Without Anderson Varejao's defense in the fourth quarter, the Cavs fall to Pistons, 90-89, in preseason finale at The Q.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerAnderson Varejao gets fouled by Pistons small forward Austin Daye in the first quarter Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — How big a difference does Anderson Varejao make on the defensive end of the floor for the Cavaliers?

Here's a snapshot from the Cavs' 90-89 loss to the Detroit Pistons in an exhibition game on Tuesday night at The Q:

With the forward/center in the lineup, the Cavs held the Pistons to 33.3 percent shooting in the third quarter while building a 12-point lead. With him on the bench, the Cavs gave up a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter as the Pistons got back into the game, eventually winning on Austin Daye's two free throws with 3.1 seconds left.

Basically, the same thing happened on Friday night in Detroit, although the Cavs were able to survive that drought. That wasn't the case Tuesday, as the Cavs finish the preseason 1-1.

"When he's on the floor, we're just a much better basketball team -- on both ends," Cavs coach Byron Scott said of Varejao, who finished with nine points and 10 rebounds. "His experience, his smarts out there make a lot of things go well. Obviously when he's off the floor we're not as good a basketball team as we would like to be. That just shows how important he is to our team."

Scott found that out the hard way last season when he lost Varejao for the last 51 games of the season after Varejao tore a tendon in his right foot that required surgery. While Varejao has looked great in training camp, the coach admitted he likely will have to keep an eye on his minutes with a 66-game schedule in 122 days.

View full sizePDCavaliers guard Ramon Sessions takes a shot over the Pistons' Will Bynum in the fourth quarter.

"I've got a number in mind I feel I can play him and be pretty comfortable," Scott said. "The one thing I haven't done is discuss it with him. We'll talk. If you put him on the court, he's going to play as hard as he can. It doesn't matter how many minutes you play him. But with the type of schedule we have, obviously, I want to keep him as fresh as possible."

That will be essential if the Cavs are to make the sort of advances defensively Scott would like. Last season, the Cavs allowed opponents to shoot 47.5 percent. In February, Scott called on his team to try and hold opponents to 46 percent the rest of the season.

That didn't happen, but that won't be good enough this year. In the two games against the Pistons, the Cavs have held Detroit to 37.4 percent shooting, including 37.1 percent on Tuesday.

"There's a bunch of numbers we try to chart and tell our guys, 'This is where we want to be at the end of the season,'" Scott said while declining to reveal those numbers. "Some of those numbers, probably in their minds, might be unrealistic, but you know what? You've got to shoot for the stars. We're just trying to make sure they understand how important we are trying to emphasize certain things on the defensive end."

The Cavs are getting it -- thanks to Scott and Varejao.

"We're working a lot on defense," said guard/forward Omri Casspi, who led the Cavs with 18 points and 5 rebounds. "We made huge progress from Day One in training camp. We're still learning. We have some tweaks we need to get better, but we're working hard every day in practice. I see us getting better and better.

"Andy is a great defender, and a great team defender. He's always there to help. He's always there to make the right play. We're learning from Andy and we're learning from our coaches."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: mschmitt@plaind.com, 216-999-4668

On Twitter: @pdcavsinsider

Cleveland-area recruits sticking with Buckeyes.

Scott Shaw, The Plain DealerBedford's Tyvis Powell will enroll at Ohio State next month despite the NCAA giving the Buckeyes a one-year bowl ban.

No big deal.

That's was the general consensus among Ohio State's area recruits in their reaction to the bad news hitting the Buckeyes on Tuesday. The one-year ban from postseason play, which had the most immediate impact on these new players, is something that will just have to be dealt with.

"It doesn't really matter [to] me," said Bedford's Tyvis Powell, whose last day of high school is today. "I still want to be a Buckeye and we are still going to win the Big Ten. My motivation is to go out and play for the fans."

Powell, a 6-4 defensive back, will be home for the holidays. He will enroll at OSU on Jan. 3 to begin his educational and football goals.

"We're still going to beat Michigan, which is the biggest bowl," he said. "Beating Michigan is like winning the national championship.

"My reaction would be calm. I can't be happy with a bowl ban, but as long as we are winning and I'm getting a great education at the Fisher School of Business at the Ohio State University, it's all right."

Less than three weeks removed from helping St. Ignatius win its record 11th Division I state championship, tight end Blake Thomas said he got a text in the morning about the sanctions.

"I wasn't really surprised and was kind of prepared for it," said the 6-4, 240-pound Thomas. "It's only one year. I have plenty of time to play in bowls."

However, Thomas said he did have hopes the NCAA penalties would not be too harsh.

"Yeah, I was kind of thinking of that," said Thomas. "After all that [OSU] has done with coach Tressel stepping down, some guys de-committing, taking scholarships away. They did as much as they could.

"But like I said, we were ready for it. It really is a bummer."

Glenville defensive back De'Van Bogard said he first heard about OSU on Twitter, then went to ESPN.

"I'm really not surprised or angry because I knew it was coming," said Bogard, who will run track in the spring for the Tarblooders. "We've still got three or four years at Ohio State. I knew we'd get hammered, but not as crucially."

