Plain Dealer daily sports section

Sunday, December 20, 2015 | Section B | cleveland.com/sports

Ohio State 74, No. 4 Kentucky 67

Forget ‘Luckeyes,’ Buckeyes earn upset

“The contact at the point of impact is going to be so violent it’s not going to matter what helmet you are wearing.”

Browns defensive back K’Waun Williams, who has had three concussions in his first two seasons

Bill Landis blandis@cleveland.com New York — Thad Matta didn’t

use the word luck after Ohio State upset No. 4 Kentucky, 74-67, on Saturday afternoon, which was surprising because Matta has been waiting all year for the Buckeyes to get a little lucky.

He spoke of luck, or some variation of it, after Ohio State lost games to Texas-Arlington, Louisiana Tech and Memphis. And he didn’t mean luck in the sense that, “Oh, that was just a lucky win.” It was more taking time in defeat to notice the little things that didn’t go your way.

see OSU | B5

Cavaliers

Team gets big assist: Irving is back today Chris Haynes chaynes@cleveland.com

After missing the team’s first 24 games, guard Kyrie Irving will make his long-awaited season debut for the Cleveland Cavaliers today at home against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The three-time All-Star broke the news on Twitter shortly before speaking with the media after practice Saturday.

“I’m glad that I’m at this point,” he said following practice. “I’ll probably go home and let all of my emotions out, but I’m pretty [bleeping] excited to be out there with my brothers.”

Irving hasn’t played a game since Game 1 of the NBA Finals in June when he fractured his left kneecap on a non-contact play. He immediately underwent surgery and was given a recovery timetable of 3-4 months.

The organization has been extremely cautions with the handling of his return. They took every precautionary measure necessary to make sure he wasn’t coming back prematurely. Last week Irving was trying to persuade the team to activate him, but the organization held firm.

AFTER THE HITS, REAL PAIN STARTS

It’s unclear why, since ’12, the Browns lead the NFL in concussions, but it’s clear some players feel pressure to play through them and some simply ‘accept’ them Tom Reed | treed@cleveland.com The image remains unsettling three months later. ¶ Browns quarterback Josh McCown — a split second after being hit in the head and fumbling the ball — hovers above the goal line as if suspended from a puppeteer’s strings. ¶ The spectacular collision occurred on the Browns’ first possession of the season as

see CAVALIERS | B4

McCown tried diving into the end zone at MetLife Stadium. Jets linebacker Demario Davis sent him spinning

Today

in the air and the club spiraling down an all-too-familiar path with head injuries. ¶ Browns players have suffered 12 concussions this season, a total surpassed only by the Chargers with 13. The Browns lead the

What: Cavaliers vs. Philadelphia.

NFL in head traumas dating to 2012 when the PBS/Frontline Concussion Watch began tracking them.

When: 3:30 p.m.

Where: The Q.

see NFL | B6

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MN

Terry’s Talking…

Sunday, December 20, 2015

More Terry Pluto online Follow his blog at cleveland.com/pluto or email him at tpluto@plaind.com

About the Cavaliers

W

hat we’ve seen from the Cavaliers lately is that they are taking the regular season seriously. That’s the message from the recent fourgame winning streak. The revival of the Cavs — especially the defense — is the most encouraging part of this latest winning streak.

Here’s what happened: 3 The Cavs opened the month of December with a 92-85 loss to Washington. It was their first defeat at Quicken Loans Arena, and the Wizards shot 47 percent from the field.

3 In their next game, the Cavs lost 114-108 in New Orleans. It was an overtime game and LeBron James was trying to win it himself. Didn’t work. The Pelicans shot 49 percent.

3 The next night, the Cavs were in Miami. The front office and coaching staff decided to rest James.

He wanted to play. It was the first game that James has missed this season. The Cavs want to make sure they don’t wear him down before the playoffs. They lost to the Heat, 99-84, a game that wasn’t even that close. Miami shot 54 percent.

3 The Cavs were dealing with their injuries (Iman Shumpert and Kyrie Irving), but they just looked flat.

The effort on defense was lacking.

This was especially upsetting to coach David Blatt and James. Both men know that it was determined defense that led to the short-handed Cavs reaching the 2015 Finals, and they wanted that personality to return.

3 Their next game was against Portland. Once again, the defense was awful ... at least, early in the game. Portland had a 50-33 lead over the Cavs in the second quarter ... in Cleveland. The Cavs pulled it together in the second half, finally began defending. The final score was 105-100 as James returned and the Cavs won.

3 Then came the next games, all victories: at Orlando (111-76), at Boston (89-77) and home to Oklahoma City (104-100). The Cavs had Shumpert in Orlando and for part of the Boston game. He then pulled a groin muscle. His presence did help the defense. But more importantly, the defensive mindset returned, and James was behind it.

3 Blatt on James: “The one part of his game that sometimes is overlooked is his defense. He is a great defender when he’s locked in, and he knows when to do that. ...

That’s why he’s the best player in the world.”

3 In the 104-100 victory over OKC, the Cavs were without Irving (knee), Shumpert (groin) and Mo Williams (thumb). They had three guards: J.R. Smith, Matthew Dellavedova and Jared Cunningham. Blatt said that without three guards, “You need a guy like LeBron to beat a team like Oklahoma City.” James had 33 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists. He played 40

THOMAS ONDREY / THE PLAIN DEALER

Cavaliers forward Kevin Love is putting up winning numbers, averaging 17.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists. minutes, and also defended Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook at different points in the game.

3 During the four-game winning streak, James is averaging 28.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists. He’s playing 36 minutes, a good sign because it means he’s not having to carry the team every moment with different players hurt.

3 The toughness that Blatt and James want was mentioned by Tristan Thompson, who had 15 rebounds against the Thunder. The Cavs were down by 10 points in the third quarter. Thompson talked about a timeout where the coaches and players said, “Either we make a push now, or we get beat on our home court.”

3 They Cavs made a push. The Thunder came to town on a sixgame winning streak. OKC had not allowed 100 points in any of those games, until the Cavs beat them 104-100.

3 James has a 12-3 record vs. Du-

rant. Before the game, James said Durant has a chance to pass up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He covered the OKC star with praise.

3 After the victory, James was excited. He praised all the role players — Richard Jefferson, Dellavedova, Thompson and Cunningham. He can sense that the team is playing the type of defense that is needed, along with making big shots.

3 Cunningham has been earning praise for his defense at point guard. The Cavs were a plus-13 with Cunningham on the court in the victory over OKC. He was the last guy to make the roster out of training camp, and he’s played a significant role.

3 This is Cunningham’s fourth NBA season and his fourth team.

But he had only played a grand total of 195 NBA minutes before coming to the Cavs. He’s been on the court for 280 this season. He’s averaging only 3.8 points and shooting

36 percent. But it’s his defense and athleticism that makes him a good role player here.

3 The Cavs also are at a comfort level with Kevin Love. No longer is the spotlight on how Love isn’t at the heart of the offense in every game. He had a rough night against OKC, scoring 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting. He was in foul trouble.

3 On the TNT broadcast, former Cavs coach Mike Fratello made an interesting point how OKC was coached not to fall for Love’s head and shot fakes. But Love did hit a pair of huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. He also had seven rebounds and five assists.

3 Love is averaging 17.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

Those are winning numbers.

There are times when he has major problems on defense. That’s when Blatt goes with his smaller frontcourt. Thompson plays center with James moving from small forward to Love’s power forward spot. The

About the Browns

About Mike Pettine

ere’s the truth about the Browns — no one knows.

No one knows if Johnny Manziel is going to be the quarterback in 2016.

That’s because no one knows how Manziel will play in the final three games of the season. And no one knows who will be the general manager or the coach in 2016.

So if we don’t know the key decision makers for 2016, how can we even guess whether the Mr. Xs in charge want Manziel?

In a 3-10 season where so much has gone so wrong, how would anyone really know much about 2016?

OK, the Browns will be scheduled to play 16 games, and half of them will be at FirstEnergy Stadium.

I think ...

Unless the NFL ships the Browns to London or the South Pole to play a regular season game.

After losing on a blocked field goal to Baltimore, coach Mike Pettine said, “It’s hard to get your head around this.”

I believe he was talking about that final, crazy play that led to the Ravens’ 33-27 victory.

But I have a hard time getting my head around anything dealing with the orange helmets these days. That’s probably because my head may have exploded when I heard the name, “Josh Gordon.”

here are times when it would be wise if Mike Pettine simply stopped talking and explaining. The Browns coach got himself into some trouble when he said this about his team’s 24-10 victory over San Francisco: “Two teams in very similar situations ... I thought you saw one team that wanted to be out there and wanted to compete and wanted to win a football game. I don’t know if I sensed that same attitude from the other side.”

Why take a shot at the 49ers?

Isn’t it enough to give your team credit for playing hard and finally winning big? How does criticizing the 49ers help the cause of the Browns?

He said this Wednesday, three days after the game. So this wasn’t said in the emotion of the moment following Sunday’s victory.

Pettine’s Browns have had some games where they were outhustled. They lost 30-9 to Cincinnati, 31-10 to Pittsburgh. Nor they did cover themselves in glory during the 24-6 loss at St. Louis. How would Pettine have felt if Marvin Lewis (Bengals) or Mike Tomlin (Steelers) had said something similar about Pettine’s Browns.

San Francisco offensive coordinator Geep Chryst fired back at Pettine, saying the coach was “shining his own star.”

So we ended up with a 3-10

H

Lots of discussion this week about the possibility of Manziel and Gordon being together on the field in 2016.

Gordon is suspended for the entire 2015 season because he failed NFL substance tests. And Gordon was suspended for 10 games in 2014 because of a violation of the NFL’s substance policy.

So Gordon has played a grand total of five games since the end of the 2013 season.

I forgot to mention that Gordon was basically suspended by Pettine for the final game in 2014 because he was late for meetings, etc. In the five games that he played in 2014, he performed rather poorly.

He didn’t know some of the plays.

So how would anyone know if Gordon can pull himself together and pass the tests required by the NFL to even be eligible to play in 2016? And how will he perform?

It’s a dismal, 3-10 season. The speculation is something to break the drudgery.

When it comes to the Browns in 2016, the only one who has a hint of what might happen is Jimmy Haslam. But it’s very possible that even the owner doesn’t know what he plans to do at the end of year.

That’s because even if he plans to fire someone, who does he hire?

Who is willing to come here?

No one knows.

Just keep that in mind.

T

THE PLAIN DEALER

Mike Pettine’s comments on the 49ers’ frame of mind last Sunday spurred trash talk between two losing teams.

Cleveland team and a 4-9 San Francisco team talking trash.

Meanwhile, I thought the Russell Wilson stuff was overblown.

Pettine rated Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers as the best, then said Wilson is “in the second tier.”

If you listen to Pettine’s remarks, he has a ton of respect for Wilson.

He has not played long enough to be in the same class as those chosen few, but if he keeps it up ... it won’t be long. Sixteen TD passes and zero interceptions in the last four games ... WOW!

Cavs then play J.R. Smith at small forward.

3 Thompson talked to the media about his dunks off lob passes from Dellavedova. He has caught 16 of those from the Australian guard.

Then Thompson mentioned how Love being on the other side of the court forces a defender to be away from the rim. The defense is worried about Love shooting a 3-pointer. That opens the middle for Thompson to break to the rim and catch a pass. “It’s pick your poison,” said Thompson.

3 Now in their second year together, the players are coming to a greater appreciation of each other and how they fit as a team. They often make a point of giving teammates praise during interviews.

3 The same comfort level continues to grow between James and Blatt. James now praises the coaches for game plans, etc. He also has been impressed by Blatt’s inbounds plays.

3 Blatt seems more relaxed and you can see him learning the league, growing as an NBA coach.

I think he does a very solid job handling all the pressure that comes with coaching a team with James.

3 Dellavedova is having a strong season. He’s averaging 8.5 points, 5.5 assists and only 1.4 turnovers.

He’s shooting 44 percent from the field and on 3-pointers. His defense is effective and annoying as always, but he’s really improved as a shooter and ball handler. It’s hard for Blatt to keep him on the bench for long stretches because Dellavedova does so many little things well.

3 James is shooting 88 percent from the foul line in December, well up from 70 percent in November. He tends to run a bit hot/cold with his free throws. He is in a good rhythm now.

3 The Cavs now have the best record in the NBA East at 17-7. They are 11-1 at home. Given all of the injuries, etc., it’s a great spot.

About Kyle Shanahan

A

ssociated Press reporter Charles Odum wrote this: “First-year offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan’s future in Atlanta may be on the line as the Falcons have gone eight straight games without scoring more than 21 points, including last week’s ugly 38-0 loss at Carolina. Their only win in that span was a 10-7 decision at Tennessee on Oct. 25.”

Odom mentioned the Falcons started 5-0 and averaged 32 points a game. Since then, they are 1-7, averaging 13.5 points.

Shanahan left the Browns at the end of last season because he was unhappy with the front office and other issues. His departure was given as another example of the Browns dysfunction.

I wrote a column about how I sensed Shanahan was simply looking for a better team, a better quarterback, a better place to enhance his career. With quarterback Matt Ryan and receiver Julio Jones, Atlanta obviously has more talent on offense than the Browns.

I thought Shanahan was a solid offensive coordinator. I liked his emphasis on the zone blocking scheme and the running game. But I didn’t think he was the second coming of Paul Brown or even Bruce Arians.

In an interview before the

JOHN BAZEMORE| AP

After a 5-0 start, Kyle Shanahan’s offense began to sputter and the Falcons lost seven of the last eight games.

season opened, Pettine told me how he appreciated Shanahan’s work, but that it’s hard enough to “win with guys who want to be here.”

When Shanahan and the Falcons flew high early in the season, it was used as another hammer to pound the Browns.

But now, Atlanta’s offense has stalled. And Shanahan can’t blame having to play an ill-prepared Johnny Manziel for that, as was the case with the Browns in 2014.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

MN

B3

Terry’s Talking… Part 2 About Mike Napoli, Rajai Davis

3 Unless something changes, Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis may be the last significant additions to the Tribe in the off-season. They are talking about a few other things, but I have heard they are not major.

3 Napoli is 34 and an above-average first baseman. He was one of three finalists for a Gold Glove. Not sure he’s that good, based on some fielding ratings. But he is a major upgrade from Carlos Santana at first base. In a fangraphs story praising the Indians for signing Napoli to a one-year, $7 million contract, Matthew Kory wrote: “One of the advantages of signing Napoli is that it removes Santana from first base. Santana is a fine hitter who has the bat and glove for DH, by which I mean that he’s a butcher in the field.”

3 Not sure about Santana being a “fine hitter” because he is so streaky, though he does have some power. But the point on the defense is true. The Tribe was shocked how Santana regressed at first base after playing at least at the big league average there in 2014. Santana doesn’t like being the DH, but his decline in the field has led him to that job.

3 Napoli had a strange season. In 98 games with Boston, he batted .207 (.693 OPS) with 13 HR and 40 RBI. He was traded to Texas, then batted .295 (.908 OPS) with 5 HR and 10 RBI in the final 35 games of the season. Most of the year, he looked done at the age of 33. Then he got hot and teams became interested in the former catcher turned first baseman.

3 Texas let him go because they have Prince Fielder and Keith Moreland at first. They tried Naopoli in the outfield. Not a good idea.

3 In 2014, Napoli batted .248 (.789 OPS) with 17 HR and 55 RBI for Boston. That probably is the kind of production the Indians can expect from him. He hit 18 HR in 2015. Santana (19 HR) led the Tribe. Then came Michael Brantley (15). So Napoli is a power upgrade, especially as the Indians traded no one to sign him.

3 A big issue will be if the righty batter can hit right-handed pitching. In the last two seasons, he batted .191 (2015) and .230

About trade talks with the Reds

H

MICHAEL DWYER | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Adding Mike Napoli to the Indians’ lineup brings a power hitter who can play first base. He hit 18 home runs in 2015. Carlos Santana led the Tribe with 19 homers.

(2014) vs. righties. He’s a .285 hitter vs. lefties in those years.

3 I’m like many Tribe fans who hoped the team would add Todd Frazier or another veteran hitter of that caliber. Perhaps that still will happen. By signing Napoli and Davis, the Indians wanted to have some talent available in case these are the last meaningful

moves of the off-season.

3 I’ve always liked Rajai Davis as an extra outfielder. He can run, play all three positions and he hits lefties (.296 career). He is 35, but coming off a decent season with Detroit (.258, .746 OPS, 8 HR, 30 RBI). He can still run as he had 11 triples and stole 18 bases.

3 Right now, the Tribe starting

outfield (with Brantley recovering from shoulder surgery) is Lonnie Chisenhall in right, Abraham Almonte in center and Davis in left field. The extra outfielders are newly acquired Joey Butler and Collin Cowgill. Prospect Tyler Naquin will be given a shot to make the team. I plan to deal with the outfield in depth next weekend.

3 In 2013, Johnson batted .321 (.816 OPS) with 12 HR and 68 RBI for the Braves. That led to his big contract. Next came some injuries.

He stopped hitting. His defense was never good at third base, and it deteriorated.

3 Between the Tribe and Braves, Johnson batted .255 (.624 OPS) with 3 HR and 18 RBI in 255 plate appearances. He walked only 10 times. He’s 31 and perhaps he can bounce back. In 255 plate appearances with the Braves/Tribe, Johnson had only 11 doubles and 3 HR. His lack of power and run production combined with being

mostly a first baseman/DH made the Tribe doubt he could help them.

3 I appreciate the fact that the front office of Chris Antonetii/ Mike Chernoff decided not to keep Johnson on the roster simply because they have to pay him. I’d rather look at Jesus Aguilar than Johnson as an extra first baseman. The 25-year-old Aguilar did lead the Class AAA International League with 93 RBI. He batted .267 (.771 OPS) with 19 HR. He has struggled in brief trials with the Tribe (.192 in 52 at bats), but it’s too soon to just write him off.

About Chris Johnson

I

give the Indians credit for cutting Chris Johnson. They didn’t think he could help them. Rather than try to squeeze something out of the $17.5 million left on his salary for the next two years, they let him go.

Things to know about Chris Johnson: 3 The Tribe had to take Johnson (and his contract) from the Braves in the trade for Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn. This was a combination of two teams wanting to dump bad contracts. The August deal saved the Tribe about $4 million in the long-run, as I wrote

when the trade was made.

3 The Indians needed to add $15 million to that deal to make it work for Atlanta. They sent a $7.5 million check at the time of the trade, and they will send the Braves another $7.5 million check at some point in 2016.

3 The Indians saved some money because Bourn and Swisher had $38 million left on their contracts.

It gets complicated, but the bottom line was the Indians wanted out ... out from under Bourn and Swisher ... and out from under Johnson, whose bat was very soft with a long, slow swing.

ere’s what I’ve learned about the trade talks between the Indians and Cincinnati for Reds third baseman Todd Frazier.

Here is how the Indians viewed the situation: 3 The Reds started with a request for Danny Salazar. And they stayed on Salazar for at least a month. The Indians had no intention of trading Salazar in a Frazier deal.

3 The issue is Frazier’s contract. He will be paid $7.5 million in 2016. In 2017, he is arbitration eligible. That could mean a $12 million deal. If the Indians traded for him, it would be a two-year proposition. Frazier will hit free agency at the age of 32. He turns 30 in February. If Frazier keeps hitting 25-to-30 HRs, his price tag will be massive.

3 Salazar can’t be a free agent until after the 2020 season. He was 14-10 with a 3.25 ERA. He will be 26 on Jan. 11 and is a very valuable commodity in a sport starving for effective starting pitchers under reasonable contracts.

3 The Reds then wanted closer Cody Allen and some prospects.

The idea of adding Frazier is to contend for the playoffs. Trading Salazar or Allen would prevent that. Allen is the team’s closer (34-of-38 in saved, 90 percent). He led the Majors with seven saves of more than one inning. The Tribe has no one on the roster to replace him as a closer. The Reds also wanted more than the 27-yearold Allen, who can’t be a free agent until 2019.

3 The Indians preferred to trade prospects for Frazier. The Reds wanted to start with Brad Zimmer or Clint Frazier, the Tribe’s top two outfield prospects. And then they wanted to dip into the pool of pitchers Mike Clevinger, Justus Sheffield and first baseman Bobby Bradley. They wanted Zimmer or Clint Frazier, along with two others.

3 The Indians were willing to talk about Jose Ramirez (the Reds wanted a middle infielder) and some of those other prospects — but not Zimmer or Clint Frazier. The Tribe has been looking for outfielders so long, they didn’t want to give up their two best outfield prospects for Todd Frazier. That’s because Frazier would not likely to be with the team for more than two years.

3 The talks stalled over Zimmer/Clint Frazier. In the end, the Reds made a three-way deal with the Dodgers and the White Sox, with Frazier going to Chicago. T he Indians thought Ramirez would be attractive to the Reds. He is only 23, a career .304 hitter in the minors who can play second base and

shortstop.

3 The Reds really wanted second baseman Jose Peraza, a 21-year-old with the Dodgers.

He batted .293 (.694 OPS) with 4 HRs and 42 RBI in Class AAA last season. The Reds also picked up Class AAA outfielder Scott Schebler (.241, .732 OPS, 13 HRs, 50 RBI) and Class AA infielder Brandon Nixon (.249, .647 OPS, 8 HRs and 38 RBI).

All those prospects came from the Dodgers. The Indians tried to get a three-team deal going for Frazier, but were unable to do so.

Reds wanted Peraza

Peraza was the key player in the deal for the Reds. He actually was with the Braves at the start of 2014, then was traded to the Dodgers in the middle of the season.

Baseball America’s Ben Badler wrote: “Peraza relies on two tools: hitting and speed. He has a short swing, quick hands and strong wrists, with the hand-eye coordination to put the barrel to the ball at a high rate. He hits to all fields and is adept at going the opposite way. Peraza’s doubleplus speed makes him a threat to steal 30 or more bases. “[Peraza] probably won’t hit many home runs. Peraza swings at too many pitches, hurting his on-base percentage. The Braves shifted Peraza from shortstop to second base in 2014. He has above-average range and an average arm, but a funky throwing stroke ... Peraza lacks a high ceiling, but his bat-to-ball skills and wheels should make him a steady player in the middle of the diamond.”

ESPN’s David Schoenfield wrote: “[Peraza] has a .302 career average in the minors, but doesn’t walk and has no power. ... He stole 33 bases, but his value is going to rest in his ability to hit for average and defense. He’s still very young — doesn’t turn 22 until April — but I’m not sure the bat is ever going to provide much value at the major league level.

“The Reds could also move him back to shortstop, where he played earlier in his minorleague career, although the Reds will probably slot him at second.

“Schebler is a 25-year-old left-handed hitter who hit .241/.322/.410 at Oklahoma City ... he’s a backup outfielder at best. Dixon is a 24-year-old who hit well at Rancho Cucamonga, but everyone hits well there.

He struggled after a promotion to Class AA and finished with 144 strikeouts and 28 walks. He didn’t rank in MLB.com’s top 30 Dodgers prospects. So from the Reds’ perspective, Peraza has to develop to make this deal work for them.”

About a special Mount Union fan

T

his email came from Mike Howard: “My son just turned 11 Nov. 10th. Team Impact is a nonprofit out of Boston. It places kids who have or had a life threatening condition, with a college team.

“My son Michael is 3 years and

4 months OUT of treatment for leukemia. He was 4 when diagnosed. Michael was placed with Mount Union’s football team! “[Former Mount quarterback] Kevin Burke signed the team up in 2014. There wasn’t a match until 2015 — my son, Michael.

Coach Vince Kehres and the entire Mount family has embraced my son as one of their own. Until the playoffs, Michael was able to not only lead the team on the field but be on the sideline during the games.

“NCAA [playoff ] rules limit the

amount of people on the field. The team needs a coach on the sidelines not Michael. But Michael leads his team to the gate now. He is there at halftime and at the end of the game to high-five everyone.

The Mount family is pretty darned awesome!”

Since

MICHAEL SHROYER | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mount Union defensive end Tom Lally and coach Vince Kehres celebrate the team’s 49-35 victory against St. Thomas on Friday in the NCAA Division III championship in Salem, Virginia.

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12

.571

3

7-3

W-2

10-4

6-8

9-5

Milwaukee

10

18

.357

9

3-7

L-3

8-5

2-13

7-11

Toronto

17

11

.607

–

6-4

W-1

8-4

9-7

10-5

Boston

14

13

.519

2½

5-5

L-3

7-7

7-6

10-9

New York

14

14

.500

3

5-5

W-4

7-7

7-7

8-9

Brooklyn

7

19

.269

9

4-6

L-4

6-7

1-12

4-11

Philadelphia

1

27

.036

16

1-9

L-9

1-11

0-16

0-18

Miami

15

10

.600

–

5-5

L-1

11-5

4-5

8-9

Orlando

15

11

.577

½

7-3

W-3

9-4

6-7

7-6 10-9

Charlotte

15

11

.577

½

6-4

L-1

11-4

4-7

Atlanta

16

12

.571

½

5-5

W-2

9-6

7-6

9-6

Washington

11

14

.440

4

4-6

W-1

5-7

6-7

8-7

Str Home Away

Conf

San Antonio

W

L

Pct

GB

L10

23

5

.821

–

9-1

W-5

15-0

8-5

12-2

Dallas

15

12

.556

7½

5-5

W-1

7-5

8-7

11-7

Memphis

15

14

.517

8½

5-5

W-1

9-6

6-8

9-9

Houston

14

14

.500

9

7-3

W-2

8-7

6-7

10-8

7

19

.269

15

3-7

L-1

5-6

2-13

5-12 12-2

New Orleans

Oklahoma City 18

9

.667

–

7-3

W-1

13-3

5-6

Utah

11

14

.440

6

3-7

W-1

6-6

5-8

5-9

Denver

11

15

.423

6½

5-5

L-1

5-7

6-8

8-12

Portland

11

17

.393

7½

4-6

L-2

6-6

5-11

10-10

Minnesota

10

16

.385

7½

2-8

W-1

4-10

6-6

5-9

Golden State

26

1

.963

–

9-1

W-2

12-0

14-1

16-0

L.A. Clippers

16

12

.571 10½

7-3

L-2

10-5

6-7

10-9

Phoenix

12

16

.429 14½

4-6

W-1

8-6

4-10

9-11

Sacramento

10

16

.385 15½

4-6

L-1

8-7

2-9

4-12

L.A. Lakers

4

23

.148

2-8

L-2

2-7

2-16

0-14

22

Saturday Oklahoma City 118, L.A. Lakers 78 Washington 109, Charlotte 101 New York 107, Chicago 91 Memphis 96, Indiana 84 Houston 107, L.A. Clippers 97 Today Philadelphia at Cleveland, 3:30 p.m.

Portland at Miami, 1 p.m.

Minnesota at Brooklyn, 1 p.m.

Milwaukee at Phoenix, 5 p.m.

Sacramento at Toronto, 6 p.m.

Atlanta at Orlando, 6 p.m.

New Orleans at Denver, 8 p.m.

Monday Sacramento at Washington, 7 p.m.

Minnesota at Boston, 7:30 p.m.

Orlando at New York, 7:30 p.m.

Brooklyn at Chicago, 8 p.m.

FG FT REB CHICAGO Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Gibson 19:59 3-4 0-0 1-2 2 0 6 Snell 20:55 3-6 0-0 1-6 2 1 7 Noah 28:32 9-16 3-4 6-10 2 1 21 Rose 21:02 3-10 0-1 2-2 1 0 6 Butler 33:12 4-11 3-4 1-2 5 3 12 Hinrich 20:18 0-2 0-0 0-4 1 3 0 Mirotic 24:43 1-8 0-0 0-3 0 4 2 McDermott 9:54 0-3 0-0 0-0 0 1 0 Portis 22:46 8-18 2-4 5-11 1 2 20 Brooks 21:08 3-8 4-4 0-1 3 3 11 Moore 12:00 2-5 0-0 1-3 0 1 4 Bairstow 5:31 1-3 0-0 1-3 0 1 2 Totals 240:00 37-94 12-17 18-47 17 20 91 Percentages: FG .394, FT .706. 3-Point Goals: 5-21, .238 (Portis 2-3, Butler 1-2, Snell 1-2, Brooks 1-4, Hinrich 0-1, McDermott 0-2, Rose 0-2, Mirotic 0-5).

Team Rebounds: 11. Team Turnovers: 13 (12 PTS).

Blocked Shots: 1 (Moore). Turnovers: 13 (Mirotic 3, Portis 3, Rose 2, Brooks, Butler, Hinrich, Moore, Noah).

Steals: 7 (Portis 2, Brooks, Butler, Mirotic, Moore, Noah). Technical Fouls: None.

FG FT REB NEW YORK Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Anthony 35:14 12-20 2-2 1-7 3 1 27 Porzingis 29:29 4-9 2-3 2-7 3 5 10 Lopez 18:31 3-5 2-2 2-3 0 1 8 Calderon 22:40 1-5 2-2 0-2 5 2 5 Afflalo 34:06 8-14 1-2 0-4 3 2 18 O’Quinn 20:25 2-4 0-0 3-10 0 3 4 Thomas 24:10 4-5 3-3 0-0 2 1 13 Galloway 25:20 3-7 1-1 0-3 3 0 7 Williams 16:11 2-6 5-7 2-6 0 0 9 Grant 13:54 2-7 2-2 0-1 0 0 6 Totals 240:00 41-82 20-24 10-43 19 15 107 Percentages: FG .500, FT .833. 3-Point Goals: 5-20, .250 (Thomas 2-2, Afflalo 1-1, Anthony 1-4, Calderon 1-5, Williams 0-1, Galloway 0-2, Grant 0-2, Porzingis 0-3). Team Rebounds: 6. Team Turnovers: 12 (17 PTS). Blocked Shots: 2 (O’Quinn, Porzingis). Turnovers: 11 (O’Quinn 3, Anthony 2, Lopez 2, Afflalo, Galloway, Grant, Williams). Steals: 6 (Thomas 2, Anthony, Galloway, O’Quinn, Porzingis). Technical Fouls: None.

Conf

Cleveland

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Charlotte at Houston, 8 p.m.

Portland at Atlanta, 8 p.m.

Indiana at San Antonio, 8:30 p.m.

Phoenix at Utah, 9 p.m.

