29
Aug
2011
Enter Hillis: Madden NFL 12 drops at midnight
Hillis became the face of the Browns -- and Madden -- after last season. (EA Sports)
Madden NFL 12 doesn’t go on sale until Tuesday, but cover boy Peyton Hillis did his Browns teammates and coaches as solid Monday by handing out advance copies of the game.
“With the guys, I brought them a few copies yesterday and they’re excited about that,” Hillis told the Plain Dealer. “To bring a smile to their face and see them excited about something is really nice. I like to hear the guys joke around about it. I can take a lot of heat.”
Last year, it was tacklers who took the heat, as Hillis blasted his way onto the scene with 1,177 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, with another 477 yards and two scores through the air.
Is Hillis caught up in the fanfair?
“No, because we’re in the middle of football now and the regular season is in a couple of weeks,” Hillis said. “I’m more focused on that right now instead of the game.”
Hillis, who has downplayed winning the cover contest from the start, remains thankful to the fans who voted him past the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Michael Vick.
“It’s exciting,” he said. “I’ve been very blessed. I’m kind of speechless at times. You never can lose focus. You can’t stay humble enough. You just have to go out there and do what you can. I’m grateful for the opportunity I had, but it’s time to move on and get focused on more important things.”
Coach Pat Shurmur, logging sleepless nights trying to get his West Coast offense installed, admitted he doesn’t have much time to toy around with Madden.
“I’ve actually never played the game,” said Shurmur. “My son, I would consider him somewhat of an expert. … I think (Kyle is) interested to see what I look like in the game, too. But, yeah, I have a copy. It was nice of (Hillis).”
NFA founder Daniel Wolf was shipped an advance copy and spent a weekend playing Madden NFL 12 before its release. Check out his detailed game review, in which he scored it a “B.”
28
Apr
2011
Peyton Hillis wins cover of Madden ’12
(Image via waitingfornextyear.com)
In what amounts to a total shocker, Cleveland Browns RB Peyton Hillis was chosen to grace the cover Madden ’12. This year, the cover boy of the popular EA Sports’ video game franchise was put up to a fan vote, with 32 players (one from each team) entered into a March madness-style tournament, with fans deciding who would advance. And after five weeks and 13 million votes, the undrafted RB out of Arkansas was crowned the winner.
Hillis, a 10th seed, went through a gauntlet of higher-ranked opponents, defeating Ray Rice, Matt Ryan, Jamaal Charles and #1 seed Aaron Rodgers in a stunner to reach the finals, where he soundly defeated Eagles QB Michael Vick to win the cover with 66% of the final round votes. The victory over Rodgers stunned everyone the most, leading many to speculate that Packers fans rallied to vote against Rodgers in fear of the dreaded “Madden Curse”.
But regardless, Hillis – who burst onto the NFL scene last season with over 1,600 total yards and 13 TDs – clearly had his own viral support team of Browns fans, and is eager to disprove the existence of the curse:
“For people to believe in this so-called curse, I can’t wait to prove people wrong,” he said. “From what I believe and where I am in my spiritual life, it would be good to prove them wrong in that sense.”
You’ve gotta know that the folks at EA sports had something else in mind when they started this tournament. But Hillis is pretty much a prototypical “Madden Guy”, so he actually fits the brand perfectly. And at this point, Browns fans will take anything that could even be considered a positive sign for their franchise, and Hillis is the best thing they’ve got going right now.
WATCH THE VIDEO OF THE MADDEN ’12 COVER ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER THE JUMP
1
Feb
2011
Cleveland’s road to redemption begins at home
Pat Shurmur has his work cut out for him. (Source: Statesmen.com)
Cleveland Browns head coach Pat Shurmur faces the same tall task that left Chris Palmer, Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel and Eric Mangini in shreds: Winning an AFC North division inhabited by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, two of football’s most consistently successful franchises.
Each new Browns regime shuffled out before a bewildered fanbase claims some deep understanding of the Pittsburgh and Baltimore rivalries, but nothing has changed. The Browns have been manhandled within the division since their return.
