BEREA, Ohio - They are barely visible in the back of Brian Hoyers locker, buried under caps, shirts and a knee brace.At first glance, they appear to be ordinary cleats. However, these are symbolic.They are the shoes Hoyer wore last season on Oct. 3, when the Browns quarterback tore knee ligaments while sliding at the end of a run against the Buffalo Bills. The injury ended Hoyers season and threatened his career, but instead of throwing out the grass-stained cleats, Hoyer hung on to them as a reminder of his comeback.And as he prepared to play in his first Thursday night game since that fateful game a year ago, Hoyer joked about the keepsakes.Maybe Ill wear them this Thursday, he said with a smile before practice.Although the cleats may have contributed to Hoyers injury, he wont part with them. To him, they represent the end of one chapter and start of another — his personal halftime.Its just a significant moment in my career, Hoyer said. Everything that led up to that moment — really I blame the cleats because my cleat got stuck in the ground — maybe it was the grass. But I think to keep that and realize that getting to that point in my career, it took everything to get to that point, and then to keep those because thats kind of the second part of my career.Hoyer could be facing another pivotal moment in his football life when Cleveland (5-3) faces AFC North-leading Cincinnati (5-2-1) on Thursday at Paul Brown Stadium. For the Browns, this is a chance to validate a surprising start aided by a favourable schedule the past few weeks. For Hoyer, it could mean much more.Although hes 8-3 as Clevelands starter, its still not clear if Hoyer will be Clevelands quarterback beyond this season. Hes in the final year of his contract, and with first-round draft pick Johnny Manziel backing him up, Hoyers future with the Browns remains cloudy.With every win, Hoyer would seem to strengthen his grip on the job, and a victory on national TV over the Bengals, who are 13-0-1 at home since 2012, would give him another bargaining chip to stake his claim as the Browns future QB.However, Manziels shadow looms over Hoyer.General manager Ray Farmer would not directly discuss Hoyers contract situation, but indicated theres a chance the 29-year-old could land a deal before the end of the season.Well see what happens with Brian between now and then, Farmer said.Farmer said the Browns are comfortable in not rushing Manziel, who has only been on the field for a handful of plays this season. However, Farmer, who offered little clarity on a number of issues, seemed to indicate the team is looking toward Manziel — and not Hoyer — as the quarterback it intends to build around.I want Johnny to play when Johnnys ready to play, he said. Were comfortable with where were at and how we want to play him with what the total organization looks like around him. The result is for him to be successful for a long period of time and not just for a moment or a flash but for an extended period of time.So were going to put together the right group and make sure everything is in place and hes going to be ready and were going to be ready when he does get the opportunity.From the outside, the Browns appear to have a tough decision to make on Hoyer, who could test the free-agent market or wind up being given a franchise or transition tag by Cleveland.Farmer said hell do whats best for the Browns.No challenge at all, he said. I think its pretty simple. At the end of the day we sit down and make decisions that are good for our football team.Farmer said Hoyer has not exceeded expectations this season, and has shown hes a winner — on and off the field.Ive always talked about guys that study it, learn it, love it, breathe it, and hes done that, Farmer said. So to his credit, hes demonstrated not only to those on the outside world, but those interior, his commitment and his drive to be as good as he can be.NOTES: With suspended Pro Bowl WR Josh Gordon due back in two weeks, Farmer said its not a certainty hell be given a major role when he returns. He is a talented young man and he can do a lot of good things, Farmer said. But do you kind of disrupt what you are to just make sure that one person gets the ball? Teams win. Talent doesnt. Its really about building a team and people have to find a way to fit into the team. ... Browns coach Mike Pettine said WR Andrew Hawkins will be a game-time decision with a leg injury. ... Pettine said its possible TE Jordan Cameron (concussion) could return to face the Bengals.___Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Replica Wholesale Shoes .28 mph. Logano will start on the front row next to Penske Ford teammate Brad Keselowski, who came in second Friday at 193.099. The Penske drivers swept the top two spots for the second straight race, reversing their qualifying finish in Phoenix a week ago. Nike Shoes Sale . Perhaps as important, shes sending a message to 17-year-old gold medal favourite Sara Takanashi of Japan. Iraschko-Stolz relegated Takanashi, who has 10 World Cup victories this season, to second place in two of three training jumps Saturday. https://www.wholesaleshoesforcheap.com/air-max-sale/.S. President Barack Obama saluted the Stanley Cup winning Chicago Blackhawks at the White House on Monday -- a rare moment for a president hungry to see more victorious teams from his hometown. NMD Sale .com) - The Ottawa Senators will try to keep their slim playoff hopes alive when they face the Chicago Blackhawks who are trying to secure their place in the post-season. Wholesale Shoes Website . -- Jim Furyk was 10 shots worse and right where he wanted to be Saturday in the BMW Championship.COLUMBUS, Ohio - While Artem Anisimov has found another level of play, the Blue Jackets are still trying to find how to keep the pressure on as they chase a playoff spot. Anisimov scored twice, including a late insurance goal, as Columbus held off a third-period Dallas rally for a 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars. "Right now might be as good as weve seen him play in a Columbus uniform," Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said of Anisimov, who has scored five times in the last four games. "Two huge goals for us, especially the last one with the way the game was going." Columbus dug in for its third straight win to climb into a tie for seventh with the Rangers in the Eastern Conference. "Bobs (Sergei Bobrovsky) our last line of defence and its a great last line to have," Richards said. "But as a young team going forward and playing with leads, a 3-0 lead, thats where you want to continue to go after teams." The Blue Jackets are vying for only their second post-season appearance since joining the league in 2000. Columbus scored on the first shot of the game and bolted ahead on first-period goals by Boone Jenner, R.J. Umberger and Anisimov against backup Dan Ellis. Ellis was shaky early in making his first appearance since Feb. 1. "Its not easy," Dallas coach Lindy Ruff said of his goalies long layoff. "I kind of felt for him. The first shot got by him and I think that maybe rattled him a little bit." At the other end, Bobrovsky finished with 31 saves, one on an open shot by Jamie Benn with 5 minutes left with the Blue Jackets clinging to a one-goal lead. Bobrovsky nimbly tracked loose pucks and shots from near the crease all game to improve to 5-0-1 against Dallas. Defencemen Alex Goligoski and Trevor Daley had goals early in the third period for the Stars. With the loss, Dallas, which had won five of seven, still sits in eighth place in the Western Conference. Leading 3-0 entering the final period, Columbus seemed in control even though it had been drastically outshot since taking the big lead near the midpoint of the first. But the Stars finally broke through, scoring about two minutes apart. Goligoski fired home a rebound on the power play from near the crease, his fourth goal and second in as many games after a 48-game drought. Daley followed with his fifth on a redirection fromm between the circles off a soft point shot by Sergei Gonchar.dddddddddddd. "Sometimes you are going to get hit with some adversity," Ruff said of his teams slow start. "We were knocking on the door and we had a couple of good opportunities." Dallas kept coming, but Anisimov all but ended it with his 18th at 15:53 on a backhander after circling toward the crease from behind the net with Goligoski on his back. "We wanted to start fast," Umberger said. "We were prepared for a fast game. They get up and down the ice pretty quick. The first period definitely was the reason we won tonight. Bob held the fort for us the rest of the game." The Blue Jackets benefited from one stick-handling flub after another by Dallas defensive corps in the first period. With a fill head of steam, Jenner sent a long snap shot from the left circle into the far corner above Ellis outstretched glove for his 11th. Then the miscues. Aaron Rome then swept the puck off Brandon Dubinskys stick in the slot to a streaking Umberger, who scored his 17th. Just over four minutes later, the Stars Jordie Benn cleared the puck into traffic to teammate Cody Eakin, who bobbled it back toward the net to Anisimov. The big centre turned and sent a backhander past Ellis to make it 3-0. "Hes just stepping up and making big plays," Umberger said of Anisimov. "You can see hes capable, hes confident right now. Hes strong on the puck." The Stars outshot Columbus 12-1 in the second period but didnt have many prime scoring chances other than two by Tyler Seguin on a power play that Bobrovsky smothered. "We had a good first and the second wasnt our strongest period," Jenner said. "I thought we did a good job in the intermission of regrouping, knowing we still had the lead. I thought we had good desperation in the third." Notes: The Stars traded injured D Stephane Robidas to the Ducks on Tuesday for a conditional fourth-round pick. ... Columbus played without injured defencemen Fedor Tyutin and Ryan Murray, both out with lower-body injuries. ... Dallas entered 16-5-3 against the Blue Jackets in Nationwide Arena. ... Dallas C Rich Peverley did not play due to an upper-body injury. ... Stars LW Antoine Roussel become the fourth player from France to appear in at least 100 NHL games. ' ' '