Geoff Walker scores Lake Erie's only goal as Monsters split two games in Charlotte.

Geoff Walker scored the Monsters only goal. Lake Erie Monsters  

Geoff Walker scored a second-period goal for Lake Erie, but the Checkers found the net three times in the period in topping the Monsters, 5-1, in American Hockey League play Friday in Charlotte, N.C.

Brett Sutter, Sean Dolan and Justin Krueger each scored in the second for the Checkers. Jerome Samson and Drayson Bowman also tacked on third-period goals for Charlotte.

Mike Connolly and Mark Olver each notched as assist for Lake Erie.

Monsters goalie Sami Aittokallio made 30 saves.

Checkers goalie Dan Ellis recorded 36 saves.

Varejao has 14 rebounds and four points, while Kevin Love leads Minnesota with a double double of his own with 36 points and 13 rebounds.

Kevin Love of the Timberwolves slams home two of his 36 points Friday night. Jim Mone, Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota --

Anderson Varejao was not the least bit upset that his double-double streak ended at 10, one short of the team record, in a 91-73 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at Target Center.

"I'm not playing for that, I'm playing for the team," Varejao said. "That just happened."

It was fun to watch while it lasted, though. Varejao finished with 14 rebounds and four points on Friday, which also snapped his streak of games with 15 or more rebounds at 10.

"Andy was running on fumes a little tonight," Cavs coach Bryon Scott said after his team dropped its fourth straight to fall to 4-16. "He just didn't look like his old self. He might be getting a little tired, but we don't have much time to be saddened by it. We've got another one [Saturday night against Detroit]."

With Varejao struggling to score, and the Cavs without their starting backcourt of Kyrie Irving (fractured left index finger) and Dion Waiters (sprained left ankle) for the third straight game, offense was at a premium. The 73 points was a season low, and the 34.5 shooting percentage was the third straight game in which the Cavs shot under 37 percent. It also was a season-low for a Timberwolves opponent.

Conversely, Kevin Love had a monster game for the Wolves, who improved to 9-9. Love had 36 points -- a season-high for a Cavs opponent -- and 13 rebounds. He also made life tough inside for all the Cavs, not just Varejao, who made just 2 of 10 shots.

"He has a good presence in the paint," Varejao said. "He knows where to be on defense every time. Every time you drive, every time you set a pick and roll, it feels like there's five guys around you. It's tough. I just think tonight, especially at the end of the third and in the fourth quarter, they played smarter than us, and they started the game better than us, too."

Scott stuck with Jeremy Pargo in place of Irving and Daniel Gibson in place of Waiters. That group fell behind against Chicago after the first quarter on Wednesday, 27-11, and fell behind Minnesota after the first quarter on Friday, 25-16.

Love had 15 points and four rebounds in the first quarter, but with him on the bench, the Cavs' reserves mounted a charge, closing to 27-26 after back-to-back 3-pointers by Gibson and Omri Casspi midway through the second quarter. The Cavs also got a little boost from undrafted rookie Kevin Jones, who was called up from the Cavs DLeague team in Canton on Tuesday and made his NBA debut on Friday. He turned an offensive rebound into a layup for his first basket with 10:36 left in the second quarter, but by halftime, the Cavs were trailing again, 44-37.

Alonzo Gee, who finished with 16 points, put together his own highlight reel with eight points in the third quarter on a variety of dunks that had the crowd oohing and aahing, but Cleveland was still trailing heading into the fourth quarter, 66-57.

Nothing could make up for a 53-41 deficit on the boards an a 35-9 difference in free throw attempts.

"I'm trying to figure out a way to say this without getting fined," Scott said. "It was that bad. I understand that we're playing in Minnesota but we went to the basket just as much as they did. I think we had 38 attempts in the paint to their 34, and we get nine free throws. I think that speaks for itself."

A victory Sunday at home against Dallas would give the Cincinnati Bengals a fifth straight win.

After Reggie Nelson's late interception allowed Vontaze Burfict and the rest of the Bengals to celebrate last week's victory in San Diego, Cincinnati has a chance to claim a five-game winning streak with today's home game against Dallas. Denis Poroy, Associated Press  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The hottest team in the AFC North is no longer the Baltimore Ravens or Pittsburgh Steelers.

A victory Sunday at home against Dallas would give the Cincinnati Bengals a fifth straight win and keep them in control of their destiny for securing a second straight playoff berth for the first time in three decades.

The Bengals (7-5) used a five-game winning streak to reach the postseason a year ago. If they make it this time, the Bengals will have earned it with games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore to close the season. Cincinnati is 0-6 against the division's top two teams since the start of last season.

"This team is getting better each week," receiver A.J. Green told reporters in Cincinnati. "A lot of people said it was out of our reach to make the playoffs, but I feel like we have momentum on our side coming down the home stretch of the season."

The Bengals are starting to get production on the ground as BenJarvus Green-Ellis has become the first Cincinnati halfback to record three straight 100-yard games since Corey Dillon in 1999. Andy Dalton has recovered from his midseason funk to total 24 touchdowns, fifth most in the NFL.

The club also is improving rapidly on defense behind tackle Geno Atkins. The Bengals have allowed just 10.5 points during their win streak. They face a desperate opponent in the Cowboys (6-6) who also are fighting for a playoff spot. Dallas has won four of its last five and getting good play from quarterback Tony Romo.

Ravens hope to rebound: Unable to beat Pittsburgh backup Charlie Batch, the Ravens now must try to corral Robert Griffin III. Doing so on the road will secure a playoff spot for Baltimore for a fifth straight season.

The Ravens (9-3) saw their 15-game home unbeaten streak ended by Batch and the Steelers last week in a 23-20 loss. The Baltimore defense must be sharper against the dual threat Griffin possesses. He just broke Cam Newton's single-season record for rushing yards by a rookie quarterback. Griffin isn't the Redskins most dangerous rookie runner, however. Redskins halfback Alfred Morris is over 1,000 yards.

The Ravens have won three of their four meetings with Washington, including the last one in 2008.

Big Ben back: AFC North teams love them some San Diego Chargers. The Browns, Ravens and Bengals already have beaten sinking San Diego. The Steelers (7-5) go for the sweep, a mission bolstered by the return of Ben Roethlisberger.

A week after snapping the Ravens' home winning streak, the Steelers try to start one of their own as they host San Diego, Cincinnati and Cleveland over their last four games. The Steelers are hoping the home fans and return of Roethlisberger can get them into the postseason.

The starting quarterback missed the last three games with a sprained shoulder and a dislocated rib. The Steelers went 1-2 in that span.

"He looks like himself for the most part," offensive coordinator Todd Haley told reporters. "Now I don't know what he's feeling when he's doing some of those things. But it looks like he's moving around pretty good."

The Steelers are 14-0 all-time at home in regular-season games against the Chargers. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it's the best home record for any NFL team versus an opponent in NFL history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Mount Union, ranked No.1 in the country, will face No.3 St. Thomas Friday at 7 p.m. in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl in Salem, Va.

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- When you play college football at Mount Union, the bar is set high. That's what happens at the holder of 10 national titles, a participant in the national semifinals 18 consecutive years.

Since 1989 only one recruiting class has failed to win a national title -- this year's seniors. Saturday that group came dangerously close to losing their chance, trailing by two touchdowns entering the fourth quarter against Mary Hardin-Baylor in the NCAA Div. III national semifinal.

But in true Mount Union fashion, the host Purple Raiders dug deep and scored 34 points in the final period -- 13 in the final five seconds -- to pull out a 48-35 victory and earn a spot in Friday's Stagg Bowl in Salem, Virginia.

• NCAA official video highlights | MH-Baylor vs. Mount Union stats

Mount Union, ranked No.1 in the country, will face No.3 St. Thomas at 7 p.m. in the championship game.

"I came to Mount Union for one reason, and that's to win a national championship," said All-American safety Nick Driscoll, who was all over the field and registered a game-high 19 tackles. "I haven't done that yet, so I'm thankful to still have the opportunity."

Jake Simon scored on a 12-yard run with five seconds left and Matt Fechko returned a fumble for a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff as the Purple Raiders won a wild matchup of No.1 versus No.2.

Every point for Mary Hardin-Baylor followed a Mount Union turnover, as the Raiders uncharacteristically lost three fumbles and two interceptions. The Crusaders didn't turn the ball over.

But the Raiders never gave up.

"There's a tendency to say, 'It's not our game,' 'It's not our year,'" said sophomore quarterback Kevin Burke, a St. Edward grad. "But that's not how we play. Being around these guys you figure out pretty quickly that we're not ever going to give up."

Burke drove Mount Union down the field to its winning score, overcoming a horrible third quarter that saw him complete just one of seven attempts while also throwing an interception returned for a touchdown.

A key play in the winning drive was a 25-yard strike across the middle to Junior Collins, who had 11 receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns. It was the fifth consecutive game of at least 100 yards receiving for Collins, who has a national record 11 touchdowns in Mount's four playoff games.

Collins' 25-yard reception brought the ball to the Crusaders' 27 with just 37 seconds left. Burke gained another 15 yards to the 12, and on the next play the Raiders ran an option play up the middle to Simon, appearing to catch the Crusaders off guard. Simon, who only carried the ball four times, broke through untouched.