Baltimore is despised by Browns fans, but with Ozzie Newsome running the show, they’ve forged an identity built on bone-crushing defense and just enough offense to win. Pittsburgh — heading to its eighth Super Bowl and third since 2005 — is perhaps the most sound organization in the league, with just three coaches since 1969.
Cleveland’s had five since ’99 — and it shows.
14
Jan
2011
For Browns fans, a voyage through the wilderness continues
Another new beginning. (Source: Cleveland.com)
And so the Browns begin again.
Eric Mangini out. Pat Shurmur in — through a revolving door that Friday welcomed its third head coach since 2008 and fifth since the team rebooted in 1999.
In that time, the Tennessee Titans have only known Jeff Fisher as coach.
Since 1999, the New England Patriots, led by former Browns coach Bill Belichick, have enjoyed winning records in 10 consecutive seasons. Tom Brady — who the Browns ignored in the 2000 NFL Draft to select Spergon Wynn — has won 111 football games and three Super Bowls during a stretch in which Cleveland’s fans have endured nine season with six or fewer wins and a growing sense of purposelessness.
As each losing, demoralized leader of men is shipped out of town, a new coach strides in and, in his introductory press conference, trumpets his respect for the great tradition of the Cleveland Browns.
Images in grainy black-and-white depicting heroes long gone — many dead.
For fans under 30, the deep history of a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since January 1995 is irrelevant. Young football fans throughout Ohio have grown up watching their half-baked hometown roster of hobby horses dismantled and embarrassed repeatedly by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, two teams that look a lot more like the Browns of old than the Browns themselves.
5
Jan
2011
The five deadly sins of Mike Holmgren and the Cleveland Browns
The spotlight now falls to Holmgren to get it right. (Source: Cleveland.com)
On Monday, Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren went from wise father figure atop a rebuilding Browns organization, to a man under significant pressure to deliver.
It’s one thing to tell a fanbase that Eric Mangini hasn’t met expectations — it’s another to meet them yourself. While Holmgren excels at win-you-over press conferences, it’s his football decisions this offseason that will define his tenure with this star-crossed franchise.
The Browns are about to hire their sixth head coach since their return in 1999. Whoever finally turns the ship around will never buy a drink in Ohio again — but it’s no small task, and one that’s left wheelbarrows of dead along the road out of town.
Here are five mistakes Holmgren must avoid, if he wants to turn this ship around:
MISTAKE #1: Miss on the coach
While some were thrilled to see Mangini swept aside, they might look back and wonder why the move was made if Cleveland goes in the direction some predict.
Holmgren talked about spreading a wide net, but lead candidates for the coaching vacancy appear to be limited to those also represented by Holmgren’s agent, Bob LaMonte. He fronts John Fox, Jon Gruden, Jim Mora, Brad Childress, Pat Shurmur and — ugh — Marty Mornhinweg.
“I don’t want to have to do this again, so I have to get it right,” said Holmgren.
It’s hard to get excited about that “right” choice being Mornhinweg, who went 5-27 as coach of the Detroit Lions.
3
Dec
2010
UPDATE: Hillis/McDaniels rumor confirmed false
(AP Photo via examiner.com)
Yesterday, we posted this story, which put forth the rumor that Josh McDaniels ran Peyton Hillis out of Denver because Hillis had put the moves on McDaniels’ wife. The rumor was originally attributed to 104.3 the Fan in Denver by a Broncos message board. Knowing that internet forums aren’t exactly the most reliable sources, we reached out to the station to confirm whether or not Mark Schlereth and/or Alfred Williams actually said such a thing on their radio show (The Drive) earlier this week.
D-Mac (the host of the show) wrote back to let us know that it is absolutely untrue, and they have no idea where that rumor got started. We’re not really in the business of rumor mongering, so we apologize for any part we had in perpetuating this one.
