News sport : Titans receiver Justin Hunter hospitalized with lacerated spleen

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Tennessee Titans receiver Justin Hunter was shaken up on a first-quarter interception, and while it was a pretty hard hit, it didn't seem out of the ordinary. When Hunter returned to the game, it didn't seem like anything to worry about.


But it was obviously not routine, as Hunter started complaining of stomach pains in the second half. He had a lacerated spleen.


Hunter will remain hospitalized overnight in Houston, according to The Tennessean. The newspaper reported that surgery is not being considered, but it's still a scary injury.



"It was a surprise to us that he was taken to the hospital," Titans receiver Nate Washington said, according to The Tennessean. "This is a situation where football goes out the window. He has internal bleeding. … Any time a guy is spitting up blood you have to be concerned. This is bigger than football. I just hope that everything is all right. ... Justin is like a brother to me, and I want to make sure he is OK."



Hunter stretched out for a pass, and was wide open for a big hit to the midsection from Texans safety Danieal Manning. The pass was intercepted after the hit, and Hunter immediately doubled over on the ground in pain.


The injury doesn't sound as serious as when Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms ruptured his spleen during a 2006 game, and had emergency surgery to remove it. He was told that had he gone another 45 minutes without being treated, he could have died from internal bleeding. Even though Hunter's injury doesn't appear to be that bad, the Titans will obviously be careful with Hunter and make sure he's fully healthy before he returns, even if that's not until next season.


- - - - - - -


Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1w8aWxM
Read More

News sport : AFC and NFC races tighten with Packers' win over Patriots

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Come on, it’s more fun this way.


Who really wanted to watch the New England Patriots run away with the NFL this season? The Green Bay Packers’ 26-21 win over the Patriots makes the AFC more interesting. It makes the NFC more interesting too.


And, it’s possible we’ll be revisiting this matchup after both conference championship games in January. That would be fine, because the teams played an entertaining game that lived up to the "Super Bowl preview" hype.


The Patriots fell to 9-3 with the loss. They’re still in great shape to win the No. 1 seed in the AFC, thanks to wins over the Bengals, Colts and Broncos, but it doesn’t seem like such a lock anymore.


The Packers improved to 9-3 and with Arizona looking very vulnerable after a loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the race for playoff positioning in the NFC is wide open. The Packers are tied for the best record in the conference and obviously nobody wants to come to Lambeau Field in January.


The Patriots found out how hard it is to win in Green Bay. New England has been clearly the best team in the NFL since the end of September, but the Packers are fantastic at home. Aaron Rodgers seems to be under the spell of the invincibility star at Lambeau Field. He was 24-of-38 for 368 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against a very good Patriots defense, extending an unbelievable streak: Rodgers hasn’t thrown an interception at home since Week 13 of the 2012 season. No kidding.


The Packers got great contributions from several receivers and 98 rushing yards from Eddie Lacy. Still, the Patriots had a chance to take a late lead, but Mike Daniels and Mike Neal came up with a huge third-down sack in the final minutes. Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal and the Patriots never got the ball back.


Fortunately for the Patriots, the Super Bowl won’t be in Green Bay. It’s in Glendale, Ariz. this year. There’s no telling what will happen in the playoffs, but it wouldn’t be a big surprise if these two teams meet again there. And wouldn’t that be fun?


- - - - - - -


Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/12aNHqt
Read More

News sport : Tom Brady's on a literal short leash

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

We're not quite sure what's going on here, but there is very clearly someone on the New England Patriots sideline leading Tom Brady around via a leash. We presume this is a training aid of some sort, but we prefer to think of it as the way that Bill Belichick keeps Brady housebroken.


Your theories, quips, and one-liners are welcome.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



And keep up with Jay over on Facebook, too.







from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/tom-brady-s-on-a-literal-short-leash-234343730.html
Read More

News sport : Auburn parts ways with DC Ellis Johnson

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Auburn has fired defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.


According to AuburnSports.com, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn informed Johnson of the decision on Sunday.


"At this time I felt it was best for our program to make a change with our defensive coordinator," Malzahn said in a statement. "Ellis is a true professional and I would like to thank him for his contributions at Auburn."


The Tigers' defense gave up 55 points to Alabama on Saturday night in a 55-44 Iron Bowl loss. It was the fifth straight SEC game that Auburn had given up more than 30 points to an opponent.