"It was a play we consistently called all game, and it was stopped many times," said Mount Union coach Larry Kehres. "But that time it was a hit."

Despite his rough third quarter, Burke led the way for Mount Union. He completed 20 of 33 passes for 268 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also led the team with 89 yards rushing in 18 attempts.

Joe Magill is a free-lance writer based in Cleveland.

The Buckeyes (6-1) built a 42-point lead before experimenting with different lineup combinations in the second half.

Long Beach State's Mike Caffey finds he can't get around Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft during the first half of the Buckeyes' win Saturday in Columbus. Paul Vernon, Associated Press  

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Thad Matta loves having a different leading scorer every game. He said it again after Saturday's easy 89-55 win over Long Beach State, and he's been saying it for nine seasons as Ohio State's coach.

This year, most games, he's going to know otherwise.

Deshaun Thomas led the Buckeyes with 18 points, the fifth time in seven games he's carried the scoring for No. 7 Ohio State (6-1). What continues to be worked out during nonconference play is who will help Thomas and how the Buckeyes will react when Thomas is cold.

Because they can't afford to have Thomas stop shooting. He probably couldn't stop himself if he tried.

"Even if Deshaun struggles early, initially it's our job to make sure he sticks with us, because if he struggles early that means we can't struggle early as well," starting guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. said.

The Buckeyes are invested in keeping Thomas on track because the junior admitted he can get down when he misses shots. Aaron Craft reminded him Saturday to keep firing after a 3-pointer spun out, and Thomas said he appreciated a teammate having his back.

Against Long Beach State, Thomas was 3-of-10 in the first half, then 4-of-6 in the second, finishing 7-of-16 for those 18 points in 28 minutes. Thomas thought in the first half Long Beach State (3-6) overplayed him, as many teams have. In the second half the shots made earlier by other Buckeyes forced the 49ers into more honest defense that gave Thomas more room to work.

That's a dynamic that will be in place all season.

"It changes a lot," Thomas said. "Guys are hugging up on me, and they won't leave me, but if we drive the ball ... they have to help if other guys are scoring 10 or 12 points a game. It frees me up a lot. And it helps this team a lot.

"Last year, teams were double-teaming on Sully and left me wide open. So if people keep doing that this year, there won't be anybody hugging up on people."

Ah, invoking Sully. The presence of former All-American and NBA rookie Jared Sullinger continues to be missed inside (big men Evan Ravenel, Amir Williams and Trey McDonald combined for 13 points, eight rebounds and nine fouls in 40 minutes). And the Buckeyes are still using Sullinger as a reference point.

"Jared was willing initially to kick us the ball, so it wasn't as tough last year as it is this year because DT feels like he can't be stopped even if there's people on him," Smith said.

"That mentality is great with me. But Sully recognized if there were two people on him, Sully was kicking it out. With Deshaun it's like, 'Come on, man, they're guarding you, please pass us the ball and we'll get it back to you.'

"But he's developing and he's becoming that type of player. Once we get him rolling and get him established as that type of player, we're going to be a scary team."

At the moment, Thomas is still the kind of player who offered a huge arm pump when he swung the ball to Craft in the corner for an open 3-pointer. They are more frequent than they used to be, but assists still aren't the norm for Thomas.

When he said he wouldn't have made that pass to Craft as freshman two years ago, Smith interjected with a laugh that Thomas wouldn't have made the pass last week.

But while LaQuinton Ross scored 16 points off the bench Saturday, Smith added 14 and Sam Thompson scored 13, the Buckeyes would never want Thomas to lose his Deshaun-ness. They can't ever afford to take away his confidence, or pretend that just rebounding and good defense from Thomas will get them through.

Thomas needs help. More scoring options will make him better. But he still has to be the No. 1 guy. He entered Saturday's game tied for 13th in the nation, averaging 21 points. He was asked if that scoring average was about where it needed to be, and seemed to think it was about right.

"I think I've fine where I'm at," Thomas said. "It'd be nice to be averaging 25 or 26 points, but if you're losing and not giving the effort, that's bad. But if you're averaging 21 and the effort is there and your teammates are scoring and everyone is playing well, I'm happy with that."

Like so many other young QB who have passed through these parts since 1999, Quinn got caught up in the Browns' revolving door of coaches and GMs.

"There's maybe only six guys, seven guys that I was with three years ago," Chiefs QB Brady Quinn says about coming back to Cleveland as a starting QB on Sunday. "I loved the guys on the team, my teammates. The fans there were amazing. I had such a wonderful time." Ed Zurga, Associated Press  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Brady Quinn returns Sunday to Cleveland Browns Stadium, where he was in much the same position as Brandon Weeden five years ago.

The Kansas City QB, who became the AFC Offensive Player of the Week following his emotional 27-21 victory over the Panthers, was the 22nd pick in the 2007 draft, as Weeden was in April. Like Weeden, Quinn had every intention of leading the Browns back to their championship ways. He even had something Weeden didn't have -- a Browns pedigree from growing up a lifelong fan in Columbus.

But like so many other young quarterbacks who have passed through these parts since 1999, Quinn got caught up in the revolving door of coaches and GMs, and never got much of a chance.

Drafted by Phil Savage and coached by Romeo Crennel here, Quinn largely sat behind Derek Anderson and then went 2-7 in his most extensive action in 2009, when Eric Mangini was head coach.

In 2010, when Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert came in, they traded him to Denver for Peyton Hillis and a late-round draft pick. He went down in history as yet another first-round failure.

But was he a bust? Or was it just the Cleveland curse?

"You know, I don't know [if I got a fair shot]," he said on a conference call this week. "You wish you'd have a little more stability. There's maybe only six guys, seven guys that I was with three years ago. It's just a tough scenario when you've got so many moving parts."

Despite at turbulent three years, Quinn reflects fondly on his days in Cleveland -- from his public draft-day tumble to the moment he got the call he was traded. In between, he went 3-9 for a team that stumbled to 4-12 in 2008 and 5-11 in 2009 before Mangini was fired.

"It definitely feels like it's been a long time," said Quinn. "I felt very blessed and I was thankful for the opportunity. I loved the guys on the team, my teammates. The fans there were amazing. I had such a wonderful time.

"That's why I think when I got the call that I was being traded, I was just kind of shocked to be honest with you. But that's part of life, right? You're going to get thrown curve balls here and there and you've got to adjust and move onto the next thing."

Quinn, 28, is coming off one of the best games of his career, which took place a day after Chiefs LB Jovan Belcher murdered the mother of his three-month-old daughter and then turned the gun on himself in front of Crennel and GM Scott Pioli. Quinn completed 19 of 23 attempts for 201 yards and two touchdowns to set a single-game Chiefs record 82.6 completion percentage. His 132.1 QB rating was second only to his 133.1 as a Brown vs. Detroit in 2009.

Still, it was only the Chiefs' second victory of the season.

"I don't know if there is really a way to sum [the victory] up," said Quinn, who's started the past two games for the Chiefs after replacing Matt Cassel. "Based on everything that's happened, my thoughts and concerns were just trying to focus and do the best I can during the game while I was playing."

He acknowledged that he comes to town a better quarterback despite limited chances in Denver, including sitting behind Tim Tebow.

"Anytime you get more game experience, you're going to continue to grow and become more comfortable," he said. "I've also been through so many different offenses and coaching changes and scenarios that at this point, I feel like I can do a decent job of adjusting to pretty much anything."

Crennel also believed in Cleveland that Quinn had potential.

"He was still growing and still learning ... and then he got moved," said Crennel. "Now he's in the starting position and he did a really good job. So we'll see if he can do another good job."

The day Quinn was drafted, his former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who worked with Crennel in New England, predicted that Quinn would be an elite NFL quarterback.

"Charlie still feels that way, as a matter of fact," said Crennel. "Charlie knows exactly what his strong points are and was able to get the most out of him and that's what we're trying to do here as well."

The few Browns who were teammates of Quinn feel he didn't get a fair shake.

"He had all the skills and all the attributes, no question," said left tackle Joe Thomas. "It was a shame that he never fully got his opportunity to show that he could be the starter, and I'm really excited and proud that he's getting the opportunity in Kansas City right now. He was awesome last week."

Thomas acknowledged the black hole for young QBs that the Browns franchise has been.

"When a new staff comes in, they've got their own plans," said Thomas. "He just had some bad luck when he was here."

Said Josh Cribbs: "Brady is a gamer. He shows up in the game. He's sort of like a Tebow. When the lights cut on, he makes good plays. He doesn't always show it in practice, but he comes to play. He showed it at Notre Dame and he's showing it in the NFL."

Quinn knows he'll be hit with a wave of nostalgia Sunday, but hopes to build on last week's victory.

"Things never go the way you expect them to in life," he said. "This league, it's such a roller coaster ride no matter who you are that you've just got to continue to try to get better every day and focus on the task at hand."

The Browns' newest No. 22 pick echoes those sentiments.

On Twitter: @marykaycabot

A few days after turning 20, Manziel became the most inexperienced player to win the Heisman.

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy Saturday night. AP file  

NEW YORK -- Johnny Football just got himself a way cooler nickname: Johnny Heisman.

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, taking college football's top individual prize Saturday night after a record-breaking debut.

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o finished a distant second and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein was third in the voting. In a Heisman race with two nontraditional candidates, Manziel broke through the class barrier and kept Te'o from becoming the first purely defensive player to win the award.

