DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns' Hillis opens up on team, Denver in radio interview

Browns' Hillis opens up on team, Denver in radio interview

By Steve Doerschuk
CantonRep.com staff writer

Running back Peyton Hillis opened up about his lost year in Denver and his newfound stardom in Cleveland on a national radio show Wednesday.

Hillis, who had a breakout year for the Browns in 2010, said on the Dan Patrick Show he had “no idea” why the Broncos seldom used him in 2009 then traded him for Brady Quinn last March 14.

“I really didn’t care to know,” Hillis said. “I think there was a lot of turmoil there anyway. I really didn’t try to get into it.”

Hillis was a surprising rookie seventh-round pick in Denver in 2008, when he had a 129-yard running game against Eric Mangini’s Jets. His role shrank after Josh McDaniels replaced Mike Shanahan as head coach in 2009.

“In Denver,” he said, “they just wanted me to play strictly fullback, nothing else. I wasn’t too happy about the situation, but I was trying to be a team player.

“I just wanted to be on the field. It ended up I didn’t play anything at all.”

He welcomed the trade but wasn’t sure he would be more than the No. 3 running back behind Jerome Harrison and rookie Round 2 pick Montario Hardesty. Hillis looked promising in camp, and Hardesty blew out a knee.

“They let me play tailback,” Hillis said. “Coach Mangini came up to me before our first game, against the Buccaneers, and said he could see me being a 1,000-yard back. I never had a coach have that much confidence in me before. He helped me out a whole lot on a mental level.”

Hillis went on to rank sixth in the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 1,654, just ahead of stars Maurice Jones-Drew (1,641) and Adrian Peterson (1,639).

Patrick asked Hillis about the novelty of being a white running back in the NFL. Hillis said the topic is thrown in his face directly and indirectly, regularly.

“I know a lot of people don’t have a lot faith in me,” he said, “and even if you have a good year or a bad year they’re still going to criticize you and say you’re not good enough. It just gives me the motivation to go out there and do better.”

Hillis said his complexion always came up on the field.

“Every team did it,” he said. “They’ll say, ‘You white boy, you ain’t gonna run on us today. This is ridiculous. Why are you giving offensive linemen the ball?’

“All kinds of stuff like that you hear on the field, but I use that to my advantage. I kind of soaked it in, ate it up a little bit, because I enjoyed it.”

Hillis has heard nicknames suggested right and left. Patrick said his favorite is “The Avalanche,” to which Hillis responded:

“I heard that one. I heard ‘White Rhino.’ I heard ... Chuck Norris.’”

Hillis might have had a monster year had he not tapered off at the end. His last 100-yard rushing game was at Buffalo in Game 13. In the final three games, he ran for a combined 107 yards, averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. His season average was 4.4.

He season rushing total, 1,177 yards, didn’t get much help from two games against the Steelers, in which he totaled 18 carries for 54 yards. In an overtime loss to the other AFC finalist, the Jets, he ran 19 times for 82 yards.

“I’ve been looking at (the playoffs),” he said. “It makes you sick knowing you can’t be in ‘em.”

Pittsburgh led the league in run defense, allowing 62.8 yards a game. The Jets were a distant second at 90.9.

Hillis’ scouting report on Pittsburgh:

“Defensively I think You have to run right at ‘em. No outside zone, no stretch and cut runs. I don’t think those are good against ‘em.

“Troy Polamalu knows how to read offenses like quarterbacks read defenses. He’s all over the field. You don’t know where he’s going to be. It’s pretty difficult to approach.

“James Harrison is deceptively fast. Our game plan against them was pretty much downhill runs where you avoid him most of the time.”

And the Jets?

“It looks like they’re on pace again,” he said. “I think they’re really well coached. They seem to be always at the right place at the right time. I don’t know if they can match up with the Steelers talent for talent. It’s going to be one heck of a game.”

Hillis said he is a restricted free agent, although his status could be altered by the collective bargaining agreement that threatens the 2011 season.

Patrick, who assumed a playful tone in much of the interview, asked Hillis if the Browns are going to give him a healthy raise.