Auburn, 8-4, ranks No. 57 in total defense, giving up 389 yards per game and 5.60 yards per play. The yardage numbers are actually improvements from last season, as Auburn's defense gave up six yards a play and over 420 yards a game in 2013. However, the Auburn offense wasn't as electric as it was in 2013 when the Tigers made it to the BCS Championship Game.


"This is part of the business and I totally understand," Johnson said in the same statement. "I did think we were good in several areas, but overall it wasn't good enough. I’m disappointed for our players, but this is a results business. I want to thank Coach Malzahn and Auburn for the opportunity the last two years."

Johnson was hired by Malzahn when the former Auburn offensive coordinator took over as head coach of the Tigers before the 2013 season. Before joining Auburn, Johnson served as the head coach at Southern Miss for a season after Larry Fedora went to North Carolina.


Auburn is the second SEC team to fire its defensive coordinator (while keeping its head coach) and the school will be mentioned along with Texas A&M as a possible destination for former Florida coach Will Muschamp if Muschamp wants to be a coordinator in 2015. Before becoming Florida's coach and Texas' defensive coordinator before Florida, Muschamp served as defensive coordinator for Auburn in 2006 and 2007.


For more Auburn news, visit AuburnSports.com.


- - - - - - -


Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/auburn-parts-ways-with-dc-ellis-johnson-234011180.html
Read More

News sport : Janay Rice on Goodell: 'I can't say he's telling the truth'

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

FILE - In this Nov. 5, 2014, file photo, Ray Rice arrives with his wife Janay Palmer for an appeal hearing of his indefinite suspension from the NFL in New York. Rice has won the appeal of his indefinite suspension by the NFL, which has been "vacated immediately," the NFL football players' union said Friday, Nov. 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File) Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice won his disciplinary appeal against the NFL earlier this week, making him immediately eligible to play football. In the wake of that reinstatement, his wife Janay has begun speaking to the press about the chain of events that led to Rice's suspension and release, as well as what may lie ahead for the couple. Most tellingly, Janay Rice has denied NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's version of the discussion that led to Rice's suspension.


Rice had knocked his wife unconscious in an Atlantic City casino elevator in February. Speaking to the Today Show in an interview to be aired Monday and Tuesday, Janay Rice took issue with Goodell claiming that Ray Rice had been "ambiguous" in describing the altercation. The NFL initially suspended Rice for two games, then extended that suspension indefinitely after the September release of a videotape that showed the entire altercation.


"I know for a fact ... that Ray told the honest truth that he's been telling from February," Janay Rice said, adding that in regard to Goodell, "I can't say he's telling the truth."


Goodell's honesty, or lack thereof, has come under considerable scrutiny and criticism in recent months, with many NFL observers and players taking issue with the commissioner's authoritarian style of discipline and management. That method had served the NFL well for many years, but discipline seen as inconsistent or insufficient forced the NFL to scramble in an attempt to justify its way of handling punishment. That inconsistency was a key reason behind the invalidation of Rice's indefinite suspension.


Former U.S. Judge Barbara Jones, assigned to handle Rice's appeal, deemed Goodell's decision to extend Rice's suspension an "abuse of discretion," and like Janay Rice, did not believe Goodell. "Because Rice did not mislead the commissioner and because there were no new facts on which the commissioner could base his increased suspension, I find that the imposition of the indefinite suspension was arbitrary," Jones wrote in rendering her verdict. "I therefore vacate the second penalty imposed on Rice."


"Ray told the commissioner, and his colleagues, everything that happened," Janay said in an interview with ESPN.com's Jemele Hill. "There was no reason to lie because we knew that there was a video and we assumed the NFL knew what was in it, even though we didn't know whether or not they saw it ... They asked Ray how long we had been in counseling and if we were going to continue. When Ray mentioned that we were drinking that night, the commissioner asked if that was something we were working on, too. They didn't ask too many questions. They just wanted Ray to explain everything that went on that night."


Interestingly, the NFL apparently showed little desire to get Janay Rice's side of the story. "I really didn't think they would ask me any questions, but I was asked one," she said. "I was surprised I was asked anything at all. One of the NFL executives asked me how I felt about everything. And I broke down in tears. I could hardly get a word out. I just told him that I was ready for this to be over."