Manziel drew 474 first-place votes and 2,029 points from the panel of media members and former winners.

"I have been dreaming about this since I was a kid, running around the backyard pretending I was Doug Flutie, throwing Hail Marys to my dad," he said after hugging his parents and kid sister.

Manziel seemed incredibly calm after his name was announced, hardly resembling the guy who dashes around the football field on Saturday. He simply bowed his head, and later gave the trophy a quick kiss.

"I wish my whole team could be up here with me," he said with a wide smile.

Te'o had 321 first-place votes and 1,706 points and Klein received 60 firsts and 894 points.

Just a few days after turning 20, Manziel proved times have truly changed in college football, and that experience can be really overrated.

For years, seniors dominated the award named after John Heisman, the pioneering Georgia Tech coach from the early 1900s. In the 1980s, juniors started becoming common winners. Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win it in 2007, and two more won it in the next two seasons.

Adrian Peterson had come closest as a freshman, finishing second to Southern California quarterback Matt Leinart in 2004. But it took 78 years for a newbie to take home the big bronze statue. Johnny Football really can do it all.

Peterson was a true freshman for Oklahoma. As a redshirt freshmen, Manziel attended school and practiced with the team last year, but did not play in any games. He's the second player from Texas A&M to win the Heisman, joining John David Crow from 1957, and did so without the slightest hint of preseason hype. Manziel didn't even win the starting job until two weeks before the season.

Who needs hype when you can fill-up a highlight reel the way Manziel can?

With daring runs and elusive improvisation, Manziel broke 2010 Heisman winner Cam Netwon's Southeastern Conference record with 4,600 total yards, led the Aggies to a 10-2 in their first season in the SEC and orchestrated an upset at then-No. 1 Alabama in November that stamped him as legit.

He has thrown for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns and run for 1,181 yards and 19 more scores to become the first freshman, first SEC player and fifth player overall to throw for 3,000 yards and run for 1,000 in a season.

Manziel has one more game this season, when the No. 10 Aggies play Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 4.

The resume alone fails to capture the Johnny Football phenomena. At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Manziel is master of the unexpected, darting here and there, turning plays seemingly doomed to failure into touchdowns.

Take, for example, what he did in the first quarter against the Crimson Tide. Manziel took a shotgun snap, stepped up in the pocket as if he was about to take off on another made scramble and ran into the back a lineman. On impact, Manziel bobbled the ball, caught it with his back to the line of scrimmage, turned, rolled the opposite direction and fired a touchdown pass -- throwing across his body -- to a wide-open receiver.

He might as well have been back in Kerrville, Texas, where he became a hill country star in high school.

Manziel thought he was going to be the next Derek Jeter -- hence the No. 2 he wears. Instead he became the biggest star football star in College Station since Crow won the Heisman.

His road to stardom was anything but a clear path.

Manziel competed with two other quarterbacks to replace Ryan Tannehill as the starter this season, the Aggies' first in the SEC and first under coach Kevin Sumlin.

Manziel came out of spring practice as the backup, and went to work with a private quarterback coach in the summer to better his chances of winning the job in the preseason.

It worked, but still nobody was hailing Manziel is the next big thing.

Then he started playing and the numbers started piling up.

He had 557 total yards against Arkansas, 576 vs. Louisiana Tech and 440 against Mississippi State.

He also had some struggles against Florida in the season opener and in a home loss to LSU. The question was: Could Johnny Football do his thing against a top-notch opponent?

The answer came in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Nov. 10. Going into the matchup against the Crimson Tide, Manziel said he and his teammates heard a lot of doubters.

"You can't do this and you can't do that," he recalled Saturday at the podium

Manziel passed for 253 yards, ran for 92 and the Aggies beat the Tide 29-24. Klein had been the front-runner for most of the season, but Manziel surged after beating 'Bama.

Still, Manziel was still something of a mystery man. Sumlin's rules prohibit freshmen from being available to the media. Johnny Football was off-limits, but not exactly silent.

Manziel gave glimpses of himself on social media -- including some memorable pictures of him dressed up as Scooby-Doo for Halloween with some scantily clad young women.

Before he became a celebrity, Manziel got himself into some serious trouble. In June, he was arrested in College Station after police said he was involved in a fight and produced a fake ID. He was charged with disorderly conduct and two other misdemeanors.

After the season, Texas A&M took the reins off Manziel and made him available for interviews, allowing Johnny Football to tell his own story.

Though in the end, his play said it all.

Cavaliers learning how to get rest amid stretch of five straight sets of back-to-back games.

Cavaliers big man Tyler Zeller gets a shot off against the defense of Detroit's Tayshaun Prince during the first quarter of Saturday's game at The Q. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Saturday's home game against Detroit marked the completion of the Cavaliers' first of five consecutive back-to-back sets.

For the next two weeks, Cleveland plays Tuesday-Wednesday and Friday-Saturday. Only three other teams in the NBA are playing five straight back-to-backs -- Atlanta, Houston and Washington.

The string of back-to-backs comes a month after Cleveland began the season with 10 of 14 games on the road, including a six-game West Coast road trip.

"It's going to be tough, no doubt about that," coach Byron Scott said. "We knew December was going to be just as tough as November. We see all the back-to-backs we have coming up. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday we seem to be playing. So that's what the schedule is. We're just going to have to make sure we buckle up and get ready to play."

In all, the Cavaliers have 22 back-to-back games this season. Playing in consecutive nights is something rookie Tyler Zeller has learned to adjust to on-the-job. He has to focus on sleeping and eating well, but that still doesn't stop the sore muscles.

"It's brutal," Zeller said of the adjustment to playing nightly. "It's something that, coming into the gym, you always feel really sore trying to get ready to get going. Usually once you get going you're all right. Those first 20 minutes are kind of a struggle to get through."

Scott has a plan to get at least veteran Anderson Varejao some rest -- no practice.

Varejao is averaging 36.5 minutes per game, and Scott said the Cavaliers can't afford to play him less if they are to remain competitive. Unlike San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich, who earned the ire of commissioner David Stern when he sent four veterans home before a road game against Miami, Scott will find a way to rest his players on off days.

"I just won't practice him," Scott said. "I mean, he'll play 35-36 minutes, and until our other bigs really get up to gear, on the days we do have practice, he just won't practice. I'll get him his rest one way or another."

Waiting for the kids: Saturday also marked the 11th game Kyrie Irving has missed with a fractured left index finger. The home game against Detroit also was the fourth straight missed by starting shooting guard Dion Waiters, who has sat since suffering a sprained left ankle in a double-overtime loss to Portland last week.

Scott said he's hopeful both Waiters and Irving can return for the Los Angeles Lakers' only appearance in Cleveland on Tuesday. If Irving can return, it will be one week ahead of the original four-week prognosis for recovery.

"There's always a chance with both of them," Scott said. "Watching Dion today, I'm not sure. And Kyrie, we've still got to wait on doctors to check him out. We got a couple days to kind of see where those guys are. Right now I'd say Tuesday we've got to go with what we have. It'd be a nice surprise to have one of those guys or both of them back."

Irving was cleared a week ago to engage in all but contact practice drills.

A proposal to ban kickoffs is headed to the NFL competition committee in the off-season. Watch video

BEREA, Ohio -- Phil Dawson entered the NFL in 1999, a year when the league introduced rule modifications designed to make kickoffs more exciting and, by extension, increase the number of high-speed collisions so many fans enjoy watching.

Three-inch kicking tees were removed in favor of the one-inch models. The dreaded "K-balls," ones that could not be broken in or manipulated by kickers, were employed.

It was a different time, an era in which we thought concussions could be cleared by a whiff of smelling salts and no one had ever heard of chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It was a time before any player thought of suing the league for not warning him about the long-term dangers of brain trauma.

Thirteen years later, Dawson stood in front of his Browns locker this week and entertained questions about a proposal to ban kickoffs, which is headed to the NFL competition committee in the off-season. The veteran kicker smiled as he mentally juxtaposed the 1999 league edicts and the current ones under consideration.

"That's how my career has come full circle," he said.

Neither Dawson nor kick returner Josh Cribbs -- two of the best special teams players of their generation -- are in favor of the idea NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is floating. In an effort to improve player safety, Goodell wants the committee to consider eliminating one of football's most anticipated plays. Instead of kickoffs the ball would be placed at the 30 and the kicking team would be given a fourth-and-15 option. Either punt or try to make a first down.

It is a radical concept and is meeting serious resistance from some players and fans who think Goodell is taking the player-safety issue too far. Cribbs likened it to "intramural" football.

What's next? Lucy Van Pelt fined and suspended for lifting the ball before Charlie Brown kicks it?

"It's becoming straight entertainment and no sports," Cribbs said. "We won't even be on NFL Network, we'll be on MTV."

The league was for the game's violence before it was against it. But medical studies linking head trauma to long-term brain damage are a game changer. The NFL finds itself trying to stay out in front of potential legal issues that could cost them billions in player lawsuits. The kickoff proposal sounds like the latest example.

Dawson raised an interesting point in his criticism. While kickoffs are viewed as more hazardous, punts also are dangerous. Cribbs suffered a concussion this season on a vicious shoulder blast to the helmet from Baltimore's Dannell Ellerbe. (Prediction: That hit will be outlawed within in two years.)

