Here's two: stop A.J. Green, get a big day from Trent Richardson.

Limit A.J. Green Green is a load even when Joe Haden is on the field. Last year, he caught the 41-yard TD off the quick snap in the first game and the 51-yard pass in the second game that set up the gamewinning field goal. This year, he had seven catches and a 10-yard TD over Dimitri Patterson. Haden is geared up, but Green is off to a sensational start -- his four TDs are on pace for 13 this season, and his 493 yards are pace for a club-record 1,578. He also accounts for 40% of the Bengals" aerial TDs.

Said Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin, "There's no way he fully understands all he can be. A.J. Green has an opportunity to be the best in the league."

Ride Richardson Trent Richardson plowed through the Bengals in the first meeting for 109 yards, a 5.7-yard average and a 32-yard TD run. He also caught four passes for 36 yards, including a 23-yard TD. The Bengals are 19th against the run, surrendering 118.2 yards per game. But after giving up an average of 155 yards rushing the first three games, they've stiffened to just 68.5 per game over the last two. During that stretch, they held Miami's Reggie Bush to 48 yards and Jacksonville's Maurice-Jones Drew to 38 the week before. Linebacker Rey Maualuga, who had his hands full with Richardson in the first meeting, had a team-high 13 tackles last week and will be more ready this time. "I'm just trying to elevate my game to be more elusive, a lot quicker," Maualuga said.

Bengals' defensive line The Bengals are tied for the NFL lead with 18 sacks, and will give the Browns all they can handle. Fortunately for Brandon Weeden, he's been sacked only nine times this season, which ranks sixth in the NFL in sacks per pass play. Tackle Geno Atkins leads the Bengals with six sacks, and also is tops among NFL interior lineman. End Michael Johnson has five. The difference this game is that left end Carlos Dunlap will be back from his knee injury and ready to pounce. He's got only one sack, but has 15 in his last 23 games.

"Physically (Dunlap's) a big guy, a long guy -- long arms, long legs," said Schwartz. "He's quick. He covers a lot of ground with his strides because his legs are so long. He's a very imposing player. He's got the speed and he's got the power."

Browns offensive coordinator Brad Childress thinks the Bengals" line is more talented than the Giants" because of the big ends, and says Atkins "may be as high of a motor guy that we face on the inside."

Ding Dalton Quarterback Andy Dalton is 3-0 against the Browns with five TDs, one interception and a passer rating of 114.0. In the first meeting, despite getting sacked six times, he recorded a career-high rating of 128.2. With Haden out that game and Sheldon Brown on the sidelines, Dalton picked apart the Browns" secondary for three TDs and 300 yards. The Browns, without Dimitri Patterson, will have to find a way to cover not only Green, but Armon Binns and Andrew Hawkins, who burned them for a 50-yard TD in the first meeting. T.J. Ward will try to cover dangerous tight end Jermaine Gresham with one hand in a cast. What's more, Dalton, 2nd in the NFL in 4th quarter passing, is coming off a bad game against the Dolphins and looking to rebound.

Browns linebacker answers five questions from Plain Dealer reporter Jodie Valade.

Kaluka Maiava John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

Q: You have a pretty big wrestling background in your family. Do you have any interest in that?

A: Oh yeah, sure. WWF was big-time when I was a kid. We followed that religiously. I'm just a big fan. My grandpa (Neff Maiava) was a professional wrestler back in Hawaii back in the day. I was always a big fan, no matter who was wrestling. He actually taught me a couple moves, but I never did them.

Q: Is it true that "The Rock," Dwayne Johnson, is your uncle?

A: That's what they tell me. I've never met him. He's a famous guy, so I've never met him. If you talk to him, tell him to put me in his next movie. He's not quite my uncle, his mom and my grandpa are cousins, or something.

Q: You grew up in Maui, what was that like making the transition to Cleveland?

A: The biggest thing was temperature. I never played in cold weather like this in Hawaii. California got a little cold, but nothing crazy. Cleveland was a big culture shock. That was the biggest thing, just getting used to playing in the cold. Other than that, being surrounded by water, warm weather, tropical weather going to bundled up and snow . . . it's a lot different.

Q: Do you surf or do any other island activity?

A: I surf and all that. Being surrounded by water, you have to get into the water sometime. Surfing's always a hobby.

Q: What's your favorite childhood football memory?

A: Just Friday night lights. That was the best football to me -- high school football. If I could, I'd give it all up to go back. You know, just going out with your boys. It's just more fun. Pure football. I just miss that.

Get in-game updates and chat live with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore (@GlennMooreCLE), from Cleveland Browns Stadium, plus get the latest on Twitter from The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot (@marykaycabot), Tom Reed (@treedpd), Branson Wright (@bransonwright), Terry Pluto (@TerryPluto) and Bud Shaw (@budshaw). Live post game show following the contest.

Josh Cribbs and the Cleveland Browns battle the Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium at 1 p.m. Joshua Gunter/The Plain Dealer

The Cleveland Browns will look to get their first win of the season as the Cincinnati Bengals come to town for an AFC North battle.

The Bengals lead the all-time series, 42-36. Cincinnati beat Cleveland, 34-27, in Week 2 of this season, and has won the last four meetings between the teams (13-3 in last 16 overall).

Get in-game updates and chat live with cleveland.com's Glenn Moore (@GlennMooreCLE) from Cleveland Browns Stadium, plus get the latest on Twitter from The Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot (@marykaycabot), Tom Reed (@treedpd), Branson Wright (@bransonwright), Terry Pluto (@TerryPluto) and Bud Shaw (@budshaw). You can also get a live box score here.

At the completion of the ballgame, join Glenn and The Plain Dealer's Dennis Manoloff (@dmansworldpd) for a live audio-chat as they will break down the game and take your comments and questions in the chat room. The call-in number to get on the show is 440-678-7599.

Note: The postgame show will start approximately 5 minutes following the game.

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Has Brandon Weeden really been that bad? Is their reason to be patient with a 29-year-old quarterback? Will the Browns ever find a quarterback?

AP PhotoBrandon Weeden, right, turns 29 today.

1. Since this is Brandon's Weeden's birthday and some people have made it sound like he should celebrate being old enough to sign up for Medicare, I thought it's worth trying to put the 29-year-old quarterback into some context.

2. Yes, he's 29. But 29-year-old quarterbacks are not like 29-year-old running backs. Quarterbacks play longer and better. Running backs wear out faster. One of the arguments against drafting a running back is also an argument for drafting a running back. If the average running back is at his best for 4-6 seasons, then take him early -- as the Browns did with Trent Richardson.

3. But quarterbacks do last longer. The Manning brothers are over 30...Peyton is 36, Eli is 31. Tom Brady is 35. Drew Brees is 33. Michael Vick and Tony Romo are 32. Ben Roethlisberger is 30. You can argument that Weeden should be able to play at least five more years.

4. Yes, but who drafts a quarterback who may last only five years? How about a team that has had 10 different opening day starting quarterbacks in the last 13 years. Or a team that hasn't had a quarterback start at least three years in a row since Bernie Kosar in the late 1990s. So please, let's not act if this has been the Cradle of Quarterbacks and Weeden has the long legacy of success to follow.

5. Consider these numbers: 60 percent completions, 5 TD passes, 5 interceptions, averaging 275 yards per game. That's what Weeden has done in the last four games. His overall stats are skewed by his nightmare opener: 0 TDs, 4 interceptions, 34 percent passing.

6. Twice in the last four games, the Browns have scored 27 points. They scored more than 20 points only once last season. The problem is the Browns lost both of those 27-point games. The problem is the defense has allowed 34-24-23-41 points in the last four games. The problem is the defense (ranked 10th last season) is ranked 28th in the NFL in 2012. The problem is the Browns are 0-5. And the problems are not all the fault of Weeden.