At the time, it was only just beginning. The "Today" interviews with Matt Lauer will air on Monday and Tuesday morning.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



And keep up with Jay over on Facebook, too.







from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/janay-rice-on-goodell---i-can-t-say-he-s-telling-the-truth-231435505.html
Read More

News sport : A feisty Kevin Garnett pretends to bite Joakim Noah's hand (Video)

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Basketball legend Kevin Garnett and Chicago Bulls All-Star Joakim Noah have a marvelous history. Since Noah was drafted into the league in 2007, the same summer Garnett was dealt to the Boston Celtics, the two have gone back and forth as combatants, fueled equally by f-bombs and sharp elbows.


A relatively anonymous Sunday afternoon game between KG’s Nets and Noah’s Bulls wouldn’t seem to bring out that sort of back and forth once again, not with it still being November and with the Nets underperforming, but that didn’t stop Noah from endlessly jawing and Garnett from, well, pretending to bite the dude’s hand:



Garnett’s early foul trouble had, prior to this fourth quarter move, kept him on the bench for most of the contest as Noah’s Bulls rolled, but by the time KG returned to live action it was all nastiness all the time. Garnett and Noah both scored on each other, Noah talked and talked away, and KG both head-butted Noah’s chest and tried the bite routine.


To those that weren’t watching, this may come off as rather dirty on the 39-year old Garnett’s end and petulant on Noah’s end, but it wasn’t anything like that. In fact, it was entertaining as hell, and something I’m upset that Garnett’s foul trouble and Noah’s minute restriction got in the way of us watching for longer spells.


Noah scored three points but finished with 10 rebounds and three assists in his team’s 103-84 win, while Garnett ended the matinee performance with seven points, seven rebounds, and three assists.


(Thanks to For the Win for the heads up, and Ananth Pandian for the Vine.)


- - - - - - -


Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/a-feisty-kevin-garnett-pretends-to-bite-joakim-noah-s-hand--video-230141382.html
Read More

News sport : Ohio State's Kosta Karageorge found dead

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Ohio State defensive tackle Kosta Karageorge was found dead.


Karageorge was reported missing on Wednesday by his family. A body was found Sunday afternoon near his apartment and Columbus (Ohio) Police confirmed it was Karageorge. He was 22.





Karageorge was a walk-on for the Ohio State football team and also wrestled. According to a police report, Karageorge's mother said he struggled with sports-related concussions and his sister said he had suffered one a month prior. His mother said he texted her Wednesday referencing the concussions and apologized for being an "embarrassment."


Ohio State held a moment of silence for Karageorge before Saturday's game against Michigan and a missing poster was displayed on the scoreboard at Ohio Stadium. After the game, coach Urban Meyer called Karageorge's disappearance "unbelievable" and said "All you can do is grab a knee and play hard."


Kostageorge's family became worried for him when he left his apartment without any identification at approximately 2 a.m. on Wednesday morning. He hadn't been seen since.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.com


- - - - - - -


Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/ohio-state-s-kosta-karageorge-found-dead-225631882.html
Read More

News sport : Report: Harbaugh could be traded

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,



San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh has been an undeniable success, taking his team to one Super Bowl and three NFC championships. But he's also a grinder who wears down his team, his fans, and most likely his own molars with unparalleled intensity.


So it's not surprising that Harbaugh and the 49ers may not be long for one another. What's surprising is that the Niners may well trade their head coach. ESPN's Adam Schefter offered this possibliity:



Going from a team with both a recent history and a lineage of success like San Francisco to either of the NFL's true compost plants would be quite the fall-off for Harbaugh. The Jets seem a long shot, but Harbaugh has roots in the Bay Area. Both teams would be in position to draft impact players next year, but would they have to give up those players to get Harbaugh?


Regardless, it appears that absent a dramatic turnaround in both the team's trajectory and management's attitude, Harbaugh's time in San Francisco is drawing to a close.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



And keep up with Jay over on Facebook, too.







from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/report--harbaugh-could-be-traded-223057628.html
Read More

News sport : SMU to introduce new head coach on Monday

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

CLEMSON, SC - NOVEMBER 29: Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris of the Clemson Tigers looks on prior to their game against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Memorial Stadium on November 29, 2014 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Tyler Smith/Getty Images) SMU will introduce its new head coach in a press conference on Monday afternoon, the school announced on Sunday. Though the school did not specify who has accepted the position, multiple outlets are reporting that the Mustangs’ new coach is Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris.


Morris denied that he had finalized an agreement with SMU following Clemson’s win over South Carolina, but TigerIllustrated.com and the Dallas Morning-News reported Sunday morning that Morris will be introduced by SMU on Monday.


“I have not agreed to anything with SMU,” Morris said Saturday. “When the time comes, we’ll come out and say what needs to be said.”


