Jared Sullinger can break down his team like he breaks down double-teams, and he knows he needs to be with Ohio State in games and practices for the Buckeyes to be sharp.

View full sizeJay LaPrete, Associated PressOhio State's Jared Sullinger, left, has missed time because of injury, keeping the Buckeyes from hitting on all cylinders.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sometimes Jared Sullinger makes his move right away. Sometimes he waits and figures things out first. Few big men handle the possibilities of a double-team as well as the Ohio State sophomore.

"He's got a great sense, one of the best I've ever seen, his understanding and thinking the game," OSU coach Thad Matta said. "It's like when he was sitting out, the things he was telling me he learned just by sitting out. A lot of guys just sit and watch the game. He kept learning."

The way Sullinger breaks down a game as it's happening determines how he'll handle the double-teams. In a 70-50 win over Lamar on Tuesday, Sullinger had a clear advantage inside and amazed Lamar coach Pat Knight with how quick and decisive he is. Sullinger credited the quick passes from his teammates. Other nights, that's not his plan.

"It depends on how we're shooting that night," Sullinger said. "The first couple possessions I'm going to wait for the defense and wait for the open players and see how we're shooting. Sometimes you've got to mix it up and attack the double-team. It's a happy medium, where you've got to find when you're going to attack and when you're going to wait."

"Whatever happens, I hope we're successful at it."

As Sullinger spoke after that 20-point win Tuesday, he seemed able to break down his team like he breaks down those double-teams. Right now, he's not thrilled, and the time he's missed has something to do with that. In the end, Matta was happy to take a 20-point victory over Lamar, but with one nonconference game remaining against Miami (Ohio) tonight at Nationwide Arena before Big Ten play starts next Wednesday against Northwestern, the No. 2 Buckeyes feel a bit out of sync. Sullinger was back after missing most of three of the previous four games, intent on getting his timing down. Matta spoke about the need for a higher standard and greater accountability for his team.

And as Sullinger talked about how he handles two defenders it was a reminder once again that he's at the center of everything the Buckeyes (11-1) do. And when he's not working with his teammates on a regular basis, it's almost impossible for the Buckeyes to be sharp. Matta said Sullinger basically hasn't done anything for the past three weeks while fighting back and foot injuries. Every day was a question about what he could and couldn't do in practice.

"It's unfortunate," Matta said. "It's not his fault, it's not anybody's fault."

Matta said he doesn't talk about past teams with his current players, but he admitted the Buckeyes are missing last year's seniors David Lighty, Jon Diebler and Dallas Lauderdale at times, and it only gets worse when Sullinger is out, too.

"We're a young, young basketball team," Matta said. "One of the things I've tried to get these guys to understand is the level we have to practice at, and I think that you see the carryover from practice to games. We've got to be more competitive. We have to be more focused on whatever we're trying to get accomplished every time we're on the floor."

Sullinger didn't feel that competitiveness Tuesday. And if he doesn't see it tonight against the 3-6 RedHawks he thinks the Buckeyes could be in trouble.

"We just need energy, period," Sullinger said. "Hopefully we have the energy to play. Honestly, I couldn't really put a finger on anything. Games like this are mind-set games. If you don't come in ready to play, you're in for a rude awakening. You're going to be in a game where you might get upset.

"When we get into Big Ten play we can't have anything like this. Even [tonight] we can't have anything like this."

Tonight is the final time the Buckeyes have the chance to make sure they're ready for conference play.

There's really only one way to guarantee they will be -- that's to have Sullinger with them, not just in every game, but in every practice.

"We've got to get him back to 100 percent," Matta said, "and get him healthy."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dlesmerises@plaind.com, 216-999-4479

Unless the still strong winds of change sweep Gene Smith out of his athletic director's job, the Buckeyes can only pay lip service to putting the past behind them and rebuilding the school's image.

View full sizeAssociated Press file photoWhat else does Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith have to mess up in order for the school to show him the door?

Urban Meyer's plan to "hit like a hurricane" in Columbus has been downgraded to a tropical storm.

Unless the still strong winds of change sweep Gene Smith out of his athletic director's job, the Buckeyes can only pay lip service to putting the past behind them and rebuilding the school's image.

Smith showed in his Tuesday response to the NCAA's sanctions of a bowl ban and extra scholarships lost that he still doesn't get it. And OSU President Gordon Gee -- by once again diminishing the colossal blundering for more than a year at Ohio State -- showed he's equally out of touch.

Gee said that while OSU "stumbled out of the gate" in handling the scandal, that it finished "very well." He reiterated his strong support for Smith, as he once pledged to Jim Tressel.

What would constitute finishing "not very well"? Smith trading football tickets for a tattoo of a sweater vest? A two-year bowl ban? What?

Gee said his hope is that the NCAA sanctions are signaling a "higher bar" and a "higher standard."

You might think he'd raise the bar for Smith as well, but, surprisingly, Gee and Smith somehow both marvel at each other's ability to do the limbo.

Yes, sir. Heckuva job, Buckos.

Smith and Gee had to know they skated in making a bowl appearance a year ago. Hindsight told them that while the NCAA signed off on OSU facing Arkansas with suspended players, the Buckeyes participated with Tressel remaining silent about the eligibility warnings he received from Columbus attorney and former Buckeyes walk-on Chris Cicero.

'--''Instead of using the NCAA's "failure to monitor" findings in November as an occasion to self-impose a bowl ban for the 2011 season, Smith and Gee once again got cute and took away a total of five scholarships over three years.

Smith says he felt he owed it to his 2011 seniors to keep a bowl bid in play this season. What about next year's seniors? A Gator Bowl bid for a 6-6 team under an interim coach isn't much of a reward, especially when it invited the NCAA to impose a bowl ban and compromise Meyer's fresh start in 2012.

If that were the only evidence of Smith's bad judgment, Gee might have a case in keeping him around. But OSU embarrassed itself so many times during the process that it's impossible to justify Smith staying on.

He was so outraged over what happened initially that he recommended a two-game suspension for Tressel and upgraded that to five games only as a face-saver meant to equal the suspension of the players.

Tressel's cover-up was so unacceptable that The Vest stuck around for two months and was allowed to offer his resignation. Smith seemed to weigh the reaction of Buckeyes fans against finding the "higher ground" he now claims to have discovered.

His bungling was matched only by his miscalculation about how the NCAA looked at OSU. He made combative comments that almost dared the infractions brigade to impose a bowl ban. How'd that work out?

The Committee on Infractions -- a group supposedly well-known to Smith -- reached the conclusion that enough people at OSU should've known about the connection between players and booster Bobby DiGeronimo for a long enough period of time to monitor it more closely.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerSeneca Wallace might be eager to hand the reins back to Colt McCoy.

Smith said he was "surprised" and "disappointed" by the NCAA decision. Buckeyes fans should be both if he's still on the job in September for Meyer's first game of a short inaugural season.

Spinoffs

• After the Arizona game, Seneca Wallace was the first to say Colt McCoy should return to his starting role when healthy. With Baltimore on Saturday and Pittsburgh next week, can you blame him?

