical, because he could end up in center if Sizemore is hurt again. With Matt LaPorta fading (the Indians are no longer are counting on him), Brantley is the best hope of salvaging something from the CC Sabathia deal. So far, he has 860 major league at-bats, hitting a modest .265 (.675 OPS). He had surgery on his right hand at the end of August.

12. Brantley turns 25 on May 15. Like Chisenhall, he reached the majors earlier than most players. It is easy to write off a player such as Brantley early, especially considering he was a .303 hitter in the minors. The flip side is LaPorta, who will be 27 in January. It's hard to know if he can ever figure it out as a power hitter. That's why the Indians will continue to shop for a right-handed bat.

Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty will try again to complete a game together for the first time since Oct. 2. Ray Lewis is inactive for the Ravens.

CLEVELAND -- Here we go again. Peyton Hillis and Montario Hardesty are expected to both be active and play today against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Browns thought both would be available last week in Cincinnati, but Hardesty tweaked his calf muscle injury in warmups and did not play. The two backs have not played a full game together since Oct. 2 against Tennessee. It was the following week in Oakland when Hillis first suffered his hamstring injury early in the game.

 Hillis worked all week after playing in Cincinnati for the first time in six games. He declared himself in good shape and said he was excited about making something of the last five games. Hardesty took Wednesday's practice off, but was a full go by the end of the week.

The inactives for the Browns: QB Thad Lewis, SS T.J. Ward, OL Steve Vallos, OL Oniel Cousins, TE Jordan Cameron, LB Quinton Spears and DE Auston English.

English was a surprise inactive. Earlier in the week, he was considered part of a three-man rotation at right end. Jayme Mitchell will start and Brian Schaefering will spell him.

Two defensive players promoted this week from the practice squad -- LB Benjamin Jacobs and DE Brian Sanford -- are active for the game.

The Ravens made linebacker Ray Lewis inactive for the second week in a row.

Other Ravens inactives: WR LaQuan Williams, WR Tandon Doss, CB Chykie Brown, CB Chris Carr, RB Anthony Allen, and LB Sergio Kindle.

Ehlo and Price were teammates on some of the Cavs' top teams in 1980s-90s

Former Cav Craig Ehlo reportedly has been linked to the club's opening for an assistant coach.Mark Price, in the background, is expected to be named an Orlando assistant

Join cleveland.com's live chat during the Browns vs. Ravens game today at 4:05 p.m. Interact with The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff as the game happens and stick around to listen to the post-game show.

cleveland.comJoin cleveland.com's live chat from Browns Stadium Sunday at 4:05 p.m.

Cleveland, Ohio -- Join cleveland.com's live chat during the Browns vs. Ravens game today at 4:05 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.

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.

McCoy hurt his knee on a hit by Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones after a short completion.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerColt McCoy was 4-of-6 for 26 yards before he suffered a leg injury late in the first quarter Sunday afternoon vs. Baltimore.

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

• Greg Little suffers drop on first play of the game. Short pass.

• Peyton Hillis running hard early. Gains of 7, 9 and 8 yards. Good lead block on one by Owen Marecic.

• Hillis' running sets up third-and-2 from Ravens' 39. From there, Colt McCoy's pass is batted in his face by Haloti Ngata. Browns punt to set up field position. Christian Yount's first long snap is a tad high. Got the first one out of the way.

• Jayme Mitchell blown off the line of scrimmage on Ravens' first play. Ray Rice runs through giant hole, makes one move, and tackled after 30-yard run.

• On third-and-1, Ricky Williams gets the call. Twelve-yard run. Everything is through the Browns' right defensive side.

• Joe Flacco completion sets up fourth-and-1 from Browns 26. Handoff to Rice. He burrows real low but can't push the pile. D'Qwell Jackson, Ahtyba Rubin, Phil Taylor on the stop.

• Jordan Norwood has catch of 11 yards. Unhappy with tackle, he flips ball at facemask of Bernard Pollard and gets penalized.

• Dannell Ellerbe blows up attempted screen pass to Chris Ogbonnaya. Away from ball Arthur Jones levels McCoy. McCoy stays down with a right knee injury and has to leave. Welcome, Seneca Wallace.

• Wallace completes a 4-yard pass and Browns punt. Perfect snap.

• Rice takes a quick toss and runs for 14 yards. Then 10 more on an iniside handoff.

• Flacco shows some mobility, throwing on the run and completing pass for nine yards. Sets up another fourth-and-1 for Ravens at Browns' 21. Flacco sneaks it over for first down.

All-American Sullinger missed Saturday's easy win over Texas Pan-American with a sore back. There's optimism he'll be ready for OSU's next game, on Saturday at Kansas. More Buckeyes basketball and football links.

Marvin Fong, The Plain DealerOhio State forward Jared Sullinger (with the basketball) missed the Buckeyes' win over Texas Pan-American with a sore back, but there's a good chance he'll be ready for OSU's next game, on Saturday at Kansas.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State's Buckeyes, the nation's second-ranked basketball team, coasted to a 64-35 win over Texas Pan-American on Saturday in Columbus.

The Buckeyes (8-0) got the job done without Al-American forward Jared Sullinger, who sat out the game with a sore back. Texas Pan-American is 2-7 and, realistically, the Broncs posed no threat to even a short-handed Buckeyes team.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta was asked about Sullinger after Saturday's game. The Columbus Dispatch reports some of Matta's post-game comments, including what he had to say about Sullinger:

Number one, today was a very precautionary measure. He’s got an aggravated disk. What happens there is the muscle tightens around that area. Unfortunately, I probably know a little bit too much about this stuff (Matta has had at least four lower back operations).

Things just have to calm down. We’ll take a look at him Monday (or) Tuesday and just (re)assess. But he’s feeling better every day. The muscle’s relaxing more every day, so that’s a great sign for us.

Sullinger is averaging 19.1 points and 10.3 rebounds a game, while shooting 62 percent from the field.

