Cuts » Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the

At the midway point of the NFL regular season, the Dallas Cowboys already can taste the playoffs.The Cowboys have won six straight games since a season-opening loss, have the leagues two most dynamic rookies and are clicking on all cylinders.The Cleveland Browns just want to taste what its like to win a game. At 0-8, the leagues only winless team is sputtering toward a date with history as the fifth club to fail to emerge victorious in a regular-season game. The other four teams are Dallas (1960), Tampa Bay (1976), Baltimore (1982) and Detroit (2008).The Browns face a tall challenge to crack the win column on Sunday (1 p.m., ET) when they play host to the Cowboys at FirstEnergy Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Fox.Dallas offense is ranked fourth overall and its defense is 12th.If the task was not daunting enough for the hapless Browns, the Cowboys have won five of their past seven road games and on Wednesday were anointed as the second-best team by Las Vegas oddsmakers.Dallas has been installed as a 7-to-1 favorite to win the Super Bowl, only behind the 8-to-5 New England Patriots.According to cbssports.com, Football Outsiders pegs the Cowboys as having a 94.5 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 64.3 percent chance of landing a bye.At the rate the Browns are going, they will have 100 percent chance of landing the top pick in next years draft. If they do, they can take a lesson from owner/general manager Jerry Jones and his staff, because its the play of two rookies that has lifted Dallas to elite level.Ezekiel Elliott, the fourth overall pick out of Ohio State, leads the league with 799 rushing yards and five touchdowns. Elliott gives the Cowboys attitude out of the backfield, toughness between the tackles and deceptive breakaway speed that has helped the team average a shade under 165 yards rushing a game.Elliotts sidekick, quarterback Dak Prescott, has high praise for his fellow rookie.He has been good because of the way he practices every day throughout the week. It transfers on Sunday. He is a guy that he goes to score a touchdown every rep of practice, Prescott said. He works hard in the weight room, in the film room and it just all pays off on Sundays.Prescott remains entrenched as the Cowboys quarterback. All hes done since taking the helm of the offense when Tony Romo went out in the preseason with a compression fracture in his back is complete 65.2 percent of his passes for 1,773 yards and nine touchdowns.Prescott, Dallas fourth-round draft pick, is coming off his first sub-par performance on Sunday when he was tested but still able to rally the Cowboys to a 29-23 overtime victory against the Philadelphia Eagles.When it counted most, Prescott played with poise and came through. His 22-yard touchdown pass to Dez Bryant tied the game with three minutes left. He completed all five pass attempts in overtime, including a game-winning 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jason Witten.Prescott didnt let his early struggles get to him with the game on the line.Im not going to stop, he said. I dont care how bad I play early on, I dont care really what I do, Im not going to give up.This was supposed to be the week when Romo would return, but he was ruled out by both Jones and head coach Jason Garrett.My opinion is that we want him to have some more strengthening work done, Jones said earlier in the week. Hes really doing well -- probably as well as at any time last year, as far as aspects of strength in his back is concerned. But hes got some more to do.The earliest Romo could return would be Nov. 13 at the Pittsburgh Steelers. But neither Jones nor Garrett were tipping their hand.The Browns only wish they had a similar decision. Six players have taken snaps for Cleveland this year. They have combined to throw nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.From Robert Griffin III to Josh McCown to rookie Cody Kessler with a sprinkle of Terrelle Pryor Sr., Charlie Whitehurst and Kevin Hogan, Cleveland surprisingly has been competitive.Kessler went 0-5 as a starter before a concussion knocked him out and elevated McCown back into the starters role against the New York Jets last week.The Browns blew a 20-7 lead only to lose 31-28 to the Jets. McCown completed 25 of 49 passes for 341 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He threw both interceptions in the second half.Coach Hue Jackson finally made the decision on Friday to go with Kessler for Sunday and the rest of the season.Because I need to know, Jackson told reporters of the decision. I dont want to just say if (Kessler) does great