• You know it's been a bad year when a paragraph in a newspaper story about the Browns begins, "In other concussion news . . ."

• Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers was named the Associated Press Top Male Athlete of the Year for 2011, which everyone except Brett Favre could see coming.

• Derrick Rose signed a five-year extension with the Chicago Bulls, somehow announcing his decision without the help of ESPN and Jim Gray.

• Remember NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's contrived plan to give the fans what he swore they were desperate to have -- an 18-game season? Can we all agree now that wouldn't benefit anyone except the owners and neurology research?

• If Goodell is going to continue to take money from NFL players for hits to the head -- sometimes avoidable, sometimes not -- I hope it all goes into researching safer helmets.

He said it (And really should copyright it as a team slogan after Sunday's OT loss.)

"We almost always almost win." -- Josh Cribbs after a late November defeat in Cincinnati.

In the early years of expansion, the competing slogans were, "We almost never almost win" and "Our bandwagon is a runaway train." So maybe this is the progress they're talking about in Berea?

(And Vegas, no doubt, took note.)

"I think there's definitely a chance." -- Browns receiver Carlton Mitchell, on the possibility of shedding his cloak of invisibility and playing in Baltimore on Saturday.

You said it (The Expanded Midweek Edition)

Bud: In the spirit of the holidays, I tried to be positive and generate a list of improvements by the 2011 Browns. I got stuck at "no staph infections (so far)." Any suggestions? -- Bob H., Medina

Only 11 concussions?

Hey, Bud: Since there is now 'Snow Days' at Progressive Field to make full use of the field year-round and generate some income, what suggestion do you have to make use of Cleveland Browns Stadium in the same fashion? -- Doug, Westlake

At some point, I'd really like to see professional football played there.

Bud: If you suffered a concussion, does the PD sports department have an experienced backup ready to step in and write your column? -- Joe Percio

No. PD editors subscribe to the theory that a finite number of monkeys -- believed to be no more than two -- could reproduce Spin if given 10 minutes on a laptop and a banana smoothie.

Hey, Bud: Your 'separated at birth' feature has proven so popular that maybe you could try a spin-off highlighting things with the same name that are really different. I suggest starting with San Francisco's West Coast Offense and Cleveland's West Coast Offense. -- Vince G.

Thank you for not plucking the low-hanging fruit and saying Fritz Shurmur and Pat Shurmur.

Hey, Bud: Is it true that the easiest way to request a song on a local Cleveland radio station is to just wait for the DJ to announce "Caller 10 wins two free Cavaliers tickets"? -- Lance, Middleburg Heights

First-time "You said it" winners receive a T-shirt from the mental_floss collection.

Bud: I peeked into my Christmas stocking a little early and saw a pair of Browns-Steelers tickets. Whatever happened to a lump of coal? -- Wayne Kuznar

Repeat winners get nothing for Christmas or any other time.

To reach Bud Shaw: bshaw@plaind.com , 216-999-5639 On Twitter: @budshaw

What if Ohio State had not recruited Terrelle Pryor.

Marvin Fong | The Plain DealerFormer OSU coach Jim Tressel.

Columnist Rob Oller of The Columbus Dispatch writes about the what if game when it comes to the Ohio State Buckeyes.

First, there is the “what if” game, which looks at the past with an “if only” perspective on time and change and wonders uneasily about the future. What if instead of lying to NCAA investigators, coach Jim Tressel had come forward with information that Buckeyes players had traded tattoos for merchandise?

The “what if” game is mostly unhealthy, serving to frustrate and embitter. Its only redeeming quality? Asking what if can positively affect the second game: “what is.” You cannot change the past, but you can learn from it.

So if we play Oller's game, he asks what if Ohio State had never recruited quarterback Terrelle Pryor and other players involved in the scandal?

And what if athletic director Gene Smith had better calculated the entire situation?

And what if Ohio State had imposed a bowl ban for this season, before the NCAA issued its ban for 2012?

Around the Horseshoe

Gene Smith should be out of a job at Ohio State (Cleveland.com).

Deshaun Thomas is raising his game (Columbus Dispatch).

Ohio State adds two to his staff (Cleveland.com).

The NCAA got it right when it came to OSU (The Morning Journal).

Slow starts flummox Ohio State (MansfieldNewsJournal.com).

Tougher practices ahead for Florida (Florida Times Union).

Zach Smith, Earle Bruce's grandson, is now the receivers coach at Ohio State.

APZach Smith will join Ohio State's coaching staff.

 Zach Smith will join Urban Meyer's staff as wide receivers coach at Ohio State, writes ONNTV.com.

 Smith, the grandson of former Ohio State coach Earle Bruce, was wide receivers and special teams coach at Temple University.

 "Zach Smith has already coached with me for five seasons, and so I know what a quality coach he is," Meyer said. "He knows my system inside and out and he teaches the system the way I want it to be taught. He has coached and taught some great players already, like Percy Harvin, Aaron Hernandez and Louis Murphy." 

 
Smith was a graduate assistant and quality control assistant for Meyer at Florida.

Browns safety T.J. Ward will finish the season on injured reserve with his sprained right foot.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns safety T.J. Ward will spend the final two games on injured reserve with his sprained foot.

BEREA -- Browns safety T.J. Ward will be placed on injured reserve for the final two games with his sprained right foot,

Ward has already missed six games since spraining the foot Nov. 6 at Houston.

"He was having a good season,'' said safety Mike Adams. "It's sad to see him not come back this year. He's definitely one of the hearts and souls of the defense.''

Ward made 38 tackles in his eight starts, and would have 66.5 if projected over 14 games. That would tie him for second on the team with Ahtyba Rubin for second on the team.

"He'll be missed,'' said Adams. "He's a playmaker, and he has so much room to grow.''

Ward will continue to be replaced by Usama Young, who has 58 tackles, an interception and a pass defensed. His tackle total is fourth on the team.

In other Browns news:

* Browns quarterback Colt McCoy and wide receiver Jordan Norwood will stay home from Baltimore with their concussions. Coach Pat Shurmur said McCoy is similar to any player working to come back from an injury, and he didn't rule him out for the Jan. 1 finale against the Steelers.

* Shurmur said McCoy came in for treatment today and continues to improve.

* Browns cornerback Joe Haden returned to practice today with his thigh bruise and is excpected to play in Baltimore. Shurmur said he's doing a lot better.

* The Browns elevated receiver Rod Windsor from the practice squad to fill the vacant spot and help make up for the loss of Norwood.

* Receiver Mohamed Massaquoi returned to practice with his foot injury.

* Linebackere Ben Jacobs (concussion) and defensive lineman Scott Paxson (hand/calf) returned to action today.

* Raven receiver Anquan Boldin, who burned the Browns for three TDs in the first meeting last year, will undergo surgery today to repair a torn meniscus and will sit out the final two games.

"You hate to see anyone godown because of an injury, but it takes one more weapon off the field,'' said linebacker D'Qwell Jackson.