“I hope so,” Hillis said with a slightly nervous laugh. “Yes, sir.”

http://www.cantonrep.com/browns/x512668312/Browns-Hillis-opens-up-on-team-Denver-in-radio-interview

I'd hate to try and takle an angry Hillis.

I enjoyed that read.... I would love to be out on the field when those players trash talk each other...

This was a situation I just loved... We traded a commercial star for a real stud..

When did this interview take place?

No questions on coaching situation?

That's not like Dan...

Not off topic at all....Still need a strong running game to keep the D`s honest.. For the money....I would have to say they stay...jmo....

Hillis is a lot different from most backs in that his hands are one of his assets. I've never seen a RB catch like Hillis.

Hillis may receive even more reps considering he can be a FB andWR as well as RB. With his great hands, he may never get a break. He probably wont take the pounding he took a year ago but I could see his production doubling.

You might be on to something....Hardesty in the backfield....Hillis as TE or WR... see you later Robo.. .

Seriously... your right he does have good hands...That might help him fit into the new system even better... depending on what the new system is...

http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/fans-and-kids/top-5-hillis.html


Just a little fun flash back of his season performances...

Don't worry about getting rid of Hillis. Homie, heck, and Shermie would have to bunker up in the Berea complex until the police restored order.

I don't know if his production will double as on poster suggested, but he will still gain near 100 yards on the ground and have 5-6 targets a game in the passing game.

Just because it is the WCO..I. think we will modify a bit and include more running and make it the NCO.

I highly doubt that Hillis' role will be dramatically diminished or relegated to part time play. Remember, when Holmgren last coached the Seahawks, Shaun Alexander was the league MVP and topped the NFL in rushing. The WCO uses the pass to set up the run...not to eliminate the run. I hope Coach Shurmer figures a way to actually design an offense geared to his players' strengths.

I also see Hillis catching a lot of balls out of the backfield as well... he'll be a big part of the offense next year...

The crazy thing is we now have two running backs that can catch better than most receivers. If you ever watch Hardesty's highlight videos, the guy makes over the shoulder catches 35 yards downfield with a defender draped on him like nothing. I hope Shurmer can find ways to utilize both of these guys and evolve the offense. Execution is key is what Holmgren said, not trying to trick teams. I believe we have a QB that can execute at a high percentage and some nice pieces already. We need youth on the right side of the line and a receiver. Maybe now that New England got bounced and they obviously missed Moss they would consider trading up to our 6th and give us the 17th and the 28 or the 33. I know we need a receiving threat, but I am confident that Heckert can find his gem. He did a great job in Philly. Call me silly, but I would take those two picks and go JJ watt and Cameron Heyward. Immediately getting two guys with High Motors and Youth on the D Line.

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I ponder the question.....I wonder if Jim Brown ever heard 'Hey you black boy' from opposing defenses?
I highly doubt that.

How times have changed.

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Jim Brown probably heard much worse than "Hey you black boy", from opposing defenses.

Defensive (and offensive) players will say some pretty disgusting things try to get into a player's head, trying to upset their opponent, hoping they will lose their focus and start screwing up.

It's not a color thing either...it's simply a tactic some players use, thinking it will give them some kind of an advantage. It probably does more to motivate some players...sounds like Hillis is motivated by the trash talk.

Shurmur will be running a version of the WCO. That we all know. Holmgren is the freaking King in running a version of the WCO. That we all know. I'm betting Shurmur spends more than a lot of time picking Mikes brain for an education.

Someone in a post on the board somewhere said something to the effect that Holmgren shouldn't interfere with the coaching. I think it was said pertaining to his involvement with coaching-up McCoy. But when you have a QB guru in the building why not take full advantage of that? Same goes for the offense.

Shurmur has years of experience in that offense as a QB coach and two years as a coordinator. But that falls way short of Holmgren's experience. We have a QB guru and a WCO guru in one guy in the building every day. Bet your booty dude will be helping in every way he can without forcing himself onto the coach.