Like his fellow recruits, Bogard sees time healing all wounds.

"It's a big deal, but not a big deal," he said. "It's a one-year bowl ban. It's not bad at all to me. It could be way worse."

Sounds like an incoming freshman.

Ohio State questions and answers - Gene Smith wanted this season's team to experience a bowl, even if he knew a ban was coming.

Answering some questions about the NCAA's ruling on Ohio State:

Why didn't Ohio State just self-impose a bowl ban this year, in what turned out to be a 6-6 season, to be safe?

It would have been a very reasonable step. But Athletic Director Gene Smith never thought this was coming. More interestingly, he told The Plain Dealer that even if he was sure of this bowl ban, he would not have self-imposed a penalty, because he wanted this team, after a rough year of distractions that included losing coach Jim Tressel in May, to have a chance to play in a bowl. Smith especially was thinking about the current seniors who committed no NCAA violations.

Terry Gilliam, Associated PressGene Smith says he wanted this year's seniors to play in a bowl game, one reason he didn't pre-emptively self-impose a bowl ban this season.

"These young men fought through adversity," Smith said. "I know that Buckeye Nation is all about next year and looking forward to winning a national championship, and that is right. But we have young people who have earned that right to play in a bowl. I know our fans want to see us in a BCS bowl and winning national championships, and they are a great support group, but at the end of the year, these young men earned this right to play in a Jan. 2 game."

The Buckeyes will play 6-6 Florida in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.

Come on, shouldn't Ohio State have seen this coming?

The NCAA referenced booster issues from two previous cases in 2002 and 2003 as part of the bowl ban decision. Smith was surprised the NCAA went back that far. Ohio State's own research centered on more recent cases. Some NCAA experts thought that once the failure-to-monitor charge was added in November, the school should have self-imposed a bowl ban. The addition of the booster violations after the first NCAA hearing on Aug. 12 seemed to seal Ohio State's fate, though a bowl ban may have happened anyway.

Others thought Ohio State's plan was a good one.

"I was surprised; I didn't think a postseason ban would be in play," said Michael Buckner, a Florida attorney who specializes in NCAA issues. "If you look at the case precedent, I think what Ohio State did was very reasonable."

Was this penalty too harsh or too light?

Depends whom you ask. Lots of OSU fans think it's too harsh, but that feeling probably is colored somewhat by expectation. Most fans were not prepared for a bowl ban. Nationally, plenty of people think this ruling -- a one-year bowl ban and nine lost scholarships -- was too light, especially compared to the Southern California penalties two years ago, which were a two-year bowl ban and 30 lost scholarships.

What does Urban Meyer really think about this?

The new coach had to be surprised as well, after telling reporters Monday he had no assurances but had the impression the penalties wouldn't be too severe. He'll miss out on up to $350,000 in potential bonuses -- $100,000 for a Big Ten title game win and $250,000 for a BCS national championship win. But he's not going anywhere, making that clear in his statement issued by Ohio State. Smith said he spoke at length with Meyer on Tuesday, and said "we're making sure that we're moving forward the right way. We have 12 outstanding games next year, eight at home, so he's excited about that still."

How are the players taking it?

Judging by the reaction of what many wrote on Twitter, they were shocked, disappointed and angry.

How will this affect Ohio State's recruiting?

Losing three scholarships a year, meaning the Buckeyes will have 82 scholarship players on the roster in 2012, 2013 and 2014 instead of 85, should have some minor effect on recruiting class size. For this Class of 2012, which is currently at 19 oral commitments, including three brought in since Meyer's hiring, there might be a player or two lost. But highly rated recent commitments like Noah Spence of Pennsylvania, Se'Von Pittman of Canton McKinley and Brionte Dunne of Canton GlenOak told Scout.com and other outlets on Tuesday night they were sticking by their pledges to Ohio State. And the 2013 class, the first to be fully committed by Meyer, won't face the bowl ban, so there should be no effect.

What is Gene Smith's job status?

Asked what he regretted about the school's handling of the NCAA issues over the last year, Smith said, "everything is easier in hindsight," and he wished the school could have been more open about the case at times as it moved through the process. But generally he thought the school did the best it could.

"We're committed to making sure we're never here again as we move forward," Smith said.

As for his own status, Smith said: "President Gee has been very supportive of me. I come to work every day and do the best job I can. But the president makes that ultimate decision, and he's been very supportive of me."

Gee said he was disappointed by the one-year bowl ban for the Buckeyes, but he also felt closure at the conclusion of the NCAA process.

Associated PressOhio State president Dr. E. Gordon Gee

Knight spoke the to the crowd at halftime Tuesday. Watch video

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — The 1-2 punch of senior guards Stephanie Haas and Megan Barilla came alive in the second half to lead host Magnificat to a hard-fought 63-55 victory Tuesday over visiting Walsh Jesuit. Held in check in the first half as the teams muddled their way to a 19-19 tie at intermission, Haas scored 17 of her...

Magnificat's Stephanie Haas

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio — The 1-2 punch of senior guards Stephanie Haas and Megan Barilla came alive in the second half to lead host Magnificat to a hard-fought 63-55 victory Tuesday over visiting Walsh Jesuit.