It's unclear whether proposed "punts" following touchdowns and field goals would carry a penalty for sailing out of bounds as the kickoffs do now. If that's the case, there will be virtually no touchbacks and seemingly more collisions.

"How many times have you seen a punt returner waiting for the ball and the gunner just kill him?" Dawson said.

Dawson applauds the league's efforts to make the game safer. He cited such tweaks as moving up the kickoffs by five yards to the 35, outlawing the blocking wedge and preventing teams from loading up on one side of an onside-kick alignment. Most are in favor of making the game safe as possible, but how much hitting can be removed before we have 16 weeks of Pro Bowls?

"There is a line in the sand you don't want to cross," offensive tackle Joe Thomas said.

The sport has been amending rules since the time of President Teddy Roosevelt, the Goodell of his day who convened a meeting of college officials in 1905 to warn them "football is on trial."

Dawson is correct in calling the proposal misguided, but don't be surprised if it gets a serious look by the competition committee. More than 100 years later, football is not on trial, yet those who run it one day could be.

Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes has plenty of questions in this week's post-winter meetings mailbag.

The Indians' front office leadership team of (from left) GM Chris Antonetti, owner/CEO Paul Dolan and president Mark Shapiro haven't been impressing many Tribe fans in recent seasons. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

Hey, Hoynsie: If the Tribe is truly focused on building a championship roster, and as you assert that has always been the case, why do you think that the front-office personnel haven't been upgraded? Too expensive? -- Harrison Morgan, Miami

Hey, Harrison: I don't think money has anything to do with it. I think ownership made a decision to stick with GM Chris Antonetti and President Mark Shapiro. But I imagine improvement is expected.

Hey, Hoynsie: Please say it ain't so. GM Chris Antonetti can't be serious when he claims to be leaving the door open to another contract with Grady Sizemore, considering Grady has undergone yet another microfracture knee surgery. Haven't the last three years of virtually no return on the millions invested taught him anything? -- Bob Beeson, Fort Myers, Fla.

Hey, Bob: I would be surprised if Antonetti signs Sizemore. At the winter meetings I had a scout from another team tell me that if he could bring Sizemore to camp on a low-cost, minor-league deal, he'd do it just to see if Sizemore could make it back. That's how highly regarded Sizemore's talent is. Antonetti is merely thinking along the same lines.

Hey, Hoynsie: Did you know about Grady Sizemore's September surgery in September? -- Ted Belak, Sierra Madre, Calif.

Hey, Ted: I had no idea until Monday at the winter meetings. The media frequently asked the Indians and head athletic trainer Lonnie Soloff how Sizemore was doing after he was shut down and sent home. No one said anything. Joe Urbon, Sizemore's agent, said at the winter meetings, "no one ever asked about Grady's knee." That's splitting hairs to me because we certainly asked about his physical condition. It's not the first time the Indians have hidden an injury, and it won't be the last. Every team does it.

Hey, Hoynsie: Other than spend a chunk of money on payroll, can you think of anything the Dolans can do to smooth things over with the fan base? -- Tom Goodsite, Kirksville, Mo.

Hey, Tom: Yes, they can put a winning team on the field. They can insist on better results from the draft and smarter trades. That would be a nice start.

Hey, Hoynsie: To me a general manager's legacy is much like a president's in that it takes years to see the effect they really had. Can you explain why Chris Antonetti shoulders all of the blame for the lack of talent in the farm system that is actually a direct result of many picks and trades made by Mark Shapiro? It seems like Shapiro gets a pass because of the great success the Tribe had during the '90s and early 2000s that were actually more a result of GM John Hart than they were Mark Shapiro. -- Seth Dubin, Washington, D.C.

Hey, Seth: If you lived in Cleveland or the Greater Cleveland area, you may have phrased your question differently. Shapiro hasn't gotten a free pass on the Indians' problems. I think he catches more heat than Antonetti.

Asdrubal Cabrera has been one of the Indians' most productive bats, but at least one fan wonders whether there's a better position for the former All-Star. Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

Hey, Hoynsie: If the Indians want to keep Asdrubal Cabrera, would it be beneficial to move him to first base? They could let Mike Aviles and Juan Diaz play shortstop and Cabrera could concentrate on hitting. -- Dan E., Helena, Mont.

Hey, Dan: You don't make Secretariat pull a plow and you never put your most athletic player at first base. Cabrera is a great shortstop who has gotten lazy over the last two years and needs to get in much better shape to play a whole season.

Hey, Hoynsie: I thought moving to Goodyear was going to make it easier to sign all those big free agents? I guess they forgot it takes big money to sign big free agents. -- Jeff Stevens, Eastlake

Hey, Jeff: The Goodyear facility is a state of the art spring-training site. Winter Haven, Fla., was old, musty and falling apart when the Indians trained there. The difference between the two had nothing to do with the physical structure of the facilities and everything to do with the talent that trained there. It takes talent to win and that talent isn't always acquired by the most money. It comes from all over and it takes a smart, up-to-speed organization to find it, develop it and get it to the big leagues. The Indians need to do a better job of that.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is the Tribe in financial trouble? Financial excuses always seem to be made yet I haven't read that the team is up for sale or under league supervision. Isn't the reality that ownership likes to keep payroll low to maximize revenue sharing and fielding a competitive club is not a priority? -- Peter Quinn, Falls Church, Va.

Hey, Peter: As CEO Paul Dolan has said in the past, the financial bones of the Indians are strong. Other teams have won with small payrolls, but only a few have been able to sustain that type of play. I don't think the franchise is in trouble, but the Dolans are not billionaires. They can't lose $40 million to $60 million a year. Not many teams can.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think Jair Jurrjens could be a good reclamation project like Kevin Millwood, Carl Pavano and Bob Howry for the Tribe? -- Jason Brunner, Elyria

Hey, Jason: The Indians have had success before with injured pitchers, so Jurrjens might be worth a gamble. He's been bothered by knee, groin and oblique issues the last two years, so at least they wouldn't be dealing with the elbow or shoulder. I did like Jurrjens when he pitched briefly for Detroit.

Hey, Hoynsie: Is Antonetti's "we are focused on building a championship team" akin to Larry Dolan's "we want to compete for a World Series every year" and Paul Dolan's "we will spend when we contend"? Does he expect people to believe this after 11 years of bungling? -- Louis Greene, Homestead, Fla.

Hey, Louis: If everyone is going to have a pet phrase linked to their name for life, I prefer mine to be, "He came, he saw, he ordered another beer."

Hey, Hoynsie: The Indians recently made a huge splash by signing 27-year-old minor-league IF/OF Nate Spears. I was just curious as to which of the following excites you the most: A. Scientists have successfully cloned David Dellucci. B. The Tribe has stumbled upon another journeyman with no value at any position. C. Ownership has officially set up the budget to spend more money on post-game fireworks than in-game talent next season. -- Chris Kane, Rocky River

Hey, Chris: I prefer D: "Make that two beers and one more for my favorite Indians utility infielder, Jose Escobar."

Hey, Hoynsie: Now that the Nationals have Denard Span, Jayson Werth and Bryce Harper in the outfield, does this mean Michael Morse is available? Do you think Cleveland should go after him for the left field spot and as a fill-in at first base? -- Ryan Smith, Monroeville, Ind.

Hey, Ryan: I don't think the Nationals will do anything with Morse until they see if they can re-sign Adam LaRoche to play first base. If they do, maybe they'd talk about Morse.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why do Indians fans value winning more than the Indians President Mark Shapiro? -- Joe Cepec, Dublin, Ohio

Hey, Joe: You're referring to Shapiro's comments on the Les Levine show. I had no problem with what Shapiro said. I think he was talking as the team president as opposed to his former role as general manager.

I think Shapiro probably wants the Indians to win more than you, me or any other fan. He's invested a big part of his life in the franchise, but he has to take a wider view now that he's in charge of the entire organization. He also knows that there's a lot more to baseball than wins and losses.

I went to a lot of Indians games at Cleveland Stadium as a kid, and I can't remember who won or lost those games. I do remember having a blast at the ballpark. I remember going to the ballpark with my mom and dad to watch Rocky Colavito play. My parents are gone now, but the memory is still vivid. That's what Shapiro was talking about. That's the best thing about baseball. I think every Indians fan has those kind of memories.

-- Hoynsie

Cleveland loses its fifth straight while Detroit wins just its second road game of the season.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Minus two starting guards -- the two best playmakers on this Cavaliers squad -- there is precious little room for error. For the past 11 games, the Cavaliers have tried to patch together something that will work without Kyrie Irving. For the last four games, they've tried to find some way to create off the dribble without Dion Waiters.

On Saturday, they were just a little too off the mark, made too many turnovers, allowed Detroit's Brandon Knight too much open space. The result was a predictable 104-97 loss to the Pistons at The Q, the Cavaliers' fifth straight loss.

Knight scored a career-high 30 points -- 23 in the second half -- and Detroit knocked in 60 percent of its 3-point attempts in securing just its second road victory of the season.

The 4-17 Cavaliers, meanwhile, missed 21 of 27 3-pointers, watched the Pistons pour in 26 points off 14 turnovers, and survived another injury scare to Anderson Varejao.