But regardless, we still have to question McDaniels’ handling of Hillis during their time together. And we still want to know why the coach seemingly disliked Hillis so much when he got to Denver. At the very least, the Broncos have to seriously examine McDaniels’ eye for talent, and whether or not he should be handling the personnel decisions for the team.
2
Dec
2010
Did Peyton Hillis hit on Josh McDaniels’ wife?
UPDATE: We have confirmed with 104.3 the Fan in Denver that this rumor is 100% False. See here for more details.
_______________________________
Could that really be why McDaniels’ has seemingly hated Hillis since the two were both in Denver together? Its that why the brash young head coach was so eager to jettison such a talented running back from his team without ever letting him see the field?
That was the word on the street according to BroncosForums, where it was falsely reported that a Denver radio station said it was common knowledge around the Broncos organization that Hillis made the moves on McDaniels wife … Josh supposedly got wind of it, and that was it for Hillis.
And even though this report turned out to be false, for Broncos fans, it’s a legitimate question to wonder why Hillis never got a shot under McDaniels. I mean, there had to be something that blinded McDaniels to the guy’s obvious talents and nearly give Hillis away to Cleveland, right?
Let’s face it, McDaniels hasn’t exactly won over a lot of new fans this season, in leading the Broncos to a 3-8 record and continuing to make some seriously questionable decisions since his arrival on the scene in Denver. And one of the strangest scenarios of his short tenure has revolved around Hillis, who led the Broncos in rushing with 353 yards in 6 starts during his rookie year in 2008. But he never really got a chance to show his stuff once McDaniels took over for Mike Shanahan the following year. Denver drafted Knowshon Moreno to be the feature back, and Hillis seemed to be planted firmly in McDaniels’ doghouse, carrying the ball only 13 times in 2009. McDaniels then cut ties entirely with Hillis, trading him to the Cleveland Browns for Brady Quinn and a draft pick. The only thing close to an explanation McDaniels ever gave was that Hillis “didn’t fit the system”.
1
Dec
2010
Another episode of Scott Fujita’s Rollin’ at the Rock: featuring Browns center Alex Mack
Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita has been cooking up his Rollin’ at the Rock show going back to his days with the Saints. Now he’s in C-Town, cooking with Chef Danny.
In this episode, Fujita’s benched for Browns center Alex Mack, who claims to be adept at cooking sushi. I think we’ll stick with Mack playing center — where’s he’s been a pile driver all season for Peyton Hillis (the latest recipient of R&R’s Hit of the Week).
30
Nov
2010
Hit Of The Week: Peyton Hillis trucks over Charles Godfrey (VIDEO)
(AP photo via Boston.com)
With the Hit Of The Week, ReadAndReact will find the most brutal tackle, block or run from each weekend of NFL games, and present it for your viewing pleasure.
Today’s HOTW comes from Sunday’s Browns-Panthers tilt, where RB Peyton Hillis turned in another juggernaut performance with 131 yards and 3 TDs in leading Cleveland to a 24-23 win. Hillis proved to be a nightmare to tackle for Panthers defenders, and no more so than on his third touchdown run of the 1st half, which found an unfortunate Charles Godfrey standing in his path:
VIDEO AFTER THE JUMP
28
Nov
2010
Week 12 LIVE GAME BLOG
Matty Ice on tap. (Source: New York Times)
We’ll be watching and covering the games all day. If you want to join in the conversation, just use the comments section below.
¶ With Falcons driving, the team announced that Roddy White just became the 12th wide receiver in NFL history to register 80 catches & 1,000 yds receiving in four consecutive seasons.
¶ Falcons’ first drive ends with a field goal. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers waiting in the wings.
¶ Carolina marches right down the field and scores on the Browns in Cleveland. Mike Goodson with a 26-yard scamper for the score. The Browns drive right down the field, with Jake Delhomme going 5 for 7 for 63 yards. Peyton Hillis scores on a 9-yard touchdown run.
¶ The Jags have taken an early 7-3 lead on the Giants — New York, without Hakeem Nicks to bolster a thin wideout lineup, cannot fall behind by much in this game.
MORE AFTER THE JUMP