The Buckeyes don't play again until Saturday, when they visit the No. 15 Kansas Jayhawks (4-2).

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State basketball and football coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' Buckeyes' 64-35 win game story and report on Sullinger; Jodie Valade's story on how new Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer was inspired by his father, Bud, who died on Nov. 11; Lesmerises' game story, from Indianapolis, on Wisconsin's 42-39 win over Michigan State in the first Big Ten football championship game; and much more.

About the Buckeyes

Joe Daniels, Ohio State's quarterback coach from 2001-09, has died from cancer. By Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch.

New Buckeyes football coach Urban Meyer has always been intense, Bill Rabinowitz writes for the Columbus Dispatch.

The big contract for Urban Meyer suggests Ohio State needs to put its athletics program in a proper perspective. Still, Meyer should help the football program restore its tainted image. From the Toledo Blade.

Urban Meyer can help the Buckeyes get an offense going, Tim Bielik writes for the Bleacher Report. 

Observations on Ohio State's basketball win over Texas Pan-American, by Tony Gerdeman for the-ozone.net.

Buckeyes coach Thad Matta gets his 300th win, against 88 losses, in his 12th season as a college basketball coach -- including a 198-57 record in his eighth season at Ohio State. An Associated Press story carried by the News-Herald.

Report on Ohio State's win over Texas Pan-American, by Bob Baptist of the Columbus Dispatch.

Small-market NBA owners did not get the sweeping systematic changes they were hoping for. There are, however, some things that might help small-market teams.

View full sizeBill Kostroun, Associated PressIf the new NBA labor agreement doesn't prevent Chris Paul from forcing a trade, it may give small-market teams a chance to take advantage of the franchises who run afoul of a new salary cap tax threshold.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Shortly after the Christmas Day lineup of nationally televised NBA games was announced last Friday, sportswriter Doug Smith of the Toronto Star tweeted, "In an effort to help small market teams, NBA goes with Mia-Dal, NY-Bos, Chi-LAL, Orl-OKC, LAC-GS on Christmas."

He was kidding, of course. But if one of management's stated goals going into negotiations on the new collective bargaining agreement was to help small-market teams like the Cavaliers (and Raptors), it would seem the yet-to-be ratified deal got off to a rough start.

True, most of the proposed changes that could help are to be phased in over the first few years of the agreement. But the first major story after the announcement of the tentative agreement dealt with rumors that New Orleans star point guard Chris Paul wanted to be traded to the New York Knicks in a move eerily reminiscent of the one pulled off by Carmelo Anthony last season, when he forced a trade from Denver to New York.

Paul hasn't confirmed or denied the rumors. As a free agent at the end of the season, he is certain to remain in the headlines all season, along with Orlando's Dwight Howard, another free agent-to-be rumored to be ready to move on. As long as Howard doesn't announce his decision in a special on ESPN, things won't be as bad as they were in the summer of 2010.

But clearly small-market owners did not get the sweeping systematic changes they were hoping for to create competitive balance. There's nothing that definitively will prevent stars from leaving small markets for more glamorous settings. In fact, one could argue that the new deal doesn't help a team like the Cavs at all. While it may be too early to tell if that will be the case, it certainly will not change how they do business.

There are, however, some things that might help small-market teams as time goes on, and some that will help right away.

• New revenue split.

Under the new division of basketball-related income, the players' share has decreased from 57 percent in the last CBA to 51.15 percent this season, and could drop as low as 49 percent if revenue falls short of projections. This will just about make up the reported $300 million the NBA says 22 owners lost last season. So at least small-market owners seem to benefit financially -- especially since there will be a new league television deal in five seasons.

• Amnesty clause.

Teams can release one bad contract and, although the player must be paid, none of his salary will count toward the salary cap or luxury tax thresholds. The contract must be in place at the start of the new CBA, but the team does not have to play the amnesty card immediately. It can be used one time during the length of the new CBA.

For the Cavs, the candidates to be released would be either Baron Davis (owed $26 million for the next two seasons) or Antawn Jamison (owed about $12 million in this, his last year) though no decision has been made on either.

Furthermore, players released in this manner will go through a modified waiver process in which teams under the cap can make offers to assume some of the player's remaining contract, with the remainder paid by the team that released him. This provision could help all franchises, including small-market teams.

Yes, a team over the cap can use the relief, but ridding itself of a huge contract also could free up money for a small-market team to sign players who could help more than one player with a monstrous salary. In theory, small-market teams also would have an advantage trying to sign the waived players, which would prevent players from becoming free agents and then joining large-market teams.

• Punitive luxury tax.

Small-market teams did not get the hard salary cap they sought, but some have argued that the punitive nature of the new luxury tax is a defacto hard cap. The previous luxury tax was $1 for each $1 a team was over the luxury tax threshold. Now there will be a sliding scale based on how much over the cap a team is -- and how often. That tax could reach as high as $4.75-to-$1 or more if a team was more than $25 million over the cap in four of any five seasons beginning in 2011-12.

Also, teams paying the luxury tax will have less access to certain contract exceptions and that, too, could help small-market teams bidding against a tax-paying team for the services of a free agent. If this keeps free-spending owners in check, that will help small-market teams. It hasn't worked in the past, but the penalties haven't been this high.

• Rookie extensions.

While most players coming off four-year rookie scale contracts can sign extensions for four more years, each team can designate one player to be eligible for five seasons at the maximum salary of up to 30 percent of the salary cap, provided he has been named the NBA MVP or an All-Star starter twice or a first-, second- or third-team NBA player twice. This is known as the Derrick Rose rule.

It could help small-market teams retain their young stars by allowing them to cash in quicker, but whether that will be enough to keep them with their original teams remains to be seen.

• Length of contracts.

The maximum contract length for a sign-and-trade is four years with maximum 4.5 percent salary increases, and the maximum length of an extend-and-trade contract is three seasons. Starting in 2013-14, teams are prohibited from acquiring a free agent in a sign-and-trade if their team salary post-transaction would exceed the tax level by more than $4 million.