Former boxing champ Kelly Pavlik arrested for drunk driving.

AP Boxer Kelly Pavlik and his former trainer Jack Loew in better times.

CANFIELD, Ohio — Former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik has been charged with misdemeanor drunken driving after police in Ohio say he drove an ATV into a lamp post and telephone pole.

Mahoning County deputies say the 29-year-old Pavlik was arrested Wednesday night at his home outside Youngstown after a neighbor reported the crash. A police report describes him as belligerent, swearing and yelling at officers.

Pavlik had checked out of the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, Calif., in January after two months of treatment for alcoholism.

Earlier this month, trainer Jack Loew, who was with him for two decades, announced they had split ways. Various media outlets have reported that Pavlik is expected to train with Robert Garcia in Oxnard, Calif.

Email and phone messages left for his manager were not immediately returned.

Scott has been pleased with Sessions' commitment to defense

View full sizeCleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving might be future of the franchise, but coach Byron Scott is not ready to name him the starting point guard yet

Plain Dealer Cavs beat writer says half-court offense will be work in progress for young team. Watch video

Cleveland, Ohio - Welcome to today's edition of Starting Blocks TV, hosted by Branson Wright.

Which team do you think will win the 2012 NBA title. That's the question in today's Starting Blocks poll.

Today's guest on SBTV is Plain Dealer Cavaliers beat writer Tom Reed, who is predicting the Oklahoma City Thunder to prevail over the Miami Heat.

Tom is checking in from this afternoon's Cavs practice in Berea, and he says the Cavaliers are trying to build a foundation with rookies Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson. He says Irving will need to keep working on his defense, and Thompson on his offensive moves. Reed also says the Cavs realize they are going to have to run to get easy baskets until the half-court offense comes around.

He also talks about whether he thinks veteran forward Antawn Jamison will be with the Cavs at season's end.

See a thumbnail gallery of this week's Players of the Week.

See a thumbnail gallery of this week's Players of the Week.

Drew Teller, Mayfield
Sport: Basketball
Class: Senior
Age: 17
Ht: 6-4
Wt: 190

What Drew did last week: In a win against Medina, forward had 14 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and two steals. In a victory against Lakewood, had 24 points, 23 rebounds, one block and five steals.

About Drew: Member of the Key Club. Also plays soccer and baseball. Will attend St. Bonaventure to play baseball and study business. Favorites include the Chicago Cubs, "The Rookie" movie, "SportsCenter" TV show, "Moves Like Jagger" song, chicken parmesan meal and AP statistics class.

Demonte Flannigan, Villa Angela-St. Joseph
Sport: Basketball
Class: Junior
Age: 16
Ht: 6-8
Wt: 240

What Demonte did last week: In a 70-47 win against Warren John F. Kennedy, forward had 28 points, 17 rebounds and two steals. He was 13-of-17 from the field and 2-of-3 at the free throw line.

About Demonte: Wants to play Division I college basketball and earn a degree. Favorites include Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the Cavaliers, the Bible and trigonometry class. Would like to visit Africa and help the less fortunate.

Jasmine Harper, Cleveland Heights
Sport: Basketball
Class: Senior
Age: 17
Ht: 6-0

What Jasmine did last week: Center/forward had 20 points and 18 rebounds in a 60-45 victory against St. Joseph Academy. Against Lorain, had 12 points and 15 rebounds in a 51-44 victory.

About Jasmine: Also plays volleyball and runs track. Enjoys drawing and dancing. Wants to major in pre-med and play college basketball. Favorites include the Chicago Bulls and Michael Jordan, "The Lion King" movie, "Vampire Diaries" TV show, Facebook.com and math class.

Aryana Jackson, John Hay
Sport: Basketball
Class: Freshman
Age: 14
Ht: 5-8

What Aryana did last week: Guard/forward had 17 points in a 60-11 win against John Adams and 13 points in a 38-34 win against John F. Kennedy. Combined for 12 rebounds, 11 steals and 10 assists.

About Aryana: Enjoys track, swimming, volleyball, reading, drawing, singing and poetry. Favorites include Los Angeles Sparks forward Candace Parker, "Love & Basketball" movie, "Moves Like Jagger" song, "Happiness Sold Separately" book and math class. Wants to try playing softball.

Luther Washington, Elyria Catholic
Sport: Wrestling
Class: Sophomore
Age: 15
Ht: 5-5
Wt: 160

What Luther did last week: Went 3-0 with two pins and a decision to win the Cleveland Central Catholic Invitational. Named MVP of the event. Overall record is 10-1.

About Luther: Plays football, runs track and enjoys art. Wants to study architecture. Favorites include the Pittsburgh Steelers and Troy Polamalu, "300" movie, ESPN.com, "Madden NFL 2012" video game, "Slaying the Dragon" book, Chipotle restaurant and math class. Wants to try rugby.

Derek Hren, St. Ignatius
Sport: Swimming
Class: Junior
Age: 17
Ht: 6-0
Wt: 173

What Derek did last week: At the Viking Invitational, won 200 individual medley (1:56.05) and 100 breaststroke (57.24) and was member of second-place 200 medley relay and anchored second-place 400 free relay.

About Derek: Likes to play guitar. Wants to pursue a medical career and swim for a Division I college. Favorites include the Euclid Marlins swim team, "The Hurt Locker" movie, "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" TV show, "Blac k or White" song, chocolate chip pancakes and biology class.

Macie McNichols, Gilmour
Sport: Swimming
Class: Sophomore
Age: 15
Ht: 5-6

What Macie did last week: At the Viking Invitational, broke meet records in winning 50 free (23.49) and 100 free (51.56). Anchored third-place 200 free relay and second-place 400 free relay.

About Macie: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Crew member and a lifeguard and swim instructor. Enjoys photography, reading and writing. Wants to become a pediatric oncologist. Favorites include "Stick It" movie, "To Kill a Mockingbird" book and Brio restaurant. Wants to try surfing.

Travis Wilson, Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin
Sport: Hockey
Class: Junior
Age: 17
Ht: 5-11
Wt: 160

What Travis did last week: In wins against Mayfield, Olmsted Falls and Parma, center had four goals and seven assists for 11 points.

About Travis: Enjoys snowboarding. Intends to pursue aviation in college. Favorites include the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby, "I Am Number Four" movie, "Auction Hunters" TV show, Twitter.com, "The Glass Castle" book, french toast, Hibachi restaurant and math class. Wants to try figure skating.

Sarah Miller, Brecksville-Broadview Heights
Sport: Gymnastics
Class: Junior
Age: 16
Ht: 5-4

What Sarah did last week: In an invitational win, placed first in vault with school-record 9.8 and was first on floor (8.8). In another invitational win, placed fourth on vault (9.05) and fifth in all-around (33.9).

About Sarah: Football cheerleader and member of Spanish clubs. Eats a blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese before meets. Wants to become a physical therapist or osteopathic surgeon. Favorites include "I Am Legend" movie, "Pretty Little Liars" TV show and Cheesecake Factory restaurant.