I believe Hillis will be used in many ways. His hands dictate that he will be catching a lot of passes out of the backfield. That's a WCO staple and Hillis will be perfect in that role.

I certainly hope you are correct. Shurmur ought to spend a lot of time following Holmgren around like a lost puppy, trying to glean as much as he possibly can.

All I'm saying, though, is that last year the Rams were as pass-happy as a team could be, and they still did not throw a proportionately high number of passes to their RB.

Shaun Alexander and Mack Strong did just fine in the WCO out in Seattle.

You guys need to chill out, we haven't even made it past the playoffs yet and next season is already being talked about as if its over.

It will be soon if we don't get an OC in here,...

I think we're just fine at OC. A blob of air should outperform Daboll

Like in the other thread -- I apologize for seeming impatient -- but the new OC is probably still on the sidelines today,....

Shaun Alexander was a back that could run the ball and catch the ball.

In his best rushing season, 2005 under Holmgren, he ran the ball 370 times (way too many) for 1,880 yards and 27 TD's.

In his best receiving season, 2002, he had 59 receptions for 460 yards.

Last year, under our new head coach Pat Shurmur, Steven Jackson had 330 rushing attempts (too many) for 1,241 yards and 6 TD's. He also caught the ball 46 times for 383 yards.

Hillis is actually a pretty good back for this system.

Did Alexander ever catch a pass?

Like I said, even if a bit nicer, he won't.

The distribution may change some....not sure how many balls he caught this year.....50+ I believe.

he may catch a few more, but then again, if we spread it around a bit more, his numbers may actually drop a bit.

At any rate, he isn't going to become a ghost in our new offense. He will still be a big part of the plan.

They should drop a bit if we get the WR's more involved. NFL.com says he had 61 catches. That's a lot. But considering most passes went either to him or Watson his catches are bound to drop a bit.

Woofurious, I am with DelsieD on this. WCO will need a grunt game that runs as much as needed and hurts people to keep the honest. More concerned about Vickers and Hardesty, and how we will use this trio or add some speed. A solid ground game in the mix makes the WCO more effective off play action IMO. With no ground game, the doodoo is deeper more quickly.

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Question, isn't a big part of the WCO (a rose by any other name) a pass catching back? Not being 100% familiar, I thought that was a big part of it,, am I correct?

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Yes. You are right

Roger Craig caught an awful llot of passes in his days with the 49ers in Walsh's WCO...

...and...

Even though it was more accurately described as a "Spread Offense" the Rams' "Greatest Show on Turf" used many of the WCO's elements (pass settting up run)... and Marshall Faulk blew the cover off the record books for receiving and rushing yards.

A pass-catching RB is a HUGE asset in a WCO, and is used a ton. In a scheme where short passes are used as runs, you want good hands in all your money positions.

To be honest, I'd be more worried about a diminished role for Lawrence Vickers, as I don't see an abundance of power sets in our future. If he can catch the ball (and in years past, he's shown that he can), he might be in to give a blow to H or H. Otherwise, he could find himself the 'odd man out' in the new plans, and that would be a shame to me. He's been one of my favorite players since he got here- a true homegrown talent whom we drafted.

To the poster who suggested that Shurmer might dump Hillis because he's a Mangiini player, I'd say this: "If he does, he's a damned fool, and should have his head examined for soft spots." Think of it this way: If you were in a wild-west gunfight with Black Bart and his 'Steel Thug Posse," and found a fully-loaded gun on the ground, would you refuse to pick it up and use it just because you didn't like the former sherrif (rip) who happened to drop it?

Hillis isn't the kind of player you dump because you don't have a plan for him... he's the kind of player you build some of your plan around.

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Hillis is a perfect WCO RB. He catches the ball, with his hands, better than any of our WRs do. He can block and he can run.

Frankly, I am excited to see what would happen if Hardesty returns to 100% health and we line the 2 of them up in the same backfield. They can both block, they can both run, and they can both catch.

I do hope that we can find a role for Vickers. I love lining him up in front of Hillis at the goal line and watching people get blown up.

I'm worried that Vickers may go. Because, as we have seen, he has no hands.