Oklahoma City at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Friday Indiana 104, Brooklyn 97 New York 107, Philadelphia 97 Orlando 102, Portland 94 Atlanta 109, Boston 101 Detroit 147, Chicago 144,4OT Minnesota 99, Sacramento 95 San Antonio 115, L.A. Clippers 107 Toronto 108, Miami 94 Dallas 97, Memphis 88 Utah 97, Denver 88 Golden State 121, Milwaukee 112 Phoenix 104, New Orleans 88

Jump shots

Knicks 107, Bulls 91: Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points and host New York beat weary Chicago for its fourth straight victory. Arron Afflalo added 18 points for the Knicks, who got back to .500 at 14-14 after winning just 17 games last season. A night after losing a fourovertime game in Chicago, the Bulls started well and had a strong third quarter, but the rest of the night mostly belonged to New York.

Grizzlies 96, Pacers 84: Marc Gasol had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Matt Barnes finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and host Memphis defeated Indiana. Former Buckeye Mike Conley added 20 points and eight assists as the Grizzlies snapped a twogame skid.

Wizards 109, Hornets 101: John Wall had 27 points and 12 assists, Garrett Temple scored a career-high 21 and host Washington beat Charlotte. Wall scored 20 points in the first half and then drilled a key jumper with just over 2 minutes left in the game after the Hornets had nearly erased a 15-point deficit.

Thunder 118, Lakers 78: Kevin Durant had 22 points and eight rebounds, Enes Kanter had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Oklahoma City beat Los Angeles for its eighth straight home victory. Russell Westbrook added 13 points and 11 assists for his 18th double double of the season for the Thunder.

George fined: Indiana Pacers forward Paul George was fined $35,000 by the NBA for public criticism of officiating and using profanity in a live television interview. George made the comments following the Pacers’ 104-97 home victory over Brooklyn on Friday night.

Chicago 18 21 29 23– 91 New York 25 24 28 30–107 A–19,812 (19,763). T–2:05.

Officials–Ken Mauer, Aaron Smith, Michael Smith.

Rockets 107, Clippers 97

JOHN KUNTZ | CLEVELAND.COM

Cleveland fans can expect to see more of this: point guard Kyrie Irving driving to the hoop.

Irving has been out all season with a knee injury, but is expected to return to action today.

CAVALIERS It was frustrating for him, but he understood the bigger picture.

“I’ve been ready to play, but biomechanically, we just wanted to make sure everything was good so I’m not putting myself at higher risk to go out there and get hurt again,” he said.

Irving feels his knee is stronger than ever. He’ll be on a minute restriction the first couple of games.

Head coach David Blatt wouldn’t provide a number.

Blatt said he’s been anxious to get his starting point guard back on the court once he saw how Irving was progressing. But they

Wizards 109, Hornets 101

Grizzlies 96, Pacers 84

Thunder 118, Lakers 78

FG FT REB CHARLOTTE Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Hairston 18:40 3-6 2-2 3-6 2 1 10 Williams 34:23 4-14 0-0 6-9 1 3 9 Zeller 26:06 5-9 1-2 4-7 0 3 11 Walker 40:52 6-18 5-5 0-3 2 4 18 Batum 31:41 5-12 3-4 0-6 8 0 14 Lin 36:07 6-13 1-1 1-6 7 2 15 Kaminsky 18:35 2-4 1-2 2-5 1 2 6 Hawes 18:17 4-8 0-0 1-4 2 1 9 Lamb 11:42 4-8 0-0 1-4 0 3 9 Hansbrough 3:37 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 1 0 Totals 240:00 39-93 13-16 18-51 23 20 101 Percentages: FG .419, FT .813. 3-Point Goals: 1033, .303 (Lin 2-2, Hairston 2-3, Hawes 1-2, Kaminsky 1-3, Lamb 1-4, Williams 1-5, Batum 1-7, Walker 1-7).

Team Rebounds: 7. Team Turnovers: 18 (30 PTS).

Blocked Shots: 4 (Batum, Kaminsky, Williams, Zeller). Turnovers: 17 (Batum 4, Walker 4, Lin 3, Hansbrough 2, Hairston, Hawes, Williams, Zeller). Steals: 8 (Batum 3, Walker 3, Williams, Zeller). Technical Fouls: None.

FG FT REB WASHINGTON Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Oubre Jr 22:16 3-5 0-0 1-5 0 4 8 Dudley 41:27 7-10 2-2 0-9 4 3 19 Gortat 37:47 7-16 4-4 3-6 1 1 18 Wall 41:44 10-21 5-6 0-4 12 1 27 Temple 35:25 7-9 5-7 0-5 3 2 21 Neal 22:00 1-7 2-2 0-0 5 1 4 Sessions 23:01 3-8 1-1 1-5 1 1 7 Humphries 16:20 2-3 1-1 0-4 0 1 5 Totals 240:00 40-79 20-23 5-38 26 14 109 Percentages: FG .506, FT .870. 3-Point Goals: 9-20, .450 (Dudley 3-5, Oubre Jr. 2-2, Temple 2-3, Wall 2-5, Sessions 0-1, Neal 0-4). Team Rebounds: 3. Team Turnovers: 14 (14 PTS). Blocked Shots: 4 (Gortat 2, Oubre Jr., Wall). Turnovers: 14 (Wall 8, Gortat 4, Neal, Temple). Steals: 10 (Wall 3, Dudley 2, Neal 2, Temple 2, Gortat). Technical Fouls: Wall, 4:57 second; Defensive three second, 10:48 fourth.

FG FT REB INDIANA Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Miles 24:20 0-9 0-0 1-3 0 2 0 George 39:14 8-22 9-10 2-6 2 0 29 Mahinmi 18:18 2-5 3-4 2-6 1 5 7 GHill 29:32 3-7 2-4 1-5 2 3 8 Ellis 36:48 6-12 1-2 1-2 1 0 13 JHill 27:35 5-10 0-0 5-13 1 4 10 Stuckey 28:39 3-7 4-5 0-2 2 3 11 LAllen 24:46 1-1 0-0 1-7 2 2 2 Budinger 6:57 1-3 0-0 0-0 1 1 2 Robinson III 1:49 1-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 2 SHill 1:01 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Young 1:01 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 Totals 240:00 30-77 19-25 13-45 12 20 84 Percentages: FG .390, FT .760. 3-Point Goals: 5-28, .179 (George 4-12, Stuckey 1-3, Budinger 0-1, G.Hill 0-3, Ellis 0-4, Miles 0-5). Team Rebounds: 4. Team Turnovers: 17 (25 PTS). Blocked Shots: 2 (Ellis, Stuckey). Turnovers: 17 (George 7, Miles 3, Stuckey 3, Mahinmi 2, G.Hill, J.Hill). Steals: 8 (Ellis 2, George 2, J.Hill 2, G.Hill, Mahinmi). Technical Fouls: None.

FG FT REB MEMPHIS Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS JeGreen 34:02 5-11 1-1 1-6 0 3 11 Barnes 39:06 6-14 0-0 5-10 2 5 15 Gasol 39:35 9-18 1-2 3-12 6 3 19 Conley 33:16 6-16 7-8 0-4 8 1 20 Lee 30:29 1-6 0-0 0-4 0 1 2 Carter 22:24 3-5 2-2 0-1 2 1 9 Chalmers 18:20 3-6 6-8 0-3 3 4 12 Randolph 14:23 3-4 0-0 0-2 0 1 6 JaGreen 8:25 1-3 0-0 0-4 0 1 2 Totals 240:00 37-83 17-21 9-46 21 20 96 Percentages: FG .446, FT .810. 3-Point Goals: 5-19, .263 (Barnes 3-6, Carter 1-3, Conley 1-3, Chalmers 0-2, Je.Green 0-2, Lee 0-3). Team Rebounds: 8. Team Turnovers: 11 (10 PTS). Blocked Shots: 6 (Barnes, Carter, Gasol, Ja.Green, Je.Green, Lee). Turnovers: 9 (Barnes 3, Lee 3, Chalmers 2, Conley). Steals: 9 (Conley 4, Barnes 2, Gasol 2, Carter). Technical Fouls: Defensive three second, 4:52 fourth.

FG FT REB L.A. LAKERS Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Brown 27:23 2-9 0-0 1-1 1 4 4 Nance Jr 22:06 1-4 0-2 0-4 1 1 2 Hibbert 22:34 1-3 0-0 1-3 2 5 2 Clarkson 29:49 7-15 1-2 0-4 1 0 15 Williams 26:51 5-11 6-6 0-2 1 2 20 Russell 27:20 5-13 1-3 2-7 5 0 12 Young 20:37 5-13 1-1 0-0 0 0 14 Sacre 15:02 0-2 0-2 1-3 1 4 0 Randle 25:54 1-7 0-0 3-7 0 3 2 Bass 10:24 2-5 0-0 0-1 0 1 4 Huertas 12:00 1-4 1-1 0-0 2 0 3 Totals 240:00 30-86 10-17 8-32 14 20 78 Percentages: FG .349, FT .588. 3-Point Goals: 8-28, .286 (Williams 4-6, Young 3-9, Russell 1-7, Randle 0-1, Clarkson 0-2, Brown 0-3). Team Rebounds: 9. Team Turnovers: 14 (12 PTS). Blocked Shots: 2 (Hibbert 2). Turnovers: 14 (Randle 5, Brown 2, Russell 2, Clarkson, Hibbert, Nance Jr., Williams, Young). Steals: 10 (Williams 3, Brown 2, Hibbert 2, Clarkson, Nance Jr., Russell). Technical Fouls: Defensive three second, 5:54 first.

FG FT REB OKLA. CITY Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Durant 29:42 7-13 5-7 0-8 2 1 22 Ibaka 26:17 5-12 0-0 3-7 0 1 12 Adams 24:35 4-4 2-4 3-7 0 3 10 Westbrook 27:43 5-11 3-6 0-1 11 2 13 Roberson 17:41 2-4 0-0 3-4 1 2 4 Waiters 17:05 5-8 1-2 0-6 2 1 11 Collison 15:43 1-1 3-3 0-4 3 1 5 Augustin 16:46 1-3 0-0 0-1 3 3 3 Kanter 23:25 8-13 3-3 3-14 2 0 19 Morrow 18:49 4-9 0-0 0-0 1 0 10 Payne 9:30 3-4 0-0 0-1 3 0 6 Singler 6:44 0-0 0-0 0-2 0 0 0 Novak 6:00 1-2 0-0 0-1 0 0 3 Totals 240:00 46-84 17-25 12-56 28 14 118 Percentages: FG .548, FT .680. 3-Point Goals: 9-19, .474 (Durant 3-4, Ibaka 2-2, Morrow 2-6, Augustin 1-2, Novak 1-2, Roberson 0-1, Waiters 0-1, Westbrook 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 12. Team Turnovers: 15 (5 PTS).

Blocked Shots: 3 (Kanter, Payne, Roberson). Turnovers: 15 (Westbrook 4, Ibaka 3, Durant 2, Payne 2, Collison, Kanter, Singler, Waiters). Steals: 6 (Payne 3, Augustin, Waiters, Westbrook). Technical Fouls: Defensive three second, 11:45 second; Ibaka, 0:26.8 second; Kanter, 1:38 fourth.

from B1

Charlotte 27 26 22 26–101 Washington 28 31 27 23–109 A–16,987 (20,308). T–2:03.

Officials–Dan Crawford, Bill Kennedy, JT Orr.

Indiana 16 27 23 18– 84 Memphis 21 23 26 26– 96 A–18,119 (18,119). T–2:12.

Officials–Mike Callahan, Scott Twardoski, Rodney Mott.

Blue Jackets 3, Flyers 2, SO: Brandon Dubinsky scored in the sixth shootout round, rookie Joonas Korpisalo stopped 5-of-6 attempts to get his first NHL win and host Columbus beat Philadelphia. Cam Atkinson also scored in the shootout for Columbus. Korpisalo, called up Dec. 9 from the Lake Erie Monsters, had 30 saves before the shootout. Brandon Saad and Ryan Murray scored for Columbus

Maple Leafs 5, Kings 0: Jonathan Bernier stopped 26 shots in his first win of the season as host Toronto beat Los Angeles. Michael Grabner and Leo Komarov each scored twice. Byron Froese had his first NHL goal.

Hurricanes 2, Penguins 1: Jordan Staal and John-Michael Liles scored first-period power-play goals to lead Carolina over the host Pittsburgh.

Dickie Moore dies: Dickie Moore, the Montreal Canadiens forward who twice led the NHL in scoring, died Saturday. He was 84. Moore played on the Montreal teams that won five Stanley Cups in a row from 1956 to 1960. Moore spent several of his 12 seasons in Montreal patrolling the left wing on a line with the Richard brothers, Maurice and Henri. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1974.

Stars 6, Canadiens 2: Jamie Benn had two goals and an assist and host Dallas beat Montreal in a battle of first-place teams. Benn regained the NHL lead with 22 goals, passing the Blues’ Vladimir Tarasenko.

Williams out: The Cavaliers will be without Mo Williams today for the second straight game.

Williams is still dealing with a sprained right thumb he suffered in the Boston game on Tuesday.

He did not practice on Saturday.

It will be his fifth missed game on the season.

Iman Shumpert, who is nursing a sore right groin, is questionable for the contest. He went through parts of practice on Saturday.

He injured himself in his second game back from wrist surgery, the same game Williams hurt himself.

L.A. Lakers 15 26 14 23– 78 Oklahoma City 35 32 25 26–118 A–18,203 (18,203). T–2:02.

Officials–Zach Zarba, Derrick Collins, Tre Maddox.

Blackhawks’ Kane sinks Sabres in own backyard

Patrick Kane made his Buffalo homecoming a winning one by scoring the tying goal in the final minute and then adding the lone shootout goal in leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 victory over the Sabres on Saturday.

With boos raining from the stands as Kane prepared to take his shootout chance, the Buffalo native sped up the middle, came to a near full stop and then faked a forehand shot before flipping a backhand into the right side past goalie Chad Johnson.

Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford then sealed the win by stopping Zemgus Girgensons on the Sabres third and final shootout attempt.

It was an eventful finish to a game in which Kane tied it with 34 seconds left while the Blackhawks enjoyed a 6-on-3 advantage.

and did what’s best for the team,” Irving said. “Coming back tomorrow, I finally got the full clearance from my doctors and the training staff, and that’s all I needed.”

had to be certain he was ready to tackle the rigors of an NBA season.

“We wanted him to be and to show himself to be fully ready to play,” Blatt said. “So, it was just a matter of getting to that point.”

Irving is a career 21.0-point scorer, pulls down 3.5 rebounds, distributes 5.7 assists and shoots at 39 percent from 3-point range.

He’ll likely get the start today against the one-win Sixers, though Blatt wouldn’t confirm it.

It’s been a long road for Irving, but he’s finally back and ready to be out there with his “brothers.”

“Obviously as a competitor, you want to get out there, but for me, I let go of all my selfish inside emotions and put them aside and did what’s best for my body

NHL roundup

From wire reports

Sunday, December 20, 2015

GARY WIEPERT | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chicago’s Patrick Kane celebrates after scoring a tying goal with 34 seconds left in regulation time. Kane then scored in a shootout to give the Blackhawks a 3-2 win over the Sabres.

L.A. Clippers 17 29 25 26– 97 Houston 38 19 26 24–107 A–18,212 (18,023). T–2:32.

Officials–Monty McCutchen, Matt Boland, Josh Tiven.

Leaders Through Friday Scoring Curry, GOL Harden, HOU Durant, OKC James, CLE George, IND Westbrook, OKC Lillard, POR Griffin, LAC Davis, NOR DeRozan, TOR Bledsoe, PHX Butler, CHI Anthony, NYK Thomas, BOS FG Percentage Jordan, LAC Whiteside, MIA Howard, HOU Parker, SAN Kanter, OKC Faried, DEN Towns, MIN Favors, UTA Durant, OKC Gortat, WAS Rebounds Drummond, DET Jordan, LAC Howard, HOU Gasol, CHI Davis, NOR Pachulia, DAL Love, CLE Whiteside, MIA Monroe, MIL Thompson, CLE Assists Rondo, SAC Westbrook, OKC Paul, LAC Wall, WAS Rubio, MIN Green, GOL Jack, Bro Lillard, POR Harden, HOU Bledsoe, PHX

G 27 27 20 23 25 26 28 27 23 28 27 24 26 27

FG 283 226 185 231 210 231 233 259 195 209 211 170 190 192

FT PTS AVG 161 858 31.8 253 780 28.9 124 544 27.2 125 612 26.6 154 652 26.1 167 666 25.6 135 680 24.3 123 647 24.0 126 529 23.0 199 626 22.4 125 593 22.0 154 522 21.8 138 559 21.5 136 579 21.4 FG FGA PCT 106 153 .693 129 208 .620 100 175 .571 146 261 .559 112 202 .554 112 202 .554 166 310 .535 166 314 .529 185 351 .527 108 206 .524

G OFF DEF TOT AVG 28 159 299 458 16.4 27 103 257 360 13.3 21 82 165 247 11.8 24 53 209 262 10.9 23 45 206 251 10.9 27 97 195 292 10.8 24 62 196 258 10.8 25 70 198 268 10.7 26 75 184 259 10.0 24 71 167 238 9.9 G AST AVG 25 278 11.1 26 245 9.4 22 196 8.9 24 213 8.9 20 173 8.7 27 193 7.1 25 178 7.1 28 187 6.7 27 180 6.7 27 179 6.6

AHL | Checkers 4, Monsters 1

Charlotte chases goaltender Forsberg in Lake Erie loss From staff reports

Blues 3, Flames 2: Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists, lifting host St. Louis over Calgary. Colton Parayko and Jori Lehtera also scored.

FG FT REB L.A. CLIPPERS Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Mbah a Moute 5:18 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 3 0 Griffin 36:21 9-13 4-5 0-8 6 5 22 Jordan 30:00 6-7 4-12 2-11 0 3 16 Paul 31:22 3-13 4-5 0-1 10 2 12 Redick 26:51 6-14 3-3 0-2 0 2 19 Johnson 9:03 2-7 0-0 0-0 0 0 5 Crawford 31:26 1-8 1-2 0-1 1 4 4 Rivers 16:09 1-5 0-0 0-1 1 4 2 Pierce 15:36 1-4 0-0 0-1 0 4 3 Stephenson 20:06 0-2 0-0 1-3 0 6 0 Smith 5:38 2-7 2-2 2-2 0 0 6 Aldrich 6:05 1-1 0-0 2-6 1 0 2 Prigioni 6:05 2-3 0-0 0-2 2 3 6 Totals 240:00 34-86 18-29 7-38 21 36 97 Percentages: FG .395, FT .621. 3-Point Goals: 1138, .289 (Redick 4-9, Prigioni 2-3, Paul 2-7, Pierce 1-3, Crawford 1-4, Johnson 1-4, Stephenson 0-1, Mbah a Moute 0-2, Rivers 0-2, Smith 0-3). Team Rebounds: 13. Team Turnovers: 12 (8 PTS). Blocked Shots: 6 (Jordan 4, Crawford, Johnson). Turnovers: 12 (Stephenson 3, Griffin 2, Paul 2, Aldrich, Crawford, Johnson, Jordan, Rivers). Steals: 10 (Paul 7, Griffin, Redick, Rivers). Technical Fouls: Griffin, 4:28 third; Defensive three second, 11:48 fourth.

FG FT REB HOUSTON Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Ariza 33:35 7-11 0-0 1-6 3 3 17 Capela 21:28 2-5 3-8 5-10 1 1 7 Howard 26:23 8-11 6-16 6-14 0 5 22 Beverley 30:42 2-7 1-4 0-5 1 4 7 Harden 33:43 4-13 10-10 0-5 11 4 18 Terry 17:18 2-5 2-2 0-1 2 2 7 Motiejunas 20:06 4-5 2-2 0-3 1 5 10 Jones 21:13 3-8 0-0 0-6 0 1 8 Brewer 16:06 0-4 0-0 0-2 2 2 0 Thornton 19:26 2-7 7-7 1-3 1 2 11 Totals 240:00 34-76 31-49 13-55 22 29 107 Percentages: FG .447, FT .633. 3-Point Goals: 8-25, .320 (Ariza 3-4, Beverley 2-4, Jones 2-4, Terry 1-3, Motiejunas 0-1, Thornton 0-2, Brewer 0-3, Harden 0-4).

Team Rebounds: 17. Team Turnovers: 19 (16 PTS).

Blocked Shots: 7 (Capela 2, Howard 2, Beverley, Brewer, Harden). Turnovers: 15 (Harden 5, Beverley 4, Capela 2, Howard 2, Jones, Motiejunas). Steals: 7 (Ariza, Beverley, Brewer, Capela, Motiejunas, Terry, Thornton). Technical Fouls: Defensive three second, 1:18 first; Defensive three second, 5:57 second; Defensive three second, 10:36 second.

The Lake Erie Monsters lost in their first-ever trip to the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, Saturday night, losing 4-1 to the Checkers.

The Checkers broke it open after a scoreless first period with three unanswered goals in less than two minutes in the second.

A quick shot by Charlotte’s leading scorer, Derek Ryan, beat Monsters goaltender Anton Forsberg on a power play at 8:05, with assists by Trevor Carrick and Brock McGinn.

Brody Sutter made it 2-0 with an unassisted goal just 24 seconds later, and Keegan Lowe followed less than a minute after that, at 10:07, assisted by Jake Chelios and T.J. Hensick.

Forsberg, who turned away 23 shots, was pulled for the first

time this season, giving Brad Thiessen, a veteran of six AHL seasons, his debut in net for the Monsters.

Lake Erie got on the scoreboard at 14:30 of the second period on a power play goal by captain Ryan Craig, assisted by Daniel Zaar.

Carrick’s unassisted empty net goal at 18:36 of the third frame put Charlotte up 4-1. It was the second straight loss for the Monsters, who have outshot their opponents in their last three losses.

Forsberg took the loss for the Monsters. Thiessen stopped the 9 shots he faced. Daniel Altshuller got the win for the Checkers, stopping 36 of 37.

Attendance was listed as 7,431.

The Monsters and Checkers play again at 1 p.m. today in Charlotte.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

MN

B5*

COLLEGES College football roundup

Ohio loses Camellia Bowl on game-ending field goal From wire reports

Appalachian State and Ohio swapped huge defensive plays, gigantic momentum swings and even clutch kicks. The Mountaineers simply struck last.

Zach Matics capped a wild Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, with a 23-yard field goal on the final play to lift Appalachian State to a 31-29 victory over Ohio on Saturday night, capping a 17-point, fourth-quarter comeback.

“I’ve been a part of football for a long, long time,” Mountaineers coach Scott Satterfield said. “I’ve never been a part of a game like this.”

T h e Mo u n t a i n e e r s ( 1 1 - 2 ) moved from their own 21 in the final 1:42 after rallying from a 24-7 deficit in the fourth quarter only to lose the lead again. It was their first bowl game since moving up to FBS. A safety and Josiah Yazdani’s 21-yard field goal had restored

the lead to Ohio (8-5) in a game where the Bobcats scored two defensive touchdowns after a sluggish start.

Las Vegas Bowl: Utah took advantage of a disastrous start by BYU, scoring five first-quarter touchdowns on turnovers – including two interceptions by Tevin Carter – before holding on to beat the Cougars 35-28.

Carter returned one of the picks for a touchdown and another to the 1 as No. 20 Utah romped to a 35-0 first-quarter lead in the first meeting of the two heated rivals outside of the state of Utah. BYU turned the ball over the first five times it had the ball, with freshman quarterback Tanner Mangum throwing three interceptions and fumbling once.

That was all the scoring Utah (10-3) did, and it nearly cost the Utes the game. Mangum would bring BYU (9-4) back, throwing two touchdown passes and rushing for another with 3:23 left.

and Cayleb Jones had 182 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Cure Bowl: Kenny Potter scored on a 42-yard run and threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Josh Oliver in San Jose State’s 27-16 comeback victory over Georgia State in the inaugural Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida. Both teams finished 6-7. Tyler Ervin rushed 30 times for 132 yards, becoming San Jose State’s single-season rushing leader with 1,601.

ALBERT CESARE / THE MONTGOMERY ADVERTISER

Appalachian State defensive back Tae Hayes stops Ohio running back Daz’mond Patterson in the first half. The Bobcats were limited to 107 yards rushing on 36 carries.

New Mexico Bowl: Anu Solomon threw two touchdowns passes and ran for another score to help Arizona hold off pesky New Mexico 45-37.

Arizona and its quick offense

overwhelmed the Lobos in a game that saw New Mexico surge late after being down as many as 18 points. Both teams finished 7-6.

Arizona’s Jared Baker ran for 107 yards and three touchdowns,

From staff, wire reports Wes Washpun set career highs with 28 points and 11 assists as Northern Iowa upset fifth-ranked Iowa State, 81-79, Saturday night in Des Moines, Iowa, for its second win over a top-five opponent this season.

Paul Jesperson added a careerhigh 21 points on seven 3-pointers for the Panthers (7-3), who also stunned then-No. 1 North Carolina, 71-67, at home last month.

Iowa State’s Georges Niang made it 80-79 on free throws with 20 seconds left, and the Cyclones (9-1) forced a subsequent turnover.

Niang slipped, though, giving the Panthers the ball back. Washpun hit a free throw and Monte Morris missed a floater at the buzzer.

Niang scored 30 points for the Cyclones, who fell just shy of their second double-digit comeback in three games.

No. 1 Michigan State 78, Northeastern 58: Denzel Valentine scored 17 points and the Spartans beat the Huskies (7-4) in Boston to improve to 12-0.

FRANK FRANKLIN II | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ohio State’s Marc Loving, left, and Kentucky’s Tyler Ulis chase a loose ball Saturday in New York during the unranked Buckeyes’ 74-67 win over the fourth-ranked Wildcats. up and then knocked down a 3 when the ball got back to him.

Daniel Giddens made a pair of free throws.

The ball bounced Ohio State’s way often Saturday. Sometimes you need that to happen in tandem with playing a really good game to win one you’re not supposed to, and Ohio State finally played well enough to have some things go its way.

It was hot shooting in the first half, when a 12-0 run that gave the Buckeyes a 14-point lead had them sitting at 60 percent from the field, 63 percent from 3-point range with 7:41 left in the half.

Then it was not completely falling apart in the second half when the pressure was on, because Kentucky was going to make its run.

“Just poise under pressure.

JaQuan and A.J. really ran the show,” Loving said. “We had to follow those guys, but they handled the pressure the majority of the time. Hats off to A.J. and JaQuan because they really withstood the pressure throughout the whole game.”

All eight players who saw the floor for the Buckeyes scored, four of them reached double figures. Keita Bates-Diop led with 14 points. Loving scored 12. Trevor Thompson played his best game of the year, notching 10 points, five rebounds and five blocks.

Lyle made a tough layup to put Ohio State up, 57-46, when Kentucky started rattling off buckets.

Daniel Giddens laid out full extension to get a loose ball on de-

fense when Ohio State was only up by three points. He got the ball to Kam Williams, who was fouled intentionally. It ended up being a four-point swing for the Buckeyes that really sealed the game.

Things that have never happened at any point this season happened Saturday. You create your own luck.

OHIO ST. 74, No. 4 KENTUCKY 67

KENTUCKY (9-2) Labissiere 1-7 0-0 2, Poythress 2-4 1-3 6, Ulis 4-12 2-2 11, Briscoe 1-9 1-4 3, Murray 13-23 0-0 33, Lee 4-7 4-5 12, Matthews 0-0 0-0 0, Mulder 0-1 0-0 0, Hawkins 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-63 8-14 67.

OHIO ST. (6-5) Loving 3-10 4-4 12, Bates-Diop 5-12 2-5 14, Thompson 4-7 2-2 10, Tate 3-9 0-0 6, Lyle 4-11 1-2 11, Giddens 2-5 2-2 6, Harris 2-4 0-0 6, Williams 3-6 2-2 9. Totals 26-64 13-17 74.

Halftime–Ohio St. 37-25. 3-Point Goals–Kentucky 9-19 (Murray 7-9, Poythress 1-1, Ulis 1-7, Mulder 0-1, Briscoe 0-1), Ohio St. 9-18 (Loving 2-3, Harris 2-3, Lyle 2-3, Bates-Diop 2-5, Williams 1-2, Tate 0-2). Fouled Out–Lee. Rebounds–Kentucky 40 (Lee 9), Ohio St. 42 (Tate 10). Assists–Kentucky 14 (Briscoe 7), Ohio St. 10 (Bates-Diop 3). Total Fouls–Kentucky 17, Ohio St. 16. A–16,311.

Cleveland State 67, Belmont 65

Undersized Vikings get over on Belmont

Demonte Flannigan scored on a strong post-up move with 1.8 seconds left to lift Cleveland State to a 67-65 victory over Belmont on Saturday afternoon at the Wolstein Center.

There aren’t many teams the undersized Vikings can post up at will, but Belmont (7-6) is one of them. And with 3.8 seconds left, following a timeout, the Vikings got the ball cleanly on the block to the 6-7 Flannigan.

He posted up before hitting a left-handed layup off the glass for the game winner for CSU (47). He finished with 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting. He also had

Marian (Ind.) 31, Southern Oregon 14: Maurice Woodard and Krishawn Hogan each scored two touchdowns and Marian (12-2) won its second NAIA championship in four years, defeating the Raiders (11-3), in Daytona Beach, Florida, and avenging a loss in the title game last year.

Northern Iowa earns another top-5 upset

from B1

Elton Alexander ealexander@plaind.com

Jacksonsville State 62, Sam

NW Mo. State 34, Shepherd 7: Brady Bolles threw for 233 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bearcats (15-0) to their fifth Division II title, 34-7 over Shepherd (13-1) in Kansas City, Kansas.

College basketball roundup

OSU

Like guys hitting ridiculous shots they’ve only ever made in video games with the can’t-miss mode on. Or teams shooting way above their average from the foul line. Those things happened in some of Ohio State’s five losses this season. The Buckeyes also played poorly. That’s why they came to New York on Saturday with a .500 record.

Those lucky things happened because those teams that beat Ohio State played well enough to will it to happen, if you believe in such things. Matta does. That’s why he was so frustrated when it was happening against him, because it meant his team was being outplayed.

Ohio State outplayed Kentucky, a squad with two future NBA lottery picks, at Barclays Center. The Buckeyes created their own luck, and earned a win that was not as much lucky as it was earned.

“Some things happened, we got on the floor for loose balls, we deflected passes to create loose balls and we got them. We had some guys get rebounds out of their areas,” Matta said. “We had some things going, JaQuan [Lyle’s] shot at the end of the half was a huge shot. Hopefully we made our own breaks.”

Lyle’s deep 3-pointer as the halftime buzzer sounded allowed the Buckeyes to enter the break with a double-digit lead despite making only two shots over the last sevenplus minutes of the half.

Lyle got the look because Ohio State drew up a good inbounds play — using both Lyle and A.J. Harris for the first time this season to take some pressure off the ball-handler. Ohio State also used some stellar shooting for a few minutes to build a big lead that enabled them to withstand a Kentucky run.