Devin Carver, Olmsted Falls
Sport: Bowling
Class: Junior
Age: 16
Ht: 5-11
Wt: 150

What Devin did last week: Rolled a 206-236-279-721 series to help his team defeat Holy Name and improve to 5-0. His 279 is top game and 721 is top series in Greater Cleveland Interscholastic Bowling League this season.

About Devin: Hobbies include frisbee, football and baseball. Wants to study biomedical engineering. Favorites include pro bowler Chris Barnes, "Sherlock Holmes" movie, "Fear Factor" TV show, Facebook.com and Red Robin restaurant.

Coaches' nominations for Players of the Week will be taken Mondays between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. The toll-free number for coaches to call for the seven-county coverage area is 1-800-388-4370.

USC quarterback Matt Barkley announced today that he will play his senior season with the Trojans. He would have likely been a Top 10 pick in the NFL draft.

APDid Matt Barkley make the right decision?

USC quarterback Matt Barkley announced today that he will remain in school and not enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

Many draft experts had considered Barkley a top ten pick had he left USC.

(Starting Blocks poll asking if you are disappointed that the Cleveland Browns won't get the opportunity to draft Barkley)

Barkley threw for 3,528 yards and 39 touchdowns while leading USC to a 10-2 record this season. The Trojans were not eligible for postseason play due to NCAA sanctions.

Remaining in school means Barkley will become a Heisman favorite and he could possibly become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft.

Sporting News Draft expert Russ Lande writes -- before Barkley's announcement -- how Barkley would be the third quarterback selected—behind Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III —and maybe go No. 7 overall to the Washington Redskins.

In an interview in Sporting News, USC coach Lane Kiffin had said:

“I want Matthew to do whatever he wants to do,” Kiffin told Sporting News. “He’s going to be a top 10 pick, he’s totally ready to go, he’ll be a franchise quarterback forever for whoever drafts him—and they should be dying to draft him because with what they’ll see on film and then once they meet him, this is the spokesperson for your franchise.”

Mychel Thompson, a training camp invitee, remains on the roster

View full sizeThe Plain DealerA year after making the team as an undrafted free agent, Manny Harris was waived on Thursday

The latest in a series of about a half-dozen suits recently filed against the NFL by ex-players who say the league did not do enough to protect them from concussions.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerJamal Lewis (31) totaled 2,806 rushing yards in three seasons with the Browns.

ATLANTA, Georgia -- Jamal Lewis, Dorsey Levens and two other former NFL players have sued the league over brain injuries that they say left them struggling with medical problems years after their playing days ended.

Lewis -- a running back who played the final three of his nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns -- and Levens, along with Fulton Kuykendall and Ryan Stewart, filed the lawsuit against the National Football League and NFL Properties LLC this week in U.S. District Court in Atlanta. It's the latest in a series of about a half-dozen suits filed against the NFL in recent months by past players who say the league did not do enough to protect them from concussions.

The players suing in Atlanta maintain the NFL knew as early as the 1920s of the potential for concussions to harm its players but only went public last year.

"The NFL has done everything in its power to hide the issue and mislead players concerning the risks associated with concussions," the players argue in the lawsuit.

"While athletes in other professional sports who had suffered concussions were being effectively 'shut down' for long periods of time or full seasons, NFL protocol was to return players who had suffered concussions to the very game in which the injury occurred," the lawsuit states.

The NFL responded that it has long made player safety a priority and continues to do so.

"Any allegation that the NFL intentionally sought to mislead players has no merit," the league said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday. "It stands in contrast to the league's actions to better protect players and advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions."

Each of the four ex-players had long careers in the NFL and now live in the Atlanta area, which is home to a number of retired athletes.

Lewis, 32, played six seasons for the Baltimore Ravens before finishing his career with the Browns from 2007-09. Lewis was one of the league's premier backs, finishing with 10,607 rushing yards and 62 total touchdowns.

With the Browns, Lewis totaled 2,806 rushing yards, averaging 3.9 yards a carry, and scored 15 touchdowns. In 2007, he rushed for 1,304 yards on 4.4 yards per try, and scored 11 touchdowns as the Browns went 10-6 but missed the playoffs. 

Levens, who is 41, also was a running back, playing 11 seasons for a variety of teams until his career ended in 2003. Kuykendall, a former linebacker who is 58, played in the NFL between 1974 and 1985, mainly for the Atlanta Falcons. And Stewart, 38, was a safety for the Detroit Lions for five seasons ending in 2000.

The men claim a range of medical problems stemming from their playing days, including memory loss, headaches and sleeplessness.

They are seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages.

The Indians are reportedly bidding against St. Louis and Toronto for Carlos Beltran's services.

AP PhotoThe Indians have joined the bidding on free agent outfielder Carlos Beltran.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Once bitten, twice shy apparently does not apply to the Indians.

After getting rebuffed by Carlos Beltran in July when he used his no-trade clause to short-circuit the Indians attempt to acquire him from the Mets, the Indians have joined the free-agent bidding for Beltran. Word of the Indians interest was reported late Wednesday.

St. Louis, Toronto and Boston were also interested in the switch-hitting Beltran. The Red Sox, according to the Boston Globe, dropped out of the bidding Thursday.

Beltran, 35 in April, hit .300 (156-for-520) with 39 doubles, six triples, 22 homers and 84 RBI with the Mets and Giants last year. After the Indians proposed trade for Beltran was rebuffed, the Mets sent him to the Giants.

It's believed the switch-hitting Beltran wants a two to three-year deal worth between $10 million and $12 million per year. Just how the Indians could absorb a deal like that would be interesting to see.

No one on the roster currently has a guaranteed deal that extends beyond 2012. Beltran, who played 134 games in right field last year, but has a history of knee problems, could take over at DH in 2013 for Travis Hafner after the guaranteed portion of his deal ends after next season.

Salary space could be created by a trade, but it's not like the Indians have many players making big money besides Hafner, and he's not going anywhere.

GM Chris Antonetti, when asked about Beltran, would say only that he's continuing to look for ways to improve the Indians.

Why Beltran would sign with the Indians instead of the Cardinals, who just won their 11th World Series title is another question.

If the Indians did sign Beltran, it would give manager Manny Acta a middle of the order bat that he's been looking for since becoming manager before the 2010 season. It would also make for a crowded outfield.

Beltran's days of playing center field are over. He's played only two games in his career in left field. Acta could move Shin-Soo Choo from right to left or put Beltran in left with Michael Brantley going to the bench as a fourth outfielder. Brantley could also see time at first base.

At the winter meetings, it was clear the Indians had little if any money to make an impact deal. For them to jump into the Beltran bidding when they did must mean something changed in their bargaining strategy.

Barkley would have been one of the best quarterbacks available in the 2012 NFL Draft. Instead, he will stay at Southern Cal to play his 2012 senior season.

Associated PressUSC quarterback Matt Barkley completed 69 percent of his passes this season for 3,528 yards, 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Matt Barkley would have been one of the top quarterbacks selected in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Would have been.