According to the Dallas Morning-News, Morris’ contract with SMU is worth “about $2 million per year.”


The 45-year-old Morris is a Texas native who was a head coach at high schools in the state from 1994-2009. After a one-year stint as offensive coordinator at Tulsa in 2010, Morris was hired by Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney to be his offensive coordinator in 2011.


Morris’ reported hire comes less than three months after June Jones resigned two games into his seventh season with the program. With interim coach Tom Mason at the helm, SMU is 0-11 and has one game remaining this season at UConn on Saturday.


For more SMU news, visit PonyPride.com.


- - - - - - -


Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/smu-to-introduce-new-head-coach-on-monday-221845318.html
Read More

News sport : UAB reportedly set to shut down football program

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Not long after becoming bowl eligible for the third time in its existence, the UAB football program may be shutting down.


Per USA Today, the school "has given indications the program will shut down this week and that (athletic director Brian) Mackin is working on a separation agreement from the university."


SI.com also reported that Mackin is parting ways with the school and that an announcement would be made about the (lack of a) future of the football program on Thursday. Coach Bill Clark told ESPN that he feared the program would be shut down.


"I think it's going to happen," Clark said. "Unless something changes before the weekend ends, I think it's over. I think the odds are very high it ends this week. To shut the doors? That's sad."


On Saturday, UAB beat Southern Mississippi 45-24 to be 6-6 and eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2008. Clark was hired before the 2014 season and had signed a three-year deal.


There were indications that a possible shutdown has been in the works for a while. Some boosters, including Atlanta Falcons WR Roddy White, wrote in a letter earlier in November that trustees were looking at the possibility of shuttering the program.


The school, which is part of the University of Alabama system, plays football at Legion Field in Birmingham.


The last FBS-level program to drop football was Pacific in 1995. UAB started as a Division III football team in 1991 and moved up FBS in 1996. It joined Conference USA in 1999. Without a football program, the school's standing in Conference USA in other sports is tenuous.


For more UAB news, visit BlazerSportsReport.com


- - - - - - -


Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/uab-reportedly-set-to-shut-down-football-program-220231657.html
Read More

News sport : Maybe Bengals-led AFC North isn't so amazing after all

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,



Entering Week 13, the AFC North was everyone's darling division and the NFC South was everyone's dumpster division.

So what happened Sunday?


Entering the week, the AFC North had been 1-10-1 in games this season vs. the NFC South. But Sunday, the North looked quite ordinary — and in some cases bad — with the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers all losing and the Cincinnati Bengals barely escaping Tampa Bay with a win.


The Steelers and Ravens lost at home. That's twice now this season the Steelers have lost at home to an NFC South team with a sub-.500 mark, dropping this one to a New Orleans Saints outfit that had lost three straight (two at home) coming in. The Steelers grabbed an early 6-0 lead, but the Saints made it 21-6 and never looked back, leading by three scores in the fourth quarter.


The Ravens lost to a good San Diego Chargers team that has started to reassert itself, but blowing a 10-point lead at home with five minutes left really hurts in such a tight playoff race. A late pass-interference call against the Ravens was a killer, even if there was contact from both the DB and the receiver.


Meanwhile, Brian Hoyer had yet another forgettable game for the Browns, and his replacement — oh, you know him: Johnny Football — was not a lot better, at least not good enough to rescue the Browns from a 17-point hole in the final 12 minutes. It appears the Browns will make a QB assessment later this week, which is never a good thing when you're in the final quarter of the season and somehow still in the race.


So the Bengals stand on top, but how can they feel great about winning a game in which quarterback Andy Dalton threw three horrible picks and they won, essentially, on a 12-men-on-the-field call in the final minute?


Right now, the Bengals have a 1.5-game lead on the rest of the division at 8-3-1 compared to the other three teams' 7-5 records. But it's hard to feel as good about this division on Sunday as we did coming in to the weekend.


- - - - - - -


Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/maybe-bengals-led-afc-north-isn-t-so-amazing-after-all-215541461.html
Read More

News sport : Troy announces Neal Brown as its next head coach

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Former Kentucky offensive coordinator Neal Brown is Troy's new coach.


The school announced Brown's hire on Sunday and will host a Monday press conference to introduce him.


When Brown was asked after Kentucky's season-ending 44-40 loss to Louisville on Saturday, he said it wasn't his place to speak about the news. Well, because he knew it'd be official a day later.


