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(SportsNetwork.com) - It cant possibly go worse, can it? The much-anticipated starting debut of Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel was a bigger bomb than 47 Ronin, the Keanu Reeves fantasy action film regarded by Hollywood as the biggest Box Office bust in history. Johnny Football will get his second opportunity on Sunday against a 5-8-1 Carolina Panthers team still in the thick of the NFC South race. The harshest of Manziels critics didnt expect what happened last weekend when the lightning rod proved to be an abject mess in his first NFL start, completing 10-of-18 for 80 yards with two first-half interceptions as Clevelands playoff hopes nosedived in a similar trajectory to Manziels stock with a 30-0 setback to the AFC North-leading Cincinnati Bengals. There were flashes but they were brief, Browns coach Mike Pettine said in a laughably kind review of Manziels performance. Seemingly every Bengals defender got a chance to flash the former Heisman Trophy winners signature money-sign celebration to the FirstEnergy Stadium crowd, essentially mocking Manziel for his inability to get anything done offensively. Of course, he kind of brought that on himself, Bengals defensive end Wallace Gilberry quipped. The Browns made the switch from the limited Brian Hoyer to Manziel to provide a spark in an effort to keep their fading playoff hopes alive. However, that spark was never fanned. In his first 30 minutes, Manziel was 4-for-9 for 22 yards and a 12.0 passer rating and things never really turned around as Cleveland, which has lost three in a row, ran only 38 offensive plays (the fewest by any team in a game this season), totaled 107 yards of total offense and had six three-and-outs. I saw the field fine today, but when it came down to it, I just need to throw the ball and let it rip, and I didnt do a very good job of that, Manziel understated. About the only positive you could take from Manziels performance was the fact he didnt make any excuses. Nobody wants to win (in the locker room) more than I do, and its tough to come out there and lay an egg like that, Manziel said. Im not using the rookie excuse. I needed to play better. The Panthers, meanwhile, kept hope alive in Week 15 by topping lowly Tampa Bay, 19-17, to win for the first time in seven games despite being without star quarterback Cam Newton, who was injured in a car accident earlier in the week. Derek Anderson filled in for Newton and threw for 277 yards and a touchdown. Newton suffered two transverse process fractures in his lower back in a two- car accident on Dec. 9 near the teams stadium. Anderson, who also started for Newton in the Panthers Week 1 win at Tampa Bay, completed 25-of-40 passes. Everything was not as clean as we wouldve liked it. Anderson said. It wasnt perfect by any means ... overall Im very happy with the win. Greg Olsen matched a career-high with 10 receptions for 110 yards and Kelvin Benjamin added 104 yards on eight receptions for Carolina, which is percentage points behind the New Orleans Saints (6-8) for first place in the division with two games to play. After Cleveland the Panthers will finish their schedule at Atlanta, which is 5-9 and also in the mix in the NFC South. The Saints and Falcons play each other in New Orleans on Sunday, and the Saints will close the regular season at Tampa Bay in Week 17. The Panthers need to win their final two games and have the Saints lose once to repeat as division champions. Carolina leads its all-time series with the Browns by a 3-1 margin but the two teams havent met since Nov. 28, 2010 when Cleveland got its only win, a 24-23 triumph in the Buckeye State. The clubs havent met in the Queen City since 2006, a 20-12 Panthers win. WHAT TO WATCH FOR The Panthers are playing a wait-and-see game with Newton but signs point to him giving it a go on Sunday. Newton was able to practice by Wednesday and reports said he was moving well and looking relatively pain free, just eight days since his accident. He looked like he threw the ball well, but again, a lot depends on how he feels tomorrow, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. He went through all the team drills. He went through all the individual drills. He did all we had slated for him.This is a young man who is very strong-willed and very tough. The hope is that Newton continues to progress without any setbacks. Rivera hopes to make a final decision on his status by Friday. The biggest factor will be whether or not (team doctors) tell me he can protect himself, Rivera said. I dont want to put a guy out there if he cant protect himself. By that I mean being able to run out of the way, scramble out of the way to stay alive, keep the play alive, by being able to get out of the way. Whether its Newton or Anderson under center, expect them to keep feeding Olsen, who has 20 catches in his last two games and is tied for the NFL lead among tight ends with 81 receptions and ranks second with 960 yards. If I see him one-on-one with a guy that I know cant cover him, I have a lot of confidence in what (Olsens) going to do, Anderson said. Making things tougher for the Cleveland defense are injuries to cornerbacks Joe Haden (shoulder) and Justin Gilbert (concussion), who are both iffy for this contest. Manziel, meanwhile, called his first chance at solving an NFL defense very humbling and the Browns are hoping his