Instead, Barkley announced on Thursday that he will stay in college and complete his four-year playing career for the USC Trojans in 2012.

The Cleveland Browns haven't made it clear whether they want to go forward with Colt McCoy as their quarterback of the future. If they don't commit to McCoy, the Browns may consider taking a quarterback with their first pick in April's draft. Barkley's name almost certainly would have been prominent in their discussions had he been available.

The Browns' first first-round pick in the draft will likely be among the top six or seven overall selections. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will almost certainly be selected before the Browns' turn comes around, however. Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor is among the quarterbacks who could still be on the board.

Eariler this month -- before Barkley's announcement that he will stay at USC -- Bucky Brooks of NFL.com gave his ranking of college football's top 10 quarterbacks -- with an eye on their NFL potential.

Does Barkley's decision to stay at USC and forego the draft for another year affect what you think of the Browns' 2012 draft plans?

Seneca Wallace's starting days may not be over after his second start for injured Colt McCoy Saturday in Baltimore.

The career backup will be the Browns' starting quarterback a second game in a row Saturday in Baltimore, and probably will mop up this season the following week against Pittsburgh, too.

Colt McCoy won't travel to Baltimore because of recurring symptoms stemming from the concussion he received courtesy of serial headhunter James Harrison on Dec. 8. Do you really think the Browns want to dress McCoy for a rematch against Harrison on Jan. 1?

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerBrowns QB Seneca Wallace, who is starting in place of injured Colt McCoy on Saturday in Baltimore, helped the Browns earn a 17-7 lead against Arizona last Sunday.

So it's likely going to be Wallace's show for two more games. He has adjusted his demeanor accordingly.

You see him working the locker room these days like a starting quarterback, introducing himself to a new arrival he might need to make a block in a game, visiting with the star-crossed running back to pick up his spirits, stopping over to the receivers' corner to chat about a play.

"I think he's more vocal in the locker room and on the field," left tackle Joe Thomas said. "When you're the starter, you're the coach on the field, not only calling plays but getting everybody lined up correctly, making sure the formation's correct, the personnel is right. You're kind of the designated rah-rah guy. When things are going south, you're the guy that needs to stand up and get everybody in a positive direction."

The other day, Wallace acknowledged he didn't want to "overstep my boundaries" as a backup. But the starting quarterback is the leader, no matter the name and number on the back of his jersey. Wallace has learned in nine NFL seasons that boundaries expand on occasion.

In Seattle, he made four starts in 2006, eight in 2008 and two in 2009. Last season, his first with the Browns, he made four starts before being infected with the high ankle sprain virus that invaded the quarterback room.

He never was comfortable in the Eric Mangini offense because it was a foreign language to him. What they try to do here under Pat Shurmur is the same thing they did in his first six seasons with Mike Holmgren in Seattle.

"Sometimes it's not easy, but he's a nine-year vet," Thomas said. "He's one of the oldest guys on the team. He's been a starter. So it's not something new to him.

"For a guy who's been stuck as a backup quarterback, he has a tremendous amount of confidence being in this system for 8-9 years. It's not like a regular backup where he gets in there and is flustered and we're keeping it simple. There's nothing we would do with Colt that we wouldn't do with Seneca. He's not stepping into something new."

Shurmur said: "I've seen him exert himself in a way that a starter does."

"There's a maturity that you have to have. Even though your presence might be strong, there's a certain way you carry yourself when somebody else is the starter. You just do. You're in more of a supportive role, and you do what you can to help the starter be successful.

"Now when it's your turn to start, that's when you amp it up a little bit in terms of taking center stage."

A week ago, after McCoy went down, veteran linebacker D'Qwell Jackson opined that the team needed "a spark" on offense. He believes Wallace provided that in Arizona, taking the team to a touchdown on the first series of the game and building a 17-7 lead. The Cardinals won in overtime, 20-17.

"He knows what he's doing out there," Jackson said. "He's a leader. He said a few words after the game. He's always been involved even though he wasn't 'The Guy.' He handled his business like a pro, never a negative situation. He's one of the leaders on this team. He has a lot of credibility in this locker room."

Jackson was asked if Wallace gave the team new energy in Arizona.

"I don't know what you call it, but I know we were moving that ball," he said. "He has a strong arm. He made a lot of tough throws. He made a few of them to Greg [Little] and Greg had a big day. We had a 17-7 lead going into the fourth quarter. He did his job."

Wallace senses a new opportunity for him. The start in Baltimore will be the 20th in his NFL career. He's 31 -- an age for a quarterback that usually means the prime of his career. Being back in the West Coast system is comforting, too, a major reason he re-signed for three years after Shurmur was brought in.

Wallace is not ready to concede his days as a starting quarterback are over at the conclusion of this recent trial.

"I'm always very eager to get the opportunity [to start]," he said. "But at the same time, at this level, in the NFL, you have to try to be loyal to people. If I'm loyal to somebody I expect them to be loyal to me. And it's been that way with me.

"But at the same time, I haven't had that legit opportunity to be the No. 1 and who knows what could happen if I got that opportunity. You never know. It might happen. It might not, so we'll see."

If the Browns were aiming for Southern Cal quarterback Matt Barkley, they'll have to look elsewhere near the top of the NFL Draft.

Barkley announced his decision Thursday to stay with the Trojans for his senior season, which resulted in a collective sigh for a lot of NFL teams drafting high.

The Browns haven't made a commitment to quarterback Colt McCoy beyond this season, in large part because they wanted to explore the top three marquee quarterbacks that could've possibly been available to them: Stanford's Andrew Luck, Barkley and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III of Baylor.

View full sizeJae Hong, Associated PressSouthern Cal junior quarterback Matt Barkley announced Thursday that he will remain in school for his senior season.

With the 1-13 Colts expected to draft Luck if they finish with the league's worst record, that leaves several teams vying for the services of Griffin. At 4-10, the Browns are tied with the Jaguars and Buccaneers for the third-worst record in the league.

The Rams and Vikings have the second-worst mark at 2-12. Some NFL experts had Griffin ranked between Luck and Barkley. Now, if the Browns decide they want him, they might have to trade up to try to get him.

Of course, it's still early to determine what the Browns might do, but they've made it clear they'll evaluate McCoy at the end of the season -- and his season could already be over because of the concussion.

At least one player knows how firsthand just how good Griffin is, his former Baylor teammate and Browns rookie defensive tackle, Phil Taylor.

"Robert is a great quarterback," Taylor said. "Even in the losses, he's thrown for over 300 or 400 yards. I was there for him for three years before this year. He's a good kid. He's very smart, and he's great on and off the field."

McCoy stays home: McCoy will not make the trip to Baltimore today for Saturday's game because of his concussion, and Seneca Wallace has officially been named the starter. Shurmur said McCoy came in Thursday for treatment, did a little physical activity, and went home. Coach Pat Shurmur stressed that McCoy is getting better and no one has advised him to shut it down for the year.

"Not to my knowledge, no," Shurmur said. "I think he's like any player who is fighting back from injury."