So much of it is so familiar without Irving (fractured left finger) and Waiters (sprained left ankle) in the lineup. Cleveland has lost nine of 11 without Irving and all four without Waiters.

"I sound like a broken record," coach Byron Scott said. "I think our guys are competing and playing hard. We just can't afford to have some of the mistakes and breakdowns we're having."

Scott said he's "hoping" that both Waiters and Irving can return for Tuesday's home contest against the Los Angeles Lakers. In the meantime, the Cavaliers continue to flounder in familiar, yet different, ways.

This time, they didn't fall behind by an insurmountable amount, as in their most recent three losses. The Pistons' big men didn't thoroughly dominate, as they did five days ago when Detroit logged 13 blocked shots in a victory at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

This time, the Cavaliers trailed only 25-22 at the end of the first quarter and built as much as a 10-point lead in the second quarter. Cleveland's frontcourt combination of Varejao (16 points, 13 rebounds) and Tyler Zeller (13 points, eight rebounds) worked well together one day after Varejao saw his streak of double-doubles end at 10 games.

The Cavaliers had lots of open looks from long-distance as Detroit dared Cleveland to shoot threes -- and wound up benefiting from misses. Daniel Gibson, starting at shooting guard in place of Waiters, hit only two of nine 3-point attempts, though Scott said he liked every one of Gibson's looks.

"Five of them did a little dance in there, touched the rim three or four times," Gibson said. "I was telling Kyrie, 'You can't have any better misses than those.' That was just one of those nights where you couldn't get them to go down."

Knight, meanwhile, turned up his firepower in the second half. The Pistons point guard had 10 points in the third quarter and sank all four 3-point attempts in the half.

"Three out of those four were just wide open," Scott said. "Guys didn't communicate and didn't get to him."

It's a familiar problem with the defense -- the worst in the league in opponent shooting percentage -- and it was magnified with the margin of error so slim.

"You have to come out and be prepared, especially defensively to really give yourself an opportunity to win," Gibson said. "We're down a few playmakers. On offense you depend more on offensive sets than you would normally with the other guys creating."

The Cavaliers did have one thing go their way -- Varejao banged his left elbow in the second quarter and retreated to the locker room for treatment. However, X-rays were negative, and he returned by the start of the third quarter.

Mary Kay Cabot sorts through this week's reader mailbag.

Browns rookie RB Trent Richardson has battled through the injuries to give the Browns a productive ground game entering the season's final four Sundays. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer  

Hey, Mary Kay: It seems like Trent Richardson is still hurt, but I'm noticing more later in the game. Their were times in the Pittsburgh game he went to hit the hole and looked like he just fell down with the defender hardly touching him. Do you think it's stamina or still bothered by the injury? -- Eric Halesworth, Fort Myers, Fla.

Hey, Eric: Richardson is still bothered by the torn rib cartilage and won't be 100 percent this season. I do think the pain gets a little worse as the game goes on. Last week in Oakland, he took a direct shot to the ribcage and battled through it. Richardson is wearing a flak jacket, but needs time to fully heal. Still, it won't stop him from getting 1,000 yards this season.

Hey, Mary Kay: I am getting very nervous about the addition of Joe Banner. I thought from a business perspective it was a smart move but now it looks like he wants more control over football matters. It seems he is scared of what happened in Philly and now wants to stop that before it ever starts. If this is the case the Browns are screwed for the next five years at a minimum. Would Haslam even allow that to happen? If his attitude is to defer to Banner maybe we should have kept Holmgren. -- Gerald Alfrey, Medina

Hey, Gerald: While Banner will oversee football operations, it doesn't necessarily mean he will have final say over the 53-man roster. He told me last month that he prefers the head coach have that authority, the way it was in Philadelphia with Andy Reid. If that holds true here, it will most likely spell the end of GM Tom Heckert, who came from Philly to have control of the roster. All of that has yet to be determined, and depends on if Banner makes changes at coach and GM.

Hey, Mary Kay: Have the Browns ever considered Joshua Cribbs on defense? He appears gone on offense and doesn't have many opportunities to return kicks. With his size and speed, he could be very good as a safety and perhaps even a corner where he could defend some of the taller receivers. -- Dan Kopp, Mansfield

Hey, Dan: Eric Mangini talked about using Cribbs at safety, but it never materialized. He had too many things going at the time, including receiver, Wildcat QB and special teams. I think he can do it, but don't know if he'll ever get the chance. The bigger question is, will Cribbs still be here next season? His contract is up after this year and no extension talks have taken place.

Hey, Mary Kay: The coaching situation is interesting since Brad Childress and Dick Jauron were respected head coaches. Are they in play for the coaching job after Pat gets whacked? Would the team make a late-season change to give one of them an audition? -- Karen McTrotsky, Boston, Mass.

Hey, Karen: Jimmy Haslam said that if he makes changes, it won't be until after the season, so no interim coach. Both Childress and Jauron are accomplished coordinators, and Childress had a winning record in five seasons as head of the Vikings (39-35). Jauron went 60-82 in his stints with the Bears and Bills. Of the two, Childress has a better chance of landing a head job somewhere because he's younger (56 to Jauron's 62). My guess is that Banner would go outside the building if he decides to fire Shurmur.

Hey, Mary Kay: Why is Mike Lombardi's name being thrown out there to be GM. The guy has never been good at evaluating talent. I know coach Sam Rutigliano and Reggie Rucker have made some negative comments about Lombardi. -- Thomas Prosek, Parma

Hey, Thomas: Lombardi's name is being thrown out there because of his ties to Banner from their Eagles days. Lombardi's good friend Jason LaCanfora from CBS Sports was also one of the first to link Lombardi to the Browns, so it would seem to have some legs. Last I heard, there's nothing to it, at least not at this time.

Hey, Mary Kay: How many draft picks will the Browns have in the 2013 draft? -- LaMarr Anthony, Cleveland

Hey, LaMarr: The Browns have six picks in next year's draft: one each in rounds 1, 3, 4 and 5. They have no picks in round 2 or 7 and two picks in round six.

-- Mary Kay Cabot

The Browns may change personnel in the off-season, but an improving defense should be given time to mature.

Second-year tackle Phil Taylor (tracking down Dallas QB Tony Romo) is part of Tom Heckert's construction of a stout 4-3 defense. Will the Browns' new regime maintain the philosophy regardless of off-season moves? John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Still waiting for snow, but there's no waiting for these thoughts, as we're talkin' ...

About the Browns ...

1. No doubt some changes are coming next season. But they must keep the 4-3 defense. General Manager Tom Heckert has piled up linemen, and the Browns use as many as eight in some games. Heckert put emphasis on the line, making defensive tackle Phil Taylor his top pick in 2011, wanting to pair him with Ahtyba Rubin.

2. The Browns believe the key to their 4-3 is depth on the line, a strong middle linebacker such as D'Qwell Jackson and excellent cover cornerbacks. Next season, they want to add another defensive end who can rush the passer, and at least one more cornerback capable of starting. Of course, all of this is based on the 4-3 remaining. It also would be wise to keep defensive coordinator Dick Jauron.

3. Remember the Browns played mostly a 3-4 under Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini. Mangini had no use for the 4-3, he was a 3-4 coach who valued linebackers. So if the Browns switched to a 3-4 next season, they'd have to revise much of their defensive roster -- again. The accent would be on linebackers, not linemen.

4. At some point, someone in charge in Berea has to scream ... Stop! It's not just changing general managers and coaches every few years that causes problems, it's changing systems. One of the keys to the success of division rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore is they play the same 3-4 defenses. Head coaches change, but that doesn't. In Pittsburgh, Dick LeBeau was going to remain as defensive coordinator no matter who replaced Bill Cowher. Ask Mike Tomlin if continuity works, as the Steelers consistently remain a top-rated defense.

5. In the AFC North, a winning team needs to be physical and deep on defense. The victories over Pittsburgh and Cincinnati show the Browns making serious steps in that direction. When Joe Haden is in the lineup and covering the opponent's best receivers, the defense is strong. They are 4-3 when Haden plays this season.

6. While the key guys are the cornerbacks, linemen and Jackson in the middle, the Browns are excited by the development of rookie LBs James-Michael Johnson (JMJ) and Craig Robertson. JMJ is already starting. Robertson plays in passing situations and may start next season. In his last two years with the Browns, veteran Scott Fujita battled injuries and his speed suffered. The young linebackers bring needed quickness, and the Browns believe JMJ and Robertson can start for several years.

7. In the 20-17 victory at Oakland, the Browns used seven defensive linemen who were on the field for at least 25 of 75 snaps. The breakdown: Jabaal Sheard (68), Rubin (49), Billy Winn (48), Frostee Rucker (39), Juqua Parker (38), Taylor (33), John Hughes (25). Sheard, Taylor, Winn and Hughes were all Heckert's draft picks. Parker (34) and Rucker (29) are the only linemen older than 26.

8. If the Browns hire a general manager and/or coach who wants to switch to the 3-4 defense, it will be a setback for a defense that is young and talented.

About Mike Holmgren ...

I received a letter from Dr. Robert Campbell, senior minister of Cleveland's Church of the Covenant. It's where the former Browns president attended. Campbell believes many in the media didn't understand the challenges faced by Holmgren. I also have been critical of Holmgren. In an effort to be fair, here are some of Campbell's points:

1. "Mike is one of the most impressive persons I have had the privilege to meet in my 45 years of ministry. ... Every home game, it amazed me to see him in worship when members of churches skip church to make a game."

