BEREA, Ohio — The winless Cleveland Browns were perceived to be sellers, not buyers, on the eve of the NFL’s trade deadline. They proved that theory wrong Monday. Cleveland acquired Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins from the Patriots in exchange for a conditional third-round draft choice, bolstering a defense that has allowed the most yards […]

PARIS — Gilles Simon rallied to beat Julien Benneteau 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in an all-French match in the first round of the Paris Masters on Monday. In their ninth career meeting dating back to 2007, Simon cracked Benneteau’s resistance in a tense first game of the deciding set and won the next three to go […]

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Bills coach Rex Ryan is having difficulty assessing why his prized defense is playing so inconsistently. One week, Miami’s Jay Ajayi gained 214 yards rushing against Buffalo. The next, New England quarterback Tom Brady piled up 315 yards and four touchdowns passing. “We know we have to play better, and especially […]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jimmie Johnson’s quest to win a record-tying seventh championship has been burning for nearly three years at Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson wants that title. Chad Knaus wants that title. Rick Hendrick wants that title. Oh, how easy it would be for No. 48 team to coast through the next two weeks, to look […]

BOSTON — So much for “Deflategate” having a lasting impact on the Patriots this season.  New England has reached the halfway point of its 2016 season and enters its bye week — surprise — with the best record in the AFC.  The Patriots battled through some early injuries and performed above expectations to go 3-1 […]

CLEVELAND — Josh Tomlin looked forward to Halloween and dressing up with his daughters, 2-year-old Makenzie Jae and 1-year-old Myla Kate. “I might be daddy piggy,” he said. With Cleveland anticipating the city’s first World Series championship since 1948 — and its first title clincher at home since 1920 — the Indians’ Game 6 starter […]