Other weird things that happ e n e d : A Ke n t u c ky p l a y e r grabbed a rebound, somehow fell to the floor with nobody around him and the ball popped out.

The Buckeyes swarmed to the ball and got it back. Kentucky point guard Isaiah Briscoe drove against three Ohio State defenders, then threw a pass to nobody.

The Buckeyes got the ball back.

Jae’Sean Tate got a shot blocked, caught it, then basically threw up the same shot again and it went in. Marc Loving got a shot blocked, caught it, gave it

Celebration Bowl: Tarik Cohen rushed for 295 yards and touchdowns of 83, 74 and 73 yards, and North Carolina A&T (10-2) used a slew of big plays for a 41-34 win over Alcorn State (9-4) in the Celebration Bowl at the Georgia Dome. The bowl, matching champions of the two historically black Division-I conferences, had four scoring plays in the first quarter cover a combined 315 yards.

Houston State 10: Troymaine Pope ran for 181 yards and two touchdowns to punch the Gamecocks’ (13-1) ticket to the FCS Championship game, leading the drubbing of the Bearkats (9-4) in front of a record 23,692 fans in Jacksonville, Alabama. Jacksonville State will play in the FCS Championship Jan. 9 in Frisco, Texas, against four-time defending champion North Dakota State.

eight rebounds, three assists and two blocks.

“I thought we executed the last play to perfection,’’ said CSU coach Gary Waters. “It was as good as you can get ... It was a play that we have worked on for situations like that and we did a great job allaround.’’

Rob Edwards had 15 points for CSU, Andre Yates scored 11 and Tim Hasbargen had 10 points.

Mack Mercer had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Belmont The Vikings were coming off an impressive road victory at LoyolaChicago, 60-54, which snapped a five-game losing streak.

Belmont was the perfect opponent for the Vikings, a team willing to tiptoe through the game,

avoiding any aggressive play whatsoever and expecting the 3-pointer to overcome their size and physical shortcomings.

The Vikings, more than willing to overplay and be aggressive, never trailed in the opening half, building a 40-31 lead, the most points they have scored in a half this season.

Indicative of Belmont’s tepid play, the equally undersized Vikings dominated the paint, scoring 16 points in close. CSU also hit four 3-pointers in the first half, including a pair from 6-4 sophomore Hasbargen, keeping pace with Belmont, which knocked down five.

In the second half, the Vikings were in control until the 11:10 mark. But the Bruins then started

going to the line to trigger an 18-7 run and take their only lead, 6361. But the Vikings tied it on a Flannigan tip-in, then won on the last shot.

The Bruins only got six points from leading scorer Evan Bradds.

CLEVELAND ST. 67, BELMONT 65

BELMONT (7-6) Luke 0-1 0-0 0, Egekeze 4-7 5-7 15, Bradds 1-5 2-4 4, Barnette 6-11 0-0 16, Bradshaw 1-6 5-5 7, Smith 0-2 1-2 1, Windler 1-5 0-0 2, Laidig 0-0 0-0 0, Sampson 0-0 0-0 0, Mercer 7-18 6-8 20, McClain 0-2 0-0 0, Hadden 0-1 0-0 0.

Totals 20-58 19-26 65.

CLEVELAND ST. (4-7) Flannigan 8-14 0-0 16, Zollo 1-10 2-2 4, Yates 4-10 3-4 11, Edwards 6-8 0-0 15, Hales 1-3 0-0 2, Sloan 0-1 0-0 0, Hamilton 0-0 0-0 0, Carpenter 0-2 0-0 0, Blount 3-7 0-1 6, Hasbargen 4-5 0-0 10, Levitt 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 28-62 5-7 67.

Halftime–Cleveland St. 40-31. 3-Point Goals–Belmont 6-23 (Barnette 4-8, Egekeze 2-4, Hadden 0-1, Luke 0-1, Mercer 0-1, Smith 0-2, Windler 0-2, Bradshaw 0-4), Cleveland St. 6-15 (Edwards 3-4, Hasbargen 2-3, Levitt 1-2, Flannigan 0-1, Yates 0-2, Zollo 0-3). Fouled Out– Bradds. Rebounds–Belmont 40 (Mercer 10), Cleveland St. 38 (Flannigan, Zollo 8). Assists–Belmont 12 (Luke 7), Cleveland St. 14 (Zollo 4). Total Fouls–Belmont 13, Cleveland St. 23. A–1,269.

No. 2 Kansas 88, Montana 46: Perry Ellis had 18 points and nine rebounds while leading four players in double-figures scoring, and the Jayhawks (9-1) buried the Griz (4-6) with a big second-half run in Lawrence, Kan. Utah 77, No. 7 Duke 75 (OT): Kyle Kuzma scored 21 points to lead the Utes (9-2) to an overtime win over the Blue Devils (9-2) at the Ameritas Insurance Classic in New York. Utah’s Jakob Poeltl had 19 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out with 31 seconds left in OT. Duke’s Luke Kennard led all scorers with 24 points.

No. 3 Oklahoma 87, Creighton 74: Buddy Hield scored a careerhigh 33 points to help the Sooners (8-0) beat the Bluejays (7-4) in Norman, Okla.

No. 6 Maryland 82, Princeton 61: Jake Layman scored a seasonhigh 19 points and Robert Carter fueled a second-half surge that enabled the Terrapins (10-1) to pull away from the Tigers (6-3) in Baltimore.

No. 8 Virginia 86, No. 12 Villanova 75: London Perrantes scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half as the Cavaliers (9-1) used a 14-0 run to take command in a win over the Wildcats (8-2) in Charlottesville, Va. No. 17 Butler 74, No. 9 Purdue 68: Roosevelt Jones scored 19 points, Tyler Lewis had 17 and the Bulldogs (9-1) beat the Boilermakers (11-1) in Indianapolis.

No. 10 Xavier 85, Auburn 61: Jalen Reynolds had a season-high 18 points and the Musketeers (110) earned their best start in school history by beating the Tigers (5-3) in Cincinnati.

No. 11 North Carolina 89, No. 22 UCLA 76: Brice Johnson scored 27 points, the second straight game he set his career high, and the Tar Heels (9-2) overcame a horrible game from beyond the 3-point arc

(4-for-19) to beat the Bruins (8-4) at the CBS Sports Classic in New York.

No. 19 Louisville 78, Western Kentucky 56: Quentin Snider scored 16 points and the Cardinals (9-1) beat the Hilltoppers (6-5) in Louisville, Ky. Trey Lewis (Garfield Heights) scored 15 points on 7-of11 shooting for Louisville.

No. 23 Cincinnati 69, VCU 63: Troy Caupain and Farad Cobb had 15 points apiece, leading the Bearcats (10-2) to a victory over the Rams (5-5) in Richmond, Va.

Baldwin Wallace 80, Wilmington 58: Cam Kuhn scored 19 points and Jay Battle scored 14 as the Yellow Jackets (7-3, 3-2 Ohio Athletic Conference) blasted the Quakers (1-8, 0-5) in Berea.

John Carroll 82, Marietta 78: David Linane (Gilmour) scored 27 points and Simon Kucharewicz grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Blue Streaks (9-0, 4-0 OAC) top the Pioneers (8-2, 4-1) in University Heights.

Hiram 88, La Roche 81: Kelvin Jones (Brookside) scored a careerhigh 23 points to lead the Terriers (6-2) past the Redhawks (3-7) in Pittsburgh.

Saginaw Valley State 81, Lake Erie 69: The Storm’s Andy Bosley led all scorers with 19 points but Lake Erie (5-5, 2-2 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) lost to the Cardinals (7-2, 4-0) in Painesville.

Women

Akron 77, Northern Kentucky 75: Anita Brown hit a jumper as time expired in overtime to lift the Zips (5-5) over the Norse (8-3) in Highland Heights, Ky. Brown finished with a game- and seasonhigh 32 points.

Baldwin Wallace 65, Wilmington 56: Mackenzie Colombo scored a career-high 18 points and Hanna Fecht scored a career-high 15 to lead the Yellow Jackets (6-3, 4-1 OAC) past the Quakers (3-4, 2-2) in Wilmington, Ohio.

Marietta 88, John Carroll 76: Kaitlyn Spahar (Lake Catholic) led the Blue Streaks (5-4, 1-3 OAC) with 24 points in a loss to the Pioneers (9-3, 3-2) in Marietta, Ohio.

Case Western Reserve 62, Kenyon 51: Hillary Hellmann scored a career-high 23 points, including five 3-pointers, to help the Spartans (4-5) beat the Ladies (5-4) in Cleveland.

Saginaw Valley State 84, Lake Erie 54: Sami Narducci (North Royalton) and Daija Jones (St. Joseph) led the Storm (5-5, 1-3 GLIAC) with 10 points each in the loss to the Cardinals (5-4, 2-4) in Painesville.

Ursuline 89, Northwestern Ohio 67: Erica Huber led all scorers with 22 points and Laney Lewis had a game-high 13 rebounds to lead the Arrows (9-1) past the Racers (7-6) in Pepper Pike for a school-record sixth straight win.

B6 | Sunday, December 20, 2015

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

Sunday, December 20, 2015 | B7

CONCUSSIONS

CONCUSSIONS

NFL

Cribbs advocates flag football first

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was personal pressure to play, outside pressure to play. It may not be blatant, but there is pressure to play.”

from B1

They rank first with 34 while the Chargers and Bengals sit second with 28. (The Dolphins have suffered the fewest with seven, according to the database.) Browns cornerback Joe Haden and receiver Andrew Hawkins each sustained multiple concussions this season. Hawkins remains sidelined within the league’s concussion protocol, while Haden was placed on season-ending injured reserve while he recovers.

The disparity in man-games lost to head traumas between the teams at the top of the list is stark.

Cleveland players have missed 48 games in the past three-plus seasons — more than doubling the sum of the Chargers (19) and Bengals (15). It’s a reminder of the uniqueness and complexity of the injury.

Dealing with concussions is one of the biggest challenges confronting the NFL and its member teams. Clinical research has tied repeated head trauma to memory loss, depression and dementia.

More than 4,500 former players have joined a class-action lawsuit claiming the league concealed the dangers associated with the injuries.

A recent study revealed 87 of 91 deceased NFL players tested positive for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), according to figures from the nation’s largest brain bank.

“I chose to report mine,” said Browns receiver Brian Hartline, who sustained a head injury on Nov. 1 against the Cardinals and told the team’s medical staff about his symptoms the following day.

“I think the education has played a part of it, there’s no doubt. It’s buying into a system.

They are trying to help and prevent the kind of ramifications that are showing up when guys are in their 40s and 50s.”

Tom Reed treed@cleveland.com

Browns defensive back Johnson Bademosi, the team’s union representative

Josh Cribbs recalls games in which he was so woozy, yet determined to keep playing, that Browns trainers had to hide his helmet.

He tells stories of beating the system on the sidelines when medical personnel tested him for a concussion.

“I definitely was one of the guys who didn’t report it,” Cribbs said. “I had to play through it, I wanted to play through it. ... It could be dangerous sometimes because you never know when enough is enough.”

With age and a greater appreciation for the long-term effects of repeated head trauma, the three-time Pro Bowler wants to chart a different course for his 6-year-old son and other kids.

Cribbs, 32, is helping start youth flag football leagues, which expect to debut in January at the MultiPlex in Warrensville Heights. The leagues are for children ages 6 to 11 and the idea is to teach the fundamentals without all the hitting.

“A lot of parents are worried about concussions with their kids in contact sports,” said Cribbs, who played 10 NFL seasons. “I want my son to play contact sports, but my wife is so scared that every time she watches a football game she thinks somebody is going to get knocked out.

“My son [Israel] will play football. It probably will be flag football up until high school. I want him to wait as long as possible.”

Many contact sports are dealing with the specter of head injuries at all levels. None more than football.

Clinical research has tied repeated head trauma to memory loss, depression and dementia.

More than 4,500 former NFL players have joined a class-action lawsuit claiming the league concealed the dangers associated with the injuries.

Cribbs’ former team, the Browns, have sustained the most concussions (34) in the NFL since the start of the 2012 season, according to a PBS/ Frontline database. He suffered one on a punt return against the Ravens in 2012 that left him motionless on his back for more than a minute.

Behind the data

Although some question the motives behind the league’s rash of safety initiatives, a sampling of current and former Browns players finds little fault with the team’s medical and equipment staffs. They also eschew talk linking head injuries to their helmet selections. Players are free to wear the brands of their choice and Xenith, Riddell, Rawlings and Schutt helmets all are represented in the Browns’ locker room.

“The contact at the point of impact is going to be so violent it’s not going to matter what helmet you are wearing,” said defensive back K’Waun Williams, who’s endured three concussions in his first two seasons. “A better suited helmet might protect you a little more, but not that much.”

The Browns’ head injuries follow league-wide patterns, according to the database, in that they are evenly distributed between offense and defense and concentrate heavily in the passing game. Receivers, tight ends and defensive backs have been most susceptible.

Some point to the diminutive size of several concussion victims — Hawkins, Williams, Taylor Gabriel — but bigger players such as Josh Cribbs, Alex Smith, Jordan Cameron and Brandon Weeden balance out those figures since 2012.

“There is not a particular reason people get concussions,” said Cribbs, a three-time Pro Bowler.

“There are a lot of factors that influence the numbers. Concussions happen all across the league and some of them don’t get reported.”

Hartline believes the teams reporting the fewest concussions merit more scrutiny than the ones at the top of the table.

JOSHUA GUNTER / CLEVELAND.COM

Browns QB Josh McCown spins in the air after taking a shot to the head while diving for the end zone on the first Browns possession of the season on Sept. 13. McCown suffered a concussion on the play and was lost for the game, a 31-10 loss, and did not play the following week.

“Why would your team be negligent if you had the most concussions?” the wideout said. “What I would want to know is why isn’t the 32nd team having more?”

The Dolphins declined comment via email to cleveland.com when asked about their low numbers. The Falcons, the next lowest team with nine, also did not respond to a request.

‘Pressure to play’ Cribbs suffered one of the most frightening hits to a Browns player in recent memory when then-Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe crushed the special teams ace on a 2012 punt return.

His wife, Maria, cried as he lay motionless on his back for more than a minute during a nationally televised Thursday night game.

Several family members pleaded with him to retire.

Cribbs didn’t miss a game. He also never reported any concussion symptoms that went undetected by officials or medical personnel. The undrafted free agent from Kent State entered the league in 2005, a time when the league and its players had a much different view of head injuries.

JARED WICKERHAM / GETTY IMAGES

Browns QB Colt McCoy gets checked out after a helmet-to-helmet hit from the Steelers’ James Harrison on Dec. 8, 2011, in Pittsburgh. McCoy, who has no memory of the play, remained in the game and was later diagnosed with a concussion.

Browns’ Hawkins a victim and researcher of concussions Tom Reed treed@cleveland.com Nobody needed to educate Andrew Hawkins on the potential long-term impact of concussions.

About five years ago, the Browns receiver conducted extensive research on the topic with hopes of making the kind of movie Hollywood plans to release Christmas Day starring Will Smith.

But as the NFL braces for the release of “Concussion” — which

portrays a forensic pathologist’s fight against the league’s effort to discredit his findings on repeated head trauma — Hawkins is recovering from his second concussion in a month. The diminutive receiver and his teammates have become all too familiar with their effects.

Ten Browns players have suffered concussions this year, only the Chargers have had more players with concussions. Both Hawkins and cornerback Joe Haden have sustained two each in 2015,

Hawkins remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol and has been held out of practice. Haden was put on season-ending injured reserve this week as he recovers.

Hawkins spoke recently about his passion for the sport and the desire to tell the story of Bennet Omalu, the pathologist who published findings on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which he discovered in an autopsy of Steelers Hall-of-Fame center Mike Webster in 2002.

Players reporting concussions since 2012, by team

34 28

28 26

26 24

The receiver revealed his interest in the project to cleveland.com on Nov. 11 — four days before suffering his second concussion on a hit from Steelers linebacker Jarvis Jones that left him hospitalized overnight.

Hawkins said he corresponded with family members of Webster, whose personal torment following a distinguished career made him one of the early faces of the NFL concussion crisis. The wideout also reached out to the Nigerian-born Omalu.

“We had emails going back and forth, we had a production team, we had a signed contract for distribution of the film in so many theaters,” Hawkins said. “We got to a pretty significant part of the process, and then other circumstances happened where we backed off of it.

“The movie that’s coming out — that’s what we were working on for a while.”

Hawkins said he and his brother, Artrell, began their research in

Source: PBS Frontline Concussion Watch Database, as of Wednesday, Dec. 16

22 21

21 21

21 20

20 20

either 2010 or 2011 as a means of finding ways to make the game they love safer. Artrell Hawkins, a former defensive back, played parts of nine seasons in the NFL. Their father, Artrell Sr., signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 1981, but never played a game.

The receiver calls football a “family business,” one that’s provided scholarships and paydays for immediate and extended members of the Hawkins clan.

19 19

One hit that changed things

Having your “bell rung” didn’t sound alarms in the league office or the NFL Players Association the way it does today.

“That’s how it was when I started playing,” Cribbs said. “I would get hit so hard and the medical doctors were showing us the fingers and (asking), ‘What’s your name? Do you know the date?

What team are we playing?’ And I’d say ‘Give me a minute, I can’t think right now — let me look over there to the other sideline.’

“It wasn’t the same as it is now. Our league now is more fan-friendly, players are suing the league. It’s getting to be a softer league and shying away from the gladiator aspect and rightfully so because of health concerns.”

Hartline also said he’s failed to report concussions. In a league without guaranteed contracts some players, particularly younger ones at the bottom of the roster, don’t want to risk losing their jobs.

Unlike other injuries, concussions come with no timetable for return. Symptoms can clear up overnight or linger for months or even years.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was personal pressure to play, out-

side pressure to play,” said Browns defensive back Johnson Bademosi, who serves as the team’s union representative. “It may not be blatant, but there is pressure to play.

“It’s from everywhere. You know where you are on the roster. You don’t want to be put on [injured reserve]. You want to get out there and help your teammates win. There’s a lot of pressure that way and from outside sources.”

Cribbs said there’s ample financial incentive to ignore the headaches and light sensitivity.

But for more established players he believes it’s human nature to take extra time coming back from a head injury — especially ones on losing teams.

“A guy might be thinking, ‘We’re 2-8, I do have a concussion and there’s no reason to go above and beyond and try to get back any sooner,” Cribbs said. “You have to think about next season and you have to look at things in their totality.

“Now, for guys on teams in playoff races their mentality might be different. Their mentality is ‘I can’t afford to be on the sidelines with a concussion.’”

The Browns and the league are approaching the four-year anniversary of a dramatic helmet-to-helmet hit that spurred changes to the NFL protocol governing the treatment of head injuries.

Browns quarterback Colt McCoy was allowed to return to a Dec. 8, 2011, game in which he absorbed a vicious shot from Steelers linebacker James Harrison. The team’s handling of the concussion sparked outrage — McCoy has no memory of the play — and served as a catalyst for change.

The league has instituted countless safety measures in the past four years, including placing independent neuro-trauma consultants on the sidelines and a spotter in the pressbox to look for possible head injuries. The system, however, is far from foolproof.

Last month, Rams quarterback Case Keenum remained in the game for the final minutes despite having his head slammed to turf on a hit by the Ravens’ Timmy

Jernigan. The quarterback suffered a concussion, prompting the league and NFLPA to investigate why Keenum wasn’t removed after the play.

A team trainer checked on the quarterback and judged he was healthy enough to continue.

The league added independent sideline consultants after a 2013 NFLPA survey revealed 78 percent of players polled didn’t trust team medical staffs.

“I think the system is better than it was then, but I still don’t think it’s perfect,” Bademosi said.

He believes the league’s concussion protocol is a means to protect it from further litigation.

“You sign on the dotted line to say you’re symptom free,” said Bademosi, who missed one game last season with a concussion.

“You do all these things to say you are OK to play ... I think there is a lot of CYA (cover your ass) in the protocol right now.”

Bademosi acknowledged the violent reality players and the league confront every Sunday.

“If we wanted to get rid of concussions, we’d have to stop playing football,” he said. “It’s part of the game.”

Hawkins has suffered at least four concussions throughout his playing career, including one Oct. 25 against the Rams. He declined to quantify the exact total.

“I’ve had a couple, though,” he said.

Within the past decade, both the public and players have started to understand the connection between concussions and brain damage. CTE can lead to memory loss, depression and dementia. Brain decay was found in former NFL players Dave Duerson and Junior Seau, who each committed suicide.

More than 4,500 former players have joined a class-action lawsuit

that claims the NFL concealed the dangers associated with concussions. The league has reached a $1 billion settlement, which would cover more than 20,000 retirees for the next 65 years, but litigation remains ongoing.

“There is no way to prevent a concussion when you’re playing football,” Hawkins said. “It comes with the territory.”

Hawkins, who plans to pursue a master’s degree in sports management at Columbia University in the off-season, is one of the Browns’ most respected veterans.

Right now, however, the father to 3-year-old Austin — a video star

on Hawkins’ Instagram account — is just trying to get healthy.

He missed two games earlier this season after sustaining a head injury in St. Louis. It marked the first time he had entered the league’s concussion protocol.

“Going through the protocol, I think the league is doing a much better job about getting serious about it to be honest,” Hawkins said. “Playing such a volatile sport, it’s not going to be perfect.

There’s always going to be concussions playing in the NFL.” Hawkins and Browns defensive back K’Waun Williams share similar stories. They are a pair of un-

dersized overachievers who have suffered multiple concussions while playing bigger than their statures.

Williams, who has sustained three head injuries in his first two seasons, said he’s trying to adjust his game, focusing more on form tackling and not leading with his head.

Hawkins would love to avoid further concussions, but said he must play in high-traffic areas to be effective.

“I play the game a certain way,” he said. “I’m a 5-foot-7, 180-pound guy. I need to be tough. I need to be willing to do

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The wide receiver played the next game despite pleas from his family to retire.

“Concussions are a real big problem,” Cribbs said, “not just in the NFL but throughout the country and in youth league sports.”

Cribbs and his partner, Steve Sanders, founded The Elite Football League with designs on opening another flag-football circuit in North Olmsted. Cribbs said teaching proper techniques and instructing kids on the right way to play will be part of the effort.

The protocol The NFL concussion protocol requires a player to complete three major steps before being cleared to play again.

3 A player must return to his baseline status in a neurological exam after a period of rest and recovery. The baseline is established during a neurological exam that’s part of a player’s annual preseason physical.

3 A player begins a gradual exercise program once he returns to a baseline level. It includes light aerobic activities before being able to resume weight training and participating in non-contact practice drills. Any recurrence of symptoms halts the progression.

3 A player must be cleared by his team’s medical staff and independent neurological consultant before he’s allowed to return to games.

Browns quarterback Josh McCown, whose sixth-grade son just started playing tackle football, and outside linebacker Paul Kruger like Cribbs’ idea.

“I didn’t play tackle football until I was in eighth grade,” Kruger said. “When I’m a parent some day, my kids’ focus will be basketball and track — speed and quickness. Of course, they will play football but I don’t think it’s necessary to play contact sports until you’re a little more developed.

“I don’t think your kid is getting any better at football by beating his head in when he’s 5 years old so I agree with the concept.”

NICK WASS | ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Browns’ Josh Cribbs loses his helmet after taking a hit during a game against Baltimore in 2012.

certain things that other guys aren’t maybe used to doing.

“I have to play with a certain fire, or I’m not the same type of player. There’s a give-and-take with that. I’m moving at a fast rate, and I’m playing against guys who are bigger than me. ... It’s the nature of the business.”

His teammates have expressed concern for Hawkins given the two head injuries in a short span.

“It’s a big deal,” receiver Travis Benjamin said. “A concussion is something you don’t play around with. I just continue to tell him to get healthy. ... By the grace of God, he’ll be healthy.”

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Benjamin called the Jones hit “unacceptable” because the linebacker left his feet and “lunged” into Hawkins, who was trying to make a tackle after a fourth-quarter interception.

But as Benjamin discussed the play, he acknowledged it’s part of the game’s violent environment.

“Those guys are looking to take our heads off,” he said.

The movie Hawkins was attempting to make stars Smith as Omalu, whose journey helped expose the league’s concussion dilemma.

As the NFL awaits public reaction to the film, Hawkins fights to return to a game he loves.

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B8

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

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Sunday, December 20, 2015

HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL | PLAIN DEALER ALL-STARS Offensive Player of the Year | Logan Bolin, Midview

Defensive Player of the Year | Michael O’Malley, St. Edward

JOSHUA GUNTER | CLEVELAND.COM

JOSHUA GUNTER | CLEVELAND.COM

Midview’s Logan Bolin, The Plain Dealer’s 2015 Offensive Player of the Year, proved proficient catching the ball and passing the ball this season for the Middies.

St. Edward’s Michael O’Malley, The Plain Dealer’s 2015 Defensive Player of the Year, had 131 tackles, 20 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery this season.

Full-time receiver, part-time QB performed at an all-time level

O’Malley your man for a tackle, sack and an occasional TD catch

Tim Bielik tbielik@cleveland.com

Scott Patsko spatsko@cleveland.com

Midview’s football team needed a wide receiver and 2015 Plain Dealer Offensive Player of the Year Logan Bolin to do a little of everything.

The senior receiver, who had 84 catches for 1,375 yards and 21 touchdowns for the Middies’ high-powered offense, had to start multiple games at quarterback for Dustin Crum, including Midview’s second-round playoff loss to Glenville.

As a passer, he threw for 693 yards and five touchdowns, and rushed 69 times for 400 yards and six touchdowns.

But Bolin made his mark all season as a receiver.

It started in the summer when he made it onto ESPN’s SportsCenter with a one-handed catch in a 7-on-7 scrimmage.

It ended with him standing No. 4 all-time in OHSAA history for career receiving touchdowns with 53. He also tied the state record for touchdown catches in a game with six in a Week 4 win at Avon.

Here, Bolin talks about his senior season, having to play quarterback at times and his record-setting career:

3 “I didn’t think it was that difficult at all, actually [having to play quarterback]. Having the athletes around me and all my teammates, putting the trust in them, I can fall back on them just like they could fall back on me.”

3 “We just bought in. Last year, we weren’t supposed to be very good. We just bought in to what the coaches were telling us. Everybody was very unselfish.”

3 “[Getting onto Sportscenter] was pretty cool.

My phone was blowing up. I had texts, Tweets, all kinds of stuff going. It’s funny because to this day, the kid that snapped the ball on that play tells me that he was on ESPN and not that I was.”

3 “I think it is a credit to our offense and the way our team has been running the past few years.

We’ve been very productive and it shows in pretty much everyone’s stat line.”

3 “[Dustin Crum] is a fantastic player. He’s unselfish. He’s very good. I think a lot of people will be surprised. We have a lot of talent in the underclassmen coming up. I think they’re ready for the upcoming season as well.”

3 “[I’ll miss] the atmosphere, just being out there with my best friends that I’ve grown up with my entire life. I’m going to miss it a lot.”

St. Edward defensive end Michael O’Malley was a rare player for the Eagles this season.

A returning starter.

He was one of three on the Eagles’ defense, and became a standout as a collection of new starters jelled on both sides of the ball, resulting in a second straight Division I state title.

O’Malley had 131 tackles, 20 sacks, an interception and a fumble recovery along the way, and even caught a touchdown pass in the state final — something he also did in 2014.

The 6-3, 240-pounder became a clear choice as The Plain Dealer’s Defensive Player of the Year.

O’Malley spoke about this season, the expectations at St. Edward and his most memorable play of 2015: 3 “As long as coach Pete Pappas was staying I thought the defense would be fine. I had no idea who they were going to bring in [after former coach Rick Finotti left for Michigan]. We didn’t know if it would be somebody inside the building or outside.”

3 “I think I keep it simple [as a defensive end], I read my key, read the man in front of you, and use

my hands well. The coaches prepare me so well in practice. I think wrestling definitely helps. I’m wrestling bigger guys up front. I think that helps using your hands as well, staying low. You have to play to your advantages and use your speed to get around bigger guys. I work some moves to get to the outside.”

3 “My most memorable play was probably the interception against Elder that I almost returned for a touchdown. The ref told our coach after the game that he shouldn’t have blown the whistle. It should’ve been a touchdown. You could see the defender was under my legs [on the television replay].”

3 “I think with the players we had compared to last year, we outdid ourselves. We did pretty well. I think everybody stepped up. We knew we could stop running backs since the first game. We were able to stop the run, which made teams pass, and our corners did really well.”

3 “I think if they just stay hungry and they work hard, [St. Edward can another state title]. It was the same thing with us last year. I don’t think anybody thought we could do it. A lot of kids don’t start until their senior year at Ed’s. They just keep the culture and work hard.”

Offensive All-Stars

Defensive All-Stars

Jake Sopko, Avon, QB: The 6-foot-3, 220-pound senior and Cincinnati commit was first-team All-Ohio in Division II after throwing for 2,393 yards and 26 touchdowns with just one interception in the regular season. He also ran for seven touchdowns.

Cole Gest, St. Edward, RB: The Indiana commit had 270 carries for 2,097 yards and 25 touchdowns as the Eagles repeated as Division I state champions. The 5-8, 192-pound senior broke the Eagles’ career rushing mark during the third round of the playoffs and was named first-team Division I All-Ohio.

Jayson Gobble, Stow, RB: The two-time first-team Division I All-Ohio back rushed for 2,177 yards and 32 touchdowns during the Bulldogs’ run to the state semifinals. The 5-10, 195-pound senior was also named the Inland District Offensive Player of the Year for Division I. Jason Blizzard, Mentor, WR: The first-team Division I All-Ohio receiver had 73 catches for 1,360 yards and 12 touchdowns despite missing two games to injury. The 5-9, 170-pound senior also had 31 carries for 173 yards and two touchdowns. His 342 receiving yards against St. Ignatius in Week 3 are the third most in OHSAA history.

Ryan Coleman, North Olmsted, WR: The 6-3, 190-pounder was a standout on both sides of the ball for the Eagles. As the main offensive weapon, the senior had 60 catches for 1,206 yards and 15 touchdowns. He had 20 catches of 20 yards or more. He set single-game and career school records for catches and yards.

Justin Layne, Benedictine, WR: The Michigan State commit finished with 46 catches for 790 yards and 11 touchdowns, as well as three punt returns for scores. The 6-3, 190-pound senior had 12 catches in a regional final loss to Toledo Central Catholic, establishing a new Benedictine single-game record.

