Neues » The Blackhawks meet the Central

CLEVELAND - Johnny Footballs days as a backup are over this season.Hes getting his chance to start.Rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel will make his first NFL start Sunday against Cincinnati, replacing the slumping Brian Hoyer as Cleveland tries to pump life into its sagging playoff hopes.After moving up in Mays draft to get him and waiting seven months as he learned and watched from the sideline, the Browns are finally setting one of college footballs most captivating players loose with three games left in the season.Browns coach Mike Pettine made the expected switch on Tuesday after meeting with his staff and general manager Ray Farmer, then informing both quarterbacks. Many Browns fans have wanted the change for weeks as they watched Hoyer fumble away his dream job.Pettine said in a statement that the switch isnt about Hoyer or Manziel, but about the Browns.We are trying to get the offence to perform at a higher level, he said. Johnny has worked very hard to earn this opportunity and it will be very important for every member of the offence to elevate their play for us to obtain our desired result.Manziels debut start will come in Clevelands final home game, against a Bengals team Hoyer beat on Nov. 6. Manziel will try to show the Browns he can be the franchise quarterback theyve coveted for two decades.Manziel is the Browns 21st starting quarterback since 1999.Ive tried to spend my entire season learning what it takes to become a pro and its been great to watch Brian because he knows what it takes, Manziel said. Ive prepared every week to be ready to help the team however possible and my focus has been on improving every day.Even before Manziel was told hell start, the possibility sparked some controversy with Bengals coach Marvin Lewis calling the 6-footer a midget during a radio interview Monday night. Lewis later apologized, but the jab stirred the Ohio rivalry.The Browns really had no choice but to turn to Manziel. Hoyer has been awful in his last four games, throwing just one touchdown pass and eight interceptions. It hasnt been all Hoyers fault as teammates have dropped passes and run pass routes incorrectly, but Cleveland needs a spark and Manziel changed games in college with his legs and right arm.Pettine considered the switch a week ago but stuck with Hoyer, who has gone 10-6 as Clevelands starter. Hoyer had two interceptions Sunday as the Indianapolis Colts rallied from a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to win. Hoyer and the Browns offence picked up only three first downs in the second half.Manziels promotion could signal the end of Hoyers time with the Browns. A Cleveland-area kid who grew up attending Browns games with his dad, Hoyer, who battled back from a season-ending knee injury in 2013, is in the final year of his contract. With Manziel around, its likely Hoyer will have to sign elsewhere to remain an NFL starter.Although I am disappointed by coachs decision, I respect him and his choice and will be there to support Johnny, Hoyer said. As always, I will do whatever I can to help this team win.The No. 22 overall pick in this years draft, the popular and polarizing Manziel has been on the field just 18 plays this season. He came off the bench two weeks ago in the fourth quarter at Buffalo, completed 5 of 8 passes and scored on a 10-yard touchdown run.Manziel won the Heisman Trophy at Texas A&M, where his ability to improvise made him a star and earned him his Johnny Football nickname.The Browns are hoping he can perform some of that magic on Sundays.Manziel couldnt beat out Hoyer during training camp and the 22-year-olds off-the-field behaviour, which included weekend trips to Las Vegas, led to outside criticism of his maturity and commitment. The Browns held off on playing him until they felt he was ready, and now Pettine has put the teams season in Manziels hands.Johnny better be good.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Wholesale Nike Air Max 97 . -- Howie Kendrick had a two-run single in his first game batting leadoff this season, Chris Iannetta hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland 6-4 Tuesday night, sending the Indians to their fifth straight defeat. Nike Air Max 97 Sale . It was the most lopsided loss in Lakers history. Darren Collison had a team-high 24 points while starting at shooting guard for the injured Jamal Crawford. Chris Paul added 13 points and 11 assists for the Clippers, who apparently are trying to make up for decades of humiliation at the hands of the Lakers all in one season; theyve won the last two meetings by a combined 84 points. https://www.fakeairmax97wholesale.com/.6 seconds left to give the Toronto Raptors a 92-89 victory over the Boston Celtics in an exhibition game Wednesday night. Cheap Nike