that doesnt mean that were not going to draft a quarterback, because I think youve got to always have quarterbacks. Youve got to keep taking shots until you have the guy that you feel is going to do what you need done.But you need to know whats on your team, and the more Im around guys, the more that I see them in different situations and play under duress and stress and pressure, the more Im going to know about them. So, this is an opportunity for Cody to demonstrate that. But more so than that, its an opportunity for him to go out with his teammates and help them get a win.Kessler getting the start pits two close friends against each other.Yeah, that is my boy. Me and Cody have known each other since junior year of the Manning Camp, junior year of college, Prescott said. He is a great guy, fun to just hang out with, a fun guy to just be around. He is probably one of the better friends I have at the quarterback position throughout the league.Kessler will have to try to survive a swarming Dallas defense led by linebacker Sean Lee (69 tackles) and Tyrone Crawford (3.5 sacks).A big boost to the offense should be the return of rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman. In two games, Coleman had 173 yards and two touchdowns. He broke his hand in practice the following week and has not played since.Everything is perfect, healed up just the way we wanted it to, Coleman said Monday. I am excited to get back out there with the guys. I know they have been working extremely hard trying to get a win, so I am happy to be back out there.Rumors swirled around a number of Cleveland veterans as the trade deadline came and went on Tuesday. Veteran left tackle Joe Thomas was still with the team, as was the Browns best defender, cornerback Joe Haden.The Browns did make a deal that raised eyebrows around the league and sent a conditional third-round pick to New England for Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins, who said he wasnt fazed by the trade.Im good. Im ready to move on, he said. I am a workaholic. I am going to give you what I have every game and every day regardless. You are going to get my plays.Collins will be counted on to shore up the leagues worst defense. The Browns give up 29.8 points per game and give up the second-most yards on the ground per game at a shade under 144 yards.If the Cowboys have a weakness that the Browns might be able to exploit, it is in the defensive backfield where both safety Barry Church and cornerback Morris Claiborne are out.For the Browns, Pryor (hamstring) and Thomas (knee) both missed Wednesdays practice and are listed as questionable. Maglia Ronaldo Originale . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Maglia Juve 2019/20 . Only three players drafted by NHL clubs were included on the Czech selection camp roster on Wednesday. Those players were Dallas Stars 2012 first-rounder Radek Faksa, Winnipeg Jets 2013 fourth-rounder Jan Kostalek and Phoenix Coyotes 2012 seventh-rounder Marek Langhamer. http://www.magliajuvestore.it/ . Oyama had six birdies and two bogeys at Kintetsu Kashikojima in the event also sanctioned by the Japan LPGA Tour. "I have been having this neck ache thats been affecting my golf recently," Oyama said. Nuova Maglia Juve Dybala .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. Maglie Juventus In Vendita .Y. -- Leading 3-0 with only 11:25 left, the Colorado Avalanche committed a seemingly meaningless penalty to give the New York Islanders a power play.CHICAGO -- Fans who paid US$2,500 for tickets to Lionel Messis charity game last weekend will be eligible for refunds after the star soccer player failed to show for a promised meet-and-greet after the game. The VIP package was to include the private session with the four-time world player of the year, on-field seating and signed memorabilia. But Messi exited the game in the 69th minute and left Soldier Field shortly after. Numero 5, which organized the event, says the early exit wasnt Messis fault, blaming Soldier Field security personnel. Still, the Miami-based promoter said in a statement Thursday it wiill reach out to any VIP package holders who didnt meet Messi "in order to begin the process for making an appropriate refund.dddddddddddd" Chicago Fire owner Andrew Hauptman has already invited the VIP fans to the July 20 game against D.C. United. In addition to tickets for the game, Hauptman has promised a tour of Toyota Park. The failed meet-and-greet wasnt the only problem with Messis charity match. Fans were initially promised a roster of three dozen international stars, only to have most drop out before the game. Nine former Northwestern players had to fill out the rosters. ' ' '