7. Weeden has thrown the second most passes in the NFL, and that is a problem with play-calling. And also with the defense, which keeps allowing points -- meaning the Browns have to throw to get back into games.

8. This is Weeden's sixth game. Among his receivers, only Josh Gordon and Greg Little have played in all six. Mohamed Massaquoi and Travis Benjamin have been in only three games, Jordan Norwood has played two. Norwood, Benjamin and Massaquoi won't play today. He has no veteran receiver as a security, and no continuity because of the injuries to the other receivers. And nearly every NFL expert calls this the NFL's worst group of receivers.

9. Lately, the criticism is that Weeden is "another Derek Anderson." In 2007, Anderson had that Haley's Comet of a season: 29 TD passes, 19 interceptions as the Browns were 10-6. But in the next two years with the Browns, Anderson completed only 49 percent of his passes, 12 TDs to 18 interceptions.

10. I don't know what will become of Weeden, but he is a far more accurate passer than Anderson. By the way, Anderson is Cam Newton's backup in Carolina.

11. Weeden has to learn not to throw so many risky passes. He has to develop a favorite receiver, beside his running backs (Richardson and Chris Ogbonnaya).

12. This is not time to switch back to Colt McCoy. I lobbied for the Browns to keep McCoy over Seneca Wallace as the backup, because I believe McCoy is a viable NFL quarterback. I also know that only once since 1999 (Tim Couch, 2001) has a Browns quarterback started all 16 games. So it's wise to have McCoy, but Weeden needs NFL experience and he should be their starter for the rest of the season.

The Buckeyes made some big plays and some big mistakes as a team they haven't lost to since 1988 managed to throw a scare into them. Watch video

Updated with quotes and video at 3:30 a.m.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Under their first-year director, the Ohio State Buckeyes are starting to nail down the rhythms and storylines of the weekly episodes of "Meyer Family."

Slow start. Builds the drama.

Defense allows the opposing team to move the ball, yet also makes big plays. Complex characters.

Bring in quarterback Braxton Miller for a big play. He's a hero. Then he makes a big mistake. Flawed hero.

Add Devin Smith with a long touchdown catch from Miller. Make it two touchdowns. Loyal sidekick. But he drops two touchdown passes. Flawed sidekick.

But wait, now Miller is shaken up. Here comes backup quarterback Kenny Guiton, the recurring guest star.

Ohio State has a punt blocked. Egads. But then the Buckeyes block a punt themselves – what a twist.

Is that coach Urban Meyer steaming mad on the sideline? Oh, those irascible kids pushing dad to the edge.

And then, at least through seven episodes this season, a happy ending.

Ohio State held off Indiana 52-49 on Saturday night, as the No. 8 Buckeyes (7-0, 3-0) remained the Big Ten's only unbeaten team despite struggling to put away an opponent that hasn't beaten Ohio State since 1988.

Saturday's finish was more bittersweet and action-packed than any so far, with OSU defenders using words like "horrendous" and "ridiculous" to describe their performance, which included allowing Indiana to gain 481 yards and to score 15 points in the final two minutes to fray nerves on the sideline. Meyer said he'll get more involved with coaching the defense this week after that side of the ball had a very rough night.

It was the most points given up by the Buckeyes since Penn State dropped 63 on Ohio State in a win in 1994.

“We're not very good in certain areas right now, and spread offenses right now are really exposing us,” Meyer said. “So we've got to get something fixed. … I'm not sure what my feeling is right now other than excited to get back home and get to work. I wish we were in the office right now, because we've got to get some things right.

“I wish I had the answers. … That's not very good.”

The Buckeyes had to sweat out the ending after Indiana scored with 1:40 left to make it 52-41, then recovered an onside kick after a great play by the Hoosiers' Nick Stoner, who saved the ball from going out of bounds. That led to a Stephen Houston touchdown reception and a two-point conversion that made it 52-49 with 1:05 left.

But OSU's Philly Brown recovered the kickoff and the Buckeyes were able to run out the clock and escape Bloomington with a less-than-impressive victory.

"I said, "Please man, let's get this other onside kick so we can kneel on the ball,'" Miller said. "I was nervous a little bit."

So the Buckeyes aren't perfect, but they're winning. And they provide compelling drama.

"That was a terrible job by us not closing the game,” senior cornerback Travis Howard said. “I feel like we got too comfortable and they made a run. … We told ourselves we'd hold that team to maybe a touchdown, and for them to come out and put up that many points, it was just horrendous.”

Ohio State never trailed after Howard blocked a Hoosier punt with 5:19 left in the second quarter and Bradley Roby recovered it in the end zone for a 17-14 OSU lead. 

“I kept telling him, 'You changed the game, you changed the game,'” Roby said. 'What happens on a punt block is it shifts the whole momentum of the game, so that was big for us.”

But once again, the Buckeyes kept fans and viewers watching in a game that wasn't comfortable until Carlos Hyde's 1-yard touchdown run put the Buckeyes up by three scores, at 45-27, early in the fourth quarter. And after it got uncomfortable again, it took that final onside recovery by Brown, which could have gone the other way with a different bounce, for the Buckeyes to exhale.

Continuing their slow starts, Ohio State gave away an early 10-0 edge that could have been 14-0 if Smith hadn't dropped what looked like a sure 37-yard touchdown pass from Miller. The Buckeyes were forced into a field goal, and Indiana immediately answered with a 59-yard touchdown run by Houston.

Less than three minutes later, the Buckeyes had a punt blocked for the fourth time in their past 21 games. After UAB blocked an OSU punt in the fourth game of the year, Meyer said it wasn't a scheme problem, but just a freshman missing a block. The Buckeyes assigned punt protector Zach Boren to count to make sure that each opponent had a blocker assigned to him, but Saturday it looked like Boren was still counting when the ball was snapped.

The Hoosiers (2-4, 0-3 Big Ten) smothered punter Ben Buchanan again, took over at the 16-yard line and three plays later grabbed the lead on a 7-yard Houston run. Meyer, who said multiple times all week that he was very worried about the Buckeyes coming to Bloomington after two wins over ranked opponents, saw his fears come to life.

Then the Buckeyes dialed up a deep ball, with Miller hitting Smith for a 60-yard touchdown on the right sideline against one-one-one coverage, their third hookup this season of at least 60 yards. When Indiana came back with a field goal, the Buckeyes then went to their old standby -- watching Miller leave defenders in the dust. With left guard Andrew Norwell and tight end Jeff Heuerman pulling to the right side of the formation, Miller shot up the middle for a 67-yard touchdown that ramped up the Heisman Trophy talk for the sophomore.

"Just make big plays like that to loosen things up,” Miller said. “When the opponent scores you've got to come back with an answer for our defense.”

And then he reined the talk in himself.

With Ohio State looking to put the game away, Miller made a strange decision on second-and-goal from the 4-yard line, stepping up to run outside the pocket, then avoiding a tackle and throwing low to the end zone. Receiver Philly Brown was covered and Indiana corner Greg Heban made a great diving interception.

“It was bad. I guess … I don't know. It didn't work, didn't work out,” Miller said.

What could have been a 21-point OSU lead was suddenly only seven points when Glenville grad Shane Wynn caught a short pass and turned it into a 76-yard touchdown with 8:40 left in the third quarter to make the score 31-24.

For the game, Miller threw for two touchdowns, both to Smith, while completing 13 of 24 passes for 211 yards. Miller (23 carries, 149 yards) and Hyde (22 carries, 156 yards) both topped 100 rushing yards for the second straight game. Ohio State gained 578 yards, 97 more than Indiana. And pushed to the wall, Ohio State answered when it mattered.