2. "Mike makes winners, even when not that many games have been won. All one needs to do is look at the character of today's Browns players as opposed to the character of the (past teams) when well-paid athletes often behaved as entitled children."

3. "He was hired by an absentee owner to put some credibility and stability into a failing organization. Overlooked was that in his first year, the majority of his time was spent rebuilding infrastructure. In our time of immediate gratification an often missed ingredient is the need for a solid foundation, not only in personnel."

4. "Holmgren was criticized for not getting rid of Mangini. It was the fair thing to do, especially given all the other fronts that needed to be addressed. When time came for a replacement, I know that while Coach Holmgren clearly pondered taking the job. ... but his greater concern was how to run a profitable team that would be a credit to the city and at the same time build a winning organization ... when it came to contract issues, there was not the freedom that an owner would have, yet he was expected to perform in place of an owner."

5. "In many ways, it was an impossible job well done by a very gifted person. ... Cleveland is a much better place for having been blessed with his presence."

About Peyton Hillis ...

The Browns are fortunate, says Terry Pluto, that Peyton Hillis turned down their contract extension offer before the start of the 2011 season. John Kuntz, PD file  

1. Lost in Joe Thomas calling Hillis' 2011 season "toxic" because the running back was obsessed with his contract and the running back calling Thomas "a crazy ex-girlfriend," is that the Browns offered Hillis a deal before the 2011 season. Fans can be glad he turned it down.

2. I believe it was a four-year deal worth about $16 million with at least $8 million guaranteed. Hillis thought he was worth far more after his 2010 season where he made the cover the Madden and rushed for 1,177 yards. The Browns were worried about his durability, especially his hamstrings.

3. An Associated Press story from 2008: "Rookie Peyton Hillis, who had energized the offense during the past month, went on injured reserve when medical tests showed he had a torn right hamstring behind the knee and might need surgery. He faces a two-month recovery." That was when Hillis was in Denver. He didn't need surgery. But he also had hamstring problems in college and with the Browns last season.

4. Fans know Hillis was a mess in 2011. He had three agents. The Browns decided he wasn't worth the trouble early in the season, and decided to allow him to walk. Hillis ended up signing a one-year, $3 million deal with Kansas City that wasn't fully guaranteed. He comes to town with 193 yards on 53 carries (a 3.3 average). He missed three games with a high ankle sprain. He's viewed in the NFL as a backup.

5. In losing Hillis, the Browns targeted Trent Richardson, who has 827 yards this season. He needs only 351 yards in the final four games to pass the Hillis total from 2011. As offensive coordinator Brad Childress said: "He also is our leading receiver [44 catches], so he's been productive in the passing game. I've seen him [block] people in the blitz. He has carried the ball 20 times a game, I'd say he's a workhorse."

About the Cavaliers ...

Donald Sloan is playing hard for the Cavaliers, but the amount of playing time he is receiving reflects the roster's many current issues, says Terry Pluto. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer  

1. With Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters injured, about all fans can do is see if Anderson Varejao can grab 15 or 20 rebounds in a game. None of this is to diminish Varejao's season for the ages. He's a "15-15 guy," as in 15 points and 15 rebounds nearly every night. I'd add in another 15 -- as in 15 buckets of sweat that he produces each game. At least he's something to watch. But after that, it's not easy to follow this team at the moment.

2. A few people have been asking me why Byron Scott doesn't receive more heat for the Cavs' poor performance. When the coach has to pick between Donald Sloan and Jeremy Pargo as a starter -- or even ponder playing them together -- it sends a very clear message: The losing is not the fault of the coach. Two veterans imported by the front office -- C.J. Miles and Omri Casspi -- haven't delivered. The talent is thin.

3. The Cavs won't say it, but they sent this team on another lottery-bound journey at the start of the season. When the roster is so young and no significant veterans are added, you are telling your coach, "Play the young guys, help them improve, and we'll get you more help next summer."

4. The problem is Waiters (sprained ankle) and Irving (broken finger) are not playing together, and it may be a few more weeks before that happens. Veteran Daniel Gibson (shooting only 39 percent) often is battling bruises. His cranky elbow has hurt his usually sweet shooting touch.

5. At 15.4 points, No. 4 pick Waiters ranks third among rookies in scoring. His dismal 36 percent shooting takes some of the glitter off the scoring average. No. 3 pick Bradley Beal is scoring 10.9 points, shooting 35 percent for Washington. Damian Lillard (19.3 points) and Anthony Davis (16.1 points, 8.3 rebounds) are the only rookies making a major impact.

6. Some fans wanted Harrison Barnes over Waiters. I watched Barnes twice on TV recently, and he looks OK for Golden State. He's averaging 9.8 points, shooting 45 percent from the field, 32 percent on 3-pointers. He does start.

7. Most players now enter the league so young, they just aren't ready to play at the level of even an average NBA player. It's impossible to guess right now who will be the best player in two years from a group of Waiters, Barnes, Lillard, Beal, etc.

8. Tyler Zeller is averaging only 4.9 rebounds -- he's battled a concussion and broken nose and plays wearing a mask. But that humble rebound average ranks fifth among rookies. I really think Zeller will be the young Cavalier (from the group of Waiters, Irving and Tristan Thompson) who makes the biggest improvement in the second half of this season.

About the Tribe ...

Can Carlos Carrasco provide some steady production to the Tribe's pitching rotation in his return from Tommy John surgery? Chuck Crow, The Plain Dealer  

1. The $44 million, four-year offer to Shane Victorino was real, just as was Victorino's decision to take $39 million from Boston. The Red Sox lost 93 games like the Tribe last season, but Victorino obviously believes Boston has a far better chance to climb back into contention.

2. Most players don't want to come to Cleveland, unless they are outrageously overpaid. The Tribe does have some cash to spend and has a decent chance to sign Kevin Youkilis, and perhaps an outside shot at outfielder Nick Swisher. But even if they add one of those players, their biggest problem remains -- starting pitching.

3. Tribe starters had a 48-76 record and a 5.25 ERA last season -- worst in the American League. Perhaps new manager Terry Francona and pitching coach Mickey Callaway can do something with Ubaldo Jimenez (9-17, 5.40). It wouldn't be a surprise if Justin Masterson (11-15, 4.93) improves. Francona really likes and believes in Masterson from their time in Boston. But the rest of the rotation is what? Zach McAllister (6-8, 4.24), Corey Kluber (2-5, 5.14 and having knee surgery but supposed to be OK by spring training), Carlos Carrasco (coming off elbow surgery) and maybe Jeanmar Gomez (5-8, 5.96) or David Huff (3-1, 3.38)?

4. That's why they are expected to trade Asdrubal Cabrera. There is very little free starting pitching available, and the price is ridiculously high. Tribe fans know the weaknesses of Cabrera -- gains weight, loses range as short. But he does have some power and trade value to bring in pitching.

5. The Indians were a bit surprised that Hector Rondon was picked by the Cubs in the Rule 5 draft. He has to be on the major-league roster on opening day, or offered back to the Tribe for $25,000. Rondon was once a top prospect, but has had two arm surgeries. He is throwing well, but it's hard to know if he's ready for big-league duty.

6. The Indians feared they'd lose Jesus Aguilar -- 15 homers with 71 RBI, batting .283 between Class A and Class AA. He was picked for the 2012 Futures Game, and is a first baseman with some power. But he's clearly not ready for the majors, which is why the Tribe kept him off the 40-man roster.

7. In the Arizona Fall League, Chris McGuiness hit .370. That's part of the reason the Tribe took the left-handed hitting first baseman from Texas in the Rule 5 draft. He still seems unlikely to make the big-league roster, as he hit .268 (.814 OPS) with 23 homers and 77 RBI in Class AA. But they are adding as many bats as possible.

8. That's also why they claimed Mike McDade on waivers from Toronto. The Blue Jays have Adam Lind and David Cooper at first base, so they took the 23-year-old switch-hitter off the 40-man roster. McDade batted .285 with 17 homers and 85 RBI between Class AA and Class AAA last season. He has minor-league options left, so he could be the starter at Class AAA Columbus this season. The Indians consider McGuiness more big-league ready than McDade, but McGuiness could end up back with Texas unless he makes the opening-day roster.

Pat Shurmur deserves credit for his full-speed ahead approach, but the job security waters are still beyond choppy, Bud Shaw writes in his Sunday Spin.

Pat Shurmur has won the favor of some Browns fans with the team's improved play, but Bud Shaw thinks job security with new owner Jimmy Haslam just may be out of the second-year coach's reach. Joshua Gunter, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Now that Pat Shurmur's lifeboat is inflated, can he paddle it to safety?

The Browns can win their third consecutive game today. Last time that happened, Eric Mangini saved his job in a four-week episode of "Survivor" in 2009.

That's about the only similarity between Mangini and Shurmur. Everything else about them and the circumstances surrounding them is different. Shurmur as the young coach of a rising young team -- a coach wed to an offensive philosophy Joe Banner knows well and has seen produce big-time results -- might seem to bolster his case for remaining the head coach in 2013.