Held in check in the first half as the teams muddled their way to a 19-19 tie at intermission, Haas scored 17 of her game-high 25 points and Barilla had 13 of her 19 after halftime as the Blue Streaks, ranked No. 7 in the Plain Dealer Top 25, upped their record to 4-2. Walsh, ranked No. 19, fell to 4-3.

"We were tied at halftime and I knew we could play a lot better," said Haas, who entered the game averaging 22 points per game. "I knew I had to get to the basket and score."

Magnificat scored 15 points in less than four minutes to open the second half, with Haas and Barilla tallying all 15. However, the Warriors also found their offense, and a 10-2 run gave Walsh a 42-36 lead with 2:34 remaining in the quarter.

A 9-0 run late in the third period and into the fourth quarter provided Magnificat with a lead it would only increase for the remainder of the game. Consecutive 3-pointers by Barilla and Haas were the backbreakers, giving the Blue Streaks a 59-50 lead with 2:37 to play.

"In the first half we weren't executing well," said Magnificat coach Meghann Hubach. "In the second half we got the shots we wanted, we hit a couple of threes and we got ourselves to the line."

Actually, Magnificat got itself to the line the entire game, attempting 36 free throws to 16 for Walsh Jesuit. Neither team impressed from the line, with the Blue Streaks making 18 and the Warriors making just five.

"We get to the line pretty often," Hubach said. "We're better attacking the basket and using our athleticism versus being more of a catch-and-shoot team."

Walsh coach Pete Zaccari was diplomatic when asked about the discrepancy in free throws.

"When you're playing in their gym you don't get the home-court advantage," he said. "We need to draw more fouls and get to the line more often."

The Warriors were led by senior center Liz Reeves, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds despite sitting long stretches with foul trouble. Playing a lineup that at times had two freshmen and a sophomore on the floor, Walsh committed 24 turnovers against Magnificat's 2-2-1 press that fell back into an aggressive man-to-man.

"We didn't have our composure today," Zaccari said. "You can't commit 24 turnovers against a good team like them and expect to win. We're disappointed because we felt we could have gotten a victory, but we just didn't make the plays when we needed to."

With five days to go before the Cavs open the regular season, the bottom half of the roster is far from set.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cavaliers preseason already is over, and the bottom half of the roster is far from set.

Coach Byron Scott used two different sets of reserves on Friday night at Detroit and last night in The Q in an effort to try and settle his rotation behind starters Anderson Varejao, Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, Omri Casspi and, eventually, Kyrie Irving.

Asked what he saw on Tuesday from Daniel Gibson, Ryan Hollins and Luke Harangody, Scott said, "Some was good, some wasn't.

Based on Tuesday's showing, it would seem Samardo Samuels would have an edge of Hollins or Harangody up front, but where Christian Eyenga, Manny Harris and, possibly, rookie free agent Mychel Thompson fit in isn't clear year. None of them played Tuesday, but Harris is still out with an ulcer on his right foot.

There are five days left until the Cavs open the regular season on Dec. 26 against Toronto. Practices between now and then are going to be heated as players fight for their spots.

Irving and Knight are just beginning a rivalry in which both are trying to revive franchises in the Central Division.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerKyrie Irving guards the Pistons' Brandon Knight in the second quarter.

It was the final minutes of Friday's exhibition game, their first in the NBA, and they were on the floor at winning time against each other.

Irving and Knight were rivals on the summer-camp circuit, vying to become the nation's top high school point guard. The competition continues on a new level -- and they are going to see a lot of each other.

They met for a second time in five days Tuesday night, as Irving and the Cavaliers hosted Knight and the Detroit Pistons in the final preseason game at The Q. It's just the beginning for two rookie guards trying to resurrect Central Division franchises.

"It's really an interesting thing," said Irving, the top pick in the June draft. "Just a year or two ago, we were in high school together competing for that top spot in high school ranking. . . . We are still friends, but we are so competitive."

Each spent one season at elite college programs, with Irving, 19, at Duke and Knight, 20, at Kentucky. The Cavaliers brought Knight here for a workout, but they never considered drafting him ahead of Irving. The Pistons chose him with the eighth pick.

The biggest difference between the first-rounders?

"Kyrie is definitely a true point guard," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. "I think Brandon has the ability to be a true point guard, but it's something he will have to learn. I don't think it comes natural for him.

"He is a tremendous kid, great work ethic, tremendous speed. . . . It's going to be a chess match for those two for years to come."

Knight said he's not motivated by being selected seven spots behind Irving. He played down the rivalry, even though he told the Salt Lake Tribune in June he wanted to work out against Irving prior to the draft.

"You are going to play against good players every night," he said. "I don't look at it as me against him. It's about making our teams better."

Picking a lineup: Scott doesn't need the standard eight preseason games to set his rotation. He would, however, prefer more than just two games.

The lockout reduced the exhibition season to a home-and-home with the Pistons. Scott still has five more practice days before the opener against the Raptors on Monday, but those can't tell a coach as much about a player, or a combination of players, as a game.

"It makes it a lot tougher for us, for me, to figure out certain things," Scott said. "Some of these [decisions] are going to be figured out on the fly. Some will take care of themselves."

