ome June. @WheelerTSNgareth.wh | Forum

BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns hit the seasons halfway point in an all-too-familiar funk. China NFL Jerseys . They have lost three straight games, sensational punt returner Travis Benjamin is done for the year with a knee injury, trade rumours about top wide receiver Josh Gordon persist and Cleveland appears headed toward another disappointing finish. Theres the usual doom. Just not as much gloom. "I feel like a lot of good things are happening," said linebacker Paul Kruger. Less than 24 hours after a 23-17 loss at Kansas City -- a game the Browns could have won if they had minimized their mistakes in the second half -- there were reasons for optimism in Cleveland. A strong performance by quarterback Jason Campbell, making his first start in 11 months, gave the Browns (3-5) a welcomed boost after starter Brian Hoyer sustained a season-ending knee injury on Oct. 3 and Brandon Weeden played so poorly in consecutive losses. Campbell shook off a sluggish start and finished 22 of 36 for 293 yards and two touchdowns against the Chiefs tough defence. Campbells outing was a much-needed shot in the arm, and coach Rob Chudzinski didnt waste any time in naming the nine-year veteran his starter for this weeks home game against Baltimore. "I thought Jason played very well," said Chudzinski, already on his third quarterback through eight weeks of his first season. "After looking at the tape, he was able to manage the game. He was able to escape and get out of some trouble and create some plays. He did a good job from a decision-making standpoint as far as protecting the football and he gave us a lift in that game, so were real pleased with how he played." Kruger said Campbell invigorated the Browns on both sides of the ball. "He did a great job," Kruger said. "He made plays and put us in a position to win." Campbells composure allowed the Browns offence, which didnt get its initial first down until the final four minutes of the second quarter, to turn things around in the second half. Cleveland was a play or two away from an upset, but couldnt finish the job. "The guys did a great job stepping up protecting for him," said wide receiver Davone Bess, who dropped three passes and fumbled away a critical punt. "Jason stood in the pocket and made some crucial, crucial throws. He had a really solid game. ... We just fell short." Bess blunder with 7:13 left in the fourth was Clevelands most costly miscue. After Benjamin tore his anterior cruciate ligament, Bess took the speedsters spot returning punts. With Kansas City leading 20-17, Bess tried to catch a punt on the run, but took his eyes off the ball, coughed it up and Kansas City recovered. If Bess had held on, the Browns would have had the ball near midfield with a chance to tie the score or possibly take the lead. "I had it," said Bess, who also didnt handle a fourth-down pass from Campbell with 2:12 remaining. "When I got my eyes up to see where the defenders were, they were there and I must not have had it 100 per cent. Its just discipline. Those can be game-changing plays. It was just an opportunity I saw and I swung." Hell get another swing or two as Chudzinski plans to stick with Bess as Benjamins replacement. "I think that Davone is everything you could ask for in terms of a guy working and doing the things to be the very best he can," Chudzinski said. "Hes a pros pro in that way. I have faith in him that hell make the corrections." As the Browns begin focusing on the Ravens (3-4), theres still a chance Gordon wont be with them. The second-year wide receiver has been the subject of trade speculation for weeks and the Browns will listen to offers on Gordon up until Tuesdays 4 p.m. deadline. Theres a market for Gordon, who had five catches for 132 yards and a TD on Sunday. Hes arguably Clevelands best player, but hes also their most enigmatic as another failed drug test could lead to a minimum one-year league suspension. CEO Joe Banner and general manager Michael Lombardi could make a deal for the right package. Chudzinski, though, said the Browns have no intention of letting Gordon leave. "We have no plans of trading any of our guys, including Josh," he said. "Were not shopping him." Chudzinskis first eight games have been challenging with injuries, quarterback changes and tough losses. Its only been half a season and felt like several. But through it all, the Browns have shown resiliency and Chudzinski is confident his team will continue to improve over the final eight games. "Its been a tough stretch," he said. "What guys have learned playing some very good teams is weve played -- whether its a half, whether its a quarter, whether its a couple series or three quarters of games weve played very well at times. Its a matter of consistently putting it together for four quarters. Thats what the mission is were on right now." NFL Jerseys Cheap . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. Wholesale NFL Jerseys China . He was followed closely by David Clarkson, donning red, seconds later. Clarksons actions one night earlier, leaping off the bench in defence of Kessel during a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres, will cost him the first 10 games of the regular season. http://www.nikenflcheapjerseyschina.com/ . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said.Remember when England/Germany meant something? Two rivals, on and off the field, the fixture has always brought a certain cache. The history. The footballing pedigree. Some of the biggest names the game has ever seen. The match has always been a statement of intent, with bragging rights on the line between nations no stranger to hostility. The two nations domestic leagues are arguably the most entertaining and watchable in the world. Yet, the quality and play of the national teams are polar opposites. Even now, an England-Germany fixture sizzles on the surface. Until the teams hit the field. A match buried amidst European World Cup qualification playoffs saw a German B team handily beat Englands first team 1-0 Tuesday. The loss was Englands second of the International break and marked the first back-to-back home defeats for the Three Lions dating back to 1977. A friendly is a friendly. You take what you see with a grain of salt, but that doesnt mean true class cant shine through. The way a team plays trumps the scoreline in such a contest. Take for example Brazils 2-1 win over Chile at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Tuesday night. It was a purposeful victory from a team with true ambition. Quality oozed from every move. Luiz Felipe Scolari and his side treated the game as much more than merely a spectacle, this was preparation to contend in 2014. The term "business like" wouldnt do the team justice, no matter who is wearing yellow, each player filled a role and the talent shone through within the context of team-first. The ball movement superior, the team effort near complete. England meanwhile was blasé, failing to threaten throughout. Sound familiar? An England team lacking cutting edge and precision, weve seen it all before. This isnt to compare England and Brazil. Perhaps its somewhat relevant considering England is a spot better, ranked 10th in FIFAs World rankings. Its perception versus reality; England is simply and thoroughly mediocre. Manager Roy Hodgson pointed to Englands inferior passing and finishing as the difference in the loss. Hes absolutely right. The lack of quality in these areas has plagued the team for decades. And even when the team had a finisher like an Alan Shearer, they were missing consistent build-up play and team identity. Nothing has changed in 2013. Remember, this was wasnt Germanys first team were talking about and still, England was out-classed. At home. As tweeted by Rob Harris (@RobHarris) of the Associated Press:"Im going to be an optimist about this" - the tune rings out in Wembley after Englands first consecutive home loss in 36 years. The upbeat lyrics from the track Pompeii by Bastille were preferred to the bands other hit song Flaws. There is very little to be optimistic for England supporters heading into Brazil. Unless the December 6th World Cup draw renders a group with Switzerland, Iran and Algeria, England will be in tough to progress. Even if they do advance, then what? Its plain to see this team is as second rate as other England out-fits dating back to 1990. The team was booed off the field after the final whistle from the remaining beleaguered voices at Wembley. They know this team isnt good enough and if it wasnt for an inferior qualifying group, England could very well have been taking part in a playoff match Tuesday, or even worse. Its the same song and dance for the national team. p; The domestic league thrives while the supposed best of the best cant get out of first gear internationally.dddddddddddd These are the same players that thrive in the most competitive domestically league in the world. The England side boasts one of the joint top goal scorers in the Premier League and two of the joint top assist-men. These are important players for the biggest clubs in England. Yet when they come together for country, the result falls short of club form. Its nonsensical when pundits suggest the downfall in the development of English players is due to too many foreign players in the Premier League. This excuse needs to stop. The jobs of top English players arent being threatened by a foreign legion. Thats an excuse saved for those not good enough. Top English players star, and play alongside top foreign recruits in the BPL. 15 players active in Tuesdays European World Cup playoffs ply their trade in the Premier League. Six Brazilians taking centre stage at the Rogers Centre belong to Premier League teams as well. Ive always been of the mindset you become a better player by playing with the best competition possible. In training and in games, you need to be pushed. These foreign players bring the best out of their English brethren and it cant be said foreign Premier League players regularly outshine their English teammates in league play. But internationally, theres no comparison. Blame Englands system and formation instead. A basic 4-4-2 is constantly mindlessly rolled out, no matter the manager. Its predictable, boring, and doesnt suit the strengths of the players. Englands top player Wayne Rooney is misused and significant talent available is wasted. Without a generational type player like Cristiano Ronaldo, its about putting players in roles they can thrive. This boils down to identity. A national footballing identity for England is absent. What is trademark of England football? It used to be the unattractive long-ball, which fit the size and strength of the players of previous generations. This current generation is lost, there is no continuity. Coaching is part of this. Englands shortage of top qualified coaches, 1,161 elite coaches in comparison to Spains 12,700 or Germanys 5,500 speaks volumes. They simply dont know how to get the best out of what they have. Ill give Hodgson some credit: although the style remains as dry as the Sahara and unimaginative as ever, younger players are getting a look. Case and point is the bright play of Andros Townsend, but hes still relatively unproven and far from a difference maker. There was too much reliance in the past on the old guard. No longer are John Terry and Frank Lampard among others the key cogs and thats a good thing. Only Steven Gerrard remains. Although Gerrards club form warrants consideration, the Captain doesnt provide the same product for the national team, he never has. So here we are. Just over six months out from the World Cup, and the bar has lowered for England. It perhaps has not been lowered for the English media. And perhaps expectations remain sky-high for those choosing to ignore the inevitable. The realist looks beyond who plays for England, instead acknowledging the what and how is not good enough. The bar need be lowered. This international break has done just that. Now if we can just keep this in mind come June. @WheelerTSNgareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys' ' '