But the questions Jimmy Haslam and Banner will ask at season's end -- if they haven't already answered them, and I think they have -- still make Shurmur the longest of long shots.

The way the organization approaches major moves already looks to be night-and-day. And the quickness with which they dispatched Mike Holmgren was hardly an endorsement of his major decisions.

Holmgren asked himself two self-serving questions at the end of the 2009 season:

1) Was he ready to take over as head coach? Maybe in a year but not now.

2) Was firing Mangini the "fair" thing to do? In Holmgren's opinion it was not, even if fair should never have entered into it.

The decision cost the franchise a year of growth but earned Holmgren points with a pro-Mangini fan base.

You never got the feeling that Holmgren came to the team president's job with an exhaustive ranking of head coaches he'd want to hire. When he let Mangini go, he barely conducted a search before offering the job to Shurmur, the nephew of Holmgren's former defensive coordinator in Green Bay.

By contrast, Banner leaves the impression he's got the list and has checked it twice a day since he first met with Haslam. Banner is an organization builder. He'll have more of a say on the football side than he had in Philadelphia. Does a guy like that keep the status quo at head coach? Does he inherit all that power and not exercise it?

Joe Banner has never given any impression that he's reluctant to make the tough decisions with the Browns. Chuck Crow, PD  

Not unless the head coach wows him. And Shurmur hasn't. It will take six in a row to finish the season to do that.

Banner may correctly presume the young talent on this roster will improve in 2013 if Shurmur stays or goes. So his focus -- finding the right head coach -- isn't tied to wins and losses. He said as much and we should believe him.

Compounding the odds against Shurmur is the arrival of a new owner. Dynamic businessman spends $1 billion, hires new CEO and together they announce they're riding forward with Holmgren's decisions?

That answers the question: Is Shurmur likely to stay. No, he's not.

It doesn't answer whether Shurmur should stay. Banner knows him well, better than all of us. All I can say is I have the same feeling about Shurmur as I had about Romeo Crennel, who brings his 2-10 Chiefs to town. As a head coach here, Crennel was a good defensive coordinator.

Again, Shurmur is younger with more room to grow into the job, but my bet is Banner doesn't see him as a 10-year answer on the sideline. Haslam isn't in the mood to wait around for another year for signs that Shurmur is becoming all he can be as a head coach.

Who can blame them? Haslam and Banner are asking if Shurmur is the best head coach they can find. That standard would damn a lot of current coaches, not just Shurmur. But you have to appreciate where they're coming from.

Is it fair to Shurmur to fire him just as a young team is showing some promise and finishing the season with a flourish? Probably not. That's just not a question any good organization should ask.

I fully expect Shurmur to strengthen his case over the next four games. But even as things are looking up for him, they're still looking bleak.

SPINOFFS

• A Yahoo report claims Banner is "lukewarm" about the chances of Brandon Weeden becoming a star quarterback. Yahoo then goes on to speculate that Banner's ties to Philadelphia could make the Browns a likely landing spot for Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick.

If true, look for Vick to fumble just before he lands. ...

• After watching Peyton Hillis conduct himself in a stormy 2011 season, why do I think there's more than one woman in his past who refers to him as her "crazy ex-boyfriend?" ...

• In NFL news, the idea to do away with the kickoff and replace it with the scoring team getting the ball on 4th-and-15 at its own 30 comes from Tampa coach Greg Schiano. He apparently prefers concussions that happen when an unsuspecting offensive line gets bull-rushed in victory formation than the kind that come from kickoff coverage. ...

• Let me get the NFL's no-kickoff idea straight. More and more kickoffs are being downed in the end zone or booted completely out of the end zone because teams are kicking from the 35, instead of the 30.

So the way to further reduce the number of injuries suffered on kickoffs is to increase the chances for injuries suffered on punts? ...

• Pregame.com has Alabama as a 10-point favorite over Notre Dame. If you find yourself thinking Ohio State would be a better championship game opponent than the Fighting Irish, Pregame's hypothethical Alabama-Buckeyes matchup favors the Crimson Tide by 14.

Or what Gordon Gee would call a tossup. ...

• Pregame.com also points out Sunday's Browns-Chiefs game is just the fourth time in the past 10 years the Browns have been favored by more than 6 1/2 points. The bad news: this occurrence was the first of two December 2012 predictions by the Mayans. ...

• Ray Lewis practiced this week, wearing a helmet complete with visor and grill, I think, because he felt his standard Hannibal Lector impersonation wasn't quite convincing enough.

• The Miami Dolphins say they saw disrespect in the New England Patriots using the same running play over and over last Sunday during a late clock-killing drive.

"It really [ticked] me off," defensive tackle Tony McDaniel told the Palm Beach Post. "It was disrespectful to us to run the same play over and over and be successful."

Sure, he understands dramatic "revenge," but has he been traded between shows? Associated Press  

And here Dolphins fans were just hoping that instead of seeing disrespect, their guys maybe would see -- you know -- a way to stop it.

• As part of a temporary protective order gained by the mother of his two children after a domestic incident in September, Baltimore Ravens' linebacker Terrell Suggs had to turn over his guns to authorities last month. He owns nine.

Just as the Founding Fathers intended.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

(The Payback Edition?)

Brady Quinn and "Revenge" actor Josh Bowman -- Steve K

HE SAID IT

He has no hard feelings, especially if he wins Sunday. AP file  

"My mind cannot get clouded with everybody telling me how to shoot a free throw." -- Dwight Howard, who dismissed the value of getting help from teammate Steve Nash this week during after-practice foul shooting drills.

Nash is in Mark Price company when it comes to free throw accuracy, making him -- you know – "everybody."

YOU SAID IT

(The Expanded Sunday Edition)

"Hey Bud:

"Who hit closer to the mark, SI naming LeBron James 'Sportsman of The Year'? Or The Onion naming North Korea's Kim Jong Un the 'Sexiest Man Alive' for 2012?" -- Dan, Bay Village

I believe one was meant as a joke. The other involved Kim Jong Un.

"Bud:

"Comparing Brandon Weeden to other post-1999 QBs. ... He could amass the second-most passing yards since the team's resurrection. Also the second-most TD passes. But his lack of accuracy hurts. And only Doug Pederson, Charlie Frye and Colt McCoy have thrown TD passes with less frequency per attempt." -- Chris Malumphy

You had me at Doug Pederson.

"Hey Bud:

"A recent car commercial shows a car driving off a cliff with the warning 'Do not attempt. Cars cannot fly.' What warning should your Spin column contain?" -- Tom Bica, Medina

A fire safety warning for Spin readers to make sure there's a window or door exit in their mother's basement.

"Bud:

"Saw Coach Shurmur at his press conference with the neckline of his hoodie cut off. How much longer till the sleeves go and a black trash bag becomes rain gear? Should I be afraid?" -- Pat

Afraid? All Bill Belichick impersonations, even bad ones, are welcome.

"Hey Bud:

"Any reason why I keep having recurring nightmares of Brady Quinn leading a last second drive and Peyton Hillis scoring to beat the Browns?" -- Russ

Relax. Nothing has gone terribly wrong at the end of a game for a Cleveland team in days now.

"Bud:

"Is it true the Travel Channel's 'NFL Road Tested' program is planning a mini-series tracing the travels of Braylon Edwards as he is run out of town after town by Michigan haters?" -- Jeanette, Sagamore Hills

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

"Bud:

"Would [the NFL's idea of] a fourth-and-15 situation on your own 30 instead of the traditional kickoff give the Browns an unfair advantage because that would be nothing new to them?" -- Michael Sarro

Repeat winners get sacked.

"Bud:

"Will David Stern fine the Cavs because their players do show up?" -- Claudia M

Repeat winners get what they deserve.

On Twitter: @budshaw

Highlights include Kansas City Chiefs at Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio

Today's TV sports listings

GOLF

5:30 a.m. Golf Channel -- European PGA Tour, Nelson Mandela Championship, final round, at Durban, South Africa

3 p.m. NBC -- Franklin Templeton Shootout, final round, at Naples, Fla.

NFL FOOTBALL

1 p.m. WOIO, WTAM/1100-AM -- Kansas City at CLEVELAND BROWNS 

4 p.m. WJW -- New Orleans at New York Giants

8:20 p.m. WKYC, 92.3-FM -- Detroit at Green Bay

RUGBY

11 p.m. NBCSN -- Sevens World Series, semifinals and championship match, teams TBD, at Port Elizabeth, South Africa

WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Noon Big Ten Network, Georgetown at Penn State 

Parker says he's a big kid at heart, and his favorite toy is a remote-control car that he says gets up to 65 mph.

Juqua Parker leads the Cleveland Browns with four sacks this season. John Kuntz, The Plain Dealer  

Five questions
with . . .

Browns defensive tackle Juqua Parker

Q: You changed your last name to Parker from Thomas in 2008. Why did you do that?

A: I actually had my sister and brother's dad's last name. My dad passed (in 2005) and he asked me to take his last name. I did that before I got married. I told him I'd do that for him. It was weird for a minute to hear people call me Parker, but my last name was Thomas, so I answer to that, too.

Q: You went to Oklahoma State. Does that mean you have a special bond with fellow alum Brandon Weeden?

A: Not sure. We weren't there together, but we talk about the school, we talk about what they've been doing since I left. It was a college town, and it gave me a chance to get away from home. I always wanted to get away from home in Houston.