Since a team can sign its own free agent to a five-year contract with 7.5 percent raises, theoretically it would behoove a player to stay put. Since a variation of this rule didn't keep LeBron James in Cleveland or Chris Bosh in Toronto in the summer of 2010, or Anthony in Denver last winter, the league sought to make the monetary difference more significant. Again, whether this actually will help small-market teams remains to be seen.

• Wiggle room.

The amount a non-taxpaying team has available to replace a traded player or players equals the lesser of 150 percent of the salaries of the players being traded plus $100,000, or the salaries of players being traded plus $5 million. The exception for tax-paying teams is 125 percent of the salaries of players being traded plus $100,000.

This is designed to do away with players being thrown into deals just to make the salary figures match up. Since the Cavs have shown an inclination to make trades, this could help them and other small-market teams.

• New revenue sharing plan.

This is not actually part of the CBA, and it may not help the Cavs as much as other small-market teams because of their rich local television deal (signed before LeBron James left) and heretofore good ratings and attendance.

While the details have yet to be announced, the amount of revenue to be shared reportedly will triple. That could be a significant boost to some teams, even if it's not on the levels of the NFL and Major League Baseball.

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Breaks going Browns way. Coaches challenge reverses Jordan Norwood fumble and Billy Cundiff misses field goals from 34 and 41 yards.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerBrowns receiver Jordan Norwood and the offense in general were turned inside out by the Ravens through most of the first half Sunday.

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

• Ravens do something stupid from the Browns 8. Bring in No. 2 QB Tyrod Taylor for goofy QB option run. Stopped for 2-yard gain. Why? Next play, Ray Rice completes drive with a 6-yard run to the end zone. Rice ran for 48 yards on the 61-yard drive.

• Colt McCoy returns on Browns' first play of second quarter.

• McCoy gets the ball away quickly and completes pass to Jordan Norwood for first down yardage. Norwood is stripped of the ball by Danny Gorrer and Ed Reed recovers at the Browns 42. Browns challenge the reception. Looked like a wasted challenge, but they win. Have to punt, anyway. Gain 36 yards on the exchange.

• Now it's Ricky Williams carving up Browns defense. Eight yards, 9, and then 15. Williams is 34.

• After seven straight handoffs, Joe Flacco completes 26-yard pass to Dennis Pitta. Flacco's arm was hit by Jabaal Sheard, but he still completed the pass.

• On third down, Flacco's pass in the corner of the end zone for Torrey Smith is dropped. Smith had Joe Haden beat and Haden didn't turn for the ball.

• Billy Cundiff's 34-yard field goal try drifts through the ribbon blowing from the right goalpost.

• With a chance to control end of half, Browns go three-and-out. In two-minute drill, Flacco completes passes of 25 yards, 16 and 11 to get to Browns' 25 in less than 60 seconds.

• But Browns defense forces three incompletions and 41-yard field goal try. Cundiff misses again to the right.

• With 59 seconds left, McCoy is throwing and almost intercepted on two straight plays. He tries it a third time and this time Jimmy Smith intercepts it and runs it Browns' 15.

• Dimitri Patterson is called for interference on Anquan Boldin in the end zone. Spot of foul is called Browns' 3. Haden breaks up pass for Lee Evans in end zone. Cundiff's 21-yard field goal is good.

A half of total domination has somehow not pushed the Browns in an impossible hole ... yet.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerRay Rice was getting yards in bunches throughout the first half, entering halftime with 107 yards on 17 carries.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Halftime scribbles as the Browns struggle to do anything right in the first half against Baltimore.

1. It's hard to believe the Ravens ranked 27th in rushing with Ray Rice. He had 100 yards with six minutes left in the half. He also scored on a six-yard run, finishing a 12-play, 61-yard drive. Baltimore is just handing the ball to Rice in this rainy weather and letting him chew up the Browns.

2. On Rice's touchdown, he dragged Sheldon Brown about three years into the end zone.

3. Phil Taylor made an excellent tackle to stop Rice on a fourth-and-1 on the Browns 26.

4. Loved to see former Brown Steve Everitt as an honorary captain. For the coin flip, he was wearing his old No. 61 jersey and Browns bandana.

5. Despite Rice, the Browns were down only 10-0 at halftime as Billy Cundiff missed a pair of field goals. He played the wind wrong both times. Makes you appreciate Phil Dawson once again. This rainy weather and events such as the missed field goal is how the Browns could pull an upset -- but that assumes they do something on offense. Cundiff finally made a 21-yard field goal just before the break.

6. Peyton Hillis has looked strong, with 43 yards on his first 10 carries against a defense determined to stop the run and ranked No. 3 in doing so.

7. Greg Little did drop the first pass thrown to him. He caught the next two, but for a mere 10 yards as he ran those little patterns to the middle of the field.

8. Colt McCoy did hurt his right knee, but came back. It's amazing that he hasn't been hurt earlier. Seneca Wallace did take one snap and completed a four-yard pass.

9. McCoy had a pass picked off near the right sideline. Seven of his nine interceptions this season have been near the right sideline. He had a rough half, 6-of-13 for 47 yards. At least twice, receivers ran the wrong patterns, but McCoy also didn't look good.

Steelers score 28 points in the second quarter. Tebow and the Broncos score 28 second-half points. Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Titans, Chiefs, Panthers and Texans win.

Associated PressPittsburgh's Rashard Mendenhall running the football during the Steelers' 35-7 rout of the Cincinnati Bengals. Mendenhall scored two touchdowns.

NFL early afternoon games

Steelers 35, Bengals 7

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania -- The Pittsburgh Steelers played like they're ready for December and beyond, making Cincinnati's hot start a distant memory in the process.

Ben Roethlisberger passed for two touchdowns and set a team record for career completions as the Steelers coasted to a 35-7 win over the error-prone Bengals.

Pittsburgh (9-3) swept the season series from Cincinnati (7-5) for the second straight year behind a 28-point explosion in the second quarter fueled by Roethlisberger, running back Rashard Mendenhall and a 60-yard punt return for a score by Antonio Brown.