Liam Eichenberg, St. Ignatius, OL: The 6-6, 290-pounder anchored a line that blocked for a 1,900-yard passer and an offense that totaled more than 3,500 yards. Coaches graded the Notre Dame commit at 93 percent blocking efficiency. The senior was first-team Division I All-Ohio.

Kyle Tomshack, St. Edward, OL: The 6-3, 305-pound senior was one of three returning starters on the offensive line for the Eagles, helping solidify the most experienced unit on the team. He blocked for an offense that had 3,367 yards rushing and 2,776 yards passing.

Mike Miranda, Stow, OL: The senior was a lead blocker for a Bulldogs offense that rushed for more than 2,500 yards. Coach Mark Nori describes him as a player who can play any position on the line.

The 6-4, 285-pounder was first-team Division I All-Ohio.

T.J. Beltavski, Benedictine, OL: The 6-1, 295-pound senior helped clear the way for a pair of 1,200yard rushers and a record-setting 1,800-yard season for his quarterback. A Ball State commit, Beltavski was named first-team Division III All-Ohio.

David O’Connor, Hudson, OL: The first-team Division II All-Ohio selection shed weight from last season and moved from guard to left tackle, a position that highlighted the senior’s athleticism. The 6-7, 255-pounder blocked for an offense that totaled 2,828 yards.

Logan Bolin, Midview, Athlete: As a receiver, he caught 84 passes for 1,375 yards and 21 touchdowns.

Stepping in at QB due to injury to the starter, he threw for 693 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 400 yards and six touchdowns. The 6-2, 195-pound senior tied a state record with six touchdowns in the Middies’ 55-35 Week 4 win at Avon. His 53 career touchdowns are fourth best in OHSAA history.

Grant Gonya, Hudson, K: The sophomore made 10 of 10 field-goal attempts during the regular season and 31 of 32 extra points. His 17 consecutive field goals made over the past two seasons set an OHSAA record. His longest of the season was 43 yards.

Michael O’Malley, St. Edward, DL: The 6-foot-2, 235-pound senior defensive end was named All-Ohio Division I Defensive Player of the Year. He had 131 tackles, 19 sacks and more than 40 quarterback pressures. He also had an interception and a fumble recovery.

Zach Rodman, Mayfield, DL: The 6-2, 260 senior recorded 89 tackles and 35 quarterback pressures to go along with seven sacks and 21 tackles for loss in leading the Wildcats to a regional final. Rodman was named All-Ohio Division II first-team.

Roman Moreno, Hudson, DL: The two-time first-team All-Ohioan had 38 tackles during the regular season and 22 assists. A 6-0, 210-pound senior, Moreno also recorded nine sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 15 QB hurries, a forced fumble and scored three defensive touchdowns.

Cal Reynolds, St. Edward, DL: The 6-2, 235-pound senior, who started at defensive end opposite Michael O’Malley, had 129 tackles , 13.5 sacks and a fumble recovery. He was special mention All-Ohio.

Evan Madden, Kirtland, LB: An All-Ohio co-Defensive Player of the Year, Madden finished the regular season with 110 tackles at middle linebacker. He also had three sacks during Kirtland’s 13-9 state semifinal win. In the state final victory, he had five tackles — two for loss — and a blocked kick.

Joey Bachie, Berea-Midpark, LB: The Michigan State commit and first-team All-Ohioan in Division I helped lead the Titans to the playoffs for the second season in a row. A 6-2, 215 senior, Bachie had 60 solo tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries. He also had 14 rushing touchdowns.

Vince Primer, Madison, LB: The Division II defensive player of the year in the Northeast Lakes District recorded 85 tackles, including 48 solo stops, seven QB sacks, 14 tackles for loss, a safety, five interceptions (two returned for TD) and recovered a fumble. The 6-3, 210 senior captain was named All-Ohio first-team in Division II. Jonah Morris, Archbishop Hoban, DB: The 6-4, 190-pound senior was named first-team All-Ohio Division III and defensive player of the year in the Northeast Inland District. In leading the Knights to their first state title, he collected 51 tackles, including 19 for loss and six QB sacks to go along with three interceptions, four forced fumbles and four defensive touchdowns.

Warren Saba, Benedictine, DB: The 5-10, 185-pound senior had four interceptions and returned two for scores to go along with 47 tackles and a fumble recovery in leading the Bengals to an undefeated regular season and a spot in the Division III regional finals. He was selected first-team All-Ohio and was the Defensive Player of the Year in the Northeast Lakes district.

Tony Butler, St. Edward, DB: A three-star defensive back, rated the 17 th best player in Ohio by 247Sports.com, Butler had 42 tackles, seven coverage sacks and an interception. He was first-team All-Ohio in Division I. Anthony Johnson, Euclid, DB: A three-star defensive back, rated the 22nd best player in Ohio by 247Sports.com, Johnson had 31 tackles, five interceptions and 13 passes defensed. He was first-team All-Ohio in Division I. Will Hart, University School, P: The 6-foot-3, 185-pound senior is a Colgate commit. Ranked in the top 16 nationally by two kicking services based on camp performance, Hart averaged 41 yards per kick.

Tyler Soltis, Nordonia, RET: Coach Jeff Fox describes the senior as a “guy who doesn’t necessarily fit the mold of a typical playmaker,” but always finds a way to put himself in the right position. He had 447 kickoff return yards and two touchdowns on 15 chances and 51 punt return yards and a TD on three chances.

SECOND TEAM QB: Dustin Crum, Midview. RB: Todd Sibley, Archbishop Hoban; Dontez Rash, Benedictine. WR: Jaylen Harris, Cleveland Heights; Matthew Gonzalez, St. Edward. TE: Luke Farrell, Perry. OL: Zach Bycznski, Berea-Midpark; Terek Zingale, Nordonia; Sam Gerak, Avon; Tyler Strebel, Midview; Jack Wohlabaugh, Walsh Jesuit. K: Grant Kersh, Archbishop Hoban.

SECOND TEAM DL: Matt Nagy, North Royalton; Tyler Frederick, Highland; Kierre Hawkins, Maple Heights. LB: Bubba Arslanian, Aurora; Hoover White, Euclid; Jakob Madgar, Stow; Zach Mason, Elyria. DB: Jatairis Grant, Akron Garfield; Aaron Pope, Glenville; Javonte Richardson, Maple Heights; Joe Ritner, Hudson; P: Dane Kersh, Archbishop Hoban; RET: Kyle Fallon, St. Edward

HONORABLE MENTION QB: Dom Davis, STVM; Dennis Grosel, St. Ignatius; Jimmy Keefe, St. Edward; Mario Monastero, Mayfield; Johnny Mooney, Solon; Zeddie Pollock, Mogadore; Cam Searight, West

Geauga; Tadas Tatarunas, Mentor; Brad Thrasher, Firelands; Kyle Vantrease, Stow.

RB: Chris Atkinson, Elyria; Joey Bates, Kirtland; Nick Best, Bay; Weston Bridges, Copley; Michael Canganelli, Mayfield; Gerett Choat, Avon; Chris Collins, Euclid; Zach Kahn, Strongsville; Alex Mathews, Mentor; Anthony Perrine, Nordonia; Shakif Seymour, Holy Name; Logan Thut, Crestwood; Jarett Young, Berkshire. WR: Gage Bican, Mayfield; Darin Guice, Elyria Catholic; Jake McCurry, Solon; Trevor Thome, Buckeye. OL: Kevin Birchall, Mentor; Josh Burger, Aurora; Zach Corrigall, STVM; Terrell Lee, Euclid; Nick Hupka, St. Edward; John Todd Jr., Parma; Nik Urban, Willoughby South. ATH: Jack Cook, St. Ignatius; Keon Williams, Euclid. K: Matt Goepfert, Rocky River

HONORABLE MENTION DL: Danny Baka, Hudson; Conner Bogard, Benedictine; Christian Clark, Glenville; Bryce Hargrove, Coventry; Justin Herold, St. Edward; Simeon Lawrence, Elyria;

Aaron Miller, Firelands; Lucas Lunblad, Chardon; Quentin Pardon, Lorain; Brandon Parks-Hayes, Cleveland Heights. LB: Brandon Bischof, STVM; Ralph Davis, Glenville; Jared Dostal, Mayfield; Jacob Hack, Midview; Delmar Hall, St. Edward; Collin Kure, Kenston; Nick Lauria, Perry; Davvel Moore-Meeks, Benedictine; Austin Williams, Mogadore; Brandon Young, Euclid. DB: Luciano Bican, Mayfield; Aaron Berry, Euclid; Parker Blunt, Aurora; Monte Board, Stow; Jack Corrigan, Rocky River; Liam Coyne, St. Edward; Daiton Davis, Olmsted Falls; Cameron Jefferies, Riverside; Nick Law, Madison; Josh Petruccelli, Perry. P: Alex Beckman, Avon Lake; Collin Goodfellow, St. Ignatius; Jordan Sadler, Brunswick. RET: Jordan Overton, Brush; Malik Wooldridge, STVM

Coach of the Year | Tom Lombardo, St. Edward

Lombardo had quite a first year as the Eagles’ head coach. He led the team to a 14-1 record and a successful defense of its Division I state title. He did it after replacing most skill positions on offense and eight starters on defense. The state title made him the first coach in Ohio history to lead two different schools to football championships (Lake Catholic, 2001).

Others considered: Tiger LaVerde, Kirtland; Jeff Rotsky, Euclid; Tim Tyrrell, Archbishop Hoban.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

MN

B9*

HIGH SCHOOLS Boys basketball | Columbus Northland 59, No. 6 East Tech 57

Swimming | Viking Invitational

Record-setting day for boy Bees Ryan Isley Special to The Plain Dealer The Brecksville boys swim team was the one to watch Saturday at the 41st annual Viking Invitational at Cleveland State University’s Robert F. Busbey Natatorium.

The night started for the Bees with a win in the 200 medley relay, with the team of David Madej, Mark Krusinski, Jack Krusinski and Mike Lynch finishing the event in 1 minute, 34.61 seconds. Mark Krusinski followed that up in the next event with a second-place finish in the 200 freestyle.

Team scores were not counted for this invitational.

Madej and Lynch then went first and third, respectively, in the 50 freestyle, and first and second in the 100 freestyle with Madej setting a meet record of 44.30. Mark Krusinski and Matthew Martin took home first and third in the 100 butterfly for Brecksville.

“There is such a chemistry on our boys team right now that is electrifying,” Brecksville coach Mark Krusinski Sr. said. “I took over the program five years ago and we were dead last in this meet and we really changed. It’s so nice to see all of that hard work pay off.”

The event that had everyone buzzing was the final event of the night – the 400 freestyle relay. The Brecksville team of Mark Krusinski, Lynch, Martin and Madej had set the meet record in the prelims earlier on Saturday with a time of 3:07.97. In the finals, they were even better. They finished in 3:03.40 to beat their own mark by 4.57 seconds and beat the second place finishers by 11.85 seconds.

“We were definitely trying to push it,” swimmer Mark Krusinski said.

Madej was named the outstanding swimmer of the meet on the boys side.

Other boys standouts included Jason Quinn of Chagrin Falls, who set a meet record with a time of 1:52.38 in the 200 IM and finished second in the 100 backstroke; Dominic Poletta of Green who finished second in the 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle; and Green’s Tyler Doerrer, who was second in the 50 freestyle.

In the girls meet, Hawken’s Crile Hart was the most outstanding swimmer for the second straight year, winning two individual events and two relays.

She won the 200 IM in a meetrecord 2:01.22, and won the 100 freestyle in a time of 50.84. She also was on two record-setting relays. Hawken won the 200

medley relay in 1:45.06 with Lauren Heller, Claire Doerr and Portia Del Rio Brown, and Hart, Doerr, Heller and Heather Svitavsky won the 400 freestyle relay in 3:27.33, besting the former record by more than three seconds.

“We have been trying to get this meet record for a couple years now and to finally get it feels great,” Hart said.

Doerr also won the 200 freestyle in 1:51.16 and finished second in the 100 backstroke.

Hawken also got good performances from Heller, who won the 100 butterfly and finished second to Hart in the 200 IM, and Svitavsky, who finished second in the 500 freestyle.

Hathaway Brown had two winners, with Maggie Cha winning the 50 freestyle and Julia Armitage winning the 500 freestyle.

Ashley Mennenga of Highland won the 100 backstroke and Anna Martin of North Royalton won the 100 breaststroke.

Hanna Gresser of Walsh Jesuit finished second in the 100 freestyle and third in the 200 IM Cassandra Pasadyn of Brunswick was second in the 100 breaststroke and third in the 100 butterfly.

Ryan Isley is a freelancer from Akron.

CHUCK CROW / THE PLAIN DEALER

East Tech’s Markell Johnson drives the lane, defended by Columbus Northland’s Gabe Towns at the LeBron James Classic at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron on Saturday.

East Tech edged at buzzer Johnson leads with 41 points; turnovers hamper Scarabs Tim Bielik tbielik@cleveland.com

Seth Towns’ layup at the buzzer for Columbus Northland lifted the Vikings past East Tech, 59-57, on Saturday at the LeBron James Classic at St. Vincent-St. Mary.

Towns’ game-winner spoiled a 41-point performance by Markell Johnson. He had 13 of his gamehigh 41 in the fourth quarter for the Scarabs (6-1), ranked No. 6 in The Plain Dealer Top 25, and played the entire quarter with four fouls.

Johnson and East Tech had the ball in the final seconds before they turned it over, leading to Towns’ game-winner. Towns, a Harvard commit, led Northland with 26 points.

“Towards the end, we had to

focus on one thing and that was stopping Markell Johnson,” Towns said. “We did a good job of containing him towards the end. And big teams make big plays towards the end of the game when it’s crunch time.”

After trailing by 16 points, East Tech rallied in the fourth quarter to tie the game on back-to-back 3-pointers by TyShaun Howard and Johnson. The Scarabs never led.

East Tech struggled against Northland’s length throughout the game and committed 21 turnovers. The Scarabs were also outrebounded, 31-21.

“I just felt like we were our own worst enemy today,” East Tech coach Brett Moore said. “They didn’t press us. They didn’t really force us to be uncomfortable. We just have to do a better job of being mentally prepared to play because most of our turnovers were mental.”

Johnson was one of five East Tech players to score in the

game. He was 18-of-22 from the free-throw line and reached the 40-point mark for the fourth time in his past five games.

“Coach Brett always told us to never quit,” Johnson said. “Me and my team rallied back, and it was a tough loss.

“It was very tough because we’re not a halfcourt team. We’re a running team. Them being as long as they are, we just had to get the ball out and run, run, just keep running. And we didn’t do that today. We didn’t execute.”

The Scarabs started slow with only four points in the first quarter, all from Johnson. After being down all game, East Tech used a 12-3 run to tie the game at 57 late in the fourth quarter.

“They brought mental toughness,” Moore said. “We need to piggyback on that and our guys need to become mentally tough.”

East Tech is off until Jan. 3, when it faces Holy Name at the Scholastic Play-By-Play Classic at Baldwin Wallace at 8:30 p.m.

Boys basketball | LeBron James Classic roundup

Bulldogs solve team from Tenn.

From staff reports

Garfield Heights, No. 1 in The Plain Dealer Top 25, took a quick lead and rolled past Ridgeway of Memphis, Tenn., 74-57, during the LeBron James Classic at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron.

The Bulldogs didn’ t know much about Ridgeway. All coach Sonny Johnson could find were a few video clips online.

“We really couldn’t get anything,” said University of Louisville-bound Frankie Hughes, who scored a game-high 22 points. “It was like a 30-second video, but all we could see is them getting out transition. We just did what we do best, and that’s play defense.”

The Bulldogs (7-0) trailed briefly, 3-0. They responded with the next 11 points, culminating on a one-handed dunk

by Willie Jackson. He scored off a steal and assist by Shawn Christian.

Jackson scored 21 points.

Christian, a junior guard, scored 15 points to go with five assists and five steals.

“That’s my right-hand man,” Hughes said. “When he’s hitting shots, it gets me going. When I see Shawn going, I give up my shots for him. He and DaeJohn Bey are our energy guys.”

Bey contributed seven rebounds. Guard Jalen Crutcher’s 15 points led the Road Runners (6-5), who play Shaker Heights on Sunday at the LeBron James Arena.

— Matt Goul Pickerington Central 72, Brush 51: The Arcs lost to the Columbusarea power, but it was an experi-

CHUCK CROW / THE PLAIN DEALER

Garfield Heights’ Frankie Hughes defends against Ridgeway High’s Derrick Craig at the LeBron James Classic at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron on Saturday. ence first-year coach Chet Mason wanted for his young team.

Brush (1-4) started a freshman point guard and a sophomore against Pickerington Central (72), which has two players committed to Division I colleges and others receiving interest.

“I like the way the guys fought,” Mason said.

Brush sophomore Tyler Williams scored a game-high 17 points. Freshman point guard D.J. Dial scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds.

No. 2 St. Vincent-St. Mary 66, Uniontown Lake 51: The overcame a slow start to defeat the Blue Streaks.

Henry Baddley led the Irish (31) with 24 points. The Butler commit shot 10-of-17 from the field.

The Blue Streaks had a 15-6 lead late in the first quarter. STVM closed the gap to five points at the end of the quarter, and ended the first half on a 12-3 run to take a 32-27 lead into halftime.

John Williams had 10 points and led the Irish with four assists.

High school roundup

Preppers’ hockey team routs St. John’s

HOCKEY PADUA HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT University School 7, Toledo St. John’s Jesuit 0: Se ven players scored in the Preppers’ shutout win. Robby Engoglia and JD Clemens each had goals and two assists. Critter Coughlin had nine saves.

BOYS BASKETBALL No. 4 St. Ignatius 68, Canton McKinley 59: Ryan Berger scored 16 points for St. Ignatius while Deven Jackson added 13.

No. 16 Elyria 61, Keystone 53: After Keystone rallied to tie the game at 36 after three quarters, Elyria took control in the fourth quarter.

The Pioneers followed a six point third quarter with a 25-point fourth quarter.

Antonio Blanton scored 20 points and Blake Furcron added 19 for Elyria. Keystone’s Brody Kuhl scored 18 points.

GIRLS BASKETBALL No. 23 Amherst 54, No. 9 Westlake 52: The Comets led by eight after the first quarter but the Demons rallied to lead by two at the half. Amherst’s Jayla Hall led all scorers with 18 points. Monica Fury scored 13 for Westlake.

Avon 51, No. 6 Berea-Midpark 47: Alyssa Douzos led the Eagles with 13 points in the upset of the Titans. Allie Bjorn and Catie Kelly each scored nine f o r Av o n . B e r e a - Mi d p a r k ’s Zoranne Host led all scorers with 19 points while Lexy Siggers scored 10.

Columbia 58, Lake Ridge 33: Alison Schafer scored 30 points and Rachel Tacchite scored 10 to lead the Raiders past the Royals.

Coventry 65, Akron North 63 (OT): Kia Greene led the Comets with 16 points while Kristi Morisak and April Mashburn each scored 15 as Coventry won in overtime. Tia Backnight led the Vikings with 21 points.

Cuyahoga Heights 38, Cardinal 14: Lily Adams scored 12 points to lead the Redskins.

Lexi Martin scored seven for Cuyahoga Heights and Emma Lipkowski made a pair of 3-pointers. Haley Adams paced the Huskies with seven points.

Eastlake North 48, Madison 28: Samantha Pirosko led the Rangers with 20 points, followed by Allyana Lako who scored 12.

Alyssa Rose paced the Blue Streaks with 10 points.

Fairview 46, John Adams 22: Jenny Mylett tallied a careerhigh 13 points as the Warriors won their second straight game. Cate Schmiedl scored 11 and Audre Harte scored eight off the bench.

Marcia Smith led the Hornets with 11 points.

Garfield Heights 49, Brooklyn 44: The Bulldogs staved off a comeback effort that brought the Hurricanes to within one heading into the fourth quarter.

Diamond Porter led Garfield Heights with 17 points, followed

by Tatiana Davis who scored 11.

Brooklyn’s Jelly Benz led all scorers with 24 points.

No. 7 Gilmour 64, Youngstown U rs u l i n e 5 3 : T h e L a n c e r s trailed by five at the half but outscored Ursuline, 36-20, in the second half.

Naz Hillmon scored 30 points while Emily Kelley added 24 in the victory.

Independence 39, Berkshire 31: The Blue Devils jumped out to a 12-2 lead after one quarter and held on for the victory.

Megan Kuczmarski and Hallie Zumack each scored 11 for Independence.

Lorain 73, Warrensville Heights 32: Normajanae Bohannon led the Titans with 17 points, followed by Tremia Blair who scored 15. Lamya Ford paced the Tigers with 11 points.

Maple Heights 46, Cleveland Heights 37: Ammaarah Williams led the Mustangs with 13 points. Arion Nichols scored 11 points to pace the Redskins.

Mayfield 71, Brush 51: The W i l d c a t s ’ A l e x a Pa s q u a l e racked up 22 points to lead all scorers. Shannise Dillard scored another 17 for Mayfield while Megan Valenti grabbed nine rebounds and Samantha LoPiccolo had eight assists. Arielle DeBase led the Arcs with 16 points.

No. 3 Mentor 59, Strongsville 48: Nicole Heffington scored 25 points and Maddy Moyer added 18 points to lead the Cardinals to a Greater Cleveland Conference victory. Lindsey Thall had 18 points in the loss for Strongsville.

No. 15 North Royalton 37, Cuyahoga Falls 31: Julianne Lebo led the Bears with 16 points. Taiyier Parks finished with nine points for North Royalton. Kayla Huffman paced the Black Tigers with 13 points while Bailee Brooks scored 10.

Padua 62, Walsh Jesuit 39: The Bruins took control with a 15-3 first quarter. Junior Elena Rauhe scored 32 points in the North Coast League Blue Division match-up. Walsh Jesuit’s Sloane Sapp scored 19 in the loss.

Perry 56, Riverside 27: Jordan Schiano scored 13 points to lead Perry to the win. Claire Dolan added 12 points and Gabby Sutyak had 11 points.

No. 19 Rocky River 46, Parma 41 (2OT): The Pirates used a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter to force overtime and went on to win. Lucy Grierson led the Pirates with 14 points and Nicole Popovich scored 10. Maxine Nicholson had two steals and hit the game-tying free throw with less than a second left in regulation. In OT, she made three free throws and a field goal to preserve the win for Rocky River. She finished with eight points.

No. 18 St. Joseph Academy 53, No. 8 Hathaway Brown 42: The Jaguars upset the Blaz-

ers with the help of a 22-point performance by Gia DiMassa.

Molly Dever added 10 points and 11 rebounds and Colleen Neitzel scored six points and 12 rebounds for St. Joseph.

Jordan Elhindi paced the Blazers with 18 points and Hanna Harlor scored 10.

No. 12 Stow 51, Brecksville 22: Lauren Turschak and Lizzie Stefanov led the Bulldogs with 10 and nine points, respectively.

Villa Maria 58, No. 2 Magnificat 47: The Blue Streaks lost their first game of the year to an undefeated team from Erie, Pa. Magnificat fell behind, 219, after the first quarter. Lily Schwind and Elise Keshock each scored 12 points in the loss.

Woodridge 77, Akron Garfield 28: Abbe Esterak and Shayla Williams led the Bulldogs with 17 and 16 points, respectively.

Nadja Rashid added 10 more for Woodridge.

WRESTLING H u d s o n H o l i d a y To u r n a ment: Aurora finished with 228 points, second to Rootstown’s 235 points. T he Greenmen had five individual champions in Jack Gordon (106), Jarrod Brezovec (138), Danny Novak (145), Cole Gavin (160) and Jake Burger (285).

Hudson finished third with 228 points. The Explorers had two individual champions in Chris Motter (152) and Kyle Minor (182).

Other local individual champions included Hoban’s Lukus Stricker (113), Rocky River’s Aaron Kelly (126), Elyria Catholic’s Stan Bleich (132) and Eastlake North’s Tony Chinchar (170).

St. Edward 46, Belle Vernon 18: The Eagles swept four duals at the Franklin Regional Duals.

The Eagles defeated North Allegheny, 56-6, South Fayette, 65-6, and Seneca Valley, 76-3.

Josh Leidich, Allen Hart, Hunter Ladiner and Jared Campbell all went 4-0 on the day. St. Edward is now 7-0 in duals.

Beast of the East: Five local wrestlers made it the quarterfinals of the multi-state tournament being held in Maryland.

Day three takes place today.

Elyria had three wrestlers advance: Nico O’Dor (152), JT Brown (182) and Ben Barmstadt (195). Brecksville’s Austin Hiles (160) and Justin DeMicco (170) also advanced.

North Canton Holiday Tournament: Wadsworth won the 56th annual tournament held at Hoover High school that featured 31 teams. Wadsworth scored 169.5 to beat secondplace Central Crossing’s 156.5.

Lorain finished 14th. Cuyahoga Valley Christen Academy was 17 th. The Grizzlies had one individual champion as Cody Surratt won the 152-pound division. CVCA had two individual champions. Jacob Decatur won the 106-pound division. Jordan Decatur won the 120-pound champion.

B10

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

Indians

MN

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Hey, Hoynsie! Your Indians questions answered

Napoli passes physical

Mike Napoli passed his physical Friday and his deal with the Indians should be officially announced in the next few days.

The Indians and the 34-yearold first baseman reached agreement on a one-year $7 million deal Wednesday contingent on his physical. Napoli signed a three-year $39 million deal with the Red Sox as a free agent after the 2012 season.

The deal was voided when Red Sox doctors found that Napoli was suffering from avascular necrosis in both hips.

Na p o l i w a s a n A l l - S t a r catcher at the time. The deal was reworked for one year and $5 million with another $8 million in incentives. After Napoli helped the Red Sox win the World Series in 2013, they signed him to a two-year $32 million deal.

The Indians expect Napoli to be their regular first baseman.

He played 111 games at first last season for Boston and Texas and was a top three finisher in voting for the AL Gold Glove.

— Paul Hoynes

Got a question about the Indians? Send it in. Submit your question at cleveland.com/heyhoynsie, or Tweet him at @hoynsie and Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes will choose at least one to answer each week.

Hey, Hoynsie: Do you think the Indians will trade one of their starting pitchers by Opening Day? — Mike Carter, Columbus Hey, Mike: I’d have to say no. I think their main goal going into the off-season was to keep the rotation intact unless someone went Godfather on them and made them an offer they couldn’t refuse. I don’t think the door is completely closed, but the deals with Mike Napoli and Rajai Davis will help fill two holes in the offense through free agency as opposed to a trade.

It’s still a long way to Opening Day. A team like the Dodgers, with a need for pitching and a ton of young players, could come after one of the Tribe’s starters. I’m not sure if this edict is still in force, but for much of the off-season the Indians have talked about improving the big-league club for 2016.

Making a deal for prospects only did not interest them.

This way they can hold onto their pitching and, depending on the circumstances in 2016, can act accordingly at the July 31 trade deadline.

DUANE BURLESON | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rajai Davis, a Detroit Tiger the past two years, has punished the Tribe with a lifetime .381 average. The versatile outfielder, now an Indian, can hit at the top or bottom of the order.

Hey, Hoynsie: Where do you see Rajai Davis hitting in the lineup, both at start of season and after Michael Brantley returns? — John Brayer, Twinsburg

Hey, John: Last year Rajai Davis made 10 starts against the Indians and hit leadoff in every one of them. His season totals against the Tribe — .381 (16-for-42) with 13 runs and six steals without getting caught.

I think Davis could hit leadoff for the Tribe when Jason Kipnis gets a day off against a lefty. I think he could hit second if manager Terry Francona decides to flip-flop Francisco Lindor and Kipnis between leadoff and No. 3 until Michael Brantley returns.

When Brantley returns, I would think Davis would fit at the bottom of the order. He’s played most of his games hitting leadoff or No. 9.

Hey, Hoynsie: I’d think the rebuilding Yankees would love to dump A-Rod. If they’d absorb most of his salary would the Tribe be interested? — Mike Hoffman, Palm Desert, California Hey, Mike: When you buy a used car it’s said you’re buying someone else’s problems. It’s the same thing with Alex Rodriguez.

Hey, Hoynsie: When do you expect to see Bradley Zimmer, and eventually Clint Frazier, in Cleveland? — Brendan Sala, Erie, Pennsylvania Hey, Brendan: I think they could keep their nose above water in the big leagues in 2016, but they’re probably a good year or two away from being able to make a consistent and positive impact on the big-league club.

Hey, Hoynsie: The Dolans are seeking minority investors; however, it has been reported that the possible investors want to buy majority interest in the team. The Dolans don’t want to sell. Doesn’t this mean that the Indians are breaking even or making money? — Richard Dudley, Spokane, Washington Hey, Richard: Maybe it just means that Paul Dolan likes owning the ballclub. The parking is free and you can’t beat the seat location.

Hey, Hoynsie: Why not bring CJ (Chris Johnson) to camp since you owe him 17 mil already? — Randy, Willowick Hey, Randy: The Indians could still bring Chris Johnson to camp as a minor league invite if he passes through waivers and accepts an outright assignment to Class AAA Columbus.

But here’s what will likely happen. He’ll go through waivers unclaimed — if a team claims him they’d take on his $17.5 million contract — and the Indians will either release him or try to outright him to the minors. Should Johnson refuse the outright and become a free agent, the Indians are still liable for his salary. If another team signs him, they’d have to pay him only a pro-rated portion of the big league minimum, while the Tribe paid the rest of his salary.

So it makes sense for Johnson to become a free agent and seek a better opportunity elsewhere.

— Hoynsie

Stretching out

Bringing paddleboard yoga indoors quiets the water for smoother workout Zachary Lewis zlewis@plaind.com

Yoga generally leaves me high and dry. Most classes I spend basically watching the clock.

But I could get used to the new Shaka Fitness version, conducted at indoor pools on stand-up paddleboards. With that, I’m guaranteed at least to interact with cool, refreshing water and to derive real benefits, even as I struggle.

The main difference? It’s a balancing act. At the Shaka class I took this week (part of a trial run before

opening to the public), even when flopping around, attempting to follow instructions, I found myself deploying a host of tiny stabilizer muscles in addition to the big guys targeted by the yoga. No wonder it left me feeling like a new man.

To be fair, I had some inkling of what I was in for. A few years ago, I tried and wrote about a wonderful paddleboard yoga class I took in the great outdoors, on the Rocky River, with trainer Deanna Black.

This, by contrast, took place indoors, in the pool at Cleveland State University, and the change of

setting made for a dramatically different experience. There, Shaka Fitness owner Kelly Pierce was able to promise and deliver smooth water.

Even the launch was easier than expected. At the river, I had either to mount the board (similar to a surfboard but longer, wider and padded) in the water or paddle out to a safe distance from shore. At CSU, all I had to do was step onto the board from a sturdy, floating dock.

