There is good news for Johnny Manziel. Unfortunately for him, the only good news is that things can't possibly get any worse. That's because the Browns put up a goose-egg in Manziel's first NFL start, a humiliating 30-0 home loss to the Bengals on Sunday. It's hard to imagine any playoff-bound fantasy owners actually starting the rookie quarterback, but it's curtains if they did. It's also curtains if they were going up against Odell Beckham, Jr.

All odds provided by Sportsbook.ag

Johnny Football . We knew based on Brian Hoyer's performances that there was a reason beyond Hoyer's football skill (or lack thereof) that he continued to get the starting job over Manziel. Yesterday's game revealed said reason: Manziel isn't any better. In fact, in Week 15 he was even worse than Hoyer had been for much of 2014. The former Heisman Trophy winner completed 10 of 18 passes for a miniscule 80 yards to go along with two interceptions. He kept it five times for a paltry 13 rushing yards. It wasn't long ago that Cleveland led the jam-packed AFC North; now the team is eliminated from playoff contention still with two weeks to go. The Browns are +3.5 underdogs at Carolina in Week 16.

Fantasy owners vs. Odell Beckham, Jr . If you played against Beckham in the fantasy football playoffs this week, especially in a points-per-reception league, you are probably are on the fast track into the offseason and onto the proverbial golf course. Although the Giants scored only 24 points against the lowly Redskins, Beckham did just about everything. The owner of arguably the most amazing catch in NFL history was consistently dominant from start to finish on Sunday, hauling in 12 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns in an 11-point win for New York. Washington bore the brunt of Beckham's performance as it dropped its sixth straight game to fall to 3-11. The Giants are +4.5 underdogs at St. Louis in Week 16.

Barry Alvarez . A member of the College Football Playoff Committee, Alvarez won't mind too much that the bracket-makers are catching some flak for how they handled TCU (even though the consensus is that they put the four best teams in the tournament). He has a lot more pressing issues to deal with as Wisconsin's athletic director. That's because his football program has gotten to the point where coaches are not only leaving for Arkansas (Bret Bielema) but also bolting for Oregon State. That's the move Gary Andersen made last week, not long after his Badgers got blown out 59-0 by Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. Reports have surfaced that the Wisconsin job is going to Pittsburgh head coach Paul Chryst. Alvarez will be the interim for the Outback Bowl, in which Auburn is a -6 favorite.

Bryce Harper . The Nationals held their NatsFest fan festival on Saturday, and Harper was a conspicuous no-show. "I have attended NatsFest each year and always enjoy my experience with the fans, but was unable to attend this year's event due to matters out of my control," Harper said in a statement. "I look forward to next year's NatsFest." General manager Mike Rizzo, however, suggested that the outfielder "chose" not to be in attendance and that the team was "disappointed" with his absence. Harper is currently dealing with a grievance filed by the players' association on his behalf arguing that he should be able to void the terms in the final season of his five-year, $9.9 million contract. Washington is a +750 co-favorite to win the World Series.

Indiana Pacers . It was always going to be a trying 2014-15 campaign for the Pacers from the moment Paul George sustained a brutally broken leg during the FIBA World Cup. Things started in decent fashion, with Indiana recovering from a 1-6 start to reach a somewhat respectable 7-9. But Frank Vogel's squad is on an eight-game losing streak, the longest current slide in the entire NBA. Three of the Pacers' four setbacks last week came at home, and none was particularly competitive. Adding George Hill and C.J. Miles to an extensive injury report has not helped. Indy is a -6 home favorite over the Lakers on Monday.

Alex Poythress . Poythress suffered a torn ACL during practice last week and will miss the rest of the college basketball season. It's a big blow to Kentucky for several reasons. One, the junior forward was one of the team's emotional leaders and a fearsome enforcer on the defensive end and on the glass. Secondly, it derails John Calipari's two-platoon system that featured a total of 10 men. The Wildcats still used a similar rotation on occasion during their 84-70 win over North Carolina on Saturday, but for the most part Calipari had to sub in and out like any other coach would with nine players. Poythress was averaging 5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 points in 20.3 minutes per game. He averaged 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds while getting more minutes (25.8) as a freshman in 2012-13.

AS Roma . It's not like there weren't enough scenarios for AS Roma to sail through to the Champions League round of 16 as it prepared for its final leg of Group E competition at home against Manchester City last Wednesday. The Wolves would advance most simply with 1) a win but also with 2) a scoring draw and a Bayern Munich vs. CSKA Moscow draw or 3) a scoreless draw against Man City and a CSKA loss. None of those happened. Roma lost to the Sky Blues 2-0 and Bayern took care of the underdog Moscow side 3-0, allowing City to join group leader Bayern in the knockout stage. It was the Manchester club's first-ever win in Italy in a competitive, non-friendly match (previously 0-4) and it prevailed without Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are +250 co-favorites to win the title.

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