Mendenhall and wide receiver Mike Wallace scored two touchdowns for the Steelers, who won for the seventh time in their last eight games.

Cincinnati rookie quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 124 yards and a touchdown to A.J. Green but the Bengals couldn't overcome two turnovers and a handful of special team gaffes to all but end their hopes of winning the AFC North.

Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis did little to downplay the game's importance, practically admitting his team's hopes for an outside shot at a divisional title would all but disappear if his surprising team couldn't earn a split with the Steelers.

Thrust into the role of contender, the Bengals wilted in the spotlight, reverting back to the kind of mistakes they've avoided while rebuilding on the fly behind Dalton and Green. Cincinnati committed 10 penalties for 109 yards and offered little resistance when the defending AFC champions erupted with their best 15 minutes of football this season.

The Steelers have been a mixed bag at times this season, often playing to the level of their competition. They barely escaped woeful Kansas City with a win last Sunday night, raising concerns about Roethlisberger's fractured right thumb and a defense nursing injuries to safety Troy Polamalu (concussion) and LaMarr Woodley (hamstring).

Roethlisberger, who aggravated the injury in practice during the week, overcame a slow start to complete 15 of 23 passes for 176 yards and the two scores to Wallace. His final completion, a 9-yard toss to tight end David Johnson in the fourth quarter, was the 2,026th of his career, one more than Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw's club record.

It was just part of a historic day for the Steelers. Wide receiver Hines Ward became the 19th player in NFL history to eclipse 12,000 career yards receiving while linebacker James Harrison collected three sacks for the second time this year.

The Bengals hung tough in a 24-17 loss to Pittsburgh three weeks ago, the kind of gritty performance that gave them hope they could earn a split with their division rivals and stay alive in their quest for a second division title in three seasons.

No chance.

Cincinnati's miscues started early. The Bengals crisply drove down the field on their opening possession, but a 4-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Jermaine Gresham was wiped out by a false start penalty on Green, who flinched ever so slightly just before the snap.

The Bengals settled for a Mike Nugent field goal only to have it called back after being flagged for delay of game. Nugent's kick never had a shot the second time around. Rookie Cam Heyward swatted it out of harm's way to record Pittsburgh's first blocked kick since Sept. 10, 2009.

It's as close as the Bengals would get to making it interesting.

Mendenhall, who has been erratic, gave the Steelers the lead with a 3-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. He upped the lead to 14-0 with a nifty 5-yard cutback run, the 28th touchdown of his career, moving him into fifth on the team's all-time list.

The Bengals continued to self-destruct on the ensuing kickoff. Pittsburgh's Stevenson Sylvester stripped Brandon Tate and the Steelers recovered at the Cincinnati 23. Roethlisberger needed just three plays to hit Wallace for a 12-yard score to make it 21-0.

Dalton found Green for an 11-yard score to briefly give the Bengals life, but Brown extinguished any momentum with a scintillating punt return just before the half that gave the Steelers a 28-7 lead at the break.

The Bengals came in with an NFL-record three double-digit second half rallies, but not this time. Playing with a lead Pittsburgh's defense teed off on Dalton, who was removed from the game in the fourth quarter as a protective measure by Lewis with the Bengals hopelessly behind.

Broncos 35, Vikings 32

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota -- Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos were close to being knocked out again. They haven't flinched in more than a month.

Tebow led yet another late rally, passing for a season-best 202 yards and two third-quarter touchdowns to help the unflappable Broncos win their fifth straight game with a 35-32 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Matt Prater kicked two field goals in the final 93 seconds for the Broncos (7-5), who moved into a first-place tie in the AFC West with a loss by the Oakland Raiders. Christian Ponder set Minnesota's single-game rookie record with 381 yards passing, including a pair of touchdowns to Percy Harvin, but his sideline throw with 1:33 remaining was intercepted by Andre Goodman to set up the winner.

Harvin had a career-high 156 yards for the Vikings (2-10), who lost their fourth in a row.

After serving as the backbone of Denver's resurgence, putting Tebow in position for all those comebacks, the Broncos got gobbled up by Ponder, Harvin and Toby Gerhart, who gained 91 yards on 21 carries. But they picked off Ponder twice, recovered his fumble and applied enough pressure to equalize the game.

Demaryius Thomas caught four passes for 144 yards and both touchdowns for the Broncos, who raised their record to 6-1 since Tebow took over for Kyle Orton as the starter.

Tebow completed 10 of 15 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He did not throw an interception, and has thrown just one interception in 158 passes this season.

Four of those victories have come by either four or three points.

Associated PressThe Broncos' Tim Tebow threw just 15 passes, but completed 10 for 202 yards and two touchdowns and, again, no interceptions in Denver's 35-32 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Broncos didn't score on offense in the first half, totaling 48 yards on 19 plays. Tebow lost a fumble that gave the Vikings three points. But an eight-point deficit was hardly too tall for this strong-minded team -- and the determined young quarterback.

After a dizzying display of back-and-forth touchdowns, with both Ponder and Tebow putting together their best games as pros, Ryan Longwell's third field goal of the game with 3:06 left put the Vikings back in front by three.

So it was teed up for Tebow.

Tebow threw a wobbler that still landed on target, when a wide-open Thomas hauled in a 40-yard completion. Thomas couldn't bring in the third-down pass at the goal line, but Prater tied the game with a 46-yarder before Ponder's second glaring mistake.

That negated a beautiful game between Ponder and Harvin, who was just as wide open as Thomas all afternoon.

The do-it-all wide receiver raced 48 yards for his second score early in the fourth quarter to put the Vikings up 29-21, thanks to a textbook block by Ryan D'Imperio and a missed tackle by Kyle McCarthy. That was the first fourth-quarter touchdown given up by the Broncos in five games. They averaged 15 points allowed over their previous four games.

