[lw789]

BALTIMORE - How nice it would be for the Baltimore Ravens if all they needed to secure a playoff berth was to beat the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.Baltimore (9-6) has won 12 of 13 against its AFC North rivals, including six straight at home. Also, the Browns (7-8) have lost four in a row and have serious quarterback issues.Unfortunately for the Ravens, last weeks loss in Houston means a win over Cleveland wont be enough to get them into the post-season for the sixth time in seven years.Baltimore also needs San Diego to lose or tie Kansas City in a game that will take place simultaneously to the Ravens-Browns finale. Its not an ideal scenario, especially with Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith out, but the Ravens have no one to blame but themselves.Its tough to think about the opportunities that we let go, and thats not anybodys doorstep but our own, Baltimore defensive lineman Chris Canty said. We had some lapses in focus, and weve made some mistakes that have cost us some football games throughout the course of the regular season. You cant get them back.So when the Ravens are on offence Sunday, linebacker Terrell Suggs probably wont be able to resist taking a look at the scoreboard.You want to say, No, we dont pay attention to that, but were going to be looking up, he said. We still have to get to 10 wins, we still want 10 wins, and we will start there. We have to do our business and let everything kind of take care of itself.Some things to know about the Browns-Ravens matchup:QUARTERBACK QUANDRY: With Johnny Manziel done for the season with a hamstring injury and Brian Hoyer unlikely to play because of a sore shoulder and biceps, Connor Shaw will likely make his starting debut for the Browns.As a senior at South Carolina last year, Shaw threw 23 touchdown passes and just one interception. But going up against Ravens will present a far more difficult challenge.RUNNING GAME NEEDED: The Ravens focus on offence will be to revive a running game thats sputtered over the past two weeks. Baltimore ran for only 93 yards against Jacksonville before being limited to 33 yards on 16 carries in Houston.Running the ball makes everything else go for us, offensive co-ordinator Gary Kubiak said. It has been a concern. Now, we have another challenge this week with some new faces up front.Right tackle Rick Wagner (foot) was placed on injured reserve this week and left tackle Eugene Monroe did not practice (ankle). That means rookies James Hurst and John Urschel will see plenty of action Sunday.BUCKLE UP: Browns coach Mike Pettines first season has had highs, lows, twists and turns.Its been a roller-coaster ride, he said.At 7-4, the Browns were poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002 when the bottom fell out. Now theyre trying to avoid a five-game losing streak to end the season.Youre just a couple Sundays away from being a coach of the year candidate to the village idiot hall of fame, Pettine said. Its been tough. Youre gauged ultimately on how you finish. Whats the end result? We have a chance to get to 8-8. And for us thats disappointing, because we left some wins out there.FLACCO FLOP: Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco went 21 for 50 with three interceptions against Houston, a performance that left him eager to rebound against the Browns.Theres not really too much you can do about it at this point, he said. You just have to have confidence in yourself, confidence in yourself as a group and go out and win the next one.The matchup against Cleveland bodes well for the seventh-year starter. Flacco is 12-1 lifetime against the Browns with 16 touchdown passes and only seven interceptions.JOE PRO BOWL: Browns left tackle Joe Thomas made it 8 for 8 on Pro Bowl invitations this week. Hes the first offensive lineman in NFL history to earn the honour in each of his first eight seasons. Thomas has started all 127 career games and has not missed an offensive snap since being selected with the third overall pick in 2007.Hes just the definition of consistency, not just consistency, but consistent superb play, said Pettine, who joked the Pro Bowl should be renamed The Joe Thomas Invitational.Said Thomas: Thats a good thing to be teased about.___AP Sports Writer Tom Withers contributed to this story.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL .com) - Mike Conley scored 20 points with five assists to help the Memphis Grizzlies remain unbeaten with a 91-89 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. . So they rushed to re-sign the first baseman who general manager Ben Cherington described Friday as "a unique player." The World Series champions finalized a $32 million, two-year agreement Thursday with the slugging former catcher who turned into a surprisingly good defender. http://www.nflpanthersgearofficial.com/ ... ey-jersey/. His brother — Red Lake chiropractor Richard Radford — is en route to Sochi to cheer on his younger brother. "Ive been getting texts from Eric and he just says the atmosphere is amazing, its special,” he said. . Kadri was dressed in a green jersey at Thursdays practice and skated as an extra forward on the teams fourth line as the Leafs. . The deal will pay Hainsey $3 million for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons and $2.5 million in 2016-17.MELBOURNE, Australia - Canadian Milos Raonic finished a 7-6 (3), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory over Ukraines Illya Marchenko with an ace on Tuesday in the first round of the Australian Open.Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., who lost the Brisbane final this month to Roger Federer, fired 28 untouchable serves, his best at 228 km/h.He will face Donald Young of the United States in the second round of the Grand Slam tournament. Young beat Tim Puetz of Germanyy, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to advance from the first round.dddddddddddd Raonic beat Young twice last season, first in Washington, D.C., and then indoors in Basel, Switzerland.Raonic concluded Tuesdays match with his trademark stinging serve, joining Monday winner Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., in the second round in straight sets.Vancouvers Vasek Pospisil played later Tuesday, facing American Sam Querrey in the first round. ' ' '