Scott said he's "pretty comfortable" with eight players in his rotation that will consist of nine to 10 players. These players would seem like automatics: Irving, Anthony Parker, Omri Casspi, Antawn Jamison, Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson, Samardo Samuels and Daniel Gibson.

"Practice is practice," Scott said. "The games are a whole different situation, and a lot of players handle that situation a lot different. . . . I want to see them against somebody else, not us, where everybody knows the plays when they call them out. . . . You want to see how guys react when certain things are taken away."

Pastries, rook: Thompson and Irving drove to Middleburg Heights on Tuesday morning to fulfill one of their "rookie duties." The two are in charge of buying Krispy Kreme doughnuts for the team for every home shoot-around. As the pair learned, it's a bit of a drive to find a shop. They ended up on Pearl Road before securing the pastries. Thompson said he nearly ran out of gas on the drive.

Irving and Thompson also have to collect the basketballs that get kicked or thrown into the stands during shootarounds.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: treed@plaind.com, 216-999-4370

Irving is showing an ability to create a shot when covered and the shot-clock ticking down, a critical need for the Cavaliers.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerCavaliers forward Tristan Thompson looks for room around Pistons power forward Jason Maxiell in the first quarter Tuesday.

1. These are very early returns, but it appears the Cavs do have two rookies worth watching in Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson. Fans have heard a lot about Irving, the top player in the draft and in position at the point where it is very easy to show his skills. His ability to create a shot when covered and the 24-second clock is ticking down is critical, because the Cavs remain weak at the two most athletic spots in the NBA -- small forward and shooting guard.

2. The shooting guards are Anthony Parker and Daniel Gibson. Cavs fans know their games -- both are best when a stand-still jump shooter. They have trouble creating shots off the dribble and don't draw many fouls.

3. That's why Irving is so important. He displays something rarely seen from a young guard -- an in-between driving shot from the 6- to 12-foot range. Most young players either take a stationary jumper from the outside, or drive all the way to the rim. Irving dropped in an 8-foot banker from the right side, a 10-foot floater from the left. It's hard to believe, but many NBA players can't make layups with both hands -- Irving can.

4. Irving shot 50 percent on 3-pointers at Duke, so he obviously has a good jump shot. But right now, he is taking too many of them off-balance and rushed -- when there is no reason to do so. He is 0-of-7 from 3-point range in the two games.

5. Nearly every young point guard has trouble defensively, and Irving is destined to struggle in this year. The Cavs are hoping Ramon Sessions can help, because he has the size and athleticism to defend at the point -- but he rarely has shown the inclination to consistently do so. Coach Byron Scott's biggest concern is defense when it comes to Irving, who is only 19 and played a mere 11 games at Duke.

6. Omri Casspi is the small forward, and he has the size and physical gifts to drive to the basket, but he seems to prefer standing on the perimeter. Casspi averaged only 1.9 free-throw attempts in 24 minutes per game in his two seasons with Sacramento. He shot 37 percent on 3-pointers, 42 percent from the field. He's only 23 and can rebound at 6-9 and 225 pounds. But he should be more aggressive on offense and not just view himself as an outside shooter.

7. Scott has been on Casspi to drive more, and he did deliver 18 points and five rebounds. He is a real key to the team. He will start at small forward, backed up by Alonzo Gee. The Cavs praised how Gee looked in practice, but in 45 preseason minutes, he's 1-of-9 with five points. He does have 10 rebounds, but a small forward has to produce some offense.

8. Ryan Hollins was 0-of-3 from the field and fouled out in 22 minutes. In the fourth quarter, it was four fouls and three turnovers, which didn't thrill Scott -- he mentioned those stats. Samardo Samuels should be the backup center to Anderson Varejao, who had 10 rebounds in 25 minutes and was constantly hustling.

9. Thompson is an intriguing prospect because he wants to rebound -- nine in 45 preseason minutes -- and has a knack of coming up with loose balls under the basket. He is much like Varejao, in that respect. It is easy to dwell on his poor outside shooting, but the power forward can be a force on the defensive end. He also can be a very effective offensive rebounder. He has 16 points in the preseason, so he's not hopeless on offense.

10. The attendance was announced at 9,853. It looked closer to 6,000.

Gene Smith, Ohio State's Athletic Director, did not come out smelling like roses once the NCAA put the hammer down.

PD fileOhio State University Athletic Director Gene Smith.

The NCAA took its pound of flesh from the Ohio State Buckeyes when the infractions committee handed down a 1-year postseason ban for the Buckeyes that goes into effect for the 2012 season.

Did athletic director Gene Smith take the NCAA for granted when he decided the Buckeyes, at 6-6, would play in the Gator Bowl against Florida instead of sitting out the bowl season?

Smith tells Doug Lesmerises of Cleveland.com that he accepted the bowl bid because he wanted the players to experience a bowl, so he accepts the reality that the ban will come in 2012.

"Had this team come to me and said we don't want to play in a bowl at the end of the season, that would have factored in, but that's not what we had here," Smith said. "These young men fought through adversity. I know that Buckeye Nation is all about next year and looking forward to winning a national championship, and that is right. "

What should happen to Gene Smith?