But there went the Broncos again. Tebow hit Thomas for 42 yards, and Willis McGahee rumbled into the end zone from 24 yards out. Then Tebow took the snap on the 2-point conversion and rolled to his right and over the goal line to tie the game at 29.

Ponder was every bit the rookie during an awful first quarter. He cost his team an easy three points by losing a fumble at the 15 when Brian Dawkins punched the ball out and threw an interception that Mario Haggan — starting in place of injured linebacker Von Miller — returned for a walk-in 16-yard touchdown. In Ponder's defense, he hardly had any time to throw against a heavy blitz.

But he found a better groove before halftime and fired a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph.

Then Jared Allen, who picked up a safety for stopping McGahee in the end zone on the first play for the Broncos, chased Tebow out of the pocket and stripped the ball as he sacked him with 39 seconds left in the second quarter, setting up Longwell for his second field goal to give the Vikings a 15-7 lead.

Tebow didn't wait for the closing minutes to start the rally. The Broncos drove 78 yards for a score right after halftime to cut the lead to 15-14 on the first touchdown to Thomas. McGahee tore up the Vikings between the tackles on that possession and finished with 111 yards on 20 attempts.

Ponder, a college rival of the former Florida star Tebow while at Florida State, responded right away, though. He completed a 52-yard touchdown pass to Harvin, another Gators star, when Chris Harris fell down trying to cover the out route, letting Harvin race untouched to put the Vikings back up by eight.

Quan Cosby's kickoff return past midfield put the Broncos back in position, though, and the next big play was all Tebow. Pushed out of the pocket with no one open, he ran left and delivered on on-target across-his-body throw to Thomas, who ran the rest of the way for a 41-yard score.

Patriots 31, Colts 24

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts -- Rob Gronkowski scored three more touchdowns, and turned out the Patriots needed every one of them to keep Indianapolis winless.

New England withstood the Colts' three-touchdown rally in the fourth quarter for a 31-24 victory.

The Patriots (9-3) have won four in a row. Indianapolis (0-12) must beat Baltimore, Tennessee, Houston or Jacksonville to avoid becoming the second NFL team to go 0-16.

Trailing 31-3, the Colts rallied with a touchdown run by Donald Brown and scoring passes of 33 and 12 yards from Dan Orlovsky to Pierre Garcon, the last with 36 seconds to go. But Deion Branch recovered the onside kick and Tom Brady took a knee on the final play.

The Patriots entered the game as three-touchdown favorites with the teams, from different divisions, meeting for the ninth straight season.

With two touchdowns passing, both to Gronkowski, Brady overtook Johnny Unitas and tied Warren Moon for sixth place in NFL history with 291 during the regular season. Brady completed 29 of 38 for 293 yards.

Colts coach Jim Caldwell gave Orlovsky his first start of the season in place of the ineffective Curtis Painter. Orlovsky, a member of the winless Detroit Lions team in 2008, completed 30 of 37 passes for 353 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Watching from the sideline was Peyton Manning, whose neck surgery before the season forced Caldwell to go with those backups.

The Colts tied the score 3-3 on Adam Vinatieri's 31-yard field goal early in the second quarter. And the Patriots punted on their next series.

Then Brady got the offense rolling as New England scored touchdowns on its next four possessions, taking a 31-3 lead late in the third quarter.

The Colts had a new defensive coordinator, linebackers coach Mike Murphy, after Larry Coyer was fired Tuesday.

But the Patriots rarely lose in December, no matter their opponent. They're 38-5 in that month starting in 2001, tops in the NFL. And they're 19-1 at home in December, with wins in their last 18 games, since Gillette Stadium opened in December 2002.

Gronkowski has 13 touchdown catches, tying San Diego's Antonio Gates in 2004 and San Francisco's Vernon Davis in 2009 for most by a tight end in a regular season. He originally was given another touchdown catch, but that was changed to a lateral on which he ran 2 yards for the 31-3 lead.

Thinking he had set the record, Gronkowski held onto the ball as a souvenir instead of spiking it as he usually does. He even accepted congratulations from his teammates on the bench.

Trailing 3-0, Orlovsky led a 19-play drive lasting 10:19. The Colts had first-and-goal at the 1, but a run for no gain, an incompletion, a false-start penalty and a sack forced them to settle for Vinatieri's field goal.

New England finally took command by scoring twice in the last three minutes of the first half on Brady's 11-yard pass to Gronkowski and BenJarvus Green-Ellis' 1-yard run for a 17-3 lead.

The Patriots got the ball to start the third quarter and Brady passed on each of the seven plays, completing all of them to drive 77 yards, ending with a 21-yard touchdown to Gronkowski. After Kyle Arrington recovered Delone Carter's fumble on the next series, Gronkowski scored again when he went in motion, took a pitch from Brady and ran untouched into the right side of the end zone.

Jets 34, Redskins 19

LANDOVER, Maryland -- Another shaky performance for three quarters by Mark Sanchez and the New York Jets. And then, another fourth-quarter comeback.

Sanchez hit Santonio Holmes for a 30-yard touchdown pass with 4:49 to play, and Shonn Greene added a pair of insurance scores to give the Jets a 34-19 win over the Washington Redskins, keeping New York in the realistic hunt for an AFC playoff berth

It was Sanchez's 10th career fourth-quarter comeback or overtime victory, including the playoffs, and his second in as many weeks. The Jets (7-5) scraped by the Buffalo Bills last Sunday, the first step in the team's stated mission to win out and make the postseason for a third straight year.

But the playoff surge machine again looked more like a combustion engine missing a few spark plugs as coach Rex Ryan's team pulled off another mistake-filled win. New York had only 168 total yards after three quarters, committed untimely penalties and had another special teams turnover against the Redskins (4-8), who have lost seven of eight.

Sanchez completed 19 of 32 passes for 165 yards and avoided throwing an interception after having at least one in five straight games. Greene ran for 88 yards and three touchdowns on 22 carries.