In a one-score game in the third quarter, Ohio State responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive, as for the third straight week, Guiton relieved Miller after he was shaken up and finished off a scoring march. This time Miller left after taking a late hit on the sideline, saying he bruised his side, and Guiton capped things with a nicely-called and well-executed 14-yard shovel pass to Hyde.

"It worked out perfectly,” Hyde said. “Just like how we did it in practice, that's how it came out.”

Meyer's daughter, Gigi Meyer, wrote on her Twitter account after the play that her mother, Shelley, had suggested the shovel pass to her husband this week.

See, it really is a family show. And it has proven pretty popular.

But not perfect.

“We were supposed to win that game, so a win doesn't really feel good,” Roby said. “It definitely feels better than us loising the game, but I don't feel too good right now.”

Weeden, a rookie, turned 29 on Sunday, when he helped the Browns to a 34-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden delivers a pass during Cleveland's 34-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Browns Stadium. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Measuring expectations for Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden is unlike trying to figure what other rookies will accomplish in their NFL careers.

Most players who celebrate a birthday during a first pro season are turning 22 or 23 years old.

Weeden turned 29 on Sunday, and it was a milestone birthday for him. He quarterbacked the Browns to their first win of the 2012 season, 34-24, over the Cincinnati Bengals at Browns Stadium.

Weeden was a minor league pitcher for five seasons, first in the Yankees' organization after New York picked him in the second round of the 2002 draft. He also pitched in the Los Angeles Dodgers' and Kansas City Royals' farm systems.

Weeden decided to pursue a football career after the 2006 baseball season, enrolling at Oklahoma State. He red-shirted during the 2007 campaign, then played in a total of four games in the 2008-09 seasons. Weeden emerged as one of the nation's premier quarterbacks as a junior. Then, following his banner 2011 senior season, he was selected by the Browns with the 22nd overall pick in the first round of last April's draft.

As the Browns lost their first five games, Weeden's play was a mixed bag. His arm strength was evident, and he impressed observers by following a poor debut in the Browns' 17-16 season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles with a solid comeback performance during a 34-27 loss to Cincinnati.

Maybe due to his minor league baseball experience, and probably in no small part due to his age, Weeden has generally played with poise. Yet, he has also been prone to the mistakes made by most quarterbacks early in their NFL careers -- occasionally locking in on one receiver, forcing a pass into coverage, holding onto the football an instant too long, etc.

Weeden's cause wasn't helped by his receivers' numerous, costly dropped passes during the Browns' 0-5 start. 

During Sunday's 34-24 Browns' win over the Bengals, Weeden completed 17 of 29 passes for 231 yards, including touchdown throws of 71 yards to Josh Gordon and three yards to Ben Watson. Weeden's lone interception, in the first quarter, was on a pass blocked at the line of scrimmage and deflected to where Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson was able to pick it off.

It's much too early, maybe, to try to assess a player's future after just six games, but since Brandon Weeden is 29......

In the 12-team Big Ten, the Buckeyes look like a refugee from the 10-team Big 12.

The sight of opposing players busting through the Ohio State defense, as Indiana's Stephen Houston did Saturday night, has been quite common during Urban Meyer's first season as coach of the Buckeyes. Kyle Robertson, Columbus Dispatch/

From the desk of: Bob Bowlsby, Big 12 commissioner

To: Dr. E. Gordon Gee, Eugene Smith, Urban Meyer, Luke Fickell

Gentlemen,

On behalf of the 10 members of the Big 12, may I say we were extremely pleased to see your defensive, ahem, effort against Indiana on Saturday. We will take that 52-49 result as the silent and secret acceptance by Ohio State of our invitation to join the Big 12, as we previously discussed.

Everyone here at the Big 12 (well, except Kansas coach Charlie Weis, who is still upset about Ohio State beating Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl after the 2005 season and, to be truthful, generally is a grumpy Gus these days at 1-5) is excited to welcome the Buckeyes and their exciting style to the Wild West of college football.

Consecutive games in which 101 points were scored?! To repeat, how exciting! Get used to that word.

Saturday night, you accomplished something never before experienced in the glorious history of Ohio State football -- allowing 49 points and winning. Never before. In the Big 12, that kind of thing happens almost every weekend!

Now, I know nearly blowing that game against the Hoosiers can be viewed as disheartening, and several of your players did not embrace the ecstasy that we here in the Big 12 know should accompany a 52-49 win.

"What did they have, 49? That's ridiculous," sophomore cornerback Bradley Roby said. "That's horrible, but we know the game wasn't like that. But the final score shows that we've got to work on finishing."

"That was a terrible job by us not closing the game," senior cornerback Travis Howard said. "I feel like we got too comfortable and they made a run. . . . We told ourselves we'd hold that team to maybe a touchdown, and for them to come out and put up that many points, it was just horrendous."

We suggest teaching your players new offense-friendly phrases like "shootout" and "rootin-tootin good time" to replace these harsh adjectives. Football is supposed to be fun, right? And what's more fun than 1,000 combined yards of offense every week?

So it troubles me that even some of the offensive players, including running back Carlos Hyde after his career-high 156 rushing yards, couldn't fully embrace the final score.

"Even though we won, people were a little down because that ain't us," Hyde said. "How we finished like that? That ain't us. We got a win, so enjoy the win, but that ain't us."

Sadly, my future conference brothers, that is you right now. And why shouldn't it be?!

You Buckeyes rank 69th in the nation, allowing 400 yards per game, and 53rd in the nation, allowing 24.6 points per game. In the Big Ten, that means your defense ranks 10th in points allowed and eighth in yards allowed.

But in the Big 12, you would be only seventh in yards allowed, and sixth in points allowed. Sure, every now and then a team messes it up and plays some defense, like Texas Tech holding West Virginia to 14 points on Saturday with a top-five overall defense. Remind me to talk to Tommy Tuberville about that.

As for you, Coach Meyer, now in the Big Ten after stops in the Southeastern Conference, Mountain West and Mid-American Conference, perhaps you don't truly understand this Big 12 brand of ball. Offensively, you seem to. The Buckeyes are 20th in the nation in scoring, putting up 40.4 points per game. Sure, there are seven Big 12 teams ahead of you (compared to one Big Ten team), but still . / . nice try!

You say you want to score 100 points in a game someday, so good luck. But be careful, Baylor or West Virginia might beat you to it!

But after Saturday night, you said you would become more involved in the coaching of the defense.

"I wish I had the answers," you said. "That's not very good."

No, no, no. Leave defensive coordinator Luke Fickell alone. The offense needs you more than ever right now. By the time you get to the Michigan game this season, you may need to score 80 to win. And my oh my, when you get a full dose of Big 12 ball? Let's just say that 100-point mark might not guarantee victory.

So how did you feel watching all that unfold Saturday night?

"I just want to win that game," you said. "I'm all in supporting our coaches and supporting our players. We've got to find a way to win that game. There have been times when that offense has been in reverse and the defense wins, so we're a team. That's the cool thing about this. We win as a team . . . we win as a team."

That's right, coach, you win. No losses on that Columbus record yet. So embrace victory, and embrace your future. When that old-fashioned Nick Saban at Alabama spoke ill of up-tempo offenses, you said you enjoyed the speed and variety of the college game.

Well, we may not have much variety, but we sure go fast.

And face it. The problems with your linebacker depth aren't going away overnight. You said, "Spread offenses right now are really exposing us," and let me tell you friend, we know what you mean.

You're exposed. We're exposed. Everyone's exposed. And down here, no one cares!

Robert Griffin III won the Heisman at Baylor last year and no one made a peep about the defenses. Geno Smith might win it this year in West Virginia's first season in the league!

Braxton Miller in the Big 12? Gracious, people won't even remember Tim Tebow's name by the time the two of you are done down here.