Despite the sanctions, the Buckeyes should make it out OK in the long run.

AP fileOhio State Athletic Director Gene Smith.

Mike Huguenin of Yahoo Sports writes how the sanctions handed down by the NCAA to Ohio State on Tuesday aren’t that harsh.

That's why Huguenin was surprised by athletic director Gene Smith's comments about being surprised and disappointed with the NCAA’s decision.

Maybe Smith – whose job should be in jeopardy – is disappointed; after all, the NCAA doled out harsher penalties than the school self-imposed. But given the goings-on at Ohio State, a case can be made that the school didn’t get spanked that severely.

Ohio State will lose nine scholarships over a three-year period (2012-14); it also will serve a postseason ban in 2012, and that should be the toughest pill for the Buckeyes to swallow, Huguenin wrtes.

At the same time, precisely because Meyer recruits so well, the damage is going to be relatively minimal. Losing three scholarships a year for three years will hurt depth, but it’s certainly not going to keep the Buckeyes from winning the Big Ten title or playing in a BCS bowl.

 

Around the Horseshoe

President Gordon Gee is disappointed (Cleveland.com).

Ex-Trojan blasts NCAA's decision (CBSSports.com)

Another baffling move by the NCAA (Fox Sports Ohio).

Urban Meyer is ready in the starting blocks (Columbus Dispatch).

Area recruits remain committed (CantonRep.com).

The Ohio State Buckeyes need to take their medicine and like it (The News-Herald).

Michigan is losing recruiting lead to Urban Meyer (AnnArbor.com).

How do Michigan fans feel about the sanctions (Detroit News)?

Ohio State gets off pretty easy (Detroit Free Press).

Comparing USC and Ohio State's sanctions (LA Times).

10 Browns wins in 10 days: Suffering Browns fans deserve a holiday treat so we present 10 Browns wins in 10 days. Part seven looks back to a 1980 victory in Cincinnati that sent the Browns to the playoffs for the first time in eight years.

Plain Dealer fileDon Cockroft, shown in this file photo, helped send the Browns into the 1980 playoffs with a late-game field goal.

They beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 27-24, to win the championship of the Central Division of the American Football Conference, and will play their first playoff game in Cleveland on Saturday, Jan. 3, or Sunday, Jan. 4.

The Browns' opponent probably will be Buffalo, winner of the AFC Eastern Division. But the opponent and game date won't be definitely decided until after tonight's regular-season finale between Pittsburgh and San Diego.

The details were unimportant to coach Sam Rutigliano, however, after his Browns won their first division championship since 1971 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 1972.

"Right now, I don't care who we play, or when," said Rutigliano, who was carried off the field by his happy players. "We can play Carnegie Tech for all I care. I just want to enjoy this accomplishment. I'll think about who we play later."

The Browns won on a 22-yard field goal by Don Cockroft with 1:25 left to play in front of 50,058 chilled fans.

It was a grueling, hard-hitting give-and-take battle - "a true dogfight," as quarterback Brian Sipe called it - that went back and forth until that final field goal.

And like so many other Browns victories - and defeats - this season, it went down to the final tick of the clock. The Bengals wound up on the Browns' 11-yard line, where Ron Bolton tackled Steve Kreider to prevent him from getting out of bounds after catching a pass from quarterback Ken Anderson. Cincinnati didn't have time to line up for either a field-goal attempt or another play before the gun sounded.

That final play, which began with 11 seconds left and the Bengals having used up all their timeouts, was a 20-yard pass completion from Anderson to Kreider. It signaled an on-field celebration by the Browns and the many Cleveland fans who were at Riverfront.

In the Browns' locker room, owner Art Modell embraced Rutigliano, then circulated among the players and coaches offering his congratulations and appreciation.

The victory had to be especially gratifying to Modell, coming as it did against the Bengals, whose general manager, Paul Brown, and coach Forrest Gregg, both were former Browns coaches fired by Modell.

There's no doubt Brown and Gregg would have considered the season a success, despite their losing record (now 6-10), if they could have turned the Browns' dream into a nightmare.

Cleveland having won, though, Houston's Oilers are a wild-card entrant in the playoffs.

The first thing the Browns did in the locker room after the game, Rutigliano said, "Was to offer a prayer, because we know we were fortunate to win. The Bengals took us to the hilt. But we won the way we have won all season. We were a little out of kilter, but we did what we had to do."

One of the biggest things the Browns had to do was recover in the second half and provide better protection for Brian Sipe, who was sacked six times - compared to only 17 in the previous 15 games.

But Sipe's protection improved, and he wound up with 24 completions in 44 attempts for 308 yards, which boosted his season yardage to 4,132. It made Sipe one of only three quarterbacks in the history of the NFL to exceed 4,000 in one season. The other two were Joe Namath and Dan Fouts.

Plain DealerBrian Sipe, shown in a file photograph, broken Frank Ryan's Cleveland Browns club record for touchdown passes in a season.

Sipe also connected for three touchdown passes, giving him 30 for the season and breaking another Browns record (29) set by Frank Ryan in 1966.

His 308 yards also represented the sixth time this season he has gone over 300 yards in a game.