Rex Grossman hit 19 of 46 passes for 221 yards and one interception for the Redskins, and his fumble while being sacked by Aaron Maybin deep in his own territory with the score 20-16 thwarted his own chance for a fourth-quarter comeback. Calvin Pace recovered, and Greene took a direct snap and scored on a 9-yard run two plays later to give the Jets an 11-point lead.

Graham Gano's fourth field goal, a 43-yarder with 1:59 to play, pulled the Redskins within eight. Washington then failed to recover an onside kick, and Greene scooted in from 25 yards with 1:47 remaining.

The Jets trailed 16-13 after Gano's 46-yard field goal with 7:52 to go, but a short kickoff was returned by Josh Baker near midfield. Sanchez and the New York offense then came back to life, with the quarterback scrambling to avoid pressure before completing a 10-yard pass to Greene on a third-and-4 two plays before the big throw to Holmes down the left sideline.

Both offenses started strong. After failing to score a touchdown on their opening drive in any of their first 10 games, the Redskins got one for the second straight week. A 42-yard pass to Fred Davis (99 yards on six catches) led to a 2-yard run by rookie Roy Helu, who rushed for 100 yards for the second straight week.

The Jets responded with a real clock-eater: 17 plays, 74 yards over 9:06, including three wildcat plays and a fourth-and-1 conversion. LaDainian Tomlinson was hurt along the way, apparently reinjuring his left knee on a tackle-from-behind by safety Oshiomogho Atogwe. Tomlinson missed the previous two games with an ailing left knee and didn't start the game. Greene finished the drive a 1-yard touchdown run.

After the teams traded field goals, rookie Jeremy Kerley muffed a punt deep in New York territory and the Redskins recovered — the NFL-high sixth special teams turnover committed by the Jets this season. It set up another field goal by Gano to give Washington a 13-10 lead at the half.

Jim Leonhard, replacing Kerley as the return man, ran back a punt 14 yards in the third quarter to get the Jets in Washington territory. Nick Folk then tied it at 13 with a season-high 51-yard field goal.

The Jets had a chance to take the lead after forcing Helu to fumble — a call that needed a replay challenge by Ryan. New York took over at Washington's 29 but went nowhere, and Folk pushed a 40-yard field-goal attempt wide right.

Dolphins 34, Raiders 14

MIAMI, Florida -- Miami Dolphins cornerback Vontae Davis blitzed from the blind side for a sack, then dashed upfield in jubilation. A dazed Carson Palmer rose slowly, looked back at Davis and did a double take, as if startled to discover his tackler was a 5-foot-11 cornerback.

The Dolphins are full of surprises lately.

Once-woeful Miami won for the fourth time in the past five games, earning a 34-14 victory over the Oakland Raiders. Reggie Bush ran for 100 yards and a touchdown, Matt Moore had a hand in two TDs and Kevin Burnett returned an interception 34 yards for Miami's final score.

The surge by the Dolphins (4-8) comes after they lost their first seven games. In the past five weeks they've outscored opponents 139-54, with the lone loss a one-point defeat at Dallas on Thanksgiving.

For the Raiders (7-5), who began the day alone atop the AFC West, the drubbing ended a three-game winning streak. They fell to 6-25 in regular-season games in the Eastern Time Zone since December 2002.

Associated PressMiami's Davone Bess celebrates his 12-yard touchdown catch of a Matt Moore pass during the Dolphins' 34-14 win over the Oakland Raiders.

The Dolphins - a team that totaled four touchdowns during one five-game stretch - secured the victory with a 21-point third quarter, including two TDs in a 20-second span. They led 34-0 before Palmer threw two touchdown passes in the last eight minutes.

By the final period, the Dolphins were feeling frisky. Bush took a jarring hit from linebacker Aaron Curry trying to catch a pass, then showed his resilience by rolling onto his stomach and doing five pushups.

Raiders defensive tackle Richard Seymour was ejected for throwing a punch as the Dolphins drove for the score that put them up 27-0.

Teammate Rolando McClain played three days after he was arrested on misdemeanor assault, firearms and other charges in his Alabama hometown. He made eight tackles, but that wasn't nearly enough to slow Miami.

The Raiders came into the game last in the league in yards allowed per run and were outgained on the ground 209 yards to 46. Bush reached the 100-yard rushing mark for the third time in his career, and Daniel Thomas added 73 yards.

Miami scored twice before Oakland had a first down. The Raiders' best starting position all day was their 28-yard line, and they had the ball for less than 22 minutes, in part because they went 2 for 11 on third down.

The Dolphins took a 13-0 lead by scoring on their first three possessions. The first two ended in field goals, and a 63-yard march culminated with Moore's 12-yard scoring pass to Davone Bess.

The halftime break didn't slow Miami's momentum. Clyde Gates returned the second-half kickoff 77 yards, and two plays later Bush scored on a 1-yard run for a 20-0 lead.

Moore capped a 91-yard drive by scoring on a 6-yard keeper. Miami struck again when Burnett intercepted a tipped pass, weaved upfield and dove across the goal line. It was the third interception returned for a score against Oakland this year.

Palmer went only 20 for 41 but threw scoring passes of 40 yards to T.J. Houshmandzadeh and 3 yards to Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Titans 23, Bills 17

ORCHARD PARK, New York -- A rejuvenated Chris Johnson is giving the Tennessee Titans' playoff hopes some legs.

Johnson rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Titans to a 23-17 win over the slumping Buffalo Bills. Held to under 100 yards seven times in his first eight games, Johnson now has topped the century mark three times in his last four outings.

He scored on runs of 48 and 4 yards to match his season touchdown total. Kicker Rob Bironas did the rest, hitting three field goals, including a 44-yarder midway through the fourth quarter to put the Titans ahead 23-10.

The Bills (5-7) have lost five straight and are suddenly in jeopardy of going from first in the AFC East to a battle with Miami for last place in the division.

C.J. Spiller had a career-best 83 yards rushing and scored on a 35-yard touchdown run in his second start since Fred Jackson broke a bone in his leg. Receiver Stevie Johnson toned down his touchdown celebration after scoring on a 2-yard catch with 2:58 left to make the game close.