Ward to IR: Browns safety T.J. Ward was placed on injured reserve Thursday with his sprained right foot, suffered Nov. 6 at Houston. He's missed six games already and will miss the final two against Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

"I don't think he's had any setbacks," Shurmur said. "We knew it was going to be an extended recovery period and, at this point, no surgery."

Ward tested the foot in practice one day last week, and it didn't respond well. That proved to be it for him.

"He was having a good season," said safety Mike Adams. "It's sad to see him not come back this year, but we've got to move on. But he's definitely one of the heart and souls of the defense. Once he gets a turnover, it comes in bunches for him. He creates plays. He's got so much room to grow as a person and a player."

Added linebacker D'Qwell Jackson: "It's important that this injury happens earlier than later in your career. He's got to find some positive about it and he should be all right."

Jackson appreciates that Ward fought so hard to get back and didn't want to go on IR earlier.

"He was always trying to keep us up with how he was doing and feeling, and he battled back," Jackson said.

Ward had 38 tackles in eight games, which projects to 67 in 14 games, good enough to be tied with Ahtyba Rubin for second on the team behind Jackson.

Haden practices: Cornerback Joe Haden returned to practice Thursday with the thigh bruise that kept him out Tuesday and Wednesday. "He looks much better than he did earlier in the week, so I feel good about that," Shurmur said. Others who returned were receiver Mohamed Massaquoi (foot), linebacker Ben Jacobs (concussion) and defensive lineman Scott Paxson (hand, calf).

Norwood out: Receiver Jordan Norwood, who also suffered a concussion in the Arizona game, will miss the trip to Baltimore. It will mean playing time for receiver Carlton Mitchell and possibly for Rod Windsor, who was elevated from the practice squad. Windsor has spent the entire season on the Browns' practice squad after being on the practice squads of both Cleveland and Buffalo in 2010. He played quarterback and receiver at Western New Mexico University.

Boldin, too: Ravens leading receiver Anquan Boldin underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee Thursday and will out for the Browns game Saturday. He'll also miss the season finale. Boldin leads the Ravens with 887 yards on 57 catches this season.

"You hate to see a guy have to go down for injury, I'm the first to say that," Jackson said. "I wish him the best, but it takes one more weapon off the field for them. But they've got a lot of other weapons. We played them the first game, and they didn't have to use their receivers. They just ran the ball. That's what we're preparing for -- them to run the ball 30 or 40 times and get Ray Rice going and make the game easy for them."

Said cornerback Dimitri Patterson of Boldin: "You're missing a tough, physical, proven football player. When you take a guy out like that, you're losing a lot."

Jackson third: Jackson appreciated finishing third in Pro Bowl voting by the fans, which accounts for one-third of the total. Teams will be announced Tuesday.

"That's great," he said. "But I've been preaching it all year, I wanted to play 16 games. I've got two games to go, and that's my main focus right now. The fan vote, that's great news, but for the most part, it's a lot of other guys here that deserve a lot of credit. [Ahtyba] Rubin's another one. If those guys up front didn't do their job, trust me, my life would be pretty tough right now. They make it a lot easier for me, and it's a testament to all the guys on the defense. We work hard. We've got a good group. I'm not going to lie. It's good news."

Little on mind-set: Receiver Greg Little assured the Ravens that the Browns are coming to play. "We're definitely not throwing in the towel, by any means," he said. "Just because we're not in it, we're trying to take somebody down with us. That takes a very big guy to stand up and say we're not going to back down because we're not in the fight."

Terry Bowden to the University of Akron? It's a strange hire, but they could have done worse.

View full sizeMatt McKean, The Times Daily via APTerry Bowden's biggest obstacle at Akron will be selling himself to high school coaches in the Midwest.

Bowden coaching games in the snow? Bowden recruiting in the Midwest? Bowden as the new head coach of the Akron Zips?

It's hard to imagine the 54-year-old Bowden -- son of legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden -- coaching in the Mid-American Conference. That's especially true since other than a brief stop at Salem College in West Virginia (1983-85), all of Bowden's head coaching experience has been in the state of Alabama.

But once my choice for the job -- Wayne State coach Paul Winters -- turned down the Zips, I was worried they'd take the same road as the recent past. The minefield was hiring a young assistant who has never been a head coach in high school or a small college. He comes from a major program such as Notre Dame (Rob Ianello) and Pittsburgh (J.D. Brookhart).

He seems kind of clueless about the MAC and overwhelmed by the challenge of making the Zips respectable.

Wait a minute, didn't Brookhart take the Zips to their only Division I bowl game?

Indeed he did in 2005, when he was 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the MAC. It happened primarily with players recruited by former coach Lee Owens and Winters (his top assistant), along with some transfers from Pitt who followed Brookhart to Akron.

He was 13-11 (11-5 in the MAC) in his first two seasons, but couldn't build on it. In the next four years, he was 17-31 (11-21 in the MAC). He often had highly rated recruiting classes, but too many players failed to make the grade in the classroom or on the field.

Brookhart is now the special teams coach at Colorado State.

Next came Ianello, a disaster with a 2-22 record and one victory in the MAC. He was recently bought out for $250,000.

Missing out on Winters

It's not a good sign that Winters turned down his alma mater. He obviously believes it a major challenge with little talent available. He is close to Wayne State Athletic Director Rob Fournier. Both have Akron roots. He received a five-year extension from Wayne State supposedly worth what some lower level Division I coaches are paid.

While it would have been better news if Akron could have persuaded Winters to come home, at least the Zips tried something different. Bowden has been a coach for 18 years at all three levels -- from Division III to Auburn in the SEC. He most recent stop was Division II North Alabama.

It is curious that despite a 29-9 record and three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs, North Alabama waited until the end of the season to offer him a contract extension -- it was for only one year. He had worked on his original three-year deal.

North Alabama is a traditional Division II power. The Lions had been to the playoffs in each of the past seven years, and won three Division II national titles in the 1990s. The fans of the Florence, Ala., school were upset with three consecutive second-round playoff exits.

But the bottom line is Bowden certainly didn't mess up the situation. He has experience as a head coach at levels below Division I, so he won't show up at Akron and wonder why it's not the Big Ten.

Bowden's challenge

When Bowden takes over, his biggest obstacle will be selling himself to high school coaches in the Midwest -- which has to be the heart of his recruiting base. Yes, he can use his southern contacts to recruit from those warm-weather, talent-rich states. But the best MAC teams are packed with players from the Midwest.

He must hire assistants who don't have the last name of Bowden. . . . brothers Tommy and Jeff also are coaches. He should reach out to someone deeply connected with Ohio coaches. Now the head coach at Ashland University, Owens would be a wise choice for a key spot on his staff.

Bowden was a Zips assistant under Gerry Faust at Akron in 1986, so he will remember the days of the Rubber Bowl. He also will appreciate how the campus has changed. Akron may have the best combination of a new stadium and fieldhouse in the MAC.