So congratulations on your fine display of Big 12 football on Saturday night. We're excited to welcome you in the near future, but we can tell you're already with us in spirit.

Links to stories on the Browns' 34-24 win over the Bengals.

The Browns' Josh Cribbs returns a punt 60 yards during Cleveland's 34-24 home win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer

Gordon goes deep again: For the second straight week, Browns rookie receiver Josh Gordon burned a secondary deep down the field. This time, he ran past safety Reggie Nelson and caught a 71-yard pass for a touchdown in the second quarter. It was the first time since 2002 (Quincy Morgan) that a Browns player had back-to-back games with a catch of 60 yards or more. Three of Gordon's first nine NFL catches have been for touchdowns.

Return of Haden: Joe Haden made an impact in his first game since coming back from his four-game suspension. He had seven tackles (second on the team) and broke up three passes (tied for most on the Browns). Haden also had an interception, his second in two games played, which was converted into a field goal.

How Doug voted this week and why Texas Tech is now 12th after being left off the ballot a week earlier.

How Doug voted

Doug Lesmerises' AP ballot 1. Alabama; 2. Florida; 3. Oregon; 4. Notre Dame; 5. Kansas State; 6. Oregon State; 7. LSU; 8. South Carolina; 9. Ohio State; 10. Southern Cal; 11. Oklahoma; 12. Texas Tech; 13. Florida State; 14. Georgia; 15. West Virginia; 16. Louisville; 17. Rutgers; 18. Texas A&M; 19. Clemson; 20. Ohio; 21. Cincinnati; 22. Stanford; 23. Michigan; 24. Mississippi State; 25. Arizona State.

The big movers in this week's AP poll are the Texas Tech Red Raiders, fresh off an impressive win over West Virginia. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Scott MacWatters

Ohio State moved up from No. 8 to No. 7 in the overall poll, but dropped from No. 8 to No. 9 on my ballot, now behind one-loss teams LSU and South Carolina. With the Buckeyes' tight win against Indiana, the r sum s of those teams, with LSU beating the Gamecocks and South Carolina holding a big win over Georgia, are better than the undefeated Buckeyes'.

Ohio has been on my ballot for a few times but the Bobcats -- along with the Buckeyes the only 7-0 teams in the country -- finally are both ranked in the overall AP poll for the first time since the end of the 1968 season. Ohio's conference wins haven't been pretty lately, but as one of 12 remaining undefeated teams, the ranking is obviously deserved.

With the Bobcats now joining Ohio State and No. 21 Cincinnati, three teams from Ohio are ranked for the first time since the last poll of 2003, when the Buckeyes were No. 4, Miami with Ben Roethlisberger was No. 10 and Bowling Green was No. 23.

One-loss Texas Tech jumped from unranked to No. 12 on my ballot after dominating previously undefeated West Virginia. I have the Mountaineers at No. 15, while in the overall, the teams each have a loss, but of course, West Virginia is ranked higher despite losing on the field.

Otherwise, my ballot is remarkably controversy-free this week. The more the year goes on, the more everyone votes on results.

Billy Winn has performed some radical stunts in his days as an extreme sports enthusiast. As a teenager, he caught some big air on his skateboard while riding it through his neighbor’s halfpipe. But nothing proved more exhilarating than what Winn did before adoring fans at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday. He ran with a football. The 6-4, 295-pound defensive...

Billy Winn has performed some radical stunts in his days as an extreme sports enthusiast. As a teenager, he caught some big air on his skateboard while riding it through his neighbor’s halfpipe.

But nothing proved more exhilarating than what Winn did before adoring fans at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Sunday. He ran with a football.

The 6-4, 295-pound defensive tackle scooped a fourth-quarter fumble created by Browns teammate Emmanuel Stephens and rumbled 35 yards before being caught from behind by Cincinnati Bengals halfback Cedric Peerman. The big play sealed the Browns’ 34-24 victory, their first of the season.

"I just had tunnel vision," said Winn, who picked up the ball cleanly after Stephens sacked quarterback Andy Dalton and forced the turnover. "I just heard the crowd, and I was thinking: ‘Run, run, run.’"

The rookie recovered fumbles at Boise State but never had the chance to fulfill the fantasy of many defensive linemen — a football in his grasp and acres of running room between himself and the goal line.

The Bengals were inside the Browns’ 10 and threatening to make it a three-point game with 2:39 remaining. Once Winn retrieved the ball, he took off down the middle of the field. He never glanced at the stadium jumbotron to see if anyone was gaining ground but could feel Peerman grabbing at the football.

Winn held on tight and fell to the turf. An hour after the game, the ball was tucked firmly in his locker.

"I’ll probably put it in a lock box so nobody takes it away from me," Winn said jokingly. "No, I’m definitely going to frame this, and it’s going to sit where I can see it every day. … These things don’t come every day. This is a gift."

Winn gave full credit to Stephens for creating the big play with his rush off the edge.

The Browns surrendered just 24 points despite playing without standout defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin (calf). Winn and fellow rookie John Hughes started at the tackles. The Browns, who ranked 26th against the rush, allowed a season-low 76 yards rushing.

"We knew we were a little shorthanded, but it comes down to carrying that flag," Winn said. "A guy goes down, and that’s part of football. You have to finish. You have to pick it up and get going." 

Cooper connection: Josh Cooper was promoted from the practice squad this week with injuries to three receivers. He certainly made a contribution in his NFL debut.

Cooper caught two passes for 39 yards, the first a 28-yard, over-the-shoulder grab on a third-and-7 in the first quarter. The former teammate of Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden said the pair always has enjoyed chemistry.

"We’ve always had that connection," Cooper said. "It might have shown today a little bit when he tried to throw over my back shoulder today, which he doesn’t usually do."

Cooper’s second reception, an 11-yarder, came on a third down and extended a second-quarter drive that ended with Josh Gordon’s 71-yard TD reception.

"That’s my boy," Weeden said of Cooper. "I was so pumped for him I could barely call the play [that led to the 28-yard completion] in the huddle. … It didn’t surprise me; that guy can flat-out play."

The Browns were without receivers Mohamed Massaquoi (hamstring), Travis Benjamin (hamstring) and Jordan Norwood (foot).
Cribbs returns: Josh Cribbs faked out the Bengals by signaling his teammates to stay away on his 60-yard punt return that set up a field goal.

"I don’t know why they think I [signaled] fair catch," said Cribbs. "I very rarely fair catch, and when I do, it’s one swipe. I saw the gunner lay off. I guess he thought I fair-caught it, but that’s his fault. You’ve got to come out ready to play.

"I was basically telling my team to get away from it. The wind was messing with it, and then it came right to me, and I caught it and ran with it. … The ball was just moving all over the place, and it was hard for us to get a bead on the ball, and that’s why I had a couple muffs out there."

Cribbs also had a 44-yard kickoff return to set up Ben Watson’s fourth-quarter TD.

"You could see over the last couple weeks the guys starting to come together as a unit," Cribbs said. "We’re just picking up our blocks.

"The guys out there are really excited on special teams."

Flash Gordon: Gordon dazzled the crowd with his one-handed 71-yard TD catch, his second long TD in as many weeks. "It was a great confidence booster for us," said Gordon. "Last week, I didn’t feel like I had a breakout game if I didn’t contribute to a victory. This feels a lot better."

Pinkston ill: Guard Jason Pinkston became ill early on and was out of the game entirely midway through. He was replaced by John Greco.

Picking up the O: The Browns’ offense went seven possessions without a first down, a drought that spanned the second and third quarters. The home team was only outscored 7-6 in during that span, however, thanks to some terrific defensive play.