Johnson had been criticized for much of the past week over his celebration in a 28-24 loss to the New York Jets. Johnson was fined $10,000 by the NFL for mocking Jets receiver Plaxico Burress, pretending to shoot himself in the thigh. He was also flagged 15 yards for going to the ground in pretending to be a crashing plane.

This time, Johnson kept his arms to himself and politely handed the ball to the nearest official.

The Titans (7-5) converted two Bills turnovers into 10 points.

Rookie linebacker Colin McCarthy stripped Ryan Fitzpatrick on a fourth-and-3 scramble and recovered it at the Titans 43-yard line. Six plays later, Chris Johnson scored on a 4-yard scamper up the middle to put Tennessee up 17-7.

McCarthy also recovered tight end Scott Chandler's fumble at the Titans 37 to end the Bills' first possession of the second half. That set up a time-consuming 11-play, 64-yard drive capped by Bironas hitting a 27-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 20-10 lead.

Johnson had 190 yards rushing in a 23-17 win over Tampa Bay last weekend. Three weeks earlier, he had 130 yards in a 30-3 victory at Carolina.

Johnson rushed for 106 yards in the first half alone Sunday, more than his output in all but two other games this season. His best run came on the 48-yard touchdown, when he found a crease off right tackle, raced up the right sideline and outran defenders Aaron Williams and Da'Norris Searcy to the end zone.

The Bills ran out of time to manufacture a comeback. Getting the ball back at their own 15-yard line with 62 seconds left, their final drive ended with Fitzpatrick throwing three straight incompletions from his 46.

Fitzpatrick finished 29 of 46 for 288 yards.

The back-and-forth first half featured some electrifying and bizarre plays.

Spiller gave the Bills a 7-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter when he beat the Titans to the left corner and cut it up the sideline. He was chased down from behind by Michael Griffin, who punched the ball loose inside the 10-yard line. The ball ricocheted off Spiller's left knee and was bouncing out of the end zone when the running back made a diving attempt to secure it before sliding out.

Officials initially ruled it a touchback, before reversing the call to a touchdown after replays showed Spiller had control of the ball while inbounds.

Chiefs 10, Bears 3

Tyler Palko got yanked from the game — and possibly saved his job.

Palko shook off two miserable starts and threw for 157 yards and a touchdown even though he briefly got lifted for Kyle Orton, and the Kansas City Chiefs earned a 10-3 win over Chicago on a day when the Bears lost Matt Forte to a right knee injury.

Orton came on to start the second quarter and immediately left the game after injuring a finger on his right hand. Palko connected with Dexter McCluster on a wild 38-yard pass to end the first half on a ball that got deflected by Brian Urlacher and Chris Conte, giving the Chiefs a 7-3 lead and their first touchdown in three games.

Kansas City (5-7) got a 21-yard field goal from Ryan Succop in the third quarter to make it a seven-point game, and Jon McGraw intercepted struggling backup Caleb Hanie in the end zone in the fourth.

The Chiefs also recorded seven sacks — three by Justin Houston — and intercepted Hanie three times while snapping a four-game losing streak.

The Bears dropped their second straight after winning five in a row, but the biggest loss Sunday came in the first quarter.

Forte took a hit to the right knee from Derrick Johnson on a run for no gain deep in Chicago territory, another big blow for a team contending in the NFC.

Quarterback Jay Cutler was already out indefinitely after breaking his right thumb against San Diego on Nov. 20, and now, they might have to make do without the league's third-leading rusher.

In the fourth and final year of his rookie contract, Forte has been one of the Bears' most valuable players. He has also been durable during his career, starting all 60 games since he entered the league in 2008, but that run could be in jeopardy.

Forte stayed on the ground while being tended to by medical personnel and walked to the sideline on his own power after that hit to the knee. He remained there for several minutes before heading to the locker room.

Orton, a former Bear, didn't last long in this one.

On his first play since he was claimed off waivers from Denver, he was hit in the hand by Major Wright as he tossed an incomplete pass.

Palko immediately came back in and wound up completing 17 of 30 passes without an interception. It was a big improvement for a quarterback who got picked off three times in each of his first two starts after Matt Cassel suffered a season-ending hand injury.

Hanie was 11 of 24 in his second start for Cutler. He had completed four straight passes to put the ball on the Chicago 13 after connecting on just one in the second half before that when Roy Williams juggled a throw. The ball hit off several defenders before a diving McGraw picked it off in the end zone with just over 4 minutes left.

The Chiefs got all the points they needed at the end of the first half.

With 2 seconds left, Palko heaved the ball to the end zone, and in one dramatic sequence, the Chiefs got their first touchdown since the third quarter against Denver on Nov. 13.

A leaping Urlacher got both hands on the ball, but Conte went up over the top of him and knocked it to McCluster, sending the Chiefs to the locker room with the lead.

Besides Forte, the Bears also lost safety Major Wright to a shoulder injury. Chiefs safety Kendrick Lewis injured a knee in the first half.

Panthers 38, Buccaneers 19

TAMPA, Florida -- Cam Newton didn't beat Tampa Bay single-handedly. It just seemed like it.

The rookie ran for three more touchdowns to set the NFL single-season record for rushing TDs by a quarterback, leading the Carolina Panthers to a 38-19 rout of the struggling Buccaneers.

The 2010 Heisman Trophy winner scored the 11th, 12th and 13th TDs of his career on a trio of 1-yard runs. He also had a 27-yard reception to set up Jonathan Stewart's first-quarter TD and threw a 19-yard TD pass to Legedu Naanee to finish one of Carolina's three scoring drives of 80-plus yards.

The Panthers (4-8), who drafted Newton No. 1 overall, doubled their victory total for last season. Tampa Bay (4-8), which played in throwback creamsicle jerseys and white helmets bearing the logo of a winking pirate, has lost six straight and seven of eight following a 3-1 start.