But the Zips are 3-13 at home since the stadium opened. They announced an average crowd of 15,734 -- which is optimistic as empty seats harshly conflicted with the total of tickets sold.

Bowden has a high national profile after his sometimes stormy tenure at Auburn, which also included a 20-game winning streak. He also did college football for ABC and wrote about it for Yahoo. He should create a buzz with fans because he is an experienced public speaker and media savvy.

Bowden may not be a long-term answer at Akron. He could be looking for a bigger job. But to get it, he has to win. If not, he's done as a Division I coach.

Or perhaps, he will be like Frank Solich, the former Nebraska coach and Cleveland native who has been successful at Ohio and seems content to stay in Athens and in the MAC.

Either way, it should help Akron. At this point, Bowden is a better bet for Akron than some of its other options.

Rookie Sheard is making some big plays at defensive end. Links to more Browns stories.

Joshua Gunter, The Plain DealerBrowns defensive end Jabaal Sheard strips the ball from Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, forcing a fumble and turnover during Cleveland's 24-10 loss to Baltimore on Dec. 4 in Cleveland.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns are in their 13th season since returning to the NFL in 1999, and it is assured to be their 11th losing season in that span.

Every season, though, for every team, at least a few things go right. For the Browns, the emergence of rookie defensive end Jabaal Sheard is one of them.

Fred Greetham writes that Sheard might be the strong pass rusher the Browns have sought for some time: 

The second-round draft choice from Pitt leads the team with 7.5 sacks and seems to be playing better as the season goes along. He has five sacks in the last five games. Sheard is second among AFC rookies to the Broncos’ Von Miller, who has 11.5. Sheard’s sack total is the most by a Browns rookie since Michael Dean Perry had six in 1988. Kamerion Wimbley holds the record for most by a Browns rookie when he had 11 in 2006.

“Jabaal’s an outstanding player in almost every aspect of the game and I only think he will get better,” defensive coordinator Dick Jauron said. “He likes to compete and he recognizes things quickly and reacts to things quickly. In general, he plays the run very well and rushes the passes well.”

Sheard had two sacks last week against the Cardinals and in the previous game with the Ravens, Sheard had nine tackles, including a strip-sack that lead to a Browns score. On the season, Sheard has 48 tackles, one pass broken up and five forced fumbles with a recovery to go along with the sack production. His sack totals are the second-highest by a Browns rookie.

The Browns (4-10) play at Baltimore against the Ravens (10-4) on Saturday, before wrapping up the season with a home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-4) on Jan. 1.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Browns coverage includes Tony Grossi's story on Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace, who will make his second straight start on Saturday, in the aftermath of the concussion suffered by regular starter Colt McCoy; Mary Kay Cabot's Browns Insider, featuring quarterback Matt Barkley's decision to stay at Southern Cal for the 2012 season and forego the NFL draft; Cabot's report that safety T.J. Ward has been placed on injured reserve with a sprained foot; Grossi, Cabot and Dennis Manoloff on the Browns Insider weekly video, discussing numerous matters about the team; a Starting Blocks poll asking Browns fans if they're disappointed that Matt Barkley won't be available in the draft; and much more. 

Post patterns   

What to watch for in the Browns-Ravens game, by Matt Florjancic for clevelandbrowns.com.

Browns tight end Evan Moore vs. the Baltimore secondary could be a key matchup. By Mike Wilkening of ProFootballWeekly.com.

Who will be the quarterback of the future? By Dave Kolonich for Scout.com's Orange and Brown Report. 

Seneca Wallace isn't bitter that he's never been the regular starting quarterback for an NFL team, writes Jeff Schudel for the News-Herald and Lorain Morning Journal.

The NFL's decision to not penalize the Browns for their (mis)handling of Colt McCoy's concussion shows the league has two standards for justice. By Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.

How the Browns can avoid a repeat loss to Baltimore. A Bleacher Report slideshow.

Peyton Hillis hopes for a big game against Baltimore, writes Stephanie Storm of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Baltimore running back Ray Rice will again be a challenge for the Browns defense, Steve Doerschuk writes for the Canton Repository.

Linebacker D'Qwell Jackson and the rest of the Browns defense hope to pressure Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco, writes Edward Lee for the Baltimore Sun.

Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin will miss the last two regular season games -- including Saturday's against the Browns -- writes Jeff Zrebiec for the Baltimore Sun.

Browns coach updates injuries, including those to Colt McCoy and T.J. Ward. Replies to questions about Seneca Wallace, Steelers linebacker James Harrison and more.

Chuck Crow, The Plain DealerBrowns coach Pat Shurmur during the final minutes of Cleveland's 24-10 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 4.

BEREA, Ohio

Browns coach Pat Shurmur's Thursday press conference

Shurmur's opening statement:

"Colt McCoy and Jordan Norwood will not be ready for the week so they are out. We’re going to make a roster move this afternoon. We’re going to put T.J. Ward on IR. We still haven’t finally discussed it, but it appears that we’ll move Rod Windsor up from the practice squad as a wide receiver. The rest of the guys practiced today so I’m hopeful that everybody else that was out here today will be ready for the game."

(Questions, which are paraphrased, are in bold. Shurmur's replies follow)

How did Mohamed Massaquoi look today? He looked good today. He was a little bit like some of the guys on a compressed week. He was a little bit sore early in the week from his play last week, but he looked good today.

How did Joe Haden look? Joe practiced and he looks much better than he did earlier in the week so I feel good about that.

Was McCoy in the building today? Let me answer the Colt McCoy questions. Colt was here today, he got treatment, he did a little bit of physical activity, he was in the meetings and then he went home. He won’t travel with us and until he’s cleared to practice he’s really not available to speak. That’s where he’s at and he’s getting better.

Has McCoy been advised not to play again this year? Not to my knowledge, no. I think he’s like any player who is fighting back from injury.

Do you expect more out of Seneca Wallace this Saturday after having one start? Yeah, I think so. I think any player, and you see it quite frequently early in the year, there’s a huge improvement from game one and game two and I think I’m looking for that. He’s going to be, as I mentioned earlier in the week, more comfortable with the speed of the game. He’ll be more familiar with the receivers he’s throwing to and just generally more comfortable and I’m hoping that will mean he’ll play even better.

What went into the decision to finally put Ward on injured reserve? We were looking at his recovery and games left available. We had some players that got knocked out of action this past week and it’s a move we needed to make.

Why was Windsor brought up? Jordan Norwood is down so it was a receiver and Rod’s done a good job on the practice squad. If he’s up and available, I’m sure he’ll do a good job in the game.

Has Ward had any setbacks and does he need surgery? I don’t think he’s had any setbacks. We knew it was going to be an extended recovery period and at this point no surgery.

What's Ward's injury? He’s got a sprained foot. I’m going to med school here in the offseason (joking). That’s part of what I’m going to do, but he’s got a sprained foot.

Is there a comfort factor in the locker room with having a veteran at quarterback? I think that’s a better question for the players, but I think Colt was executing practices and games and improving. Seneca, there’s a presence that a veteran has and I think this being his second game this year I think we’re looking for some of the improvements that we talked about. I think that might be a little better question for the players.