The Bengals’ lone points came on a short field late in the second quarter after a 32-yard punt return by Brandon Tate and a 5-yard penalty on Cleveland gave them the ball at the Browns 27.

Some poor clock management cost the Bengals on the final drive of the first half and Browns cornerback Joe Haden intercepted a pass in the third quarter.

"We just settled down and that’s one thing we haven’t been doing lately," Browns defensive end Frostee Rucker said. "We haven’t been settling down and we’ve been giving up big plays and things like that. For what we want and what we are striving to be that’s unacceptable. Today, there was extra attention to detail."

Tick, tick, tick: The Bengals failed to add a score on their final drive of the first half as they were unable to get to the line of scrimmage and spike the ball to set up a short field goal. The half ended with the Bengals leading, 14-7.

Dalton hit receiver A.J. Green with a 25-yard pass, a play that carried to the Browns’ 16. Television replays seemed to show Dalton might have spiked the ball with one tick left on the clock. But referee Pete Morelli said such plays are not covered under reviews.

"The clock is taken on the field by the line judge and back judge ..." Morelli told a pool reporter. "I got the signal from them that after the snap when the ball hit the ground there were zeros on the clock."

JMJ starts: Starting linebacker Scott Fujita sat out with a neck/shoulder injury. Rookie James-Michael Johnson made his first career start, registering two tackles on defense and one on special teams.

Brownies: Cornerback Buster Skrine led the Browns with 10 tackles. … The Browns surrendered two sacks against a Bengals defense that entered the game tied for first with 18 sacks.

Plain Dealer reporters Mary Kay Cabot and Jodie Valade contributed to this report. 

With Ohio State ineligible, Michigan looks like the Big Ten's best bet to make it into the BCS Standings. Unfortunately, they didn't make it into Sunday's first BCS Standings, which meant the Big Ten was shut out.

Michigan's Thomas Rawls broke away from Illinois' Earnest Thomas on this play for a 63-yard touchdown run. Now, when will the Wolverines break into the BCS Standings? Carlos Osorio, Associated Press

Countdown to Ohio State-Michigan:

40 days

The Wolverines didn't make the first BCS standings of the season released Sunday night, which means no Big Ten teams made it, which means . . . that's kind of embarrassing. Banned from postseason play, Ohio State is ineligible to be ranked in either the Harris poll, the coaches poll or the overall BCS rankings. The Buckeyes are No. 7 in the AP poll, and probably would be ranked around there in the BCS standings, too. So that leaves Michigan, which more and more each week looks like the national standard-bearer for the league. The Wolverines are No. 23 in the AP poll, which doesn't count for anything, 25 in the coaches poll, just outside the rankings at No. 26 in the Harris poll and not in the BCS. But Michigan didn't get enough love from the six computer ratings. The Anderson and Hester ratings, for example, have Michigan at No. 37. The Colley Matrix has Michigan No. 38. The Wolfe ratings have Michigan at No. 31. So for the first week, the Big Ten watched the BCS show and had nothing to do with it.

News, notes and tidbits from the Buckeyes.

It's become apparent how much the Buckeyes need Travis Howard on the field. He makes big plays, such as this blocked punt against Indiana, and the players behind him are not ready for full-time duty. Sam Riche, Associated Press

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Though some may have wondered where he went, tight end Jake Stoneburner did not switch to defense a few weeks ago, as fullback Zach Boren did last week. The senior just had not caught a ball in three games before making four catches for 41 yards against Indiana on Saturday. "It felt good. I love getting the ball," Stoneburner said after the 52-49 win. "It's just the way they were playing us, the midrange seemed to be pretty open with the hitches and slants, and we were able to take advantage of that. It's not like I haven't been in the plans. It's either we run the ball 40 times or I was double-covered. They just happened to see me this week." To cover my bases, I did ask if Stoneburner, like Boren, could play linebacker. He envisioned himself as more of a Nathan Williams rush end. "I like to think I'm a Leo," Stoneburner said, "Me and Nate, I feel we could switch spots." . . . Devin Smith caught two touchdowns against Indiana, but he had two other touchdown chances hit him in the hands. After the second, which happened in the end zone, quarterback Braxton Miller turned and watched the replay on the video board and reacted to the missed opportunity. I asked Miller about it as he left his postgame news conference. Walking out the door, he smiled and admitted he thought the Buckeyes could have had that one. Asked about Smith while sitting at his news conference, Miller said he told his receiver, "It's OK, bro, I'll keep coming to you." . . . Coach Urban Meyer came up with the idea to play Boren at linebacker at Tuesday's practice after seeing four linebackers out and unable to go that day. Asked if he will play both ways in games ahead, Boren said that was a question for Meyer. But at the very least, Meyer said this was more than a one-week thing, after Boren led the Buckeyes with eight tackles. "He jumped right at it and he really changed practice on Tuesday," Meyer said. "It's a very unselfish move by him. I would think he might stay over there for a while.". . . After missing three games with a high ankle sprain, safety C.J. Barnett tied for second with six tackles with Ryan Shazier. And Noah Spence, filling in for starting defensive end Williams, had five tackles. . . . I was on the sideline at the end of the game and just before Indiana completed the two-point conversion to cut the OSU lead to 52-49, defensive coordinator Luke Fickell was trying to call timeout. But he was too late. . . . Kicker Drew Basil was 1-of-2 on field goals against Indiana, his first miss of the season. He is now 3-for-4 overall. . . . After Doran Grant played well subbing for Bradley Roby in Week 4, I thought Grant might take Travis Howard's starting spot away at the other cornerback position. But when Howard left the game with a stinger Saturday, it was clear how much he was missed. Grant was beaten for a 39-yard completion and then was called for pass interference on consecutive plays on Indiana's first drive of the third quarter. Howard came right back in the game. "I felt like they were driving the ball and going at our other corner," Howard said, "so the only right thing for me was to get back in there and help my team out."

Carlos Beltran and David Freese slugged two-run homers as the Cardinals took a 6-0 lead.

St. Louis outfielder Carlos Beltran slugs a two-run homer during the Cardinals' 6-4 win over the Giants in the NL Championship Series opener in San Francisco on Sunday. Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO, California -- This time, Carlos Beltran, David Freese and the St. Louis Cardinals took a six-run lead — and held onto it, barely.

Beltran and Freese hit two-run homers and these wild, wild-card Cardinals got a 6-4 win over the San Francisco Giants in Game 1 of the NL championship series (box score).

The defending World Series champions took an early 6-0 cushion and made it stand up. Only two nights earlier, the Cardinals came back from a 6-0 deficit, using a four-run rally in the ninth inning at Washington in the deciding Game 5 of the division series.

The St. Louis bullpen delivered with 5 1-3 scoreless innings after starter Lance Lynn was chased. Edward Mujica, the fifth St. Louis pitcher, struck out the side in order in the seventh for the win. Jason Motte finished for his second save of the postseason.

The Cardinals gave first-year manager Mike Matheny a win against his former club.

 Matheny's crew hardly looked road weary after a cross-country trip. The Giants dropped to 0-3 at home so far during these playoffs, outscored 20-6 at AT&T Park.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Monday night. Chris Carpenter pitches for the Cardinals against Ryan Vogelsong.

This is the first time the previous two World Series winners are facing off in the postseason since the 1958 World Series between the Braves and Yankees.

Beltran's fourth-inning drive into the seats in left-center chased San Francisco starter Madison Bumgarner, who has been a far cry from the impressive pitcher he was during the 2010 World Series run.

It was Beltran's 14th career postseason home run and third this October.

Beltran spent the second half of the 2011 season with San Francisco after a trade from the Mets, but the Giants missed the playoffs last fall a year after the capturing an improbable championship. The orange towel-waving sellout crowd of 42,534 let him have it with boos at every opportunity - during pregame introductions and each time he stepped into the batter's box.

