CLEVELAND: Johnny Manziel got into the game for a change, but Brian Hoyer is still the story.
Manziel played three snaps in the Browns' 26-24, come-from-behind win over New Orleans. He first entered on second-and-10 from the Cleveland 25-yard line early in the third quarter and handed off to running back Isaiah Crowell, who gained 3 yards.
The next time the Browns got the ball Manziel came on again for the third play of the possession (first-and-10 from the Cleveland 31-yard line). This time Crowell lost 3 yards. Manziel next threw his first and only pass – it was incomplete and intended for fullback Ray Agnew – before calling it a day.
"We had that package ready to go," Coach Mike Pettine said. "I thought we had stalled a little bit on offense and just wanted to see if we could catch them off guard a little bit and get a spark. To their credit they defended us well."
Hoyer improved to 4-1 as a starter with the Browns (3-0 last season) by directing a 14-play, 85-yard drive in 2:43 that ended with Billy Cundiff's 29-yard field goal with three seconds remaining.
"It's pretty exciting," Hoyer said. "I think it was a total team victory. Shoot, I give the fans some credit, they were rocking. They prevented (Saints quarterback) Drew Brees from doing some stuff.
"Coach told us it was 10 years since the Browns won a home opener (2004). I was in high school at that time. It was a great win, and the fans deserve it."
Hoyer was 8-for-11 for 78 yards on the game-winning drive, including 4-for-4 for 38 yards on third and fourth downs.
Safety Tashaun Gipson contributed a 62-yard pick-six. Pettine called Gipson "one of the most underrated center fielders in the league." … Running back Terrance West had 68 yards rushing and 22 receiving and became the first rookie with at least 90 yards from scrimmage in the first two games since Chris Johnson and Matt Forte in 2008.
CINCINNATI: The Bengals didn't have wide receiver A.J. Green (toe) for three quarters and also lost right guard Kevin Zeitler (calf) during their 24-10 victory over the Falcons.
Cincinnati still was able to post 21 first downs, convert 43 percent of its third downs (6-for-14), pile up 472 total net yards, go 2-for-3 in the red zone (67 percent) and 2-for-2 in goal-to-go situations while possessing the ball for 32:59.
"I told the guys we had to win the football game up front, both sides of the ball," Coach Marvin Lewis said. "It was going to be key. After looking at these guys (the Falcons) and what they are, we had to win the game up front. We set the tone throughout the week that that's where things had to be done."
Kicker Mike Nugent missed field goals from 38, 49 and 55 yards against Atlanta …Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu caught a 76-yard TD pass and threw a 50-yard completion. Sanu is 3-for-3 on attempted throws, with one touchdown and a perfect passer rating of 158.3, in his three-year career … Cincinnati goes for a franchise-record 11th consecutive regular season win at home on Sunday against Tennessee.
BALTIMORE: The Ravens found a way to overcome the distraction of Ray Rice's contract termination and the subsequent fallout on the way to beating the Steelers, 26-6, on Sept. 11.
"The message was pretty straightforward," Coach John Harbaugh said. "It was, 'We have a football game to play. We care about our families. We care about the Rice family.'
"We had (a) tough family situation. I thought our guys handled it tremendously, with class, with character, and they responded."
Wide receiver Steve Smith characterized his new team as "special" after the victory over the Steelers.
"We can do special things," he said. "I know I haven't been here long, but there's something about this team, something about this organization, from the top down."
Baltimore has allowed one touchdown in its first two games … Quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked three times in the Ravens' first two games … Baltimore rushed for 251 yards in its first two games.