Brown, 34, has been an offensive coordinator at 2008 and has served as an assistant previously at Troy. He was the Trojans' OC from 2009-2009 before spending three years at Texas Tech with Tommy Tuberville and two years at Kentucky.


"I am very happy for Neal to earn a head coaching job and believe Troy has made an outstanding hire," Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said in a statement. "Congratulations to Neal and his family and I appreciate his hard work at Kentucky."


Since winning the Sun Belt in 2010 and going 8-5, Troy hasn't had a winning record. After finishing 6-6 in 2013, the Trojans were 3-9 this season and ended the year with a 42-23 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette.


Larry Blakeney, Troy's coach for the previous 24 seasons as the school moved from Division II to eventually the FBS level, announced in October that he was retiring at the end of the season.


- - - - - - -


Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/troy-announces-neal-brown-as-its-next-head-coach-214534983.html
Read More

News sport : Astronaut watches NFL in space

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

So this is pretty sweet: NASA Capt. Barry Wilmore, on board the International Space Station, managed to get a feed of the Texans-Titans game sent up into space:



The ISS orbits at about 260 miles above the earth, and circled the globe twice during the three-hour game length. Wilmore, a Tennessee resident, had asked earlier about getting NASA to arrange for an uplink of the SEC Network so that he could watch the Tennessee Volunteers play football.


Unfortunately, Houston proved to be a problem for Tennessee, defeating the Titans 45-21. On the plus side, though, Wilmore may be the only human being out of reach of JJ Watt.


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



And keep up with Jay over on Facebook, too.







from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/astronaut-watches-nfl-in-space-211243535.html
Read More

News sport : Fantasy owners have spoken: Make J.J. Watt a tight end already!

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

Houston Texans defensive end/tight end/pizza delivery man J.J. Watt is bored again.

He's still not cool with just terrorizing quarterbacks; in order to stave off ennui, Watt has insisted his coaches use him in every way humanly (or inhumanly) possible.


Watt sacked, stripped and — of course — recovered a fumble against Tennessee Titans quarterback Jake Locker, running it back 14 yards and setting up the Texans' offense in great shape at the Tennessee 24.


So naturally, Watt was rewarded on offense for his fine defensive work. The Texans brought him in on their goal-line package, sent him in motion, had him run an out route, and he beat tight coverage from Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard.


Wait, you put a linebacker on this guy?!


It was Watt's fifth score of the year and his third receiving touchdown of the season. It Watt had been designated as a tight end, only 15 NFL tight ends had more than that entering Sunday.


If fantasy owners get their way, Watt will become the first known DE/TE eligible to be drafted in 2015.


- - - - - - -


Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/fantasy-owners-have-spoken--make-j-j--watt-a-tight-end-already-205503500.html
Read More

News sport : Johnny Manziel enters, immediately leads Browns to TD

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

(Getty Images) Finally, the Cleveland Browns let Johnny Manziel play.


Manziel, the Browns' first-round pick and the talk of the NFL through the offseason, had barely played through the first 12 weeks. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner had seen a handful of snaps in special situations, but Brian Hoyer's play and the Browns' winning ways with Hoyer had kept him off the field.


But with 12:01 left in the fourth quarter and the Browns in serious need of a spark on offense as they trailed Buffalo 20-3, Manziel got the call. The Browns benched Hoyer, who had just thrown an interception, and Manziel entered.


He didn't disappoint.


His first play was a play action bootleg to the right. He gained three yards. It was his first official NFL run. Then he hit Miles Austin for a 12-yard gain (his first completion), and threw a dart to Josh Gordon for 19.


He threw a pass that should have been intercepted but somehow got through to tight end Jim Dray for a long gain. Then to cap the drive, Manziel hit the final step of his drop, saw a big opening in the middle of the field and took off, diving into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown. It was his first NFL score.



Nothing against Hoyer, who has played very well this season, but those interested in seeing what Manziel can do in the NFL had been waiting for that for a long time. And a Browns team that had 14 yards in its previous seven drives, and three points all afternoon, had 80 yards and a score on a quick touchdown drive by Manziel.


The Browns put him in to spark the offense. And he did that. Now that the Browns have gone to that well, it will be tough for them to keep Manziel on the sideline if the offense struggles a bit again in December.


For those who were bummed we hadn't seen more of Manziel this season, Sunday's cameo made it seem worth the wait.


- - - - - - -


Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






from Yahoo Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/johnny-manziel-enters--immediately-leads-browns-to-td-205211187.html
Read More