Little wonder Rutigliano called Sipe "the best quarterback in the NFL," and said, "He deserves to win the Most Valuable Player Award."

The Browns fell behind, 10-0, in the first 20 minutes, battled back for a 10-10 deadlock at intermission and then traded touchdowns in a wild and wooly third quarter that left them tied again, 24-24.

The Bengals opened the scoring on Jim Breech's 42-yard field goal on the Bengals' first possession of the game, and quarterback Jack Thompson scored a touchdown early in the second period after a fumble by Sipe cost the Browns a golden opportunity to take the lead.

Sipe's 42-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Rucker got the Browns on the board midway through the second quarter. Then, after Dino Hall made a clutch recovery of a Bengals fumbled punt, a drive stalled at the Cincinnati 9-yard line, and Cockroft booted a 25-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining in the first half.

Early in the second half, Cincinnati's Ray Griffin intercepted a Sipe pass and returned it 52 yards for a go-ahead touchdown. It appeared the Browns were in deep trouble, though Sipe would say later about the touchdown, "That's what really turned us on."

Sipe came back two minutes later with the first of back-to-back touchdown aerials to Ricky Feacher, who was playing in place of the injured Dave Logan. Feacher caught the first one for a 35-yard touchdown that tied the score at 17-17. The second was a 34-yarder that put the Browns ahead, 24-17.

The latter touchdown was set up by a pass interception by Bolton, one of two by the Browns and his sixth of the season. Thom Darden, who was involved in an early altercation with Pat McInally of the Bengals, made the other interception.

The Bengals came roaring right back after Feacher's second TD, and it came in the form of revenge for McInally. He had been carried off the field in the opening minutes after being hit by Darden on a pass completion play.

He was kayoed and lay on the ground for about 10 minutes before being carried off on a stretcher. But he returned to the game and in the second half caught three passes for 86 yards as well as doing the Bengals' punting.

McInally's touchdown came at the 14:46 mark of the third quarter to tie the score. Then the two teams battled on near-even terms in the fourth period before the Cockroft field goal.

That came after a short punt by McInally that went out of bounds on the Browns' 46-yard line.

At that point, with 6:04 left on the clock, the Browns went to their ground game, which the Bengals had shut down previously. Mike Pruitt was the workhorse of that final drive, and Sipe also made a couple of key pass completions. Pruitt wound up with 51 yards in 16 carries to go over 1,000 yards for the second straight season, finishing with 1,034.

The drive set up the field goal on what Rutigliano called "a feast or famine try."

After the Browns had advanced to the 14, where they had a second-and-7, Pruitt blasted off left tackle for 9 yards and a first down at the 5 with exactly two minutes to go.

He cracked into the line twice more, gaining 2 yards, and then with 1:39 to go, Sipe tried the "feast or famine" bootleg play to the left.

"We let Brian run it in, or not," related Rutigliano. "It would be feast or famine, but we knew we still had Cockroft to kick the field goal if Brian didn't get in."

Sipe didn't, though everybody on the field - including most of his own players - were fooled by the play. The play called for Sipe to hand the ball to Cleo Miller. "But I told Cleo I was going to keep it, that I just wanted him to make a real good fake," said Sipe.

Miller made a good fake, but it didn't fool right cornerback Ken Riley. "We were banking on Riley getting caught up on the run, but he didn't," continued Sipe. "I thought for an instant I could put a move on Riley, but I figured I'd only embarrass myself, so I went down."

The play lost 3 yards, back to 5, where it was fourth and goal, and Cockroft came on and calmly booted the winning three-pointer after the Bengals had used one of their timeouts to make him think about the situation for awhile.

PD fileSam Rutigliano, shown in a file photograph, was 47-50 as the coach of the Cleveland Browns from 1978 until midway through the 1984 season.

"I was thankful for the opportunity to prove that Sam (Rutigliano) was correct in having faith in me," said Cockroft, who has had his problems this year, primarily because of an injury to his sciatic nerve that has been bothering him since the second game.

Still, the Browns had to hold off the Bengals one last time after Anderson took over at quarterback for second-year pro Jack Thompson.

The Bengals had the ball at their own 32 after the kickoff with 1:18 to play. Anderson passed to Isaac Curtis for 3 yards. Then Anderson was incomplete with a pitch to Pete Johnson, so that the Bengals had a third-and-7 at their own 35 with 52 seconds left.

Now Anderson passed 32 yards to Kreider and a first down at the Browns' 43, which was still out of Breech's field goal range. Then he connected on a 9-yarder to Dan Ross at the Cleveland 34 and 11 seconds to go.

Anderson pitched the next one out of bounds to stop the clock with four seconds left. He followed with the 20-yarder to Kreider, about 8 or 9 yards from the right sideline.

Bolton pounced on Kreider and held him down as the clock ran out, and just like that the Browns' dream of a division championship came true.

Tristan Thompson learns from Antawn Jamison.

AP Photo | LM OteroCleveland Cavaliers power forward Antawn Jamison.

Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com writes how rookie Tristan Thompson has a good teacher in vet Antawn Jamison. 