Is Montario Hardesty healthy? He’s healthier than he’s been the last few weeks so hopefully we will get him in there a little bit. I’ll tell you what, to get three backs involved is a very difficult deal. You saw that Peyton (Hillis) had a real nice game and Chris Ogbonnaya does some real nice things on third down. It is not easy to get three backs involved, especially when your number one guy is healthy and rolling.

What about penalties on punt returns and kickoff returns, not necessarily on your team? I think there’s quite a bit of blocks in the back, holds. You’re talking about a play where you’ve got 22 players spread out all over the place so I think it’s easy for guys in coverage to get on edges and then guys blocking them want to get their blocks and you can’t hold, you can’t block in the back. But there’s a lot going on and a lot to see and I think that’s why you see it a lot. You’ve got a lot of guys out in wide open space so that’s my personal opinion why you see more of it. You’ve got guys that are competitive, they want to get their block and now, they can’t do it. But, I think everybody here will say that anytime you see a big return run out, you don’t even see the rest of the return, you’re looking behind to see if there’s flag and I just think that's typical.

Who are the better blockers on the punt return team? The guys that are out there I think are good. Typical, guys that are good blockers on punt return are good athletes, big athletes that are long so that’s why you use your linebackers and your defensive linemen, tight end types, full back types.

Who would you single out as your better return blockers? I think we’ve got a lot of guys that have done well. I probably wouldn’t single out any of them at this point.

Does the league need to take a look at the rule, looking back at the play against Arizona, as guys stopped on the Wallace fumble because the whistle blew? There’s a lot of conversation about when the play ends and as coaches we tell the players to play through the whistle, then you hit a guy after the whistle. There’s a fine line as to when the play ends and I would say this, it’s important that the players play all the way through the whistle.

What about Wallace saying that he knew his place as a backup and now knows his place as a starter, and have you noticed that in him? I have, I’ve seen him exert himself in a way that a started does. I’ve talked about the quarterback room in the past, there’s a maturity that you have to have as a starting quarterback and as a backup quarterback. Even though your presence might be strong, there’s a certain way you carry yourself when somebody else is the starter, you just do. You’re in more of a supportive role and you do what you can to help the starter be successful. Now, when it’s you turn to start then that’s when you amp it up a little bit in terms of taking center stage. There’s maturity there and the fact that he acknowledges the difference and understands it I think is a good thing.

Has the stability of the offensive line helped with the improved play up front? I think so. Anytime the line can play together for extended periods of time I think what you find, assuming they’re good players and we have good players, you’ll see their performance improve. I think we’ve seen these guys battle through against some pretty stout fronts.

How about James Harrison stating he didn’t find anything wrong with his hit on McCoy, and do you find that troubling as a coach? He plays for the Steelers, I would probably comment if it were a Browns player. You see and hear a lot of things and I think it’s important that we all play hard, we play physical and we try to teach our guys to play hard, play physical and play by the rules. I think at times we’re all being educated as to what the rules are. I think that’s just part of it because the underlying deal is safety and we’ve gone through that here the last couple weeks. As coaches, we are all for players safety. That’s a long non-answer (joking).

Do you have a comment on James Harrison saying the Browns should also be fined? No comment.

What about John Harbaugh saying today that Anquan Boldin will have surgery and how does that affect you defensively? He’s a football player. I’ve always admired his style of play, he’s big, he’s physical, he makes plays and when you watch him on the field, he’s got a very strong presence. We don’t want anybody to be hurt, but with him being out of the game I’m sure they’re going to find a way to put guys in there to try and do what he does. He’s been a good player for a long time. I don’t think it’ll change what we do defensively. I think it’s important that we go into this game, regardless of who plays, trying to minimize the effect the run game has and then when they drop back to throw we’ve got to get pressure on (Joe) Flacco and challenge the receivers. Regardless of who’s in there, our plan will be the same.

How was Ward playing before he got hurt? I thought he was playing well. He was playing at a very high level. It seems like just yesterday he got hurt and it was in the Houston Texans game, but he was playing very well. I’m sure it’s been frustrating for him not to be able to make it back, but I know he’ll have renewed injury here to get ready for next year.

How important is it to get young guys like Buster Skrine and Jordan Cameron some snaps over these next two games? We started that last week actually and they showed up well. We’ll continue to put are best guys out there and, fortunately for us, some of those guys you just mentioned are our best guys so they’ll be out there playing getting valuable reps, trying to do what we can to win a game.

Did you expect Ward to come back, but it just never progressed the way you had hoped? That’s fair, yeah.

The victory sends the Vikings into the holiday break at 11-2 with one more nonconference game left before Horizon League play begins next Saturday against Youngstown State.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz, The Plain DealerCleveland State's Anton Grady steals the basketball from Sam Houston State's Konner Tucker in the second half Thursday at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland.

The victory sends the Vikings into the holiday break at 11-2 with one more nonconference game left, at Toledo, on Wednesday, before Horizon League play kicks in with a home game next Saturday against Youngstown State.

A close game early on with the Bearkats was pried open with a 3-pointer from Sebastian Douglas, followed by a forced turnover, then a layup from Jeremy Montgomery for an 18-11 Vikings lead. The Bearkats scored a quick one inside, but Montgomery answered with a 3-pointer, followed by yet another forced turnover.

CSU's defense was clearly back on track after giving up 70 points for the first time this season in the loss at South Florida.

"One thing we talked about was staying positive on the floor and coming out with a victory," Montgomery said.

Head coach Gary Waters said the setback at South Florida did not set off any panic buttons.

"I wasn't overly concerned about our defense," he said.

The Vikings had forced nine turnovers with more than seven minutes still to play in the first half, even as Sam Houston was shooting well from the field.

View full sizePDSam Houston State's Michael Holyfield (35) uses Cleveland State's Sebastian Douglas for a chair during the first half.

With just over three minutes to play the Bearkats had committed 14 turnovers, but trailed by just five, 26-21.

After a timeout, D'Aundray Brown knocked down a 3-pointer followed by a Charlie Lee 3-pointer to push the Vikings' lead up to 32-21. Moments later, a Montgomery 3-pointer made it 37-23 for the Vikings' biggest lead of the game. Bearkats free throws closed the gap to 37-25 at halftime.

The Vikings were never challenged in the second half even as the Bearkats took better care of the basketball. After having 16 miscues in the opening half, Sam Houston finished with 23 turnovers for the game, which the Vikings converted into 27 points.

"One of our goals is 20-plus turnovers," Brown said. "We made that our emphasis for today."

Combined with some tepid shooting from the field, the Bearkats had little to offer against CSU's defense. The Bearkats made 14 of 34 field goals (41 percent) for the game.

The Vikings clearly redeemed themselves defensively, and had two players in double figures with Brown posting 12 points and Montgomery 11. The Vikings were particularly good behind the arc, making 10 of 19 3-pointers for the game.

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: ealexand@plaind.com, 216-999-4253