I also appreciated the minimal board movement. My balance may have been atrocious, but at least the board itself never got caught in a

current or spun around, causing additional disorientation. Even lying on the board on my back, gazing at a ceiling rather than open sky, I always knew exactly where I was.

Most people would probably find the actual yoga easy. I, of course, labored, thanks to my almost comical tightness, but the postures were all familiar, straight from the core of the discipline. I recall packs of downward facing dogs, legions of warriors, and all the standard chair, child’s, cobra, and pigeon poses. Every major muscle got its due, and the class ended with several min-

utes of blissful repose.

Keep in mind, however, that all this took place on a board, on the water, and that while the water was calm, the risk of tipping was constant. That, in fact, is what made things interesting. Pierce, in her directions, encouraged a “flow,” but the reality, for me, was a perpetual negotiation of opposing forces, an endless shifting and re-distribution of weight.

The cumulative effect of this was surprising. I grew tired, of course, as I always do in yoga classes, but on the paddleboard, my arms and

legs actually came to tremble with fatigue. Balance, over the course of the hour-long class, transformed from a secondary consideration into a challenging priority.

Maybe that’s why I felt so refreshed and invigorated afterward.

Back on land, no longer required to stabilize myself actively, I discovered tons of surplus energy. Usually, after yoga, I can barely move, but after my Shaka class, I hopped on a treadmill and ran the fastest five miles I’ve run all year. That, in my world, is the strongest endorsement possible.

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MN

Shaw’s Spin

B11

More of Bud Shaw’s Spin online Follow Bud’s blog at cleveland.com/budshaw or email him at bshaw@cleveland.com

Surging Seahawks are everything the Browns are not

O

f all the football stadiums in all the NFL, the Browns have to walk into the home of the Seahawks at a time when their 3-10 record clashes so loudly with their vision of emulating Seattle’s blueprint.

One of these teams features a strong, fast, aggressive defense ranked near the top of the league.

The other is the Browns.

One of them features a quarterback playing much bigger than his stature and chasing his third consecutive Super Bowl. The other is hoping Johnny Manziel can keep things interesting and provide reason to believe he’s worth the risk next season.

One of them has built a perennial contender on rock-solid ground after its head coach started with two losing seasons. The other could well need a signature win and a strong finish to justify forging ahead with Mike Pettine, loser of 15 of his past 18 games, and GM Ray Farmer.

Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has all the comparison points right there in front of him: Seattle’s talent vs. the Browns, CarrollPettine, Russell Wilson-Manziel.

Are the Browns close to the same breakthrough Seattle made after Carroll went 7-9 in his first two seasons? Since then, Carroll has gone 11-5, 13-3, 12-4, won a Super Bowl and narrowly missed winning a second.

That could take some imagination on Haslam’s part.

The Browns are losers of seven of their past eight. Their three wins (San Francisco, Tennessee and Baltimore) have come against teams with a combined 11-28 record.

Seattle has won six of its past seven. In road games the past two weeks, they’ve outscored opponents (Baltimore and Minnesota) 73-13.

Wilson’s four-game stretch is even more impressive. He’s thrown for 16 TDs with no interceptions. He is what Manziel should want to be when he grows up.

The Seahawks are relying more on Wilson in the absence of Marshawn Lynch and Thomas Rawls.

The Browns may have no choice but to ask more of Manziel if the Seattle run defense (No. 2 in the league) shows that last week’s bonanza against San Francisco was an aberration.

Mike Pettine unnecessarily fed the conversation last week

ANN HEISENFELT | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ask Vikings running back Adrian Peterson how tough the Seahawks defense is. Linebacker Bobby Wagner (54) and strong safety Kam Chancellor (31) lead the attack on Dec. 6. in Minnesota. Peterson was limited to just 18 yards on eight carries in the 38-7 Seattle victory. about whether Wilson is a top 10 quarterback. The perceived slight prompted Seattle defensive end Michael Bennett to say, “Obviously, he’s not good at picking quarterbacks. Maybe he doesn’t know what elite is.”

So ... heeeeere comes Johnny.

Unlike Wilson, Manziel has given his organization reasons to worry about entrusting the future to him. While no one should be surprised if he struggles against

Seattle’s defense, Manziel needs to play great over the next few weeks to prove he’s worth the dice roll in 2016.

He doesn’t exactly have the arsenal to excel. The latest challenge is the loss of Brian Hartline to a season-ending shoulder injury.

Which brings us in a roundabout way to Farmer, who signed Hartline and Dwayne Bowe in the off-season and once again bypassed play-making wide receiv-

ers high in the draft.

Farmer hasn’t changed his philosophy since using Seattle to support it following his first draft as Browns GM. “I’d like to ask everybody here one question, as well,” Farmer said, defending why he didn’t draft a wide receiver in his first draft. “How many of the receivers that were with the Seattle Seahawks during their entire season [2013] and through the beginning

Spinoffs

3 Mike Pettine had quite a week in front of the microphone on topics that included Russell Wilson, Josh Gordon, Johnny Manziel and the San Francisco 49ers.

Not sure the Republican presidential candidates in Tuesday’s debate — undercard and main event combined — had their words parsed as much as Pettine did.

Asked if Wilson was a Top 10 quarterback, Pettine said Wilson is in the next tier behind the top two, three, four quarterbacks in the NFL. Which would put Wilson in the top 5-10 group.

Sounds pretty accurate but Pettine took heat for saying it, in part because it would’ve been so much easier to just say, “You bet he is.”

“What would Pettine say if his wife asked how she looked in a new pair of jeans?” a friend said.

OK, good point.

Pettine had some fun with the backlash Thursday when he said, “If anyone is interested I have updated my quarterback rankings. Every quarterback that’s ever played is tied for [number] one, the best ever.”

Except you, Blaine Gabbert.

He can’t possibly mean you after this past Sunday.

3 We want coaches and players who don’t talk in cliches. We want coaches and players who answer questions honestly.

Until, you know, they do.

3 Of much greater concern than what Pettine says for the record?

His record.

Imagine how much people would be hanging on his every word if he weren’t having a George Pataki kind of showing in 2015.

3 Asked about the possibility of Manziel and Gordon carrying their friendship to the field next season, Pettine said it could happen “if Josh is with us next year and Johnny is

of the playoffs were drafted players?”

All these months later, Farmer would probably still argue the genius behind that approach. But he shouldn’t.

Maybe when you have Wilson, a great defense and Marshawn Lynch (before his injury) you can sift for complementary pieces from different places.

But success is also dependent on recognizing and procuring

great talent, especially when you’ve been drafting as high as Farmer has. Given Farmer’s recent work, he should get in and out of Seattle as quietly as possible before there’s time to compare personnel.

The Browns are running out of chances to show they are really — using Haslam’s own term — “directionally correct.”

Today might not be soon enough.

You said it

BILLY HURST | ASSOCIATED PRESS

Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston has endeared himself to GM Jason Licht, who says he wouldn’t trade him for anyone. on the roster.”

The “if” clearly applies to Gordon, who must petition the league for reinstatement from suspension.

But Manziel?

“Johnny certainly is on the roster,” Pettine clarified. “There is no immediate plan, for those [conspiracy theorists] out there, to move him.”

Pettine should’ve spoken more clearly. But really now?

How much weight could Pettine’s take carry on Manziel’s 2016 prospects when his own prospects of coaching the Browns next season look so ... what’s the word? ... iffy.

3 Niners offensive coordinator Geep Chryst took offense to how Pettine lauded the Browns’ effort level last Sunday.

“I thought you saw one team that

wanted to be out there and wanted to compete and wanted to win a football game, and I don’t know if I sensed that same attitude from the other side,” Pettine said last week.

Chryst said of Pettine, “Well, he’s shining his star by saying that.”

Chryst has that right.

But it also doesn’t mean Pettine is wrong.

Unless the Browns really have become the equal of the Purple People Eaters overnight and Isaiah Crowell is the next Jim Brown.

Cleveland fans know how to communicate their feelings.

3 Buccaneers GM Jason Licht is thrilled with the rookie season of Jameis Winston, who has 20 TD passes and 12 interceptions.

“I wouldn’t trade him for another QB in the league,” said Licht.

Translation: The Panthers haven’t called offering Cam Newton (19 TDs, 3 INTs since Nov. 1.)

3 Charles Barkley says the ’95-96 Chicago Bulls, who won 72 games and the fourth of Michael Jordan’s six titles, would have no trouble beating the Golden State Warriors.

“That Bulls team would kill this little team,” Barkley told ESPN radio.

Which is probably true.

But definitely irrelevant.

3 A ProFootballTalk headline: “Reports: Rams won’t fire Jeff Fisher.”

Not now. Just eventually.

3 Since a 13-3 season in 2008, Fisher is 40-53-1 with two teams, the Titans and Rams.

That’s mediocrity.

Or what Browns fans would call reason for a Mardi Gras sized party.

3 Yahoo’s Ball Don’t Lie blog points out former NBA star Gilbert Arenas posted a video to Instagram showing two scantily clad women playing basketball.

His point?

“NOW this is what America was hoping for when they announced the #WNBA back in 1996...not a bunch of chicks running around looking like cast members from #orangeisthenewblack ... don’t get me wrong.”

No worries. I think we got you right, Renaissance Man. 3 In Houston, Dwight Howard is said to be “not seeking a trade.”

At this minute.

3 So according to Grammarly Inc., Cleveland’s sports fans spell better than most when reacting to their teams’ results in 2015.

Among Cleveland’s fans, Indians fans scored best in the study, Browns fans the worst.

I’m not surprised. I’m constantly getting emails from Browns fans who say, without a shadow of a doubt, Johnny Manziel is a franchise quarterback.

Bud: I watched the MMA fights on Saturday night. Is there a concussion protocol for this “sport”?

— Gary D, Columbia Station A: You mean for the participants?

Or the people who would spend a Saturday night watching them?

Bud: Dwayne Bowe said not playing is “the ultimate challenge.” So what does he consider playing? — Michael Seese, Chagrin Falls A: My best guess is he doesn’t remember.

Bud: With Josh Gordon’s emergence as an illustrator and artist as part of his professional rehabilitation, can we expect to run into Johnny Manziel at the opera anytime soon? — Sean Moss, London A: There’s not much chance You Said It contributors will run into anyone at the opera.

Bud: I think Pete Rose may have just eclipsed my record for rejected prom date requests. — Frank Bruno, Westlake A: And to think Pete met MLB halfway. He stopped betting illegally on baseball and started betting legally on baseball.

Bud: In order for the NFL to reinstate Josh Gordon, could there be any stronger endorsement of a person’s off-the-field conduct than Johnny Manziel saying, “I think he’s doing the right things?” Josh may want to consider other expert witnesses — Wayne A: I’m going to go out on the limb here and guess that you don’t mean Andy Moeller.

Bud: If I sent Jimmy Haslam a 32-point PowerPoint presentation telling him why I didn’t want to be a Browns fan any longer, do you think he would release me from my PSL contract and give me my money back from my season tickets? — Gary Hyde, Willougby Hills A: You have my admiration. It’s a brave man who publicly admits to

being a season-ticket holder in a 3-10 season.

Bud: I know it’s a very small sample size, but do you find the number of “You said It” entries drops significantly after a Browns’ win?

— Ken K, Independence A: Yes. In September, I’ve always chalked that up to people being busy booking Super Bowl travel.

By December, to even greater inebriation.

Bud: RGIII’s 2015 slogan was “Talk Small, Play Big.” Did you have a professional slogan for 2015? — Dick Close A: The only slogan I had was for my golf game, and I went for an even shorter version than RGIII did: “Fore!”

Bud: I see where an Ohio State player has been charged with solicitation. I can’t believe it! Didn’t he see the sign on the door? — Ted, Concord A: I don’t believe this particular case of solicitation involved a magazine subscription offer, lawn care services or a Bible verse.

Bud: Did you ever consider a name change? Your initials may be holding you back from being considered a serious journalist. — OMG Broadview Heights A: Yes, OMG, if not for my initials this column would get the world-wide respect it has never deserved.

Bud: Banning Pete Rose from baseball and the Hall of Fame is ridiculous! — Art Schlichter A: Some first-time You Said It winners finally beat the odds.

Bud: With the recent Tribe signings of Collin Cowgill, Joey Butler and Robbie Grossman, will Columbus Clippers fans be unhappy with anything less than the Governor’s Cup? — Alan Tabb, Lakewood A: Other first-time You Said It winners finally get the call.

B12**

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

The Record Newswatch

Latest Line

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL

Nebraska wins national title

The “Go Big Red!” cheers started well before the first serve Saturday night in Omaha and continued long after Nebraska had wrapped up its three-set sweep of Texas in the NCAA women’s volleyball title match. Setter Kelly Hunter fed outside hitter Mikaela Foecke early and often, and the freshman responded with a match-high 19 kills and was named Most Outstanding Player of the final four. Foecke hit .348 with 31 kills in wins over Kansas and Texas. Kelsey Fien punctuated the fourth-seeded Huskers’ big night when she slammed a set from Hunter. Fien went to her knees as her teammates swarmed the court to start celebrating the 25-23, 25-23, 25-21 victory.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Dos Anjos top lightweight

Rafael dos Anjos stopped Donald Cerrone at 1:06 of the first round Saturday night in Orlando to retain the UFC lightweight title. Dos Anjos hurt Cerrone with a left kick to the midsection, moved in and unleashed a flurry of shots against the fence. Cerrone managed to escape and get back to the center of the octagon, but the fight went to the ground and dos Anjos finished it there. Dos Anjos improved to 35-7 in his first title defense and second victory over Cerrone.

Earlier, Alistair Overeem (40-14) scored a technical knockout win over former UFC champion Junior Dos Santos (17-4) in a heavyweight fight.

WINTER SPORTS

Air bag softens ski crash

Aksel Lund Svindal won the classic Val Gardena downhill in Italy for the first time Saturday in a World Cup race that may be better remembered for a safety air bag inflating in the crash of Olympic champion Matthias Mayer. Svindal clocked 1 minute, 54.80 seconds down the Saslong course for a 0.43 advantage over Guillermo Fayed of France. Svindal’s Norwegian teammate Kjetil Jansrud finished third, 0.46 behind. Mayer was having a solid run until he lost control and spun around, flying down the hill backward, then landed hard on his right side. After receiving medical attention on the slope he was airlifted to a hospital in Bolzano.

Lara Gut wins downhill

Swiss skier Lara Gut narrowly beat countrywoman Fabienne Suter to win a World Cup downhill race Saturday in Val d’Isere, France, while American Lindsey Vonn skied off course while chasing a record-equaling win. Gut, who beat Vonn by just one hundredth of a second to win Friday’s super-combined race, edged Suter by 0.16 seconds on Saturday to secure her 15th career win and 23rd podium.

U.S. second, third in luge

Erin Hamlin and Summer Britcher of the U.S. finished second and third in women’s World Cup luge Friday in Calgary, Alberta. Natalie Geisenberger of Germany won the event. The gold medalist had runs times of 46.818 and 46.751 seconds for a combined 1 minute, 33.569 seconds. ... Olympic champion Jean-Frederic Chapuis of France won a second successive ski cross World Cup in San Candido, Italy, to cut Christopher Del Bosco’s lead in the standings after the Canadian was eliminated in the quarterfinals on Saturday. ... World Cup leader Peter Prevc of Slovenia beat his 16-year-old brother Domen Prevc to win a ski jump large hill event Saturday in Engelberg, Switzerland.

DIVING

Cozad, Parratto 1-2

Amy Cozad and Jessica Parratto qualified for a second event for the World Cup with a 1-2 finish Saturday in the 10-meter final at the U.S. Winter Nationals in Indianapolis. Cozad’s three-round total gave her a first-place score of 1,008.35 points. Parratto was second at 955.10, almost 14 points ahead of third-place finisher Tarrin Gilliand. Cozad and Parratto already punched a ticket to the World Cup in Rio de Janeiro in the same pool where next summer’s Olympics will take place. Parratto and Cozad won the 10-meter synchronized event Wednesday. Krisitian Ipsen won the men’s 3-meter springboard, finishing with 1,427.15 points. Michael Hixon was second at 1,397.20.

OLYMPICS

Felix seeks rescheduling

USA Track and Field recently petitioned Olympic organizers to reschedule the 200 and 400 meter races at Rio so that American sprinter Allyson Felix can be fresh for both races. They are scheduled to happen just 75 minutes apart. Should the rescheduling not happen, Felix still plans on attempting to make the U.S. squad in both events at the Olympic Trials in June.

Calendar Today Mon Sea Browns 440-824-3434 4:05 WJW

Tue

Phil 800-820-2287 3:30 FSO

Wed

NY 7:00 FSO

Cavaliers

Monsters

Char 216-420-0000 1:00

Northfield Post 330-467-4101 6:00

Post 6:00

Post 6:00

Post 6:00

Thu

NFL Favorite Points (O/U) Underdog WEEK 15 MINNESOTA 5½ (43) Chicago JACKSONVILLE 3 (49) Atlanta INDIANAPOLIS 2 (41.5) Houston Kansas City 6½ (41) BALTIMORE Buffalo 1½ (44) WASHINGTON NEW ENGLAND 14 (47) Tennessee Arizona 3½ (51) PHILADELPHIA Carolina 4 (48) NY GIANTS SEATTLE 15 (43) Cleveland Green Bay 3½ (48) OAKLAND SAN DIEGO 1½ (46) Miami PITTSBURGH 6½ (45.5) Denver Cincinnati 6 (41) SAN FRANCISCO MONDAY NEW ORLEANS 3 (51.5) Detroit College Football Bowl Games Favorite Points (O/U) Underdog Miami Beach Bowl Marlins Park-Miami, FL. Western Kentucky3 (67) South Florida Tuesday Famous Idaho Potato Bowl Bronco Stadium-Boise, ID. Utah St 6½ (47) Akron Boca Raton Bowl FAU Stadium-Boca Raton, FL. Temple 2½ (50) Toledo Wednesday Poinsettia Bowl Qualcomm Stadium-San Diego, CA. Boise St 8½ (56) No. Illinois Go Daddy.com Bowl Ladd-Peebles Stadium-Mobile, AL. Bowling Green 7½ (66) Georgia South Thursday Bahamas Bowl Thomas Robinson Stadium-Nassau, Bahamas.

Western Michigan4½ (63) Middle Tenn St Hawaii Bowl Aloha Stadium-Honolulu, HI. Cincinnati 1 (57) San Diego St Saturday, Dec. 27 St. Petersburg Bowl Tropicana Field-St. Petersburg, FL. Marshall 4 (44) Connecticut Sun Bowl Sun Bowl Stadium-El Paso, TX. Washington St 2½ (62) Miami-Florida Heart of Dallas Bowl Cotton Bowl-Dallas, TX. Washington 8½ (55) Southern Miss Pinstripe Bowl Yankee Stadium-Bronx, NY. Indiana 2 (71) Duke Independence Bowl Independence Stadium-Shreveport, LA. Virginia Tech 13½ (62) Tulsa Foster Farms Bowl Levi’s Stadium-Santa Clara, CA. Ucla 6½ (61) Nebraska Monday, Dec 28th.

Military Bowl Navy-Marine Corps StadiumAnnapolis,MD Navy 3 (53.5) Pittsburgh Quick Lane Bowl Ford Field-Detroit, MI. Minnesota 6 (49.5) C. Michigan Tuesday, Dec 29th.

Armed Forces Bowl Amon G. Carter Stadium-Fort Worth, TX. California 7 (67) Air Force Russell Athletic Bowl Florida Citrus Bowl-Orlando, FL. North Carolina 1 (68.5) Baylor Arizona Bowl Arizona Stadium-Tucson, AZ. Colorado St 3 (56) Nevada Texas Bowl NRG Stadium-Houston, TX. Lsu 7 (73.5) Texas Tech Wednesday, Dec 30th.

Birmingham Bowl Legion Field-Birmingham, AL. Auburn 2½ (62) Memphis Belk Bowl Bank of America Stadium-Charlotte, NC. Mississippi St 5 (60) NC State Music City Bowl LP Field-Nashville, TN. Louisville 5 (47) Texas A&M HOLIDAY BOWL Qualcomm Stadium-San Diego, CA. Southern Cal 3½ (50.5) Wisconsin Thursday, Dec 31st.

Peach Bowl Georgia Dome-Atlanta, GA. Florida St 7 (55.5) Houston College Football Playoffs Cotton Bowl AT&T Stadium-Arlington, TX. Alabama 9½ (46.5) Michigan St Orange Bowl Sun Life Stadium-Miami Gardens, FL. Oklahoma 3½ (64.5) Clemson Friday, Jan 1st.

Outback Bowl Raymond James Stadium-Tampa, FL. Tennessee 8½ (47) Northwestern Citrus Bowl Citrus Bowl Stadium-Orlando, FL. Michigan 4½ (40) Florida Fiesta Bowl University of Phoenix Stadium-Glendale, AZ. Ohio St 6½ (55.5) Notre Dame Rose Bowl Rose Bowl-Pasadena, CA. Stanford 6½ (53) Iowa Sugar Bowl Mercedes-Benz Superdome-New Orleans, LA. Mississippi 7 (67) Oklahoma St NBA Favorite Points (O/U) Underdog BROOKLYN 1½ (204.5) Minnesota MIAMI 5 (194) Portland CLEVELAND 16 (197) Philadelphia PHOENIX 6 (205) Milwaukee x-ORLANDO OFF (OFF) Atlanta TORONTO 4½ (206) Sacramento New Orleans 1 (206) DENVER x-Atlanta Point Guard J. Teague is doubtful.

College Basketball Favorite Points Underdog y-Pittsburgh 4½ Davidson JAMES MADISON 7½ East Carolina BOISE ST 23 Bradley FRESNO ST 2 Evansville WRIGHT ST 3 Bowling Green Monmouth 11 RUTGERS ARKANSAS LR 16½ Northern Arizona DENVER 6½ E. Washington MOREHEAD ST 8½ Western Carolina NEBRASKA 12½ Samford Njit 1½ ST. JOHN’S y-at Madison Square Garden-New York, NY. NHL Favorite Goals (O/U) Underdog FLORIDA Even-½ (5) Vancouver BOSTON ½-1 (5) New Jersey TAMPA BAY ½-1 (5.5) Ottawa Washington Even-½ (5) NY RANGERS DETROIT ½-1 (5.5) Calgary CHICAGO Even-½ (5) San Jose Home Team in CAPS

Transactions

BASEBALL American League DETROIT TIGERS — Designated LHP Kyle Lobstein for assignment. Agreed to terms with SS Mike Aviles on a one-year contract.

BASKETBALL National Basketball Association INDIANA PACERS — Fined Indiana F Paul George $35,000 for public criticism of officiating and using profanity in a live television interview.

FOOTBALL National Football League DALLAS COWBOYS — Signed CB Terrance Mitchell from the practice squad.

MIAMI DOLPHINS — Waived DT C.J. Mosley.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS — Placed DE Scott Crichton on injured reserve. Signed DE Zach Moore from the practice squad.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS — Released LB Eric Martin. Signed RB Joey Iosefa from the practice squad.

OAKLAND RAIDERS — Placed OT Austin Howard on injured reserve. Signed S Tevin McDonald from the practice squad.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Waived LB Orie Lemon.

HOCKEY National Hockey League DETROIT RED WINGS — Recalled F Zach Nastasiuk from Toledo (ECHL) to Grand Rapids (AHL).

NEW JERSEY DEVILS — Activated C Travis Zajac from injured reserve.

WINNIPEG JETS — Assigned F Axel Blomqvist from Manitoba (AHL) to Tulsa (ECHL).

American Hockey League AHL — Suspended Rochester LW Jack Nevins three games and Hershey LW Liam O’Brien one game.

BINGHAMTON SENATORS — Returned F Darian Dziurzynski to Greenville (ECHL).

SYRACUSE CRUNCH — Recalled D Charlie

In 2009, the Browns’ Jerome Harrison scores his third TD with 44 seconds left for the winning points and rushes for a team-record 286 yards in a 41-34 win over Kansas City. Joshua Cribbs has two kickoff returns for touchdowns, setting an NFL career record with seven. After his 100-yard return in the first quarter to break the mark, Cribbs dashes 103 yards in the second quarter.

MacMurray 79, Rhodes 71 Maryville (Tenn.) 103, Aurora 94 Miami 85, Coll. of Charleston 63 Mississippi St. 69, Tulane 59 N. Kentucky 79, SE Missouri 69 North Florida 87, Florida A&M 70 Northwestern St. 105, Missouri Valley 79 Presbyterian 69, Piedmont 65 Radford 69, UNC Wilmington 67 S. Dakota St. 56, Florida Gulf Coast 52 Tennessee St. 81, Alcorn St. 76 Thomas More 89, Franklin 84, OT UAB 79, South Florida 68 Vanderbilt 80, Wofford 56 Virginia 86, Villanova 75 Virginia Tech 87, Grambling St. 52 Winthrop 88, Georgia Southern 81

National Hockey League

Midwest

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L OT Pts GF GA Montreal 20 8 3 43 100 70 Detroit 16 8 6 38 78 77 Boston 16 9 3 35 91 77 Ottawa 15 10 5 35 92 90 Florida 14 12 4 32 76 74 Tampa Bay 14 13 3 31 71 68 Buffalo 12 15 3 27 72 83 Toronto 10 13 5 25 64 76 Metropolitan Division W L OT Pts GF GA Washington 20 6 2 42 85 62 N.Y. Rangers 18 9 3 39 86 67 N.Y. Islanders 17 8 5 39 85 72 New Jersey 15 10 4 34 74 71 Pittsburgh 15 10 3 33 67 67 Philadelphia 12 12 6 30 62 83 Carolina 12 14 4 28 74 92 Columbus 11 17 3 25 74 93 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division W L OT Pts GF GA Dallas 22 6 2 46 102 79 St. Louis 17 9 4 38 77 72 Chicago 16 10 4 36 81 75 Nashville 15 10 5 35 80 79 Minnesota 14 7 6 34 71 66 Winnipeg 14 14 2 30 82 91 Colorado 13 16 1 27 82 87 Pacific Division W L OT Pts GF GA Los Angeles 19 8 2 40 75 61 Arizona 14 14 2 30 81 95 Vancouver 11 11 8 30 79 82 San Jose 14 13 1 29 75 76 Edmonton 13 15 2 28 82 90 Anaheim 11 13 5 27 56 73 Calgary 12 14 2 26 73 99 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss.

Friday Los Angeles 3, Pittsburgh 2, SO New Jersey 3, Detroit 2, OT Chicago 2, Winnipeg 0 Dallas 3, Philadelphia 1 Arizona 2, Minnesota 1, OT Edmonton 7, N.Y. Rangers 5 Carolina 5, Anaheim 1 Saturday Boston 3, Florida 1 Buffalo 2, Los Angeles 1, OT Montreal 3, Ottawa 1 Washington 2, Tampa Bay 1 N.Y. Islanders 3, Columbus 2, OT St. Louis 3, Dallas 0 Colorado 3, Nashville 2 Carolina 5, Arizona 4, OT N.Y. Rangers at Calgary, 10 p.m.

Minnesota at San Jose, 10:30 p.m.

Today Vancouver at Florida, 4 p.m.

New Jersey at Boston, 5 p.m.

Ottawa at Tampa Bay, 5 p.m.

Calgary at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Washington at N.Y. Rangers, 7 p.m.

San Jose at Chicago, 7 p.m.

Monday Anaheim at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

St. Louis at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Columbus at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m.

Washington at Carolina, 7 p.m.

Montreal at Nashville, 8 p.m.

Dallas at Minnesota, 8 p.m.

Toronto at Colorado, 9 p.m.

Winnipeg at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

American Hockey League

EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division W L OL SL Pct Pts WB/Scranton 21 5 0 1 .796 43 Hershey 14 8 1 5 .607 34 Bridgeport 16 11 2 1 .583 35 Portland 13 11 1 0 .540 27 Providence 11 11 5 1 .500 28 Lehigh Valley 14 15 1 0 .483 29 Springfield 12 14 1 1 .464 26 Hartford 12 15 2 0 .448 26 North Division W L OL SL Pct Pts Toronto 23 5 2 0 .800 48 Albany 16 8 3 0 .648 35 St. John’s 14 7 5 2 .625 35 Utica 14 10 2 2 .571 32 Rochester 14 12 1 1 .536 30 Syracuse 11 11 3 1 .500 26 Binghamton 7 17 2 0 .308 16 WESTERN CONFERENCE Central Division W L OL SL Pct Pts Rockford 18 6 1 2 .722 39 Grand Rapids 16 8 0 1 .660 33 Milwaukee 17 9 1 0 .648 35 Lake Erie 15 8 1 2 .635 33 Charlotte 15 11 1 0 .574 31 Chicago 12 10 1 2 .540 27 Manitoba 8 14 1 2 .380 19 Iowa 5 20 2 3 .250 15 Pacific Division W L OL SL Pct Pts Ontario 15 4 2 0 .762 32 San Diego 13 10 0 1 .563 27 Texas 14 12 2 2 .533 32 San Antonio 11 10 6 0 .519 28 Bakersfield 11 11 1 1 .500 24 San Jose 9 9 2 3 .500 23 Stockton 9 10 0 2 .476 20 NOTE: Two points are awarded for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss.

Saturday Hartford 2, Utica 1, SO Charlotte 4, Lake Erie 1 Grand Rapids 6, Texas 1 Portland 2, Bridgeport 1 Toronto 6, Hershey 2 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton 3, Syracuse 0 Springfield 4, Providence 2 Binghamton 2, Lehigh Valley 1 Stockton 3, Bakersfield 2 Rochester 4, Albany 1 Rockford at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Manitoba at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.

San Diego at Ontario, 9 p.m.

Today Lake Erie at Charlotte, 1 p.m.

San Antonio at Iowa, 4 p.m.

Portland at Bridgeport, 5 p.m.

Syracuse at Hershey, 5 p.m.

Bakersfield at Ontario, 6 p.m.

Stockton at San Jose, 6 p.m.

Monday Manitoba at Chicago, 8 p.m.

San Antonio at Iowa, 8 p.m.

Milwaukee at Rockford, 8 p.m.

