A trio of running backs combined for 169 yards and three touchdowns to lead Cleveland to a over the on . The victory moved the into first place for the first time in two decades. Our takeaways:NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported hours before the game that Thursday's performance would be a referendum for 's . If the wind tortured , Hoyer seemed oblivious to the effects, managing the game well -- as he has all season. Now in control of the division with two winnable games on the horizon, Hoyer is sitting pretty, unthreatened by the presence of ., Dalton's night ranks with Josh Freeman's as the starkest we have seen over the past few years. It was a , beginning with a head-scratching illegal forward pa s and extending through wild streaks of overthrows and dropped interceptions. Dalton's pa ser rating (2.0) and completion rate (30.3) were the lowest by any NFL quarterback , respectively.Dalton's performance drops his record to 2-9 in nationally televised games since entering the league. In those 11 games, he has completed 226 of 414 pa ses (54.6 percent) for 2,299 yards (5.6 yards per attempt), an 8:14 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 63.2 pa ser rating. In other words, he has been equivalent to when the world is watching. Whether it's tougher competition, nerves, talent, or an unholy combination thereof, it has to be a long-term concern in the Queen City.With Tom Jackson Jersey in and out of the lineup, the have surrendered an average of 157 yards on the ground in the past seven games. They have allowed more rushing touchdowns between the tackles than any team in the league. The defense's shaky backbone took another hit Thursday night, when injured his surgically repaired knee in the second half. There was no update on the severity of the injury.The entered the game planning to ride the hot hand in a three-man backfield. played the feature back role when the game was close, giving way to and deep in the red zone and in garbage time. We would expect West to lead the attack again versus next week.After a slow start to the season, cornerback has been excellent of late. He has limited to 23, 7 and 51 yards in their last three matchups. Still fighting a toe injury, Green was visibly frustrated on at least one of Dalton's errant throws. play-caller drew raves for his early-season work, but he was outcoached by Kyle Shanahan of the . Shanahan has done Rojesterman Farris Jersey a masterful job of keeping Hoyer out of obvious pa sing situations, bolstering his quarterback with the .With nursing an ankle injury, was a major liability at right tackle. The will have to hope Smith can play next week at New Orleans.Fun with , courtesy of NFL Media's Akbar Gbajabiamila: Manziel scored more points from the sideline (0) than Dalton managed (-1.76) for nearly four quarters.Now standing atop the AFC North, the are off to their best start since 1994. They should be favored the next two weeks against the and . Meanwhile, the hit the road for three straight games, starting with a forbidding matchup at New Orleans in .The latest Around The NFL Podcast and recaps the ' blowout win over the . Find more Around The NFL content on .