Both teams were well rested a day after a rough night of travel. The Giants barely beat the Cardinals to the Bay Area early Saturday after they were delayed three hours on the tarmac in Cincinnati on Friday night - to refuel and for a mechanical problem after waiting out the Cardinals-Nationals game to know where they were headed next.

Matheny stuck with the same winning lineup that he sent out for Game 5, and some of the same faces came through again.

Daniel Descalso, who hit a tying, two-out single in Friday's 9-7 win, added two more hits with a double.

Descalso hit a one-out double in the fourth, then rookie Pete Kozma drove him home with a double of his own. In the ninth inning Friday, Kozma followed Descalso with a go-ahead, two-run single.

 Descalso shined playing in his native Northern California. He spends his offseasons in San Francisco's Marina district.

St. Louis 18-game winner Lynn didn't allow a hit until Marco Scutaro's single to left leading off the fourth. Hunter Pence singled two outs later and Brandon Belt drove him home with a single. Gregor Blanco followed with a two-run triple, then Brandon Crawford hit an RBI double. Pinch hitter Aubrey Huff - a 2010 postseason star now in a diminished role - drew a walk to cheers of ''Aubrey! Aubrey!''

And, just like that, Lynn was done.

Bumgarner and Lynn each lasted only 3 2-3 innings. That made for a long night on both bullpens.

The pressure is now on for the Giants not to fall behind 2-0 at home again. They lost the first two games of their division series here to the Reds last weekend before winning three in a row at Cincinnati. They went 48-33 at AT&T Park this season.

Bumgarner, a 16-game winner for the NL West champs, lost Game 2 of the division series at home to the Reds exactly a week earlier.

He pitched a 1-2-3 first on Sunday but ran into trouble in the second when Yadier Molina singled on an 0-2 pitch with one out. Freese then drove a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left-center to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

 Bumgarner needed 30 pitches to get through the second, and now has a 11.25 ERA in his two postseason starts this year.

Lynn returned to the rotation for the NLCS and his first career postseason start after making four relief appearances in the division series. Matheny needed another starter after left-hander Jaime Garcia injured his left shoulder in Game 2 against the Nationals.

NOTES: Matheny caught for the Giants in 2005-06. ... Freese's two RBIs gave him 25 for his postseason career, tied with Molina for third most on the Cardinals. Albert Pujols in No. 1 with 52, while Jim Edmonds has 41. ... Both teams kept their rosters intact from the division series. ... The clubs split their season series 3-all. ... Giants assistant batting coach Joe Lefebvre took over 1B coaching duties in place of Roberto Kelly, who sustained a concussion after being hit in the head while on the field during batting practice Saturday on a ball hit by Buster Posey. ... Matheny received a nice ovation during pregame introductions. ... More fans packed the viewing portwalk outside the ballpark beneath the right-field arcade.

The former Cavs coach says the immediate success enjoyed by LeBron James and Kyrie Irving might have spoiled Cleveland fans.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter, The Plain DealerWhen it comes to rookie Dion Waiters, former Cavs coach Mike Fratello has one word for Cleveland fans: Patience.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Former Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello says Cavs fans might have a skewed view of NBA rookies after watching the development of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

"Remember, Cleveland has been spoiled twice," said Fratello, now a broadcaster with TNT and the Brooklyn Nets. "They had a kid named James here who wasn't too bad as a rookie. Then they come back with Kyrie. They were very fortunate to have two guys who came in, and both had immediate impacts in the NBA. One has gone on to be the best player in the league, the other had a tremendous first season. They were fortunate that way.

"But I think it's unfair to use that as the measuring stick."

Fratello said Cavs fans might be rushing to criticize rookie guard Dion Waiters because they have gotten used to near perfection from their high-profile rookies and forget just how long the adjustment from college to the pros can take.

Waiters, the No. 4 pick in the most recent draft, was shooting just 30.8 percent after his first two games before putting up 18 points, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range, in a victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday. That quieted some of the harping by fans, who were stunned by the pick on draft night and then discouraged when Waiters showed up for summer league out of shape because of some injuries. Waiters made his first start in Saturday's loss to Washington, but he made just 2 of 9 shots for four points, prompting another round of criticism by observers.

"They have to understand," Fratello said. "This guy's not Kyrie Irving. He's a different player, different skills, different game than Kyrie Irving. [Coach] Byron Scott will figure out how to use him best and how he can contribute. He's got to figure it out himself. Part of it's on him to figure out how he fits into the NBA game.

"Rookies are like any other person coming into any other profession. Some are able to impact immediately. Others don't find their niche, find their groove. . . . It might take them two years, three years, four years before they finally figure out how the game is played at that level, figure out what they can do best. Sometimes they come in and try to do too much and they don't have to."

Last year, it seemed as if Irving walked into training camp after the lockout, took the ball from Scott and drove straight to the Rookie of the Year award. But that's not actually the way it happened. First of all, Scott started veteran Ramon Sessions over Irving during the team's two preseason games, even though he could see Irving was going to be great.

"Kyrie is a little different," Scott said. "The kid is so talented, but if people remember his first game -- he didn't set the world on fire either at Toronto. It took him a little while to get going."

Irving had six points and seven assists, with just one turnover, in his first game at Toronto, hardly the 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals that James posted in his first game at Sacramento.

Although he seemed supremely confident from the start, Irving has revealed that wasn't always the case.

"Something I struggled with last year in the beginning of my rookie year was just trusting my instincts," said Irving, who credited Sessions with easing his transition. "That's what got me to the NBA -- trusting my instincts on both ends of the floor and playing my game."

Coaches look at every rookie individually.

"Every other rookie is different," Scott said. "It depends on the rookie. How fast can he grasp everything that you're doing offensively and defensively? The more comfortable they get, the quicker it comes. But sometimes it takes some of those guys a little bit longer than others. I don't think you can ever put a time frame on it. You just want to see them progressively get better as the season goes along."

Said Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau: "For rookies, it's early. You don't want to cast a judgment after a summer league or a preseason game. I think the big thing is, when a guy does come into the league, there's a big learning curve. He has to learn his system. He has to learn his teammates. He has to learn the league. But most importantly, he's got to learn how to be a pro. Once you've done those things and you start practicing well, you usually will play well. But those are the characteristics that you're looking for so somebody can develop."

Just because a rookie starts slowly doesn't mean he won't succeed. Fratello recalled that Doc Rivers didn't start for half his rookie year, but he played 13 years in the league and became an All-Star.

Thibodeau didn't have Yao Ming, Rajon Rondo or Derrick Rose in their rookie seasons, but he coached each early in their careers.

"The one common trait with all of those guys was not only their talent but their drive and their intelligence and their mental toughness," he said. "It's funny. When you look back, there wasn't just one day where you walked in and said, 'Wow. They're so much better.' It was incremental, where it was a little bit each day, and then you looked back and you realized, 'Wow, they're a lot better than what they were a year ago.'

"That's where you can never lose sight. The magic's in the work. Guys who are committed to come in every day and can do it day after day and not get bored with it and grind away, those are the ones that improve."

Scott is confident Waiters will do just that.

"He's going to have his ups and downs," the coach said. "He's a 20-year-old rookie. That's just basketball. That's the NBA. There's only a few players who have been rookies who've come into this league and set it on fire from start to finish.

"People have just got to relax and give the man some time. Be patient. He's going to be all right."

St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants NL Championship Series game, and Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers in the NFL.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV and radio sports listings

BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

8 p.m. National League, Game 2, St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants, WJW 

NFL

8:30 p.m. Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers, ESPN 

The Colts lost to the Jets, 35-9, a week after earning an upset win over the Packers. Links to stories on the Colts, who host the Browns on Sunday.

Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck is sacked by Jets defensive end Quinton Coples (98) during the Colts' 35-9 loss at New York on Sunday. Associated Press

PASS OFFENSE

GRADE: C

Here's when you knew this wasn't going to be the Colts' or Andrew Luck's day: When Luck overthrew Coby Fleener in the end zone for what should have been an easy touchdown. Luck has been really good this year, but Sunday, he looked every bit the rookie. Somebody has got to explain to me why the Colts don't go no-huddle more frequently. All they do is score points when they push the pace. But they only did it once Sunday; at least, that's my recollection. Two interceptions and four sacks isn't going to cut it. The protection was good in the first half, but once the score started getting away, the Jets teed off.

Vikings, 49ers, Patriots are also upset in Week 6 of the NFL.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jason Hanson kicked a 45-yard field goal in overtime and the Detroit Lions rallied from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 26-23 on Sunday.

Held in check most of the game, Matthew Stafford led Detroit to 17 points in the fourth quarter. He threw a TD pass and ran for a score.

Detroit had two shots from the Eagles 1 after a pass interference penalty on Colt Anderson with 13 seconds left in regulation. But Stafford misfired on both passes and Hanson kicked a 19-yard field goal to send it to overtime.

The Lions (2-3) sacked Michael Vick on the first two plays of the extra quarter, forced a punt out of the end zone and started at midfield.

Stafford hit Calvin Johnson for a 17-yard gain to the Eagles 27 on first-and-20. A few plays later, Hanson nailed the game-winner.

The Eagles (3-3) head into their bye week with two straight losses.

PACKERS 42, TEXANS 24

HOUSTON (AP) — Aaron Rodgers set a career high and tied a franchise record with six touchdown passes, three to Jordy Nelson, and Green Bay routed previously unbeaten Houston.

James Jones caught two touchdown passes for the Packers (3-3). Tom Crabtree had the other one, a 48-yarder that Rodgers threw just before taking a hit from Houston linebacker Brooks Reed.

Rodgers completed 24 of 37 passes for 338 yards. He tied Matt Flynn's game record for TD passes, set in last year's regular-season finale against Detroit.

The Texans (5-1) came in with the league's third-ranked defense. Arian Foster scored two touchdowns for Houston.

REDSKINS 38, VIKINGS 26

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Robert Griffin III ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns, including a 76-yard scamper with 2:43 to play, and Washington snapped an eight-game home losing streak.

One week after he left the game early with his first NFL concussion, Griffin also completed 17 of 22 passes for 182 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

The Redskins (3-3) feasted on a Minnesota team that had not allowed more than 23 points in a game this season. Minnesota's three-game winning streak ended. The Vikings are 4-2.

Minnesota held an early 9-0 lead but paid the price for getting field goals instead of touchdowns in the red zone.

Christian Ponder completed 35 of 52 passes for 352 yards.

SEAHAWKS 24, PATRIOTS 23

SEATTLE (AP) — Russell Wilson found Sidney Rice behind the secondary for a 46-yard touchdown with 1:18 remaining, and Seattle rallied for 14 points in the final 7:31.

The matchup between the Patriots' No. 1 ranked offense and Seattle's No. 1 defense instead turned in to a starring performance for Wilson — and a shocking rally.

Wilson hit Braylon Edwards on fourth down for a 10-yard TD to get the Seahawks' within 23-17. After a pair of holds by Seattle's defense, Wilson found Rice open on a double move. Steven Hauschka's extra point gave Seattle the lead.

Tom Brady and the Patriots (3-3) were then stopped on fourth down at their 28 when Wes Welker came up 2 yards short, and the Seahawks (4-2) were able to celebrate the unlikely comeback.

FALCONS 23, RAIDERS 20

ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Bryant kicked his second game-winning field goal in three weeks, a 55-yarder with 1 second remaining.

Overcoming Matt Ryan's three interceptions, the Falcons (6-0) extended the best start in franchise history. But it wasn't easy against the pesky Raiders (1-4).

Atlanta pulled ahead when Asante Samuel returned an interception 79 yards for a touchdown with 2:40 remaining, only to wind up tied again when Carson Palmer led Oakland down the field for a tying score. Darren McFadden powered in from the 2 with 40 seconds left.

That was just enough time for Ryan and Bryant to pull off another fourth-quarter victory. Ryan completed four passes to set up the winning kick.

BILLS 19, CARDINALS 16 OT

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jairus Byrd's second interception of the game set up Rian Lindell's 25-yard field goal 3:50 into overtime.

The loss ended Arizona's eight-game home winning streak.

Byrd picked off a pass from John Skelton, who had replaced the injured Kevin Kolb, and returned it 29 yards to the Arizona 6 to set up the winning kick.

Arizona's Jay Feely kicked a franchise-record 61-yard field goal with 1:09 left in regulation to tie it 16-16, but his 38-yard attempt to win it as the fourth quarter ended careened off the left upright. Feely says someone tipped the attempt.

The Cardinals (4-2) lost their second in a row after a 4-0 start. The Bills (3-3) won after allowing 1,201 yards and 97 points in their previous two games.

GIANTS 26, 49ERS 3

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Antrel Rolle intercepted two passes by Alex Smith, Prince Amukamara picked off another for New York in a rematch of last season's NFC championship game.

After outscoring the Bills and Jets by a combined 79-3 the last two weeks, the 49ers (4-2) met their match again with Eli Manning and New York's top team. No overtime needed this time, and not much of Manning either.

Manning threw for 193 yards and one touchdown, Ahmad Bradshaw ran for 116 yards and a score and the Giants (4-2) rode a dominant defense and four field goals by Lawrence Tynes to hand outspoken 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh the most lopsided loss of his tenure.

RAVENS 31, COWBOYS 29

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jacoby Jones tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff return and Baltimore won its 14th straight regular-season home game

Dallas ran for 227 yards, most ever against the Ravens, and totaled 481 yards offense. But the Cowboys (2-3) missed a 2-point conversion after closing to two points with 32 seconds left.

Dallas recovered the onside kick, and Dan Bailey was wide left on a 51-yard field goal try with 6 seconds left.

Ray Rice scored two touchdowns and Joe Flacco threw for a score to help the Ravens (5-1) secure their fourth consecutive victory and enhance their grip on first place in the AFC North. Baltimore's home winning streak is the longest current run in the NFL.

BUCCANEERS 38, CHIEFS 10

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Josh Freeman threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns and Ronde Barber scored on a 78-yard interception return.

Freeman teamed with Mike Williams on a 62-yard scoring play in the first quarter and threw TD passes of 19 and 17 yards to Vincent Jackson in the second half as the Bucs (2-3) stopped a three-game losing streak.

The Bucs intercepted Brady Quinn — starting for the Matt Cassel (concussion) — twice in the Kansas City quarterback's first start in nearly three years. They also limited NFL rushing leader Jamaal Charles to 40 yards on 12 carries.

BROWNS 34, BENGALS 24

CLEVELAND (AP) — Rookie Brandon Weeden threw two touchdown passes and Cleveland snapped an 11-game losing streak that dated to last season.

Cleveland had not won since Nov. 20, matching a franchise record for consecutive losses. But for the first time this season everything fell into place for the Browns (1-5).

Montario Hardesty, filling in for injured rookie Trent Richardson, scored on a 1-yard plunge and cornerback Sheldon Brown intercepted Andy Dalton and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Browns outscored the Bengals (3-3) in the second half 27-10.

JETS 35, COLTS 9

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Shonn Greene ran for a career-high 161 yards and three touchdowns, Mark Sanchez was efficient and Tim Tebow made a few big plays.