College

Men’s Basketball East

Albany (NY) 65, St. Francis (Pa.) 58 Boston College 69, Delaware 61 Buffalo 80, Montana St. 73 Canisius 84, Boston U. 68 Duquesne 72, Robert Morris 65 Fordham 70, Maine 53 George Washington 87, St. Peter’s 74 Lehigh 76, Mount St. Mary’s 73 Maryland 82, Princeton 61 Michigan St. 78, Northeastern 58 New Hampshire 76, Dartmouth 56 North Carolina 89, UCLA 76 Nyack 62, Felician 53 Ohio St. 74, Kentucky 67 Penn 73, Ursinus 66 Penn St. 63, Drexel 57 Philadelphia 72, St. Rose 69 Providence 73, Rider 65 Rhode Island 79, Iona 74, OT Saint Joseph’s 79, Illinois St. 65 Seton Hall 80, Wichita St. 76, OT St. Bonaventure 64, SC State 45 Stockton 68, Gettysburg 57 Syracuse 67, Cornell 46 Temple 78, Delaware St. 63 UNC Asheville 79, Georgetown 73 Utah 77, Duke 75, OT Vermont 84, Fisher 37 William Paterson 73, Rutgers-Camden 57

South

Campbell 101, The Citadel 82 Carson-Newman 94, Lenoir-Rhyne 89 Charlotte 82, Appalachian St. 66 Cincinnati 69, VCU 63 Claflin 66, Limestone 56 Clark Atlanta 74, Shaw 71 Clayton St. 81, Francis Marion 70 E. Mennonite 61, Messiah 58 Elon 79, UNC Greensboro 69 Fairmont St. 88, Winston-Salem 78 Florida St. 64, FAU 59 George Mason 75, Longwood 70 Georgia 75, Georgia Tech 61 Georgia St. 66, Southern Miss. 46 Hampden-Sydney 95, Immaculata 61 Howard 103, UMBC 93 Johnson C. Smith 85, Virginia Union 71 LSU 100, Oral Roberts 77 Louisville 78, W. Kentucky 56

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Today in Sports history:

Dodero from Greenville (ECHL).

ECHL ECHL — Suspended Quad City D Mike Monfredo one game.

ALLEN AMERICANS — Added G Nolan Bowker as emergency backup.

SOUTH CAROLINA STINGRAYS — Loaned F Derek DeBlois to Lake Erie (AHL).

TOLEDO WALLEYE — Signed D Dajon Mingo.

COLLEGE FLORIDA — Announced QB Will Grier will transfer.

INDIANA STATE — Announced the resignation of athletic director John Prettyman.

Hockey

MN

Aquinas 77, Madonna 69 Augustana (SD) 107, Wayne (Neb.) 62 Benedictine (Ill.) 83, Marian (Wis.) 61 Butler 74, Purdue 68 Cardinal Stritch 70, St. Francis (Ill.) 67 Carroll (Wis.) 83, Loras 78, OT Chicago 69, Albion 65 Chicago St. 77, W. Illinois 70 Cleveland St. 67, Belmont 65 Concordia (Ill.) 84, Edgewood 79 Dayton 70, Furman 50 Detroit 95, UCF 89 Hillsdale 99, Lawrence 57 IPFW 95, Stetson 89 IUPUI 82, S. Utah 68 Illinois 91, South Dakota 79 Indiana 80, Notre Dame 73 Indiana St. 76, Saint Louis 68 Indiana-East 70, Carlow 67 Iowa 70, Drake 64 Kansas 88, Montana 46 Kansas St. 61, Colorado St. 56 Lake Superior St. 93, Silver Lake 66 Loyola of Chicago 64, Ill.-Chicago 47 Michigan 105, Youngstown St. 46 Minn. Duluth 100, St. Cloud St. 92 Minn. St.-Mankato 86, Concordia (St.P.) 59 Minn. St.-Moorhead 82, Northern St. (SD) 71 Monmouth (Ill.) 84, Beloit 80 N. Illinois 78, FIU 75, 2OT N. Iowa 81, Iowa St. 79 N. Michigan 78, Grace Bible 59 NC State 73, Missouri 59 Northwestern 78, DePaul 70, OT Rockford 88, Wis. Lutheran 62 SW Minnesota St. 62, Sioux Falls 60 Siena Heights 101, Great Lakes Christian 69 Toledo 102, Bethune-Cookman 68 UMKC 71, Rockhurst 60 Valparaiso 74, Missouri St. 45 Winona St. 81, Upper Iowa 65 Wis.-Parkside 70, Michigan Tech 64 Wis.-River Falls 89, Viterbo 82 Xavier 85, Auburn 61

Southwest

Houston 81, E. Illinois 65 Mercer 67, Arkansas 66, OT Oklahoma 87, Creighton 74 St. Edward’s 90, Oklahoma Christian 77 Stephen F. Austin 95, Our Lady of the Lake 56 Texas Tech 94, Ark.-Pine Bluff 54 Utah Valley 83, UTSA 78

Far West

Air Force 67, UC Davis 60 Arizona St. 98, Houston Baptist 79 CS Bakersfield 82, Menlo 50 California 84, Coppin St. 51 Oakland 97, Washington 83 Rice 90, New Mexico 89 Wyoming 76, Nebraska-Omaha 75

Bowl results

Saturday Celebration Bowl Atlanta NC A&T 41, Alcorn State 34 New Mexico Bowl Albuquerque Arizona 45, New Mexico 37 Las Vegas Bowl Utah 35, BYU 28 Camellia Bowl Montgomery, Ala. Appalachian State 31, Ohio 29 Cure Bowl Orlando, Fla. San Jose State 27, Georgia State 16 New Orleans Bowl Louisiana Tech (8-4) vs. Arkansas State (9-3), 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Horse racing Northfield Park entries

Post time: 6 p.m.

1st Race, Purse $6,000 5000CLPRO Trot 1. Glittering Muscles, AMerrimn 7-2 2. Home Towne Jeff, CHrshbrgr 9-2 3. Sir Kensington, FrHarris 6-1 4. Babygetyershineon, JaMerriman 12-1 5. Dreamanotherdream, RyStahl 5-2 6. Say It Best, KeKashJr 3-1 7. Pure And Easy, MiDeRuntz 20-1 2nd Race, Purse $6,000 5000CLPRO Pace 1. Lifetime Louie, JaMerriman 4-1 2. Click Boom, AMerrimn 5-1 3. Joltfromtheblue, RoMiller 20-1 4. High And Tight, ElDeaton 5-1 5. Up All Night, RyStahl 20-1 6. Rock N Roll Star, RonWrennJr 5-2 7. Artgentina, SaSchillaci 20-1 8. Unadorned Hanover, DoIrvineJr 3-1 3rd Race, Purse $6,000 5000CLPRO Trot 1. Dead Wrong, JaMerriman 9-5 2. Echo’s Pearl, KeKashJr 20-1 3. Sam’s Profile, RyStahl 6-1 4. Sbm Georgian Star, JaThmpsn 12-1 5. Tsunami Dream, AMerrimn 2-1 6. Market Rebound, ChSmithJr 20-1 7. Cautious Optimism, RonWrennJr 4-1 4th Race, Purse $3,200 FMNW200PS Pace 1. People Like Me, TomHall 5-1 2. Gracie Gracie, AMerrimn 7-2 3. Silver Gal, WyIrvine 10-1 4. Volleyball Star, RyStahl 25-1 5. Miss Ariel, KeKashJr 25-1 6. Paso’s Star, DoIrvineJr 25-1 7. Try N Keep Up, JaMerriman 1-1 8. Lock Up’s Galley, RonWrennJr 8-1 9. Fox Valley Smooch, RoMiller 25-1 5th Race, Purse $3,200 NW200PSCD Trot 1. Charity Kid, KeKashJr 20-1 2. Jestabrute, SkDeMull 20-1 3. Watch The Rhythm, RonWrennJr 1-1 4. Shelly Ross, JaMerriman 15-1 5. Cincinnati Mystres, FrHarris 20-1 6. Hilltop Schooter, JaThmpsn 20-1 7. Muckmuck Woodchuck, RyStahl 10-1 8. Toes, RoMiller 5-1 9. Morgans Majestic, LaWhitaker 7-2 6th Race, Purse $4,600 NW300PSCD Trot 1. Booyah Tj, WyIrvine 25-1 2. Foul Ball, ElDeaton 15-1 3. Red Rocks, RoMiller 10-1 4. Tallerthanwoody, JaThmpsn 9-2 5. Ta’s Avance, DaCharlino 3-1 6. Makin Green Lavec, RyStahl 7-2 7. Chip’s Dreamer, FrHarris 25-1 8. Mr Apollo, AMerrimn 7-1 9. Alady For Sure, RonWrennJr 7-2 7th Race, Purse $6,000 5000CLPRO Pace 1. Driven To Succeed, ElDeaton 8-1 2. Kholton’s Rei, SaSchillaci 12-1 3. Tough Love, AMerrimn 7-5 4. Blue’s Rocket Man, DaCharlino 6-1 5. Rountuit Bluegrass, WyIrvine 25-1 6. Alittleaintenough, JaThmpsn 3-1 7. Dannys Atthedance, RonWrennJr 7-1 8. Jm’sdukeofdelight, DoIrvineJr 25-1 9. Get Goin Mel, RyStahl 25-1 8th Race, Purse $7,000 NW500PSCD Pace 1. Real Future, JaMerriman 7-1 2. Sonic Raider, KyLadd 8-1 3. D J Supreme, WyIrvine 25-1 4. Deftones, AMerrimn 7-2 5. Jude Hall, TyStlouis 12-1 6. Great American, RonWrennJr 7-5 7. Born That Way, FrHarris 25-1 8. Sand Savage, SaSchillaci 12-1 9. Dallas Seelster, ElDeaton 8-1 9th Race, Purse $6,000 NW400PSCD Pace 1. Jk Even Steven, MiDeRuntz 7-2 2. Catch That Angel, JaThmpsn 25-1 3. Lansdowne Road, JaMerriman 6-1 4. Perspective, AMerrimn 5-1 5. Forever Lover, RoMiller 25-1 6. At Daybreak, DoIrvineJr 25-1 7. Reckless Ric, RyStahl 10-1 8. Snuff Box, KeKashJr 25-1 9. Luckey Rei, RonWrennJr 7-5 10th Race, Purse $6,000 NW400PSCD Trot 1. Moontan, JaThmpsn 2-1 2. Sharp Action, RyStahl 4-1 3. Tory, JaMerriman 25-1 4. Nino Marino, RoMiller 12-1 5. Buzzen Garland, AMerrimn 9-2 6. Wallstreet Bailout, ScAltizer 25-1 7. Beer League, RonWrennJr 5-1 8. Miss Riley, FrHarris 25-1 9. Freedom Ridge, KeKashJr 5-1 11th Race, Purse $6,000 NW400PSCD Pace 1. Lima Real Easy, AMerrimn 12-1 2. Jojo In The Sky, FrHarris 15-1 3. Second Thoughts, ScAltizer 12-1 4. Art Bettor Now, KeKashJr 4-1 5. Extremely Fast, JaThmpsn 5-2 6. Impressive Jet, JaMerriman 12-1 7. Bummed Out, MiDeRuntz 25-1 8. Sunburned Vern, RoMiller 25-1 9. One Crazy Eagle, RonWrennJr 9-5 12th Race, Purse $6,000 5000CLPRO Pace 1. Screen The Call, AMerrimn 2-1 2. Armbro Domi, FrHarris 25-1 3. Hyd-Dat Shooter, JaMerriman 5-1

4. Maynard B, RonWrennJr 7-5 5. Only Way I Know, JaThmpsn 9-1 6. Dade Hall, MiDeRuntz 25-1 7. Mcport In A Storm, DoIrvineJr 25-1 8. Peck Blue Chip, RoMiller 25-1 9. Philanthropist, RyStahl 15-1 13th Race, Purse $7,000 NW500PSCD Pace 1. Dragon Spike, JaThmpsn 6-1 2. Allamerican Fargo, KeKashJr 20-1 3. Kiss Of Terror, RonWrennJr 2-1 4. The Warden, TiDriver 8-1 5. Carrino, RyStahl 20-1 6. St Lads Zoom Zoom, ChSmithJr 5-2 7. Big Green Tractor, JaMerriman 20-1 8. Billy The Colt, DaCharlino 10-1 9. Rude Boy, AMerrimn 6-1 14th Race, Purse $3,200 NW200PSCD Pace 1. Augie’s, SkDeMull 10-1 2. Scootchie, RoMiller 3-1 3. Ahead Of The Crowd, FrHarris 8-1 4. Logan County Ralph, WyIrvine 15-1 5. Cash’em In, RonWrennJr 6-1 6. The Price You Pay, KeKashJr 2-1 7. Dapper Baron Two, RyStahl 20-1 8. Timewell, AMerrimn 15-1 9. Gallows Pole, JaMerriman 6-1 15th Race, Purse $4,600 NW300PSCD Pace 1. Bryndan’s Toy, FrHarris 7-1 2. Custom Made, AMerrimn 8-1 3. Rocky My Boy, ElDeaton 20-1 4. Airguitar Rockstar, MiDeRuntz 9-5 5. Follow Through, KeKashJr 20-1 6. Windsong Destroyer, RyStahl 20-1 7. Raiders Boy, JaMerriman 6-1 8. Lightninginthesky, DoIrvineJr 20-1 9. Prvo, RonWrennJr 2-1

High school Boys Basketball

Bay 84, Columbia 55 Bay Columbia

27 23 21 13-84 14 11 16 14-55

Bay (4-2): Durham 8, Sunahara 17, Thompson 4, Jelen 3, Cady 2, Altieri 2, Gergye 11, Koz 25, Lee 2, Painter 10.

Columbia (2-5): Tacchite 11, Heidecker 9, Barta 2, Delahunty 15, DeLisle 3, Coleman 2, Reichard 4, Malin 5, Beck 2, Borling 2.

Columbus Africentric 73, Akron Garfield 49 Akron Garfield 12 9 15 13-49 Columbus Africentric 13 14 23 23-73 Akron Garfield (1-4): Kelley 2, Thompson 2, Powell 11, Kidd 4, Campbell 3, Cherry 10, Watson 8, Waters 5, Adams 2, Humphries 5.

Columbus Africentric Early College Prep (1-0): Bowman 2, Green 9, Woods 6, Gordon-Hayes 17, Clark 7, Martin 9, Smith 20, Potts 3.

Cornerstone Christian 79, Garaway 60 Cornerstone Christian 15 20 22 22-79 Garaway 20 8 7 25-60 Cornerstone Christian (3-1).

Garaway (0-1).

Cuyahoga Heights 32, Brooklyn 30 Brooklyn 6 9 4 11-30 Cuyahoga Heights 10 7 7 8-32 Brooklyn (3-5): Smith 2, Sommers 3, Czirr 2, Kenderes 6, Cowling 2, Galarza 15.

Cuyahoga Heights (4-3): Lowther 8, Collins 8, Jezerinac 9, Hartman 4, Bowling 3.

Fairview 53, Independance 36 Fairview 15 20 6 12-53 Independance 7 9 10 10-36 Fairview (3-4): Kolman 6, Grealis 1, Filkill 11, Schwarber 6, Costas 2, Arapi 2, Butler 22, Elder 3.

Independance (0-2): Terrano 6, Brunsman 4, Stefanski 7, Figliola 8, Roddy 2, Teribery 2, Molcan 3, Dworznik 4.

Garfield Heights 74, Ridgeway 57 Memphis Ridgeway 12 13 20 12-57 Garfield Heights 22 19 15 18-74 Memphis Ridgeway (6-5): Thompson 10, Spann 3, Haynes 8, Harvey 5, Taylor 7, Crutcher 15, Ingram 9.

Garfield Heights (7-0): Bey 4, Christian 15, Jackson 9, Jackson 21, Rose 3, Hughes 22.

Harvey 61, Riverside 55 Riverside 15 16 13 11-55 Harvey 9 16 25 11-61 Riverside (1-3): Kalb 4, Lee 10, Tomassetti 2, Martin 15, Janota 7, Wade 11, Thomas 6.

Harvey (5-1): Quigley 10, Clark 5, Kerver 6, Holbert 13, Haynes 5, Martin 22.

Lake Catholic 75, Max Hayes 42 Max Hayes 7 8 14 13-42 Lake Catholic 23 19 15 18-75 Max Hayes (0-9): Stubbs 3, Sterling 3, Meredith 2, Purvis 7, Robinson 2, Long 12, Gonzalez 10, Rodriquez 4.

Lake Catholic (4-2): Horton 2, Stalnaker 3, Folino 2, Meola 6, Dunnings 15, Czaplicki 2, Alston 4, Caja 2, Hinesley 5, Fitzgerald 28, Ashdown 4, Boruszkowski 2.

Saint Martin de Porres 63, Geauga 34 Geauga Grizzlies 8 13 4 9-34 Saint Martin de Porres 20 12 22 9-63 Geauga Grizzlies (0-4).

Saint Martin de Porres (2-3): Respress 1, Tucker 2, Grey 11, Luckie 2, Cummings 2, Clinkscales 2, Thomas 13, Hughes 5, Coker 16, Rucker 5, Freeman 2, Teague 2.

Solon 60, Willoughby South 50 Willoughby South 10 7 15 18-50 Solon 13 14 19 14-60 Willoughby South (1-3): Jenkins 3, Hughes 4, DeLisio 8, Danford 2, Whitaker 12, Burks 21.

Solon (3-3): Gordesky 7, Perry 9, bekelja 4, Gulley 3, Thompson 2, Steele 11, Johnson 6, Carry 18.

St. Ignatius 68, Canton McKinley 59 Canton McKinley 16 13 12 18-59 St. Ignatius 15 17 15 21-68 Canton McKinley (5-2): Wood 4, Lipkins 19, Toles 12, Hall 3, Smith 2, Davis 1, Straughter 18.

St. Ignatius (4-0): Musbach 3, Davet 6, Stover 13, Kalish 10, Berger 7, Yarian 11, Kiefer 2, Berger 16.

St. Vincent-St. Mary 66, Uniontown Lake 51 Uniontown Lake 15 12 11 13-51 St. Vincent-St. Mary 10 22 17 17-66 Uniontown Lake (3-1).

St. Vincent-St. Mary (3-1).

Walsh Jesuit 62, John Hay 47 John Hay 4 16 11 16-47 Walsh Jesuit 17 22 16 7-62 John Hay (5-2): Michael 7, Kyle 4, Milan 3, Lenard 6, Maurice 12, Aaron 13, Reese 2.

Walsh Jesuit (4-1): Trimpe 9, Iacobacci 2, Keough 4, Kukla 2, Peterson 18, Kanieski 6, Kucznski 4, Canzone 8, Donald 2, Jordan 4, Johnson 3.

Girls Basketball

Amherst Steele 54, Westlake 52 Westlake 10 20 10 12-52 Amherst Steele 18 10 12 14-54 Westlake (9-1): Essig 11, Fury 13, Fleming 7, O’Neill 2, Hood 9, Appel 4, Jamsek 6.

Amherst Steele (7-2): Roule 14, Fayer 5, Hall 18, Dziak 8, Iliff 9.

Aurora 57, Willoughby South 37 Willoughby South 7 6 9 15-37 Aurora 17 13 22 5-57 Willoughby South (3-6): Woodcock 4, Hodge 11, Heller 1, Rus 1, Daubenmire 4, Merk 5, Matriano 10, Adams 1.

Aurora (2-7): owens 6, McCoy 11, Blunt 2, Sellers 11, Sellers 3, Marchese 2, Davis 9, Kee-Bey 3, Mims 6, Samarasinghe 4.

Bay 57, Buckeye 42 Buckeye (2-5).

Bay (6-0).

Chagrin Falls 54, Wickliffe 8 Wickliffe 0 0 4 4- 8 Chagrin Falls 16 8 14 16-54 Wickliffe (0-7): Burkette 4, Stephens 4.

Chagrin Falls (7-2): Deignan 7, Clemens 12, Baker 16, Iammarino 3, Owen 2, Salyers 2, Stapulionis 2, Dishong 10.

Columbia 58, Lake Ridge 33 Columbia 3 17 21 17-58 Lake Ridge 12 6 6 9-33 Columbia (8-1): Patouhas 4, Schafer 30, Napoli 6, Tacchite 10, Tacchite 8.

Lake Ridge (2-1): Janasko 4, Williams 6, Katz 2, Miller 4, Kirk 11, Baker 6.

Coventry 65, Akron North 63 Akron North 14 20 9 14 6-63 Coventry 18 11 13 15 8-65 Akron North (0-1): Meadows 8, Backnight 12, Taylor 7, Backnight 21, Primm 15.

Coventry (4-4): Sheppard 4, Hudson 9, Morisak 15, Mashburn 15, Murray 6, Greene 16.

Cuyahoga Heights 38, Cardinal 14 Cuyahoga Heights 6 15 10 7-38 Cardinal 2 5 0 7-14 Cuyahoga Heights (7-2): Pagan 4, Adams 12, Wilson 2, Orr 1, Lipkowski 6, Martin 7, Orlowski 2, DeFranco 2, Denner 2.

Cardinal (4-5): Leichtman 2, Adams 7, Scribben 2, dhayer 2, Cummins 1.

Eastlake North 48, Madison 28

Stow-Munroe Falls 51, Brecksville 22

Madison Eastlake North

Brecksville (0-9): Pfeitfer 2, Livingston 3, Lesesky 3, Green 3, Labas 9, Beehlefeld 2.

Stow-Munroe Falls (6-2): Taylor 3, Stefanov 9, Merelene 2, Parr 6, Andrassy 5, Demarino 1, Turschak 10, O’Verko 2, Fenwick 7, Pettit 6.

Twinsburg 39, Perrysburg 34

6 5 8 9-28 15 10 13 10-48

Madison (4-4): Rose 10, Ledford 4, Gentry 3, Terelmas 2, Michowicz 5, Galovic 2, Berry 2.

Eastlake North (3-2): Pirosko 20, Delzoppo 4, Thoss 4, White 1, Murphy 3, Lako 12, Lyons 4.

Fairview 46, John Adams 22 John Adams Fairview

4 2 4 12-22 12 12 11 11-46

John Adams (1-5): Hall 1, Smith 11, Hall 3, Davidson 2, Kimbrough 5.

Fairview (2-7): Wolansky 2, Schmiedl 11, Coyne 2, Logterman 4, Mylett 13, Digennaro 4, Rancour 2, Harte 8.

Garfield Heights 49, Brooklyn 44 Brooklyn Garfield Heights

3 16 15 10-44 12 9 14 14-49

Brooklyn (3-5): Benz 24, Lemasters 2, Coyne 9, Williams 8, Pena 1.

Garfield Heights (1-6): Davis 11, Tucker 6, Hargrove 2, Warren 6, Conners 7, Porter 17.

Geneva 36, Beachwood 33 Geneva Beachwood

8 8 7 13-36 2 9 5 17-33

Geneva (3-3): Keasling 6, C.Harriman 6, H.Peoples 10, E.Harrimon 8, S.Cross 6.

Beachwood (4-5): Stevens 2, M.Nunn 4, Royster 27.

Gilmour 64, Youngstown Ursuline 53 Youngstown Ursuline 16 17 9 11-53 Gilmour 16 12 20 16-64 Youngstown Ursuline (1-7).

Gilmour (8-1): Kelley 24, Hillmon 30.

Independence 39, Berkshire 31 Independence Berkshire

12 10 8 9-39 2 12 10 7-31

Independence (5-4): massey 2, Coudriet 4, Dmitruk 4, Zumack 12, Kuczmarski 12, Walker 2, riley 3.

Berkshire (1-7): White 2, Luoma 11, Chapman 2, Drew 8, Pennypacker 2, Miller 2, Scott 4, .

Lakewood 47, North Ridgeville 41 Lakewood 13 13 7 14-47 North Ridgeville 15 9 6 11-41 Lakewood (4-4): Nagy 3, Lavelle 2, Ribar 1, Donahoe 6, Shaw 6, Kamkutis 22, Nall 5, Ribar 2.

North Ridgeville (0-8): Bright 3, Shaw 5, Hollis 2, Johnson 2, kerr 10, tucker 12, Geraci 7.

Laurel 48, NDCL 28 Laurel 8 18 11 11-48 NDCL 4 4 8 12-28 Laurel (8-1): Gocan 2, Mehalko 2, Taylor 2, Murgiano 5, Taylor 11, Cronin 4, Cade 12, Steele 10.

NDCL (0-3).

Lorain 73, Warrensville Heights 32 Warrensville Heights 3 6 5 18-32 Lorain 18 20 20 15-73 Warrensville Heights (4-4): Mitchell 6, Ford 11, Davis 7, Cowan 2, Stovall 5, Lattimar 1.

Lorain (2-3): Weatherspoon 4, Carter 1, Grant 9, DiBernardo 9, Clark 1, Blair 15, Battle 6, Howard 6, Bohannon 17, Beard 5.

Maple Heights 46, Cleveland Heights 37 Maple Heights 16 11 11 8-46 Cleveland Heights 10 11 5 11-37 Maple Heights (6-3): Brown 9, Richardson 8, Pearson 6, Williams 13, Collins 4, Stewart 5, Boddy 1.

Cleveland Heights (3-7): Hemphill 5, Brock 1, Nichols 11, Pierce 6, weaver 4, McGregor 5, Carter 5.

Mayfield 71, Brush 51 Brush 14 9 15 13-51 Mayfield 23 19 17 12-71 Brush (3-3): Sanders 7, Harris 8, Jackson 8, Martin 7, DeBase 16, Perry 3, Lester 2.

Mayfield (6-2): LoPiccolo 4, Nerone 4, Consolo 1, Palmer 1, Dillard 17, Kinczel 6, Debaltzo 8, Pasquale 22, Valenti 4, Fredrickson 4.

Mentor 59, Strongsville 48 Mentor 13 20 12 14-59 Strongsville 15 10 6 17-48 Mentor (8-1): Ochaya 8, Koski 2, Fillar 3, Heffington 25, Calvey 1, Moyer 18, Noble 2.

Strongsville (2-4): Novak 4, Edgerly 4, Zbydniewski 3, Thall 19, Sims 8, Matlak 2, Sallee 6, Peters 2.

Nordonia 56, Chardon 46 Nordonia 4 25 11 16-56 Chardon 14 12 15 5-46 Nordonia (8-0).

Chardon (3-2): Kuty 2, Bradley 7, Hunter 5, Furlich 10, DiLillo 4, Cremeans 10, Kobuszewski 5, Nichols 3, .

North Royalton 37, Cuyahoga Falls 31 North Royalton 12 13 5 7-37 Cuyahoga Falls 8 6 10 7-31 North Royalton (6-4): White 1, Parks 9, Lineweaver 7, Lebo 16, alrazer 4.

Cuyahoga Falls (1-7): Dieterich 2, Brooks 10, Crawford 2, Huffman 13, Freeman 4.

Olmsted Falls 62, North Olmsted 37 North Olmsted 7 11 13 6-37 Olmsted Falls 19 9 19 15-62 North Olmsted (5-5): Diamantis 4, Ellis 2, Kemp 9, Fuerst 2, Hicks 13, Kemp 5, Bloomfield 2.

Olmsted Falls (4-5): Kelly 15, Klypchak 3, Akins 2, Marshall 7, Balfour 17, Vance 3, Marshall 1, Craft 4, Gerycz 10.

Padua 62, Walsh Jesuit 39 Walsh Jesuit 3 10 17 9-39 Padua 15 12 15 20-62 Walsh Jesuit (3-4): Sapp 19, Bachmann 2, Demarchi 2, Gee 2, Stein 6, Martonchik 4, Russ 4.

Padua (7-2): Medaglia 8, Rauhe 32, Lusnek 4, Rapacz 5, Conroy 4, Pinzone 1, Pillin 8.

St. Joseph 53, Hathaway Brown 42 Hathaway Brown 7 5 13 17-42 St. Joseph 16 9 16 12-53 Hathaway Brown (5-4): Elhindi 18, Harlor 10, Lawson 9, Radke 5.

St. Joseph (7-2): Dever 10, Vichill 6, DiMassa 22, Drellishak 2, Kean 3, Orsagos 4, Neitzel 6.

Brecksville Stow-Munroe Falls

Twinsburg Perrysburg

7 5 5 5-22 13 20 4 14-51

10 10 8 11-39 5 7 12 10-34

Twinsburg (4-2): gardenhire 3, Bishop 4, Anderson 16, jolly 1, Reid 7, Thomas 8.

Perrysburg (5-1): Clark 4, Diehl 3, Wenzelman 7, Brown 5, Krolak 3, Joldrichsen 10, Hunter 1.

VASJ 61, Warren John F. Kennedy 32 Warren JFK VASJ

7 5 12 8-32 21 14 6 20-61

Warren John F. Kennedy (0-2): Lamonica 20, Burney 3, Marlet 3, Lee 2, Brandely 2, Orlosky 2.

VASJ (3-5): Garvey 21, Owens 6, Mastalsky 2, Goosby 14, Kasie 5, Kemp 5, Zamora 6, Faddoul 2.

Villa Maria (Pa.) 58, Magnificat 47 Villa Maria (Pa.) Magnificat

21 9 10 18-58 9 11 6 21-47

Villa Maria (Pa.) (5-0): Bird 3, McCormick 14, Byes 2, Demski 7, Sweny 15, Oduho 3, Palermo 6, Agnello 8.

Magnificat (8-1): Normandin 2, Schwind 12, Keshock 12, Spicer 1, Sterba 11, Adler 6, Birchfield 2, Farnan 1.

Woodridge 77, Akron Garfield 28 Akron Garfield Woodridge

3 16 5 4-28 28 19 21 9-77

Akron Garfield (0-2): nance 4, karim 18, Williams 2, Summerville 1, Johnson 3.

Woodridge (4-5): DeBord 7, Esterak 17, Artice 2, Kearns 2, Lovelace 4, Rashid 10, Williams 16, Parker 3, Mally 2.

Boys Ice Hockey

University School 7, Toledo St. John’s Jesuit 0 University School (6-5-1): Goals-assists: Hoyen 1-0, Clemens 1-2, Megerian 0-1, Goetch 1-1, Nook 0-1, Anderson 0-1, Muha 1-1, Engoglia 1-2, Gorbett 1-1, Ettinger 0-1, Koch 0-1, Heller 1-1. Saves: Coughlin 9.

Toledo St. John’s Jesuit.

Avon Lake 11, Garfield Heights 0 Aurora 8, North Canton Hoover 2 Aurora: Goals-assists: Pirinen 1-0, Pfiffner 1-0, Capretta 5-0, Capretta 1-0.

Saves: Hutchinson 26.

North Canton Hoover: Goals-assists: Bishop 1-0, Evoy 1-0. Saves: White 10, White 6.

Swimming

Viking Invitational (no team scores) Boys 200 IM relay: 1. Brecksville-Broadview Heights 1:34.61; 2. Cathedral Prep 1:37.34; 3. Hawken 1:37.60.

200 freestyle: 1. Riley (Cathedral Prep) 1:39.91; 2. M. Krusinski (BrecksvilleBroadview Heights) 1:44.01; 3. Tyler Doerrer (Green) 1:44.09.