Air Max 97 . Mohamed Diame put West Ham ahead in the 47th minute before goals by substitutes Carlton Cole and Joe Cole condemned Fulham to a fifth straight defeat, keeping the visitors in the bottom three. Cyber Monday Nike Air Max 97 . Jeter doubled high off the left-field wall and scored on Jacoby Ellsburys first hit in pinstripes in the fifth. Hiroki Kuroda (1-1) pitched 6 1-3 sharp innings in the Yankees 112th opener in New York. In what manager Joe Girardi said would be a season-long lovefest for Jeter, the shortstop was cheered every step of the way by an adoring crowd of 48, 142 -- even when his double-play grounder back to Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez (0-2) scored Solarte in the third inning for the first run.CHICAGO - Just when the Winnipeg Jets could have started tiring, they shifted into a higher gear against the Chicago Blackhawks.Bryan Little and Chris Thorburn scored 28 seconds apart midway through the third period to snap a tie, and the Jets went on to beat Chicago 4-2 on Friday night for their third straight win.Zach Bogosian and Andrew Ladd each had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who — along with rookie goalie Michael Hutchinson — beat the Blackhawks for the third time this season, all in Chicago.The Jets played their third game in four nights — and sixth in nine — against a Chicago team that hadnt played since Sunday. Winnipeg was also coming off a 2-1 win at Dallas on Thursday in which they were outshot 47-22 as No. 1 goalie Ondrej Pavelec was the difference.This was as good a character win as weve had since Ive been here, Jets coach Paul Maurice said. Its not a tough schedule, its a brutal schedule.We play on energy and I cant imagine (the Winnipeg players) had any tonight.But somehow, the Jets found it.We really came together and sucked it up for 60 minutes tonight and played hard, said Little, who along with Ladd lead the team with 17 goals. When your confidence is high like it is right now, thats the type of effort youre going to get.Matchups against the high-skilled Blackhawks seem to bring out solid, smart physical play from the much-improved Jets, who are 4-0-1 in their last five.The score was tied 1-1 heading into the third period, but the Jets took charge in the final frame.We know coming in here, its going to be a challenge, Ladd said. Maybe that gave us the urgency to get on them, and we seemed to be able to do that.Hutchinson made 31 saves after stopping 71 of 72 shots in his previous two wins against the Blackhawks.We had some good chances to score and he made some key saves, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. It was 1-1 hockey game.But theyre a different team than we saw last year. Thats a team that can win and beat anybody because they work their tails off.Chicago rookie Teuvvo Teravainen got his first NHL goal, Brandon Saad also scored, and Corey Crawford finished with 31 saves.ddddddddddddTonight, I just thought I was ready to shoot everything, the 20-year-old Teravainen said.Jets forward Mathieu Perreault left the ice gingerly with 9.4 seconds left in the second period after being cross-checked across the back by Chicagos Daniel Carcillo, and didnt return. Perreault, who scored four goals against Florida on Tuesday, had six goals and three assists in his last five games.The Blackhawks dominated early in an uptempo, physical first period punctuated by two free-swinging fights.Saad opened the scoring just 53 seconds in when he backhanded a rolling puck from the left circle, and the rising shot slipped past Hutchinsons right elbow.The Jets came on as the period progressed and tested Crawford with some prime chances.Bogosian tied it at 1 midway through the first on a low screened shot from inside the blue line after taking a feed from Ladd. Winnipegs Adam Lowry was in front of the crease as the puck slipped under Crawfords pads.Following a scoreless and scrappy second period, the Jets came out strong in early in the third.Littles power-play goal, set up by Bogosians slick pass, put the Jets ahead 2-1 at 9:31 of the third. Thorburn, at the edge of the crease, tipped in Lowrys feed from the top of the slot 28 seconds later.Teravainen picked up a loose puck made it 3-2 with 7:17 left on a shot from the slot.With Crawford on the bench for an extra attacker, Ladd scored into an empty with 29 seconds to seal the win.NOTES: Winnipeg F Blake Wheeler played his 500th game. ... The Blackhawks meet the Central Division rival Jets two more times this season, with both games in Winnipeg. ... The Blackhawks started a stretch of four games in six nights. ... Chicago F Kris Versteeg missed his sixth game with a left hand injury, and D Tim Erixon and C Joakim Nordstrom were healthy scratches. ... Winnipegs healthy scratches were D Adam Pardy, D Paul Postma and F T.J.Galiardi. ' ' '