Lloyd writes how Thompson isn’t content to come in as a rookie and wait for Jamison to leave before taking over the starting role.

Rather, Jamison said he comes in every day trying to take the job away, something the veteran respects.

Just don’t expect it to happen anytime soon.

“I trust Antawn more, that’s the biggest thing,” Scott said. “He is a veteran, he understands how to play the game on both ends of the floor. Tristan has a lot to learn, but obviously I’m very happy with his progress thus far.”

Unlike last season, Jamison says he’ll be happy in any role, writes Lloyd. Part of that is Thompson’s attitude and eagerness to learn, which makes Jamison happy to teach.

More Cavaliers

Briggs makes his return to the Charge (CantonRep.com).

Wild Thing back to old tricks (The News-Herald).

Samuels is ready to work (The Chronicle-Telegram).

The Cavaliers lose and win on Tuesday night (Cleveland.com).

Brandon Knight fires up Pistons (Detroit News).

Austin Daye has his day against the Cavaliers (Detroit Free Press).

Roster battles shaping up for the Cavaliers (WFNY).

Brian Smith returns to the Cleveland Browns.

Joshua Gunter | The Plain DealerFirst-year Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

“I moved in with a former teammate,” he said. “I was sleeping on the couch. It wasn’t a real comfortable couch, either.”

Browns coaches had told him to stay in shape. Maybe they would call, they said, or maybe some other team would.

The wait turned into months, but Smith stayed in shape.

Two days after Thanksgiving, he watched on TV as his team lost the regular-season finale at Stanford. Three days later, he was on that couch in South Bend, watching the Maury Povich Show with some pals.

“It was one of those ‘I am not the father’ episodes,” he said. “It was 3 o’clock when my agent called.”

His agent had been in touch with Browns director of player personnel Jon Sandusky. Smith’s heart leapt when he was told he was invited to the practice squad.

More Cleveland Browns

Information on the AFC North (ESPN).

Ravens can't explain road woes (Baltimore Sun).

Seneca Wallace is likely to get the starting nod (WFNY).

More on quarterback Seneca Wallace (DawgPoundDaily.com).

Notes on tight end Jordan Cameron (dawgsbynature.com).

NFL moving swiftly on concussion issue (Ohio.com).

Seneca Wallace will more than likely start on Sunday (Cleveland.com).

Expect Wallace start over Colt McCoy (The News-Herald).

Submit your video questions for Tony Grossi and Mary Kay Cabot for Thursday's episode of Browns Insider.

View full size

Plain Dealer OSU reporter says dominating the Big Ten regular season could set the stage for a successful 2013 run. Watch video

Cleveland, Ohio - Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Bill Lubinger, who's standing in for Branson Wright and Chuck Yarborough.

The Ohio State Buckeyes football program absorbed some serious sanctions from the NCAA on Tuesday, including a bowl ban for 2012 and a loss of nine scholarships over the next three years (see complete coverage here). Do you think OSU athletic director Gene Smith dropped the ball by not self-imposing a bowl ban this season? That's the question in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Today's guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer Ohio State reporter Doug Lesmerises, who says that there's no guarantee the NCAA would not have added a 2012 bowl ban even if OSU had taken one this year.

Doug also talks about what the goals can be for new Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer; and how the loss of bowl practice a year from now will impact the 2013 Buckeyes.

SBTV will return Thursday.

The quarterback "did some physical activity," but is not ready to resume work, according to Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

APColt McCoy has been evaluated "by all the proper people," and is not ready to practice 13 days after his concussion in the Dec. 8 Pittsburgh game.

BEREA, Ohio - Colt McCoy still hasn't been cleared to practice since suffering a concussion on Dec. 8.

"He was here this morning," coach Pat Shurmur said. "Did a little physical activity."

Still, Shurmur would not official name Seneca Wallace the Browns starting quarterback in Baltimore on Saturday.

"Not yet, but it's going to come soon, I'm sure," he said.

Shurmur has been reluctant to say whether McCoy has seen a head trauma specialist, as tight end Benjamin Watson did after his third concussion of the season.

"You can't say he hasn't seen one," the coach replied. "He's been evaluated just like Ben, by all the proper people. They're all doctors. No real difference."

In other pre-practice news:

* Receiver Jordan Norwood (concussion), linebacker Ben Jacobs (concussion) and safety T.J. Ward (foot) won't practice, Shurmur said. The following players will be limited: cornerback Joe Haden (thigh), receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (foot), and defensive tackle Scott Paxson (hand, foot).

* Rookie Buster Skrine will continue to get reps at kickoff return in Baltimore, Shurmur said. Skrine had a 32-yard return in Arizona after Josh Cribbs' groin injury acted up. Browns kickoff returners got an early Christmas present this week when the Ravens signed Shayne Graham to possibly replace Billy Cundiff on Saturday. Cundiff, second in the AFC with 43 touchbacks, has a calf injury and has missed three of his last five field goal attempts.

* Shurmur said he expected newly signed tight end Dan Gronkowski to be force-fed as a run-blocker in Baltimore because of the loss of Watson and Alex Smith to season-ending injuries.

"We're getting him ready to play," Shurmur said. "We feel we'll teach him the gameplan, not the system."