struggles serve as a wake-up call when it comes to off-the-field preparation. I think its too small a sample size, Pettine said when asked to project Manziels future. When you look at how we played around him, I think its very unfair to judge what somebodys career is going to be like off of their first start. That type of game humbles all of us. Manziel, however, is trying to stay away from the negativity. Im not really listening to any outside noise or what anybody else has to say, he said. I know that I need to play better and if I dont, people are going to continue to say things like that. OVERALL ANALYSIS The Panthers get a big break here in a must win game with Manziel starting, which strikes many as a general manager forcing a first-round pick on a first- year coach with little cachet. Pettine understands Manziel is simply not ready to play an NFL game yet so the Browns ate behind the 8-ball for the final weeks. Whether Newton or Anderson starts, Carolina should do enough to stay in the NFC South race for at least one more week. Its a race, but we play Cleveland next. That will be the focus, Rivera said. Weve got to get things going in the right direction. Sports Network predicted outcome: Panthers 20, Browns 13 Cristian Ansaldi Argentina Jersey .Brazil midfielder Ricardo Goulart scored the winner in the 50th minute to give the defending champion a four-point advantage in the standings over second-place Sao Paulo, which beat rival Palmeiras 2-0. Custom Argentina World Cup Jerseys . The redshirt freshman finished the regular season with nearly 3,500 passing yards, and 35 touchdowns with another three on the ground while leading the Seminoles to the top of the BCS Rankings. http://www.argentinasoccerauthentic.com/...erica-Jersey/.Y. - Major League Soccer is prepared to start its season this weekend even if there isnt a labour deal with its referees and other on-field officials. Eduardo Salvio Jersey . With the results, North America claimed 2.5 of the three available points, opening up a 17.5-12.5 lead in the overall standings. A total of 60 points are available, meaning the first team to 30.5 points will win the Continental Cup. Ever Banega Jersey . A veteran of 16 NHL seasons, Prospals career was highlighted by him ranking fourth in points scored, third in assists and sixth in games played among all Czech Republic born players in NHL history.(SportsNetwork.com) - The New York Rangers will try to win consecutive games for the first time this season when they finally play their home opener in Mondays clash with Montreal Canadiens at a newly-renovated Madison Square Garden. Viewers in the Canadiens region can watch Montreal travel to New York City to face the Rangers at 7:30pm et/8:30pm at. The game can also be heard live on TSN Radio 690. The Rangers opened 2013-14 on a nine-game road trip while the $1 billion renovation project was being completed at MSG. New York went 3-6-0 during the season-opening trip and capped the swing with a 3-2 overtime win Saturday in Detroit. Derick Brassard scored on a breakaway with 12.9 seconds in overtime to lift the Rangers to a come-from-behind victory over the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. The victory ended a two-game slide which saw the Rangers score just one goal over consecutive losses to New Jersey and Philadelphia. Benoit Pouliot assisted on Brassards game-winner on Saturday and added a power-play goal earlier on to help the Rangers end their epic trek on a positive note. Mats Zuccarello also tallied for New York, while rookie goaltender Cameron Talbot notched his first career NHL win with a strong showing between the pipes. Starting for a second straight outing with Henrik Lundqvist sidelined with an undisclosed injury, Talbot stopped 32-of-34 shots. Lundqvist is expected to start on Monday after going through his first full practice in a week on Saturday. Although Lundqvist is set to return, the Rangers will nott have captain Ryan Callahan or fellow forwards Carl Hagelin and Rick Nash on Monday, as all three players are on injured reserve.dddddddddddd. New York was 16-6-2 at MSG during the lockout-shortened season of 2013. The club will be back on the road for Tuesdays game against the New York Islanders before playing four straight on home ice. The Canadiens enter Monday having lost three of their last four games and they were dealt a 2-0 loss Saturday by the visiting San Jose Sharks, Logan Couture scored both goals and Antti Niemi turned away all 22 shots sent his way by the Habs. Carey Price made 33 saves for the Canadiens, who had won four in a row before going 1-3-0 in their last four contests. "They are a fast team. They played really well and managed the puck well. They dont give you a lot and play well defensively, but we were right there. We had our chances in the second. Their goalie made some good saves at the right times," said Montreal coach Michel Therrien. Montreal hopes to get back on track on the road, where the club is 3-1-0 this season. The Habs are set to play three of their next four games as the guest. Like the Rangers, Montreal is playing with a ton of injuries, and key offensive players Danny Briere and Max Pacioretty are among the hobbled Canadiens. The Canadiens won all three encounters against the Rangers last season and have taken five of six and 10 of the past 13 meetings in this Original Six rivalry. The clubs have split the last six contests at MSG. ' ' '