Q: I read that you're really into remote control vehicles. Explain that.

A: I'm a gadget man. I'm a toy man. I've got four-wheelers, motorcycles. I have jet skis. I'm a big kid at heart. I have a bunch of remote control cars.

Q: What's your favorite remote control car?

A: I've got a little small one that goes 65 mph. You can't really control it, but it goes fast. My house back home is on a small road, and there's not that much traffic.

Q: You weren't drafted out of college, and people said you were too small at 6-foot-2 to play in the NFL. How has that motivated you?

A: Of course. I wasn't tall enough. I was too small. Someone just told me I'm too small, can't do this, can't do that, so it just motivated me to play in the NFL and prove them wrong.

Charles returned after missing 2011 with a knee injury and appears to be just as strong and fast as he was before he was hurt.

Jamaal Charles has run for 1,055 yards in 12 games for the Kansas City Chiefs. Bill Wippert, Associated Press  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It might be that the miracle for Jamaal Charles is not that he came back from season-ending ACL surgery last season, but that he returned this season just as strong of a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs as he was before.

Charles has 1,055 yards rushing through 12 games, with five 100-yard games logged. He's just as shifty and just as speedy as ever.

"He's got that great speed down the field," Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron said. "He is a very good zone runner. It doesn't mean he doesn't run the scheme plays well also, the other plays well also like the counters and the toss cracks. He does those very well, too. He's different and somewhat similar to Ray Rice. Both of them are very good. They are very, very good readers of the defensive scheme and where the holes are. They get there quickly, get in and out of the hole quickly and down the field and really attack a defense and make things happen."

Charles is still the kind of runner that Browns coach Pat Shurmur calls a "one-cut guy," someone who can plant and fool a defender with one move that allows him to break free down the field.

Still, despite all that, the miracle might be merely that Charles is out there against the Browns on Sunday. And he was there last week against Carolina, too -- one day after teammate Jovan Belcher fatally shot his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, before committing suicide.

Not only was Belcher a teammate, but Perkins was family to Charles. His wife, Whitney, is Perkins' first cousin.

The pain is different for Charles, who has not been available to media for the past two weeks.

"He's dealing with real life," Chiefs guard Ryan Lilja told USA Today. "The rest of us are trying to focus on football the best we can, and he's still dealing with this."

The Indians turned some heads at the winter meetings last week with a four-year, $44 million offer to outfielder Shane Victorino. They didn't get him, but it appears they'll have plenty of money to pursue other free agents this winter.

Since Terry Francona joined the Indians in October, the organization has been undergoing a change in its typical off-season planning -- which was seen in evidence last week in Nashville. Marvin Fong, The Plain Dealer  

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians didn't draw much attention last season when they lost 94 games and fired the manager and most of his coaching staff at the end of the year. In the off-season they've caught more eyes than a fire-engine red Lamborghini parked at curbside with the engine running.

They surprised people when they signed Terry Francona, a two-time World Series champion, to a four-year deal to be their manager. The surprises continued last week when the Indians offered free agent outfielder Shane Victorino a four-year, $44 million contract at the Nashville winter meetings. Victorino turned it down to sign a three-year, $39 million deal with Boston, but the fact that they bid as high as they did turned people's heads from one side of the vast Opryland Hotel to the other.

"We knew they liked Shane, so I wasn't totally shocked," said John Boggs, Victorino's agent. "But based on their past history, the offer was a surprise."

The Indians didn't let Victorino's rejection slow them down. They've been in hot pursuit of big-money free agents Kevin Youkilis, Nick Swisher, Mark Reynolds, Edwin Jackson and others. They made a one-year offer to Jason Bay, only to have Bay decide to play for his hometown Seattle Mariners.

Said Boggs, "Chris Antonetti has always been good to deal with. It wasn't that Shane didn't like Cleveland. He could have played in either city and been happy. But he liked the allure of playing for the Red Sox."

Antonetti rolled with the disappointment.

"Shane connected with Tito and I talked to his agent," said Antonetti, describing he aftermath. "Then we moved on to the next guy."

That the next guy was Swisher instead of a bargain-basement outfielder coming off microfracture knee surgery is the difference between this winter and years past. In GM talk, having the kind of money to make multiple multi-million offers is called flexibility.

"Comparatively, I don't know how it stacks up to winters past, but we have some flexibility to improve the team," said Antonetti.

Such flexibility, given the approval of owner Larry Dolan, was necessary for several reasons:

• The Indians need to reconnect with a fan base that has spent much of the last few years running away from Progressive Field instead of to it. They had the second-lowest attendance in the big leagues last season at 1.6 million and have not topped two million in four years.

• Fox's purchase of SportsTime Ohio could take place sometime this week. The Dolan family owns STO and stands to gain between $200 million and $250 million from the sale. Not only will the Indians' rights fees increase from $30 million to an estimated $40 million, but the Dolans could pump some of their newfound wealth into improving the club.

• Each of MLB's 30 teams, starting in 2014 and running through 2021, will receive between $24 million and $26 million a year from TV contracts with Fox, TBS and ESPN.

• Francona's team, despite all the big offers, needs help. They don't have a left fielder, first baseman and designated hitter. The starting rotation is filled with question marks. The Tribe had the second-highest ERA (4.78) and scored the second fewest runs (667) in the American League. That's a lot of bad on both sides of the baseball to try and correct in one off-season.

Last year, Antonetti spent just over $9 million on three big-league free agents: Grady Sizemore, Johnny Damon and Casey Kotchman. Sizemore never played and Damon was designated for assignment after 64 games. Kotchman proved to be a durable first baseman with a good glove, but he didn't hit much.

Antonetti is going to have to do a lot better this winter. It helps that he has the most important ingredient, cold hard cash. Francona is part of the equation as well. He led Boston to World Series titles in 2004 and 2007 and is regarded as a players manager. But he continually has to answer one question: why did he come to Cleveland?

"I'm not delusional," said Francona. "We have challenges. But having a challenge isn't bad. I'm actually kind of excited about it."

Francona played a big part in recruiting Swisher, Youkilis and Victorino.

"Terry Francona talked to Shane and he came away from that conversation really energized," said Boggs. "He has a lot of respect for Terry. In those kind of situations, you look for a plus and Francona is a plus for Cleveland."

There is a reason behind Francona's selling of the Indians. He feels the roster needs some veteran players who can still perform at a high level. The Indians tried it last season with Derek Lowe and Damon. Lowe hit the wall after a great start and Damon should have stayed retired.

"I like the idea of maybe taking some of the heat off some of the younger players," said Francona. "Sometimes you ask young guys to do too much too quick. That's not development. That's getting beat up, especially with pitchers."

In the last few years, more than a few young Indians have taken their lumps. Perhaps some well-spent big bucks can change that.

On Twitter: @hoynsie

The NBA took exception to his comments about the officials following Friday's loss to Minnesota.

Coach Byron Scott. PD photo

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for criticizing the officials after Friday's loss at Minnesota. The Timberwolves shot 35 free throws. The Cavs shot nine.

After that game, Scott said: "I'm trying to figure out a way to say this without getting fined. It was that bad. I understand that we're playing in Minnesota but we went to the basket just as much as they did. I think we had 38 attempts in the paint to their 34, and we get 9 free throws. I think that speaks for itself."

Ohio State picked up another four-star lineman recruit Sunday when Shaker Heights two-way tackle Donovan Munger gave the Buckeyes his oral commitment, Shaker coach Jarvis Gibson said. Munger (6-4, 285) visited Ohio State on Saturday. He earlier took an official visit to UCLA. Among the other schools he seriously considered offers from were Michigan State, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma and...

Shaker Heights' Donovan Munger.

Ohio State picked up another four-star lineman recruit Sunday when Shaker Heights two-way tackle Donovan Munger gave the Buckeyes his oral commitment, Shaker coach Jarvis Gibson said.

Munger (6-4, 285) visited Ohio State on Saturday. He earlier took an official visit to UCLA. Among the other schools he seriously considered offers from were Michigan State, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee, Gibson said.

If Munger winds up at defensive tackle, he'll join a stellar group of 2013 defensive line recruits that already includes Tracy Sprinkle of Elyria, Billy Price of Austintown-Fitch, Michael Hill of South Carolina, Joey Bosa of Florida, and Tyquan Lewis of North Carolina.

Munger this season had 38 solos tackles, 32 assists, 14 tackles for loss, six sacks and 23 quarterback pressures.

As an offensive tackle, Shaker Heights coaches graded him as a 98-percent blocker with 34 pancake blocks.

Scout.com and ESPN.com both rate Munger as a four-star recruit (out of five) and both rank him 24th nationally among defensive tackles. Rivals.com gives him three stars and ranks him 38th.

"What's really going to benefit Donovan is that he played and excelled on both sides of the ball. With his skills on offensive side, he knows what offensive linemen are trying to do to him," Gibson said.

"He's quick. He's fast. He's strong. He's a mammoth of a man. He's a kid of 6-4, 290 pounds and he can move. He's a special player. He knows the game. You teach him one time, and then [he] picks it up and starts helping his teammates out. He's a terrific leader, as well."

Munger did not respond to a message seeking comment.

"He's at the point where he doesn't want to talk to the media," Gibson said. "He's tired. He wanted to put this behind him."