The Bucs played without quarterback Josh Freeman, who sat out with an injury to his throwing shoulder. Josh Johnson made his fifth pro start, throwing for 229 yards and one touchdown while also leading his team in rushing.

Newton completed 12 of 21 passes for 204 yards and no interceptions. He added 54 yards rushing on 14 carries, teaming with Stewart (14 attempts, 80 yards) to help Carolina gain 163 on the ground. Newton nearly scored on a 27-yard reception after throwing backward to Naanee on the far side of the field and taking a throw-back to the left.

Stewart's 1-yard run put Carolina up 14-0. Newton leaped over the pile to finish an 83-yard, game-opening march and tied the record for rushing TDs by a quarterback to make it 31-12 in the third quarter. His third TD, giving him one more than New England's Steve Grogan scored in 1976, finished a 15-play, 81-yard drive.

Connor Barth kicked field goals of 50, 47, 46 and 44 yards for Tampa Bay in the first half. Johnson didn't get the Bucs into the end zone until he threw a 23-yard TD pass to Dezmon Briscoe in the fourth quarter.

Freeman injured his throwing shoulder on Tampa Bay's final offensive play of last week's 23-17 loss at Tennessee when he dropped the snap on a fourth-and-1 quarterback sneak and was stopped for no gain. He was limited in practice, making some soft throws on Thursday and Friday and declared out Sunday morning.

The third-year pro became Tampa Bay's starter following an 0-7 start his rookie season and led his team to a surprising 10-6 record in 2010 to heighten expectations for this year. But after throwing for 25 touchdowns and just six interceptions a year ago, Freeman has been inconsistent this season while also playing the past few weeks with a sprained right thumb that he insists was not a factor in his performance.

Johnson started four games — all losses — in 2009. The fourth-year pro had appeared in six games this season, primarily on designed running plays and attempting just seven passes. His running ability showed up late in the second quarter, when he scrambled 14 yards on third-and-5 and for a 7-yard gain that set up Barth's fourth field goal, trimming Carolina's lead to 21-12.

But the Panthers weren't content to sit on the ball in the final minute of the half. Newton threw 12 yards to Stewart and 31 yards to Brandon LaFell to set up Olindo Mare's 43-yard field goal as time expired to restore a 12-point lead.

Most of Tampa Bay's offense in the opening half came on two plays — Johnson's 38-yard completion to Arrelious Benn and a 42-yarder to Mike Williams.

Texans 17, Falcons 10

HOUSTON, Texas -- Apparently, it's going to take more than injuries to star players to derail the Houston Texans.

Rookie T.J. Yates threw a touchdown pass in his first NFL start, Arian Foster rushed for 111 yards and Houston overcame another injury to Andre Johnson to earn a 17-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

The Texans (9-3) have won a franchise-record six straight games, a remarkable feat considering they're down to their third-string quarterback and have played the bulk of their streak without their star receiver.

Johnson left in the third quarter after hurting his left hamstring. He injured his right hamstring in Week 4, underwent minor surgery and sat out six games.

Coach Gary Kubiak said after the game that he was told the injury was not severe, but he couldn't be certain until Johnson underwent tests on Monday.

The Falcons (7-5) sputtered offensively much of the day and lost for just the second time in seven games. Houston's top-ranked defense knocked down two Matt Ryan passes in the end zone in the closing seconds.

Yates went 12-for-25 for 188 yards without an interception, an impressively poised performance after a whirlwind week. The fifth-round pick was thrust into action last week in Jacksonville when Matt Leinart broke his collarbone. Leinart was starting in place of Matt Schaub, who broke a Lisfranc joint in his right foot in Houston's previous game.

After Johnson went down, Foster ably took over the offensive load, carrying 10 times on Houston's decisive drive. Foster scored with 6:05 left, and then it was up to the Texans' defense to finish.

Atlanta got the ball back with 59 seconds left, and Ryan threw a deep pass to Julio Jones to the Texans 25. But Ryan overthrew Roddy White in one corner of the end zone and Kareem Jackson swatted away a pass to Jones in the other corner as time expired.

Kubiak couldn't bear to watch the final play, turning his back and walking down the sideline. When the ball hit the turf and the crowd erupted, general manager Rick Smith told Kubiak what happened and patted him on the back.

Ryan completed 20 of 46 passes for 267 yards, but also threw two interceptions. The Texans have intercepted a pass in 11 consecutive games.

Johnson looked like he'd be Yates' go-to guy early, making leaping catches on the quarterback's first two completions. Johnson atoned for an earlier drop by pulling in a perfect 50-yard pass from Yates to the Atlanta 5 in the second quarter. Yates then snapped a quick pass to Joel Dreessen for his first career TD, and chants of "T.J.! T.J.! T.J.!" emerged from the capacity crowd.

Ryan completed three passes to Tony Gonzalez to get the Falcons moving.

Linebacker Brian Cushing slipped trying to tackle Gonzalez and briefly left the game. While Atlanta drove for Matt Bryant's 19-yard field goal, athletic trainers examined Cushing's knee.

Yates took a hard hit from John Abraham early in the third quarter, and the way Houston's luck has been going, it would've been no surprise to see him stay down. But Yates was OK, and Cushing returned in the third quarter.

Neil Rackers came up short on a 54-yard field-goal try, and Ryan kick-started Atlanta's best drive of the game with an 18-yard pass to Gonzalez. Jones made an over-the-shoulder catch to the Houston 4, and Ryan found White wide open for the tying score with 1:46 left in the third quarter.

Johnson then simply fell down chasing a deep pass from Yates, a moment eerily similar to when he hurt his right hamstring without getting touched against Pittsburgh in Week 4. He threw off his helmet in frustration as he hobbled to the bench to meet with trainers, then walked off the field with his head down.

Foster kept Houston on track, converting a fourth-and-1 with a 7-yard run to the Atlanta 2. The Texans took more than 10 minutes off the clock with the 19-play drive, which tied a team record.