200 IM: 1. Quinn (Chagrin Falls) 1:52.38 (MR); 2. Brooks (Avon) 1:53.57; 3. Bates (Hawken) 1:58.06.

50 freestyle: 1. 1. Madej (Brecksville) 20.62; 2. Poletta (Green) 20.86; 3. Lynch (Brecksville) 21.45.

100 butterfly: 1. M. Krusinski (Brecksville) 48.87 (MR); 2. Poletta (Green) 50.95; 3. Matthew Martin (Broadview Heights) 51.16.

100 freestyle: 1. Madej (Brecksville) 44.30 (MR); 2. Lynch (Brecksville) 47.68, Doerrer (Green) 48.03.

500 freestyle: 1. Rakovec (Hawken) 4:37.02; 2. Bates (Hawken) 4:37.16; 3.

Banks (University) 4:47.08.

200 freestyle relay: 1. St. Ignatius 1:27.60; 2. Cathedral Prep 1:28.37; 3.

University 1:29.22.

100 backstroke: 1. Bowman (University) 52.24; 2. Quinn (Chagrin) 52.27; 3. Sawyer (Canisius) 52.76.

100 breaststroke: 1. Riley (Cathedral Prep) 56.11 (MR); Fares (Hawken) 1:00.16; 3. McDaniel (Ashland) 1:00.62.

400 freestyle: 1. Brecksville 3:03.40 (MR); 2. University 3:15.55; 3. Green 3:17.17.

GIRLS 200 IM relay: 1. Hawken 1:45.06 (MR); 2. Walsh Jesuit 1:46.84; 3. Hathaway Brown 1:48.50.

200 freestyle: 1. Doerr (Hawken) 1:51.16; 2. Svitavsky (Hawken) 1:54.73; 3.

Turchanik (North Royalton) 1:55.59.

200 IM: 1. Hart (Hawken) 2:01.22 (MR); 2. Heller (Hawken) 2:04.47; 3. Gresser (Walsh Jesuit) 20:6.05.

50 freestyle: 1. Cha (Hathaway-Brown) 24.08; 2. Banner (Kilbourne) 24.39; 3. Reis (Lakewood) 24.48.

100 butterfly: 1. Heller (Hawken) 56.24; 2. Bonezzi (Wooster) 57.85; 3. Pasadyn (Brunswick) 57.87.

100 freestyle: 1. Hart (Hawken) 50.84; 2. Gresser (Walsh Jesuit) 52.04; 3.

Newbould (Strongsville) 52.96.

500 freestyle: 1. Armitage (HathawayBrown) 4:57.92; 2. Svitavsky (Hawken) 5:03.09; 3. Hart (Walsh Jesuit) 5:05.71.

200 freestyle relay: 1. Strongsville 1:38.33; 2. Brunswick 1:39.50; 3. Hudson 1:39.99.

100 backstroke: 1. Mennenga (Highland) 57.31; 2. Doerr (Hawken) 57.44; 3.

Paine (Hathaway-Brown) 57.73.

100 breaststroke: 1. Martin (North Royalton) 1:06.09; 2. Pasadyn (Brunswick) 1:06.40; 3. Renuart (Walsh Jesuit) 1:06.65.

400 freestyle: 1. Hawken 3:27.33 (MR); 2. Hathaway Brown 3:35.76; 3. North Royalton 3:39.31.

Golf

Philippines Open

Saturday At Luisita Golf and Country Club Tarlac, Philippines Purse: $300,000 Yardage: 7,042; Par: 72 Second Round leaders Lindsay Renolds, Canada 66-68–134 Scott Barr, Australia 69-66–135 Kalle Samooja, Finland 69-67–136 Miguel Tabuena, Philippines 67-69–136 Giwhan Kim, South Korea 68-68–136 Gaganjeet Bhullar, India 67-69–136 Keith Horne, South Africa 69-68–137 Khalin Joshi, India 70-67–137 Chinnarat Phadungsil, Thailand 67-70–137

On the air AHL

1 p.m. Monsters at Charlotte, AM/1540

MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Noon Pittsburgh vs. Davidson, ESPNU Noon NJIT at St. John’s, FS1 7 p.m. Bowling Green at Wright State, TWCSC 7 p.m. Samford at Nebraska, BTN

NBA

3:30- p.m. Cavs vs. Philadelphia, FSO, WUAB Ch. 43; AM/1100, FM/100.7

NFL

1 p.m. Houston at Indianapolis, CBS Ch. 19 4 p.m. Browns at Seattle, FOX Ch. 8 4:25 p.m. Denver at Pittsburgh, CBS Ch. 19 8:20 p.m. Arizona at Philadelphia, NBC Ch. 3

NHL

7 p.m. Washington at N.Y. Rangers, NHLN

SOCCER

5:30 a.m. FIFA Club World Cup, final, teams TBA, FS1 8:25 a.m. Premier League, Liverpool at Watford, NBCSN 9:30 p.m. Bundesliga, F.S.V. Mainz at Hertha BSC Berlin, FS1 10:55 a.m. West Ham United at Swansea City, NBCSN 11:20 a.m. Bundesliga, SV Darmstadt 98 at Borussia Mönchengladbach, FS2

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 2:30 p.m. Arkansas vs. Texas, FS1

5 p.m. Texas A&M at Oklahoma, FS1 7 p.m. Duke at Kentucky, SECN

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2015

SECTION S | 6 pages

cleveland.com/browns

Browns at Seahawks | 4:05 p.m. today | CenturyLink Field | WJW Ch. 8

ILLUSTRATION

BY CHRIS MORRIS THE PLAIN DEALER

Since returning as a franchise in 1999, a day at the office for the Browns seems to turn comical as often as it stays serious.

A 24-10 win over the 49ers last week snapped Cleveland out of a seven-game skid, while Johnny Manziel showed his on-ďŹ eld potential. The Browns can do further late-season image rehabilitation with a win over the red-hot Seahawks this afternoon.

S2

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

MN

Sunday, December 20, 2015

BROWNS EXTRA

Staff picks | Seahawks favored by 15 Writer, record Prediction

Crowquill | A cartoon by Ted Crow

Mary Kay Cabot, (5-8) Seahawks 30, Browns 17: Russell Wilson keeps his top-tier QB streak alive.

Tom Reed, (7-6) Seahawks 31, Browns 17: The Legion of Boom gets the best of the Browns’ offense.

Bud Shaw, (3-10) Seahawks 23, Browns 13: Browns looking to cut it loose in Seattle; I’m looking to cut my losses.

Dan Labbe, (7-6) Seahawks 38, Browns 12: Hide the kids and the tablets. This one could get ugly.

Bill Livingston, (10-3) Seahawks 34, Browns 17: Wouldn’t it have been just like the Browns if LeBron James had taken out Manziel and not Jason Day’s wife at the Cavs game? Ah, well. Seattle’s D awaits.

Terry Pluto, (9-4) Seahawks 42, Browns 13: A miserable day for the Browns defense makes it very hard on Johnny Manziel and the offense.

Browns at Seahawks: 5 things to watch in today’s game and picks for this week’s NFL games, page S5.

Online: For continuing Browns coverage, photo galleries and more go to cleveland.com/browns.

Browns numerical roster

No. Player 2 Manziel, Johnny 6 Coons, Travis 7 Davis, Austin 8 Lee, Andy 11 Benjamin, Travis 15 Moore, Marlon 16 Hawkins, Andrew 17 Pryor, Terrelle 18 Gabriel, Taylor 21 Gilbert, Justin 22 Williams, Tramon 24 Bademosi, Johnson 26 Desir, Pierre 27 Richardson, Daryl 28 Winston, Glenn 29 Johnson Jr., Duke 30 Campbell, Ibraheim 31 Whitner, Donte 33 Poyer, Jordan 34 Crowell, Isaiah 35 Jones, Don 36 Williams, K’Waun 39 Gipson, Tashaun 41 Mostert, Raheem 43 Gaines, Charles 44 Orchard, Nate 47 Hughlett, Charley 51 Mingo, Barkevious 53 Robertson, Craig 55 Mack, Alex 56 Dansby, Karlos 58 Kirksey, Christian 59 Carder, Tank 64 Miller, Darrian 65 Johnson, Kaleb 67 Pasztor, Austin 71 Shelton, Danny 72 Schwartz, Mitchell 73 Thomas, Joe 74 Erving, Cameron 77 Greco, John 80 Bowe, Dwayne 81 Dray, Jim 82 Barnidge, Gary 85 Hall, Rannell 88 Bibbs, E.J. 92 Bryant, Desmond 93 Hughes III, John 94 Starks, Randy 95 Bryant, Armonty 96 Cooper, Xavier 98 Meder, Jamie 99 Kruger, Paul

Pos. QB K QB P WR WR WR WR WR DB DB DB DB RB RB RB DB DB DB RB DB DB DB RB DB LB LS LB LB OL LB LB LB OL OL OL DL OL OL OL OL WR TE TE WR TE DL DL DL LB DL DL LB

Ht. Wt. 6-0 210 6-1 200 6-2 221 6-1 185 5-10 175 6-0 190 5-7 180 6-4 223 5-8 167 6-0 202 6-0 192 6-0 200 6-2 206 5-10 200 6-2 220 5-9 210 5-11 208 5-10 208 6-0 191 5-11 225 5-11 195 5-9 183 5-11 205 5-10 197 5-10 180 6-4 255 6-4 248 6-4 240 6-1 234 6-4 311 6-3 251 6-2 235 6-2 235 6-5 307 6-4 300 6-7 308 6-2 339 6-5 320 6-6 312 6-5 313 6-4 318 6-2 222 6-5 255 6-6 250 6-0 200 6-2 258 6-6 310 6-2 320 6-4 305 6-4 265 6-4 300 6-3 308 6-4 270

Age. Exp. 23 2 23 1 26 4 33 12 25 4 28 6 29 5 26 4 24 2 24 2 32 9 25 4 25 2 25 3 26 2 22 R 23 R 30 10 24 3 22 2 25 3 24 2 25 4 23 R 23 R 22 R 25 1 25 3 27 4 30 7 34 12 23 2 26 4 22 R R 25 3 22 R 26 4 31 9 23 R 30 8 31 9 28 6 30 8 22 R 24 R 30 7 26 4 32 12 25 3 24 R 24 1 29 7

College Texas A&M Washington Southern Mississippi Pittsburgh Miami (Fla.) Fresno State Toledo Ohio State Abilene Christian Oklahoma State Louisiana Tech Stanford Lindenwood Abilene Christian Northwood Miami Northwestern Ohio State Oregon State Alabama State Arkansas State Pittsburgh Wyoming Purdue Louisville Utah Central Florida LSU North Texas California Auburn Iowa Texas Christian Kentucky Rutgers Virginia Washington California Wisconsin Florida St. Toledo LSU Stanford Louisville Central Florida Iowa State Harvard Cincinnati Maryland East Central (OK) U. Washington St. Ashland Utah

About this image: Crowquill is an occasional sports cartoon by Plain Dealer artist Ted Crow, offering light-hearted commentary on varying topics. More installments of Crowquill can be found at cleveland.com/crow-quill. Contact the artist at tcrow@plaind.com.

Some see a little Russell in Johnny Mary Kay Cabot mcabot@cleveland.com

Seattle — Some Browns be-

Roster as of 12/18 on ClevelandBrowns.com. Depth chart on back page.

NICK WASS / ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin (89) has 860 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns so far this season.

Seahawks numerical roster

No. Player 3 Wilson, Russell 4 Hauschka, Steven 7 Jackson, Tarvaris 9 Ryan, Jon 10 Richardson, Paul 15 Kearse, Jermaine 16 Lockett, Tyler 17 Smith, Kevin 20 Lane, Jeremy 21 Smith, Tye 22 Jackson, Fred 23 Terrell, Steven 24 Lynch, Marshawn 25 Sherman, Richard 28 Burley, Marcus 29 Thomas, Earl 31 Chancellor, Kam 33 McCray, Kelcie 35 Shead, DeShawn 36 Brown, Bryce 40 Coleman, Derrick 46 Tukuafu, Will 47 Pinkins, Eric 49 Gresham, Clint 50 Wright, K.J. 51 Irvin, Bruce 52 Coyle, Brock 54 Wagner, Bobby 55 Clark, Frank 56 Avril, Cliff 57 Morgan, Mike 58 Pierre-Louis, Kevin 61 JeanPierre, Lemuel 63 Glowinski, Mark 64 Sweezy, J.R. 65 Lewis, Patrick 67 Sokoli, Kristjan 68 Britt, Justin 72 Bennett, Michael 76 Okung, Russell 77 Rubin, Ahtyba 78 Bailey, Alvin 79 Gilliam, Garry 82 Willson, Luke 84 Helfet, Cooper 85 McCoy, Anthony 86 Coffman, Chase 89 Baldwin, Doug 91 Marsh, Cassius 92 Mebane, Brandon 95 Dobbs, Demarcus 97 Hill, Jordan 99 Francis, A.J.

Pos. QB PK QB P WR WR WR WR CB CB RB FS RB CB CB FS S S S RB FB FB LB C LB LB LB LB DE DE LB LB C OG OG C C G DE OT DT G OT TE TE TE TE WR DE DT DE DT DT

Ht. 27 30 32 34 23 25 23 23 25 22 34 25 29 27 25 26 27 27 27 24 25 31 24 29 26 28 25 25 22 29 27 24 28 23 26 24 24 24 30 28 29 24 25 25 26 27 29 27 23 30 28 24 25

Wt. 5-11 6-4 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-1 5-10 5-11 6-3 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-0 6-3 6-3 6-3 6-0 6-3 6-4 6-5 6-1 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-5 6-2 6-3 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-5 6-6 5-10 6-4 6-1 6-2 6-1 6-5

Age. 206 210 225 217 183 209 182 218 190 195 215 197 215 195 185 202 232 202 220 220 233 280 230 260 246 260 243 241 272 260 226 236 301 310 298 311 302 325 274 310 325 320 306 252 239 259 250 189 254 311 282 303 330

Roster as of 12/18 on ESPN.com. Depth chart on back page.

Exp. 4 8 10 10 2 4 R 1 4 R 9 3 9 5 3 6 6 4 4 4 4 6 2 6 5 4 2 4 R 8 5 2 6 R 4 3 R 2 7 6 8 3 2 3 4 6 6 5 2 9 5 3 1

College Wisconsin NC State Alabama State University of Regina Colorado Washington Kansas State Washington Northwestern State Towson Coe Texas A&M California Stanford Delaware Texas Virginia Tech Arkansas State Portland State Kansas State UCLA Oregon San Diego State TCU Mississippi State West Virginia Montana Utah State Michigan Purdue USC Boston College South Carolina West Virginia NC State Texas A&M Buffalo Missouri Texas A&M Oklahoma State Iowa State Arkansas Penn State Rice Duke USC Missouri Stanford UCLA California Georgia Penn State Maryland

JOSHUA GUNTER / CLEVELAND.COM

Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel gets ready to wing a pass after scrambling during a game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Nov. 15.

lieve Johnny Manziel can some day develop into a quarterback similar to Seattle’s Russell Wilson.

“Yeah, absolutely,’’ said defensive end Desmond Bryant on the eve of the Browns’ game in Seattle today. “Johnny can definitely be that same triple threat guy. Russell is a smart quarterback, he can throw the ball and he can make plays with his feet, so a triplethreat quarterback is always going to be a problem.”

Bryant cautioned that Manziel is “going to have a learning curve, but Johnny’s been progressing well for the amount of time he’s out on the field and if he continues to focus, he can definitely be the same guy.’’

Bryant says the thing that separates Manziel — who will take on the NFL’s No. 2 defense today — from most mobile quarterbacks is his agility when he’s on the run, the ability to bob and weave past defenders.

“Johnny’s definitely one of those guys that can either outrun you or make you miss, so it’s special,’’ said Bryant, who has gone up against Manziel every day in practice for two years. “If you’re not ready for that, he’s going to make you look bad.’’

Manziel, listed at 6-feet, 210 pounds, ran a 4.68 40-yard dash at the NFL combine — significantly slower than Wilson’s 4.55 or even Josh McCown’s 4.57 — but Bryant warns that’s only half the story.

“He’s got the quickness that takes it to another level,’’ said Bryant.

Bryant and other Browns defenders, such as Karlos Dansby, have also marveled at Manziel’s ability to deliver heat on the move.

“He really slings it and it seems natural for him,’’ said Bryant. “A lot of quarterbacks, you see that and it’s unnatural. The ball comes out kind of funny. But for Johnny and guys like Wilson, it’s a natural thing.’’

Dansby said the defenders have shown Manziel in practice exactly what he’ll have to face in a game.

see MANZIEL | S3

Hey, Mary Kay! Your Browns questions answered G ot a question about the Browns? Submit it at cleveland. com/heymarykay, and Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot will pick at least one to answer each week.

Hey, Mary Kay: Do you think Jimmy Haslam will fire Mike Pettine and Ray Farmer after the season? — Michael Mulach, Lewiston, Maine Hey, Michael: I think Haslam will watch to see what happens over these next three games and see how everyone functions together. I don’t think he’s made up his mind yet, but will need to see some tremendous progress — and likely some victories — if he’s going to maintain the status quo.

I don’t think it’s helped that the Browns lost four straight in the AFC North and were embarrassed

by the Bengals. When Haslam made his remarks on Aug. 1 that he wasn’t going to blow things up, that was when the Browns were coming off a 7-9 season and the future looked bright. Pettine has lost 15 of his last 18 and his defense has been at the bottom of the NFL all season. If the Browns can surprise everyone by winning some of these last three games, maybe Haslam will exercise patience. But I’m sure Haslam has grown weary of the losing and I’m sure the apathy of the fans and the empty seats in the Stadium is wearing thin. It’s hard to imagine that both Pettine and Ray Farmer will survive, but no one really knows for sure what Haslam is thinking right now.

Hey, Mary Kay: Do you think

Johnny Manziel has shown enough in his past couple of games that the Browns won’t have to draft a quarterback high?

— Jeff Stieritz, Columbus Hey, Jeff: Manziel has shown tremendous growth and potential over his past two games, and if he can continue to do so over the final three, the Browns could be onto something. The problem is that that they have no idea if they can trust Manziel to do the right things off the field. And it’s not about some partying here or there. That’s not the issue. Young guys have a good time. It’s that Manziel’s issues run deeper than that, or he wouldn’t have checked himself into inpatient rehab last year. And if he has relapsed or is still struggling in that regard, the Browns don’t know if they can

count on him. So I believe the Browns still have to look long and hard at drafting a quarterback with their top pick, which could be No. 1 overall.

Hey, Mary Kay: Do you think Joe Haden will be OK after suffering such a serious concussion and can the Browns count on him for next season? — Scott B., Palm Springs California Hey, Scott: I think the Browns will have to proceed with caution and continue to add to their cornerback pile. The truth is, they still don’t know if Justin Gilbert will be ready to start for them in his third season. The Browns have to plan for the worst and hope for the best. I think they’ll have to draft a cornerback fairly high.

— Mary Kay

Sunday, December 20, 2015

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

MN

S3

BROWNS EXTRA

As Pasztor sees it, his job’s on the line Tom Reed treed@cleveland.com

Austin Pasztor doesn’t need much to make him happy.

Just give the Browns’ offensive lineman a little country living, several guns, clay pigeons and someone to block.

He could have satisfied the first three requirements on his family’s 50-acre asparagus farm in southern Ontario. It’s the last wish that brought Pasztor to America as a teenager and has kept him here trying to establish NFL roots.

The 6-foot-7, 308-pounder continues his quest today in Seattle as he makes his second straight start at left guard in place of an injured Joel Bitonio and ineffective Cameron Erving.

Although they mean little in the standings, these games are critically important to players such as the 25-year-old Pasztor. He’s auditioning for the Browns (3-10) and 31 other franchises seeking a versatile lineman for next season.

Few possess the background or commitment of the Canadian who left home at age 16 to compete for a Virginia military school.

“I started playing football when I was in fourth or fifth grade and I’ve loved it ever since,” Pasztor said. “I’m from a small town [Langton] of about 500 people on the other side of Lake Erie. I knew I wanted to play Division I football, but there weren’t any scouts coming to my games.”

His journey has included saying “Yes, sir” to military officers and “No thanks” to the CFL’s Edmonton Eskimos, who made him the fourth overall draft pick in 2012.

Pasztor was cut by the Vikings in his first training camp and released after three seasons with the Jaguars. He’s now searching for a home on a Browns’ offensive line that could look radically different next season. Center Alex Mack and right tackle Mitchell Schwartz are potential free agents. The club nearly moved eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas at the trade deadline.

“You never know what’s going to happen — it’s a crazy business,” he said. “I try not to worry about things that aren’t in my control.”

Marching orders

The youngest son of Rick and Connie Pasztor doesn’t hunt. He does, however, enjoy sporting clays, an activity described as “golf with a shotgun” because of the room it requires for the shooting stations.

“I love my open space and I love shooting my guns and you need some open space for that because

University of Virginia, where he blossomed into a four-year starter.

He didn’t merit an invite to the NFL scouting combine in 2012, however, and joined the Vikings as an undrafted free agent.

Released at the end of camp, Pasztor thought seriously about accepting the CFL offer. Instead, he signed in Jacksonville, where he started at right tackle and left guard 23 times over three seasons.

“The money was about the same between playing in the CFL and making an NFL practice squad,” Pasztor said. “I just decided I had come this far I was going to bet on myself.”

A new home?

four NFL quarterbacks, sees the similarities between Manziel and Wilson — and a few differences.

“He’s more of a runner than we see in Johnny,’’ said Pettine. “I’m talking about called quarterback runs. Do we have some zone read stuff and putting the quarterback on the move? We do that, but (Wilson’s) a little thicker built and can withstand some of the shots in the run game moreso than we would want to expose Johnny to.

“Now Johnny, he’ll get his rushing yards when the pocket breaks down and he has to get out, and that’s where Wilson has done a good job as well. When he’s been forced to get out of the pocket, he’s a threat to scramble for a first down. Where his game has really taken off is his eyes are down the field moreso now. He’s made a lot of big plays with throws on the run.”

While some Browns players are quick to draw parallels between the two short and mobile quarterbacks, the Seahawks aren’t there yet. Wilson has two more Super Bowl appearances, one more Super Bowl victory, 11,861 more yards and 42 more regular-season victories.

“There’s only one Russell Wilson,’’ linebacker Bobby Wagner told the Seattle Times.

Wilson was complimentary of Manziel, but stopped short of saying they’re alike.

“Obviously, Johnny is a guy who has won the Heisman Trophy,’’ he said. “He’s done a lot of special, special things. He’s a great football player, incredible instincts and he’s done a lot of great things in terms of just performing at a high level. I’ve been able to watch him, a few times in college. I haven’t been able to watch him as much obviously in the NFL because obviously, we play on Sundays, but I think he’s a tremendous football player.”

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll has also been impressed with what he’s seen from Manziel in his four starts this season, including

last week’s 24-10 victory over San Francisco.

“He looks really good and he’s a big threat because he’s not just a run-around guy,’’ he said. “He can throw the ball on rhythm in the pocket and he will hold up and hang in there when he has protection to do so. He looks like he poses a big threat to me. I can see why he has given them a really good chance to be a winning football team when he is out there.”

Manziel said he’s emulated Wilson, but that he’s not necessarily his No. 1 role model.

“There’s a lot of guys that I’ve looked up to for a long time,’’ he said. “You look at (Aaron) Rodgers, you look at (Tom) Brady, you look at the way they’ve done this for years and years,’’ he said.

“Looking at mobile guys, there’s nobody better right now than Russell and Cam (Newton) sitting up there, who are able to extend plays with their legs. Like I said earlier, there’s nobody really hotter in the league right now than this four-game stretch he’s been on.

“A lot of credit to him and what he’s been doing over this season and over the past seasons. I mean, he got to the Super Bowl twice, won one, so he’s definitely been living right.”

Terrelle Pryor, who spent several months as a quarterback with the Seahawks last year, believes the Browns might have the next Wilson on their hands.

“This is his second year, and he hasn’t had the experience and the reps that Russell gets,’’ said Pryor.

“Can he be exactly like that? Yeah, absolutely. Johnny, I think on his early years is probably a better passer and the offense is very open to Johnny, so he has a lot on his shoulders, where as Russell, he uses his legs, he can throw in the pocket as well. That’s a tough comparison. It’s tough because of their experience. I mean, they’re definitely kind of identical.’’

The Browns are certainly hoping that’s the case.

RON SCHWANE / ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Browns’ Austin Pasztor will get his second straight start at left guard in Seattle today, filling in for the injured Joel Bitonio. you don’t want to freak out the neighbors,” he said.

Pasztor spent his childhood helping his parents farm tobacco, cantaloupe and, later, asparagus. His hometown is so small he was the only hockey goalie in his age group until he moved to a different school district for his freshman year.

Alas, his nation’s sport was never his passion. It was always football. Prior to his senior year, he was part of a Canadian “allstar team” that bused 12 hours

to scrimmage powerhouse Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia.

Pasztor’s size and strength impressed Fork Union’s John Shuman. A coach who’s sent approximately 100 players to the NFL offered him a scholarship on the spot.

With his parents’ blessing, Pasztor moved to Virginia, blissfully unaware of the school’s military component. There were 6 a.m. wakeup calls, barracks inspec-

tions and parade marches. There were uniforms to wear, shoes to buff and officers to address.

“I was so focused on the football I forgot I was going to a military school,” Pasztor said. “I showed up and they said, ‘Get your uniform” and I said, ‘I have to wear this every day?’ I just thought I was coming to play football.

“A week into it, I was like ‘What the hell did I get myself into?’”

Shuman chuckles at the memory.

MANZIEL from S2

“We haven’t made it easy on him,’’ said Dansby. “We taught him about the speed of the game, how fast those windows close, and he’s going out and he’s taking it to field, from the practice field to the games and it’s starting to show.’’

He said Manziel’s learned in practice over the past two seasons that he has to “put it on the money. He’s got to throw the ball where it needs to be. Sometimes he’s got to throw the guys open.

Sometimes he’s just got to put it right on them, but he’s making precise decisions and he’s balling out, having success.’’

Dansby, who said last season that Manziel was flashing as the scout-team quarterback, believes he can be the next Wilson, a twotime Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl participant who is currently on the hottest four-game streak of any NFL quarterback with more than 100 passing attempts since 1960.

“Without a doubt, (Manziel’s) got the talent,’’ said Dansby. “He’s just got to put forth the effort.’’

Dansby believes Manziel’s offthe-field issues are overblown.

“I’m not even concerned about it,’’ he said. “He’s doing what he loves to do. He’s playing football.

The rest of it is a wash. Entirely too much is made out of that.

“There’s not one quarterback that’s played in this game over the past 50 years that didn’t have some off-the-field issues. Name me one. Just give me one and if you can show me one who didn’t have it in 50 years of football ...

It’s a growing process, a young man, 21, 22 years old, so he’s going to live a little bit. You have to deal with it.’’

Dansby would seem to get no argument on that these days from coach Mike Pettine, who told Seattle reporters on a conference call this week that Manziel’s bye

“We snatched him up, got him marching, pointed him over there to C Company and said, ‘That’s you right there,’” said Shuman, who’s worked at Fork Union for nearly 30 years. “ We coached him to overachieve. Because he was Canadian we kept telling him he needed extra work to learn the American game. It was a bit of a con, but he never complained. He was a good player for us.”

Pasztor earned a full ride to the

Standing inside the Browns’ locker room, the new left guard spoke of opportunities and their fleeting nature.

A year ago, he suffered a lateseason hamstring injury after making eight starts. The Jaguars opted to cut Pasztor out of training camp.

He was pleased the Browns acquired him, but didn’t know when he might start another game given their established lineup and the presence of Erving, the No. 19 overall pick in this year’s draft.

But Bitonio’s injury and Erving’s struggles afforded Pasztor another chance. He helped the Browns end their seven-game losing streak with a 24-10 win over the Niners last week. The club rushed for 230 yards, its best showing in five years.

“It was so much fun,” he said.

“Anytime you can run the ball the way we did, it’s a great, great time on the field and sidelines.”

Pasztor surrendered a sack and drew a holding penalty that nullified a long run, but the coaching staff was satisfied enough to give him another shot against the stout Seahawks and former Browns defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin.

“I sit next to Austin in team meetings, and I told him I was really proud of him for the way he went in there and competed,” Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo said. “Austin is not fundamentally perfect all the time, but he turns it into a street fight, which is kind of his game.”

The final three games provide Pasztor and the Browns with massive challenges, particularly today against Seattle’s nasty front four.

How he fares will guide his future in the NFL. The kid who once rode 12 hours on a bus for a scrimmage isn’t ready to go home to Canada.

GAIL BURTON / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson (3), now in his fourth NFL season, has been to two Super Bowls, winning one, and two Pro Bowls. week escapades were blown out of proportion — despite the fact it was Pettine who demoted Manziel from starting quarterback to third-string over the partying and subsequent cover-up attempt.

“Outside of the hiccup that’s been talked about way too much over the bye week, outside of that incident, his preparation has been very much on point,’’ Pettine said.

“Whether he’s been the starter or whether he’s been the backup.

Just go back to Week 1 when he was the backup and was very prepared to go into the game, Josh McCown led us on a 16- or 17play drive and got hurt.

“Johnny played for three quarters, and we didn’t have to change or water down the call sheet. He was poised, he was focused, he knew what to do. He had prepared.’’

Manziel said on the conference call that he’s a different player and person this year.

“Personally, I feel I’ve turned things around, had some opportunities to go out and step on the field this year from Game 1,’’ he said. “I feel like I’ve gotten better every snap, and every chance I’ve gotten to play on the field. It hasn’t gone as exactly perfect or exactly as I thought it might have, but I guess that’s part of the whole script. It doesn’t always go exactly as you planned it, and moving forward and trying to make the best of the situation I’ve made for myself. “ ... at times, I’m sure (the attention is) a little bit overblown.

I think at times, I’ve done it to myself and made it that way from going back to some of the college days. But I guess that’s just part of playing a position in my past. Fair or not, it’s the world that I live in, and I kind of have to embrace it. Now it’s, ‘How do I live in that world and how do I make the best of my situation I am in?’’’

Wilson, who’s thrown 16 touchdown passes and no interceptions over the past four games and has climbed to No. 1 in the NFL with a 110.0 rating, attributes his success to his work ethic and study habits.

“Ultimately, when it comes down to it, you have to be a self-motivator,’’ said Wilson. “I love playing the game, I love my teammates, I love going out there on Sundays and playing football, but I also love practice, I love the details and I love the hard work and the studying and the passion behind that, taking notes and just everything that’s involved into that. Ultimately, I believe, the separation is in the preparation, and when you’re prepared you’re never nervous.”