The Indians, lacking in righty hitting, signed Lopez, 28, to a minor league contract last week. He's just two years removed from being a strong run-producer. Links to more Indians stories.

Thomas Ondrey, The Plain DealerJose Lopez, here playing shortstop and turning a double play for the Seattle Mariners in a 2009 game against the Indians. Cleveland's Travis Hafner (48) slides but is forced out at second base.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Indians need right-handed hitting. Period.

Cleveland's 40-player major league roster was over-loaded with left-handed batters in 2011, to a seemingly unprecedented degree.

The Tribe's decision-makers have not yet made any high-profile moves to address the situation this offseason.

An under-the-radar move, though, at least might have a chance of paying some dividends. That is if infielder Jose Lopez, 28 and a former all-star, can make a comeback.

The Indians signed three players with major league experience to minor league contracts last Friday, as The Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes reported. The most notable of them was Lopez.

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com writes about Lopez in Bastian's Inbox, featuring readers' questions about the Indians. Bastian's reply to a reader:

Lopez is a former All-Star who will be brought into camp on a Minor League contract. It's a low risk move to add some right-handed depth behind the starting infielders. He can handle first, second and third base and is only a couple seasons removed from being a solid big league player. From 2008-09, Lopez hit .285 with 21 home runs and 92 RBIs on average for the Mariners.

This winter, Lopez has hit .311 with five homers and 21 RBIs through 35 games for Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League.

And, hey, give the man some credit. He hit .216 last year.

The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com continue their Indians coverage. It's only about two months until longtime Plain Dealer Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes will be with the team in Goodyear, Arizona for the beginning of spring training 2012,

Around the horn

Tony Lastoria of Indians Prospect Insider answers readers' questions about Indians players such as Matt LaPorta, Asdrubal Cabrera, Ubaldo Jimenez and Chris Perez.

Indians starting right-handers Ubaldo Jimenez and Fausto Carmona pitched against each other on Tuesday night in a Dominican Republic Winter League game. By Stephanie Liscio for the blog, "It's pronounced 'Lajaway.' "

Feature story on the progress of Indians left-handed relief pitcher Nick Hagadone. By Tony Lastoria for Indians Prospect Insider.

Indians fans' frustrating winter -- and why it's not so bad. On the blog, "Waiting For Next Year."

An Indians "Hot Stove Tracker" on MLB.com, tracking roster movement by the Indians .

The Indians sign utility infielder Andy LaRoche, a five-year major league veteran, to a minor league contract, Jordan Bastian writes for MLB.com. Andy is the brother of big league first baseman Adam LaRoche and the son of Dave LaRoche, a major league relief pitcher for 14 seasons -- including his 1976 all-star campaign with the Indians and a 1977 all-star season split between the Indians and California Angels.

"How can anyone blame Heckert? In two years he has drafted Haden, Ward, Taylor, Sheard and Little, just to name a few. He also stole Gocong and Sheldon Brown away from the Eagles. I know Sheldon Brown isn't perfect, but he is way better than Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald. Browns fans don't want to hear, "Be patient," but this team has a solid chance to make a huge improvement with one more solid draft." - d3dawgpound

View full sizeChuck Crow | The Plain DealerTom Heckert.

"How can anyone blame Heckert? In two years he has drafted Haden, Ward, Taylor, Sheard and Little, just to name a few. He also stole Gocong and Sheldon Brown away from the Eagles. I know Sheldon Brown isn't perfect, but he is way better than Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald. Browns fans don't want to hear, "Be patient," but this team has a solid chance to make a huge improvement with one more solid draft."

Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said backup center Ryan Hollins needs to control his emotions and better understand situations in order to help the team this season

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- Near the end of the Cavaliers' 90-89 loss to the Detroit Pistons in the preseason finale on Tuesday night at The Q, coach Byron Scott pulled backup center Ryan Hollins aside and let him have it.

Hollins fouled out of the game with 55.8 seconds left, sending Detroit's Greg Monroe for two free throws that pulled the Pistons within 87-86. In the fourth quarter, Hollins had four fouls and 3 turnovers.

"When he picked up his sixth foul, I was yelling at him to relax,'' Scott said. "I tried to tell him afterwards that he has to understand time and situations. You don't want to stop the clock and give them two free throws and take yourself out of the game completely. So I was a little heated up about that. I think he understands, especially as a six-year veteran, you can't make those types of mistakes. You've got to use your head a little bit more out there.''

With center Semih Erden still unable to play because of a broken right thumb, Hollins is battling Samardo Samuels for the backup center spot behind starter Anderson Varejao.

Scott said he had not made up his mind about that spot yet and joked that reporters might not know who the backup center is until Varejao comes out of the season opener against Toronto on Dec. 26.

But Hollins said he didn't feel like every mistake was magnified in this lockout-shortened training camp and season.

"Not at all,'' he said after practice on Wednesday. "Exactly the opposite. You get in and work with what you have and push forward, understanding the shortened time and everything condensed. There's no way you can magnify one mistake or one game.''

Hollins said Scott talked to him about controlling his emotions.

"Coach wants what's best for me,'' he said. "He knows I can help the team and pick my spots.''