Peyton Hillis nearing a rare milestone for big backs

With 5 games left in the 2010 NFL season Peyton Hillis has plenty of time to achieve that one milestone every NFL running back strives for in a season, and that's to rush for 1,000 yards. Heading into Sunday's match up with Miami, Peyton Hillis only needs 95 yards to reach the 1,000 yard mark. Considering he's been demoralizing and humiliating defenses for the better part of this season, I'd say we could put his chances of achieving that goal at "better than fair".

Hillis' has been a rather fascinating story this year for many reasons. The fact that he practically came out of nowhere, and was on nobody's radar isn't particularly of interest because it happens so often in the NFL. Not only can teams rise from obscurity, but players do as well, and every year there's at least one or two players that burst onto the scene either as surprising late round rookies, or young players who finally got their chance. While Hillis technically falls into the latter category, he's also the type of player that doesn't come around very often. How long he can play at this level is yet to be seen.

Once Hillis crosses over the 1,000 yard mark he will be only the 9th "big back" in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The measuring stick used here to define "big back" is weighing at least 240lbs. Most coaches will tell you that it's nice asset to have a big bruising running back that can completely wear out a defense in the 2nd half of a game. Rarely though do these backs come along and that's because there is a drawback to this line of work. History has shown us that the majority of "big backs" throughout the years were one dimensional, always taking on contact, the big hit, the violent collision. It's the only thing they brought to the table, and unfortunately that type of game has a very short shelf life in the NFL.

One of the most notable "big backs" in the past 20 years is probably Christian Okoye. At 6-1 and 260lbs, Okoye was called the "Nigerian Nightmare" and the name suited his style of play to a tee. As any defensive back that had to tackle him in his prime can attest, bringing him down was an absolute nightmare. In 1989 he rushed for a league leading 1,480 yards and 12 touchdowns. Unfortunately, he only eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark 1 other season his career that lasted a brief 6 years.

Which brings us back to Mr. Hillis. He has carried the ball 199 times for 905 yards, giving him a very robust and healthy 4.5 ypc. Right now he's on pace to rush for over 1,300 yards on 289 carries for the season. We're not working him like John Wayne worked that horse over in True Grit, but it's a healthy workload, and when you are the back that takes the fight to the defense, those carries carry more weight than the carries of your average 200lb scat back. Fortunately for Hillis, unlike his big boned predecessors, Hillis is far from one dimensional. He has exceptional pass catching skills as he's made the 11 O'clock highlights for his astounding catches more than Cleveland's wide receivers (ok, well that might be more of an indictment on their receivers, but I digress)

For Hillis to have long term success here in Cleveland he's going to have to play smart as well as tough. Here are a few suggestions that might help him prolong his career and bring even more joy to those football purists that just enjoy watching him run.

• Keep it grounded- We know you have mad hops Peyton, and trust me, I still find watching you hurdle grown men not only comical but strangely sublime, however it has been my experience that good things rarely happen when you leave your feet on the field in play.
• 1vs100-- Taking on a gang tackle to gain minnimal yardage might not be time well spent. When a defense can hold you up to near stationary, bad things happen when those linebackers catch up to the pile.
• Tickets to the Gun Show?--Peyton Hillis is single handedly responsible for my wife watching the most football she's ever witnessed in her life. She's shameless about the guns, fortunately I reap the benefits, so his contribution to my entertainment this fall has been two fold, I can't thank him enough. So it is for that reason we need to protect those guns. Fumbles have been an issue in the past, not to mention Hillis' arms looked like Jim Caviezel's back in Passion of the Christ at the end of last Sunday's game vs Carolina. Some padding might go a long way with reducing stingers.

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It's fun to watch, but bad things happen when you don't have your feet on the ground.


Hillis is quickly becoming the darling of Cleveland as his punch you in the face style of play embodies all the tough qualities of the city he plays for. Even his mere acquisition has already become a source of pride for Browns fans. Anytime we encounter a fan of another team that heaps praise on Hillis we cannot wait to tell them the details of the trade that landed him in the Cuyahoga.

(Confused Colts fan)
"So Denver got Brady Quinn. The current 3rd string QB for the Broncos"

(Really enthusiastic Browns fan)
*nods head*
YES...

(Still confused Colts fan)
"And you guys got Peyton Hillis and not one, but two draft picks?!?!"

(Smiling maniacally Browns fan)
"I know, right!!"


It's not too often that the Browns end up on the better end of trades around the league, so plucking a kid like Hillis off an old rivals roster is particularly sweet. And when playoff appearances are about as regular as Flavor Flav child support checks, you take what you can get.