Pettine, who drew the ire of Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett this week when he said Wilson wasn’t among his top

S4

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

MN

Sunday, December 20, 2015

BROWNS EXTRA Analysis

Johnny can cook up great scrambles

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOSHUA GUNTER / THE PLAIN DEALER

Johnny Manziel scrambles to avoid a sack against the Bengals, in Cincinnati, on Nov. 5. Manziel is one of the better scrambling quarterbacks in the NFL.

Tom Reed treed@cleveland.com

Travis Benjamin ran the width of the field Sunday afternoon, his left arm waving above his head like a man frantically hailing a cab down East 9th Street.

A few seconds earlier, the Browns receiver had been sprinting up the left side against Niners cornerback Kenneth Acker and preparing to break on a post pattern. But as defensive lineman Arik Armstead collapsed the pocket, Benjamin spotted Johnny Manziel starting to scramble.

The wideout went from following a precise route to returning to fifth-grade recess. With his quarterback rolling to the right, Benjamin abandoned his pattern and ran parallel along the Niners’ 40-yard line — his arm held high — to put himself in Manziel’s field of vision.

The quarterback threw the ball off his right foot, firing a rope to Benjamin just inside the right boundary for a 25-yard gain. The big gain helped set up a secondquarter field goal in the Browns’ 24-10 win at FirstEnergy Stadium and extended the offense’s penchant for clicking on scramble plays.

“I don’t want to say it’s fun, but it gives you opportunities when the original play breaks down,” Benjamin said. “When that happens I just want to find some open space and get in Johnny’s sight line.”

The Browns (3-10) are infamous for turmoil and breakdowns. In these chaotic instances, though, it’s actually working to their benefit.

Cleveland is among the NFL’s better teams at completing scramble drills in which quarterbacks run from compromised pockets and throw to receivers who have altered their original routes.

Manziel and his troupe of pass catchers get their next chance to make it up as they go along against the rugged Seahawks, who boast one of the league’s top improv acts in quarterback Russell Wilson and receiver Doug Baldwin.

“Russell and Baldwin have great chemistry,” Browns cornerback Tramon Williams said. “But he’s developing chemistry with all his guys.

“He’s a small quarterback like Johnny who knows when to scramble. He knows how to make throws on the run and he’s one of the best in the game at it.”

Travis Benjamin hauls in a touchdown pass over Tennessee Titans cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson in the Browns home opener on Sept. 20 at FirstEnergy Stadium. Benjamin and Johnny Manziel are a dangerous combo — on called plays, and on scrambles.

‘Coaching is overrated’ In recent seasons, the Seahawks, Steelers and Packers have been among the league’s best when offensive plays appear to be at their worst. How many times have Browns fans witnessed Ben Roethlisberger shake off a blitzing safety, roll to his right and unleash a 40-yard thunderbolt to a streaking Antonio Brown?

It’s the Browns, however, who have excelled in scramble drills this season, according to the analytics website ProFootballFocus. com. Injured Josh McCown leads the NFL with a 111.8 passer rating, completing 10-of-21 attempts for 193 yards and two touchdowns in such situations.

Manziel, who built his reputation at Texas A&M on these plays, sits 14th with a 76.0 rating. He’s converted 11-of-28 passes for 317 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.

The Browns are getting Manziel to throw more from the pocket, but they don’t want to deny him

one of his best attributes. His most memorable moment occurred in the dying minutes of the Browns’ 28-14 win over the Titans in which he scrambled left and hit Benjamin on a 50-yard TD strike.

As fans celebrated the quintessential backyard play, Browns offensive coordinator John DeFilippo jokingly told coach Mike Pettine over the headset: “Coaching is overrated.”

“I would like to take credit for that, but I am afraid I can’t,” DeFilippo said Thursday, laughing at the memory of the Sept. 20 touchdown. “Johnny and those guys, they do a great job of impromptu when they are outside the pocket.”

Tight end Gary Barnidge and Benjamin rank second and fourth, respectively, in PFF’s formula for receivers in scramble drills. Each has been targeted eight times and grabbed one touchdown.

The Browns top pass catchers are a study in contrast. Benjamin uses his speed to arrive in open areas, while Barnidge relies on his internal GPS to find soft areas in a

defense. It’s as if opponents don’t even see the Browns tight end.

As Manziel grows comfortable in the offense, Barnidge believes the second-year quarterback will gain even more confidence as plays break down.

“He can make so many things happen with his legs,” Barnidge said. “He is able to continue plays from four to six [to] seven seconds. That is tough for a defense to cover anyone that long.”

While Manziel, Wilson and the Packers’ Aaron Rodgers possess good mobility, arguably the best scramble-drill quarterback is the plodding but ox-strong Roethlisberger. The Steelers perennially rank among the NFL’s most lethal offenses when their quarterback extends a play.

“Any receiver that’s played for Ben Roethlisberger,” Pettine said, when asked who are the most successful wideouts in mayhem mode. “They practice it; you can tell that a lot of their routes as they break down [it’s], ‘OK, now the play is starting.’”

Guidelines for disorder NFL offenses dedicate countless hours each week to precision. From running crisp routes to knowing when to deliver a pass, everything revolves around timing.

At least until an edge rusher collapses the pocket — and with it the offensive coordinator’s well-designed play. Suddenly, it becomes street ball. Run for the mailbox. Break in front of the parked car.

“It’s nothing you can really practice,” said Benjamin, who’s caught four passes for 151 yards on scramble-drill plays, per PFF research. “It’s just playing ball and not quitting on a play. It’s just finishing, getting in the quarterback’s vision.”

Although disorganized by nature, scramble plays do involve some order. Barnidge said receivers must have their heads on swivels to make sure they don’t run to the same open areas. Pettine offered a few other general guidelines:

3 Receivers running comeback routes should continue toward the line of scrimmage as a play breaks down.

3 Receivers running deeper routes should cut across the field in the direction of the scrambling quarterback.

3 Receivers running out-breaking routes should turn up field and go deep as they near the boundary.

Coaching points aside, many big plays are fueled by intuition and athleticism. Rodgers, an 11-year pro, has thrown for 738 yards and six touchdowns when disorder reigns. Wilson has completed 25-of-54 passes for 585 yards and a 78.1 rating. He and Baldwin form a dangerous duo.

“These two guys are really instinctive, natural football players, and they get the game and it makes sense to them,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said in a conference call. “When a play breaks down and it becomes a scramble situation, there is a lot of stuff to evaluate. Guys who have a good sense and good savvy really have a chance to make the most of those opportunities. Russell is great at it and so is Doug.

“Plus, it takes a receiver that is willing to give great effort. They run a whole play and then it starts all over again, and then they have to run another play as the scramble begins.”

The Browns preach structure to Manziel and remind him to resist high-risk plays like the interception he threw in the middle of the field while running toward the left sideline against the Niners.

It’s also important for him to remember passers can make highlights, but not a living outside the pocket on Sundays. Manziel is showing growth in this area.

Quarterback play is not the reason the Browns are eliminated from another playoff race. They have thrown the fifth-fewest interceptions (eight), and rank 11th in passing yards per game (256) and 15th in quarterback rating (90.9).

At least part of the success stems from the ability to create big plays from potential big trouble. Manziel and Benjamin seem to flourish in the environment.

“Trav and Johnny have the same mindset,” Williams said.

“Travis has always had that speed to get behind the defense and Johnny’s mind-set is ‘I can get you the ball down the field.’ I think that’s how they have developed that chemistry. If the play breaks down they are looking to hit the big shot.”

Go ahead. Pick a cliche.

Speed kills. You can’t teach speed. Anything to do with being really fast. That’s what the Browns’ offense is facing this week in Seattle.

“They’re probably the fastest defense that is in the NFL,” left tackle Joe Thomas said.

“You look all across the board, they’re just built completely on speed, running to the ball, playing hard, great effort.”

The Seahawks are waiting for the Browns with one of the best defenses Cleveland is going to face all season.

It’s a defense, as Thomas mentioned, that plays fast. It’s also a defense that is built on creating pressure without blitzing. That, of course, will make things difficult on quarterback Johnny Manziel.

Seattle is also a defense that will be unforgiving if Manziel is unwilling to give up on a play.

His greatest strength can also be his greatest weakness, something we saw displayed on an interception against the 49ers that ended with the secondyear quarterback banging his head against a tablet.

“I don’t think this defense makes anything easy on you,” Manziel said. “They make you work for every yard that you get.”

Dealing with Seattle’s speed on defense is one thing to watch. Here are four more.

Keep running: Sunday’s win over the 49ers was the Browns’ best rushing performance of the season, and it wasn’t even close. The 230 yards on the ground easily bests the 116 rushing yards against Tennessee way back in Week 2.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that San Francisco ranks next-to-last in rushing yards allowed per game and Tennessee is middle of the pack. Seattle is second.

Still, when your team hasn’t run the ball well all season and you finally break through, you’ve got to, no pun intended, run with it, and Thomas at least believes there can be carryover.

“We like to play with three wide receivers. We like to throw the ball on the outside, so you have runs that fit off of that to make a defense kind of guess.

You keep them guessing. You’re balanced, because your runs come from the same formations as your passes and we’re starting to block those up better.”

Thomas said.

You can only scheme so much in this league. It eventually comes down to the guy running the football.

All that noise, noise, noise, noise: Pettine called Seattle “one of the toughest environments to play” in. The 12s, as they call them, will be riled up as always for this game. The Browns will rely heavily on silent counts and simple play calls.

“I remember playing in the SEC there were some really hostile road environments,” Manziel said.

“Getting down to the third or fourth quarter versus Alabama and getting backed up and they were starting to make a comeback, it’s probably one of the loudest stadiums I’ve been in. ... It will be interesting to see how that compares.

“This place has a ton of hype and you hear it time and time again that people can’t even hear themselves think. I don’t expect it to be anything other than full force when we come in there on Sunday.”

Factor into that environment the weather.

The forecast is calling for rain and temperatures in the mid-40s on Sunday.

“We think about [weather conditions],” DeFilippo said.

“You think about it. You never make it a big deal to the players.

You don’t make those outside factors a big deal. You adjust as you go. I think we have plenty of offense, whether it is a day like that or it happens to be spotty rain or whatever. It is Seattle in the winter. They have to play in those conditions, as well.”

PA Home Away

AFC

NFC

Div

Cincinnati

10

3 0 .769 354 229 5-2-0

5-1-0

8-2-0

2-1-0

4-1-0

Pittsburgh

8

5 0 .615 344 260 5-2-0

3-3-0

5-4-0

3-1-0

2-2-0

Baltimore

4

9 0 .308 278 326 2-4-0

2-5-0

3-6-0

1-3-0

2-2-0

Cleveland

3 10 0 .231 240 357 2-5-0

1-5-0

2-8-0

1-2-0

y-New England11 2 0 .846 402 253 6-1-0

5-1-0

8-1-0

N.Y. Jets

9

5 0 .642 344 272 5-2-0

4-3-0

6-4-0

Buffalo

6

7 0 .462 316 301 3-3-0

3-4-0

Miami

5

8 0 .385 264 331 2-4-0

3-4-0

Indianapolis

6

7 0 .462 275 356 3-3-0

Houston

6

7 0 .462 259 291 4-3-0

Jacksonville

5

Tennessee Denver

NATIONAL CONFERENCE W L T Pct PF

PA Home Away

NFC

AFC

Div

7 0 .462 281 307 5-2-0

1-5-0

6-4-0

0-3-0

2-2-0

7 0 .462 301 322 3-3-0

3-4-0

3-6-0

3-1-0

2-2-0

N.Y. Giants

6

7 0 .462 338 320 3-3-0

3-4-0

4-5-0

2-2-0

2-3-0

1-4-0

Dallas

4 10 0 .285 246 324 1-6-0

3-4-0

3-8-0

1-2-0

3-2-0

3-1-0

4-0-0

y-Carolina

3-1-0

2-2-0

6-5-0

0-2-0

3-2-0

3-6-0

2-2-0

0-5-0

3-4-0

4-5-0

2-2-0

3-1-0

2-4-0

4-5-0

2-2-0

2-1-0

8 0 .385 326 357 4-3-0

1-5-0

5-6-0

0-2-0

2-3-0

3 10 0 .231 253 326 1-6-0

2-4-0

1-8-0

2-2-0

1-3-0

10

3 0 .769 281 225 4-2-0

6-1-0

6-3-0

4-0-0

3-2-0

8

5 0 .615 331 243 4-2-0

4-3-0

7-2-0

1-3-0

4-1-0

Oakland

6

7 0 .462 299 326 2-4-0

4-3-0

6-4-0

0-3-0

2-2-0

San Diego

3 10 0 .231 250 334 2-5-0

1-5-0

2-7-0

1-3-0

0-4-0

SOUTH

EAST

6

Philadelphia 6

Kansas City

Washington

NORTH

NORTH

W L T Pct PF

13

0 01.000 411 243 7-0-0

6-0-0

9-0-0

4-0-0

4-0-0

Atlanta

6

7 0 .462 279 295 3-3-0

3-4-0

4-6-0

2-1-0

0-4-0

Tampa Bay

6

8 0 .429 311 353 3-4-0

3-4-0

5-5-0

1-3-0

3-2-0

New Orleans 5

8 0 .385 323 397 3-3-0

2-5-0

4-6-0

1-2-0

2-3-0

Green Bay

9

4 0 .692 317 245 5-2-0

4-2-0

7-3-0

2-1-0

3-2-0

Minnesota

8

5 0 .615 258 255 4-2-0

4-3-0

5-4-0

3-1-0

3-1-0

Chicago

5

8 0 .385 272 314 1-6-0

4-2-0

2-7-0

3-1-0

1-3-0

Detroit

4

9 0 .308 267 336 3-4-0

1-5-0

3-6-0

1-3-0

2-3-0

x-Arizona

WEST

Dan Labbe dlabbe@cleveland.com

AMERICAN CONFERENCE

EAST

Manziel needs to think fast, play hard

*S5

BROWNS EXTRA

SOUTH

5 things to watch

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

MN

WEST

Sunday, December 20, 2015

11

2 0 .846 405 252 5-1-0

6-1-0

8-1-0

3-1-0

4-1-0

Seattle

8

5 0 .615 340 235 4-2-0

4-3-0

6-4-0

2-1-0

2-2-0

St. Louis

6

8 0 .429 241 294 5-3-0

1-5-0

5-5-0

1-3-0

3-1-0

San Francisco 4

9 0 .308 188 315 3-3-0

1-6-0

3-7-0

1-2-0

0-5-0

League leaders

PASSING Tom Brady, Patriots 318 ypg 345/537, 4,138 yds, 33 TD RUSHING Adrian Peterson, Vikings 123.3 ypg 268 att, 1,251 yds, 9 TD RECEIVING Julio Jones, Falcons 109.7 ypg 109 rec, 1,426 yds, 6 TD

x-clinched playoff spot, y-clinched division

NFL predictions | Week 15

Watch as playoff focus sharpens Matt Erickson | Special to The Plain Dealer

It’s crunch time in the NFL, which means we get some games with obvious meaning behind them – i.e. Denver at Pittsburgh and Arizona at Philadelphia – and we get some games that look ho-hum on paper, but are actually crucial for figuring out who’s going to be working in January, and who will be watching from their couches. Look no further than games between sub-.500 teams this week for key playoff positioning, like the 6-7 Texans at 6-7 Colts in a fight for best-worst team in the AFC South. Or the 6-7 Redskins able to stay atop the NFC “Least” table with a win over the 6-7 Bills, who aren’t quite eliminated yet in the AFC picture. This is when things get good. And don’t forget about the Panthers trying to stay unbeaten against a team known for knocking off MIKE MCCARN / ASSOCIATED PRESS unbeatens. Most of this week’s games don’t look great on paper, but it The Giants’ game plan: Wipe that smile off the face of the undefeated Cam Newton. could be a fun Week 15.

Stop the air attack: During the Seahawks’ four-game winning streak, Russell Wilson has thrown for 1,171 yards, 16 touchdowns and no interceptions. Receiver Doug Baldwin has 381 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in those four games.

Tyler Lockett has 194 receiving yards and two scores in Seattle’s last two games.

Seattle is without Marshawn Lynch and they lost his replacement, Thomas Rawls, for the season early in last week’s win over Baltimore. All of a sudden, this team built around running and defense has opened up their passing attack and they’re thriving.

They’ve scored over 30 points in four of their last five games, and scored 29 points — and won — in the game they didn’t.

Returning home: Browns rookie defensive lineman Xavier Cooper is one of the players returning to his home state this week. Cooper was born and raised in Tacoma, about a 30-minute drive from Seattle, and attended Washington State.

He said the first NFL game he ever attended was in Seattle.

“Wasn’t much of a fan. My mom’s from Wisconsin — Green Bay Packers — and my dad’s from Chicago — Bears — so I grew up in that rivalry, but I’m familiar with the Seattle Seahawks.”

Cooper said he has about 20 friends and family who he expects to be in attendance.

Rookie Danny Shelton was born in Auburn, also about a 30-minute drive from Seattle. Coons, a California native, attended the University of Washington, like Shelton.

“I only had two offers coming out of high school,” Coons said, “San Diego State and Washington.

As soon as Washington offered, I committed.”

Thomas, on the other hand, will have his first extended stay in the area.

“I’ve actually never even been to Washington, besides in the airport one time,” he said. “I was flying through.” The Browns haven’t played in Seattle since 2003, a 34-7 Seahawks win.

Browns (3-10) at Seahawks (8-5) | Line: SEA by 15 | 4:05 p.m.

Here we are again. After writing off the Seahawks, suddenly we’re in the thick of things watching them roll over teams on the way to the playoffs. At 0-2 and 2-4, we left them for dead. But here they are at 8-5 and have averaged 35 points a game their past five. With Russell Wilson and the offense on fire, you think the three-win Browns are going to win in Seattle?

THE PICK

Bears (5-8) at Vikings (8-5) | Line: MIN by 5 | 1 p.m.

The Vikings are in a great spot, playoff-wise. They pretty much control their own destiny and only need to win to get in. The Bears continue to be tough to figure out. Apart from two games without Jay Cutler, their six other losses have been by a combined 25 points. But when the best kicker in team history is missing clutch kicks, it’s hard to pick them on the road.

THE PICK

Falcons (6-7) at Jaguars (5-8) | Line: JAX by 3 | 1 p.m.

Raise your hand if you’ve heard this one before: The Falcons have become the NFL’s biggest trainwreck. They started 5-0! Not only have they won just once the past eight games, they were embarrassed last week by the Panthers – 38-0.

Now they go on the road to face a Jaguars team that put up a team record 51 points on the Colts in Week 14.

THE PICK

Texans (6-7) at Colts (6-7) | Line: IND by 1 | 1 p.m.

See that above line about the Jaguars putting up 51 points on the Colts last week, and you’ll have a pretty big clue to the safe play on them this week. Colts QB Andrew Luck practiced this week. If he can’t go, it still should be Matt Hasselbeck.

Houston should take the lead in the AFC South in a fight to see who gets routed in the first round of the postseason.

THE PICK

Chiefs (8-5) at Ravens (4-9) | Line: KC by 7 | 1 p.m.

The Chiefs just keep on rolling. Mostly. Last week’s 10-3 win over the Chargers wasn’t pretty, but it was a win. Their three opponents remaining have a combined record of 13-26, so it’s not out of the question to think of the Chiefs winning out. The crazy thing is, they could come back to catch the Broncos to win the AFC West in that scenario.

THE PICK

Bills (6-7) at Redskins (6-7) | Line: BUF by 1.5 | 1 p.m.

This game is just plain dumb. Go ahead and flip a coin. The ‘Skins are 0-3 against the AFC East this year. The Bills are 0-2 against the NFC East. But the Redskins are deadlocked at 6-7 in the division – a win not only keeps them in the playoff hunt, it could give them the NFC East lead. Washington QB Kirk Cousins will have to be mistake-free at home.

THE PICK

Titans (3-10) at Patriots (11-2) | Line: NE by 14 | 1 p.m.

Given how dominant the Patriots have been in the Tom Brady era, it’s hard to feel sorry for them in times of woe. They bounced back last week after two straight losses, but lost another stud to injury when LeGarrette Blount went down for the year. With Rob Gronkowski apparently healthy, and Danny Amendola on the mend, this should be a walk-through.

THE PICK

Panthers (13-0) at Giants (6-7) | Line: CAR by 4.5 | 1 p.m.

What is it about the Giants and undefeated teams? After the Patriots went unbeaten in the 2007 season, the Giants pulled off the upset to win the Super Bowl. And in 1998, a 13-0 Broncos team took their first loss against the G-Men in New York. The Panthers have been rolling over teams, but this one may need some late finessing from Cam Newton.

THE PICK

Packers (9-4) at Raiders (6-7) | Line: GB by 3 | 4:05 p.m.

This one isn’t a gimme for the Packers. Their ground game was on point last week against the Cowboys, which will need to happen again to keep Oakland from getting to Aaron Rodgers – especially Khalil Mack, who caused all kinds of problems for the Broncos last week. If the Packers are solid on the ground, Rodgers will find enough room to make plays.

THE PICK

Miami (5-8) at San Diego (3-10) | Line: SD by 1.5 | 4:25 p.m.

The Chargers may be in the hunt for this year’s worst record, but Sunday is their final home game of the season. And that means it could be their final home game in San Diego, period. In a game that doesn’t matter for the bigger NFL picture, we’re banking on it mattering a great deal for the Bolts and their fans.

THE PICK

Schuyler Dixon Associated Press

31-16

Game of the Week | Broncos (10-3) at Steelers (8-5) | Line: PIT by 6.5 | 4:25 p.m.

The Broncos in the Brock Osweiler era sort of got a taste of reality last week with an upset loss to the Raiders, who used a stifling defense to keep the QB rattled. The Steelers should be able to do the same this week. The Broncos’ defense is even better, which should keep this one tight. With Andy Dalton out for the Bengals, Pittsburgh has a chance to gain ground.

THE PICK

Bengals (10-3) at 49ers (4-9) | Line: CIN by 4.5 | 4:25 p.m.

Is it time to panic in Cincinnati? A.J. McCarron gets the nod this week with Andy Dalton on the shelf with a broken thumb. The Bengals were trying to get a first-round bye in the playoffs, and now they could be staring in the face of yet another first-round exit from the postseason. Before we write them off, let’s see how McCarron does.

THE PICK

Sunday Night Football | Cardinals (11-2) at Eagles (6-7) | Line: ARI by 3.5 | 8:30 p.m.

Only the Panthers (obviously 13 in a row) and Chiefs (seven straight, like Arizona) are challenging the Cardinals as the hottest team in the NFL right now. It’s not easy going from the West to the East, but at least it’s not an early game. And the Cards have much on the line – they’ll clinch the NFC West with a win.

THE PICK

Monday Night Football | Lions (4-9) at Saints (5-8) | Line: NO by 3 | 8:30 p.m.

If you’re looking for a garbage game shootout on Monday night, you’ve come to the right place. The Saints give up tons of points to pretty much everyone, and the Lions certainly have offensive firepower with Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. But at home, Drew Brees should have the better day in a game that doesn’t mean much.

THE PICK

Arlington, Texas — Randy Bullock kicked a 40-yard field goal with 36 seconds left and the New York Jets kept the pressure on Pittsburgh and Kansas City in the AFC wild-card race with a 19-16 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.

Ryan Fitzpatrick’s 43-yard pass to Kenbrell Thompkins put the Jets (9-5) in position for a win that moved them a half-game ahead of the Steelers and Chiefs in the race for two playoff spots.

Kellen Moore replaced an ineffective Matt Cassel at quarterback and gave the Cowboys (410) a spark, but it wasn’t enough to keep the defending NFC East champions from being eliminated with two games remaining.

Eric Decker caught a 3-yard scoring pass to set a franchise record with Brandon Marshall with 21 combined touchdowns receiving as the Jets won their fourth straight for the first time since 2010.

Last week: 11-5 straight up; 9-7 against the spread; 4-12 over/under totals. Season: 126-82 (.606) straight up, 106-98-4 (.520) against the spread, 103-102-3 (.502) over/under totals.

Seattle

34-13

Vikings

24-20

Jaguars

31-20

Texans

26-17

Chiefs

24-13

Redskins

23-20

Patriots

37-13

Panthers

27-24

Packers

24-20

Chargers

Steelers

23-17

Bengals

23-20

Cardinals

29-23

Saints

37-31

Jets 19, Cowboys 16

N.Y. stays in hunt on Bullock’s late FG

S6

The Plain Dealer | cleveland.com

MN

Sunday, December 20, 2015

BROWNS EXTRA Seahawks depth chart

Browns depth chart

OFFENSE

OFFENSE

WR LT LG C RG RT TE

89 Doug Baldwin 16 Tyler Lockett

WR

11 Travis Benjamin 15 Marlon Moore 80 Dwayne Bowe 73 Joe Thomas 64 Darrian Miller

WR QB RB

LT LG C RG RT TE

15 Jermaine Kearse 17 Kevin Smith

FB

46 Will Tukuafu 40 Derrick Coleman

76 Russell Okung 78 Alvin Bailey 68 Justin Britt 67 Kristjan Sokoli 65 Patrick Lewis 61 Lemuel Jeanpierre 64 J.R. Sweezy 63 Mark Glowinski 79 Gary Gilliam 82 Luke Willson 84 Cooper Helfet 85 Anthony McCoy

3 Russell Wilson 7 Tavaris Jackson 36 Bryce Brown 22 Fred Jackson 32 Christine Michael 24 Marshawn Lynch

67 Austin Pasztor 74 Cameron Erving 55 Alex Mack 77 John Greco 65 Kaleb Johnson 72 Mitchell Schwartz 82 Gary Barnidge 81 Jim Dray 88 E.J. Bibbs

WR QB RB

18 Taylor Gabriel 17 Terrelle Pryor

FB

42 Malcolm Johnson

2 Johnny Manziel 7 Austin Davis 34 Isaiah Crowell 29 Duke Johnson 27 Daryl Richardson 41 Raheem Mostert

DEFENSE

DE

72 Michael Bennett 55 Frank Clark 95 Demarcus Dobbs

DT DT DE LB LB LB

77 Ahtyba Rubin 99 A.J. Francis

CB

25 Richard Sherman 20 Jeremy Lane 21 Tye Smith

FS

29 Earl Thomas 23 Steven Terrell 33 Kelcie McCray

FS

39 Tashaun Gipson 33 Jordan Poyer 35 Don Jones

SS CB

31 Kam Chancellor

SS CB

31 Donte Whitner 30 I. Campbell

92 Brandon Mebane 97 Jordan Hill 56 Cliff Avril 91 Cassius Marsh 51 Bruce Irvin 48 Michael Morgan 54 Bobby Wagner 47 Eric Pinkins 50 K.J. Wright 58 K. Pierre-Louis 52 Brock Coyle

35 DeShawn Shead 28 Marcus Burley

SPECIAL TEAMS

P K KR PR

9 Jon Ryan 4 Steven Hauschka 16 Tyler Lockett 16 Tyler Lockett

Schedule Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 5 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 22 Nov. 1 Nov. 15 Nov. 22 Nov. 29 Dec. 6 Dec. 13 Dec. 20 Dec. 27 Jan. 3

at Rams L, 34-31 (OT) at Packers L, 27-17 vs. Bears W, 26-0 vs. Lions W, 13-10 at Bengals L, 27-24 (OT) vs. Panthers L, 27-23 at 49ers W, 20-3 at Cowboys W, 13-12 vs. Cardinals L, 39-32 vs. 49ers W, 29-13 vs. Steelers W, 39-30 at Vikings W, 38-7 at Ravens W, 35-6 vs. Browns 4:05 p.m. vs. Rams 4:25 p.m. at Cardinals 4:25 p.m.

Leaders

PASSING Wilson 264/384/7, 3,289 yds, 26 TD

RUSHING Rawls 147 att, 830 yds, 4 TD

DEFENSE

DE NT DE LB LB LB LB CB

92 Desmond Bryant 93 John Hughes 71 Danny Shelton 98 Jamie Meder 96 Xavier Cooper 94 Randy Starks 95 Armonty Bryant 51 Barkevious Mingo 53 Craig Robertson 58 Chris Kirksey 56 Karlos Dansby 59 Tank Carder 99 Paul Kruger 44 Nate Orchard 43 Charles Gaines 36 K’Waun Williams 24 J. Bademosi

22 Tramon Williams 26 Pierre Desir 21 Justin Gilbert

SPECIAL TEAMS

P K KR

8 Andy Lee

PR

11 Travis Benjamin 22 Tramon Williams 18 Taylor Gabriel

6 Travis Coons 21 Justin Gilbert 15 Marlon Moore 29 Duke Johnson

Schedule Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 25 Nov. 1 Nov. 5 Nov. 15 Nov. 30 Dec. 6 Dec. 13 Dec. 20 Dec. 27 Jan. 3

at Jets L, 31-10 vs. Titans W, 28-14 vs. Raiders L, 27-20 at Chargers L, 30-27 at Ravens W, 33-30(OT) vs. Broncos L, 26-23(OT) at Rams L, 24-6 vs. Cardinals L, 34-20 at Bengals L, 31-10 at Steelers L, 30-9 vs. Ravens L, 33-27 vs. Bengals L, 37-3 vs. 49ers W, 24-10 at Seahawks 4:05 p.m. at Chiefs 1 p.m. vs. Steelers 1 p.m.

Leaders

Wilson

87 att, 456 yds, 1 TD

PASSING McCown 186/292/4, 2,109 yds, 12 TD

Lynch

111 att, 417 yds, 3 TD

Manziel 797/159/3, 1,203 yds, 5 TD

RECEIVING Baldwin 61 rec, 860 yds, 11 TD

RUSHING Crowell 145 att, 542 yds, 3 TD

Graham

48 rec, 605 yds, 2 TD

Johnson

Lockett

41 rec, 540 yds, 5 TD

Kearse

36 rec, 503 yds, 3 TD

RECEIVING Barnidge 65 rec, 901 yds, 8 TD

88 att, 296 yds, 0 TD

Benjamin 58 rec, 867 yds, 5 TD

TACKLES Wright

58 solo, 39 asst.

Wagner

54 solo, 41 asst.

TACKLES Dansby

52 solo, 37 asst.

Chancellor

44 solo, 30 asst.

Whitner

48 solo, 21 asst.

KICKING Hauschka 22/23 FG, 32/35 PAT

KICKING Coons

20/23 FG, 20/22 PAT

Stats: cbssports.com

Stats: cbssports.com