Even the Jets' maligned defense was able to shut down Andrew Luck and the Colts' offense as New York snapped a two-game losing streak that had many wondering if the season was about to spiral out of control.

For a week, at least, Sanchez was in total control and the Jets (3-3) had their best overall performance — save for a handful of personal foul penalties — since an opening-week rout of Buffalo.

Indianapolis (2-3) trailed 21-6 at halftime and couldn't erase a big deficit for the second straight week after coming back from 18 points and beating Green Bay last Sunday.

DOLPHINS 17, RAMS 14

MIAMI (AP) — Ryan Tannehill threw two touchdown passes and Miami withstood a late rally.

The Rams faced a fourth-and-8 at the Miami 48-yard line with 30 seconds left, and rather than go for a first down, coach Jeff Fisher sent out rookie Greg Zuerlein to try a 66-yard field goal, which missed wide left.

Zuerlein made two field goals to improve to 15 for 15 this season, but then missed three times in a row, including from 48 and 32 yards in the first half.

The Rams outgained the Dolphins 461-209.

Both teams are 3-3. Fisher lost to the team that courted him in January, when he chose the Rams job instead.

The Browns play at Indianapolis on Sunday. Cleveland is 1-5 after getting its first win of the season, over the Bengals. The Colts are 2-3 after losing big to the Jets.

The Browns' Josh Cribbs (16) with the football during Cleveland's 27-19 win over the Colts on Sept. 18, 2011 in Indianapolis. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns, seeking a second straight win after opening the season with five losses, visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

The teams' most recent meeting was last Sept. 18, when the Browns won at Indianapolis, 27-19.

Much has changed for both teams since. After all, the Browns finished the 2011 season 4-12; the Colts, 2-14.

The teams are led on offense by quarterbacks selected in the first round of last April's draft: the Colts' Andrew Luck, who was the first overall pick, and the Browns' Brandon Weeden, selected at No. 22.

When the Browns defeated the Colts last season, their quarterback was Colt McCoy, now Weeden's backup. At QB for Indianapolis was Kerry Collins, who, at age 38, had been lured out of retirement in what proved to be a futile attempt to replace injured star Peyton Manning, who is now with the Denver Broncos.

Indianapolis (2-3) was routed, 35-9, by the Jets in New York on Sunday. It was a disappointing effort, especially considering that the Colts had posted a 30-27 upset win over the Green Bay Packers on Oct. 7 in Indianapolis.

The Colts opened their season with a 41-21 loss to the Bears in Chicago, then won their home opener, 23-20, over the Minnesota Vikings. Indianapolis then lost at home, 22-17, to the Jacksonville Jaguars, then had its bye week in Week 4.

The Browns snapped an 11-game losing streak, dating to last season, with their 34-24 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at Browns Stadium.

Cleveland opened the season with a 17-16 loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles. Then, the Browns lost, 34-27, at Cincinnati; 24-14 to the Buffalo Bills in Cleveland; 23-16 to the Ravens in Baltimore; 41-27 to the Giants in New York.

"Nice win, good to see Haden back. Good to see Hardesty not fumble and look healty. Good to see Gordon coming along and start to become our #1 WR, or at least a deep threat." - Kevin Scott

Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur, right, hugs cornerback Joe Haden (23) as quarterback Brandon Weeden, left, watches in the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 14, 2012, in Cleveland. AP Photo/Tony Dejak

"Nice win, good to see Haden back. Good to see Hardesty not fumble and look healty. Good to see Gordon coming along and start to become our #1 WR, or at least a deep threat."

Earnest Byner rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown and caught one of Bernie Kosar's three TD passes, setting up a Browns-Broncos AFC title game rematch the next week in Denver.

Wide receiver Reggie Langhorne, here in a 1989 photo, caught a 39-yard touchdown pass from Bernie Kosar during the Browns' 38-21 playoff game win over the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 9, 1988. Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns play the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday.

The Browns are 1-5; the Colts, 2-3.

The Browns and Colts have a big-game history between them, although the bulk of it occurred when the Colts played in Baltimore. The teams have another connection. The Colts, who joined the NFL in 1953, moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis following the 1983 campaign. Baltimore was then without a franchise until 1996, until the original Browns were moved by then-owner Art Modell from Cleveland to Baltimore -- becoming known as the Ravens -- following the 1995 season.

In the teams' all-time regular season series, the Browns have 14 wins to the Colts' 12. The Browns were 9-3 against the Baltimore Colts during the regular season, and are 5-9 against the Indianapolis Colts. That includes a 1-5 record for the Browns since they re-joined the NFL as a franchise in 1999.

Cleveland.com features the Browns History Database, which includes Plain Dealer game stories on nearly every Browns regular season and playoff game from 1946 through 2011. Click here for links to stories on the games between the Browns and Baltimore Colts, and click here for stories on the Browns-Indianapolis Colts games.

(Click onto the following game scores for Plain Dealer stories on those specific games)

The most recent meeting between the teams was last Sept. 18 in Indianapolis, when the Browns defeated the Colts, 27-19.

The Browns and Colts have met in the postseason four times -- the first three times when the Colts were located in Baltimore. All four games were played at Cleveland Stadium.

The Browns stunned the favored Colts, 27-0, to win their last championship, on Dec. 27, 1964. Then, on Dec. 29, 1968, Baltimore won the NFL title game, routing the Browns, 34-0. The Colts were then upset by the New York Jets, 16-7, in what was the third Super Bowl. Prior to that, Baltimore's only loss that season was to the Browns, 30-20, on Oct. 20 in Baltimore.

As part of the merger between the National Football League and the American Football League, the Browns, Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers moved from what would become known as the National Football Conference to the newly-named American Football Conference for the 1970 season.

Baltimore, which had won the 1970 season Super Bowl, earned a 20-3 playoff game win over the Browns on Dec. 26, 1971. Earlier that season, on Sept. 26 in Baltimore, the Browns had defeated the Colts, 14-13.

The 1987 NFL season was rocked by a players' strike which reduced the 16-game schedule to 15 games. However, the games played in three of those weeks featured team rosters comprised mostly of "replacement players," as owners stocked their teams mostly with players who hadn't previously played in the NFL and who, with some exceptions, wouldn't again after the strike had ended.

Several weeks after the players and owners reached a settlement, the Indianapolis Colts visited Cleveland and left with a 9-7 win, jeopardizing the Browns' playoff hopes. 

The Browns, though, rallied to win their last three games and clinch their third straight AFC Central Division title. Then, on Jan. 9, 1988, the host Browns defeated the East Division champion Colts, 38-21.

Eight days later, of course, the Browns would sustain a second straight devastating AFC championship game loss to the Broncos, 38-33, in Denver.

The Plain Dealer game story on the Browns' 38-21 playoff win over the Colts began:

Sixty minutes of football - and a victory - separate the Browns from their first Super Bowl appearance.

Again.

Yet, after turning back the stubborn Indianapolis Colts, 38-21, to reach the AFC Championship Game for the second season in a row, the Browns did little celebrating in their dressing room.

"It was no big deal," said linebacker Eddie Johnson, who chewed out his defensive teammates at halftime. "There was some barking, but basically it was very relaxed. We expected to be here."

Linebacker Clay Matthews described the post-game atmosphere as "reserved." Tight end Ozzie Newsome, whose 65 yards led nine Cleveland receivers, said the celebration "wasn't half as big as it was last year."

The Browns will learn who stands in their way to Super Bowl XXII in San Diego this afternoon.

If Denver beats the Houston Oilers, the Browns will play the Broncos in Denver Sunday in the long-awaited rematch of last year's AFC title game. If the Oilers pull the upset, they will come to the Stadium.

"I'd like to play at home," said coach Marty Schottenheimer, "but if we have to go on the road, so be it."