WHITE NOISE
Mentor
I'm hoping for NOshow Morano to get hurt and I don't mean a strain, I'm talking full blow-out of the ACL baby!Edited by: WHITE NOISE
<H1 id=articleTitle =articleTitle>Hillis glad to help anywhere</H1>
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<DIV =articleByline>SEATTLE â€" Thing is, Peyton Hillis can run. He can catch. And he can block.
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And he can do all of those things well enough that even Hillis himself may not know where Peyton's place should be on a football field.
"A guy like me, it's probably pretty hard for somebody to pinpoint what position to have me do, where to put me all the time," Hillis said. "So in that way I guess your blessing's also your curse. All you can do is live with the decisions the coaches make and work hard and hope they all pan out for you."
So while a lot of things changed in and around the Broncos after coach Mike Shanahan was fired and Josh McDaniels was hired, the fact that Hillis will be asked to do a lot of things in the Denver offense has not been one of them.
Hillis has already lined up in training camp as the running back, the fullback, as a receiver and as a tight end. Toss in a steady diet of special teams and that's a full docket.
"(He's) kind of an older-school guy," McDaniels said. "Physical fits him, tough fits him, smart, plays a lot of positions on our team."
In his rookie year last season after the Broncos made him a seventh-round draft pick, Hillis became just the second player in franchise history to have a 100-yard rushing game and a 100-yard receiving game in the same season. He joined Ring of Fame member Floyd Little with that distinction.
But it was nothing new for Hillis, who played running back, fullback, wide receiver, H-back and tight end and returned punts for Arkansas. He was a good enough runner and blocker to be a regular contributor in a star-studded backfield that included Darren McFadden and Felix Jones â€" both first-round picks in the 2008 draft.
However, that versatility means Hillis hasn't always been left alone to flourish in one spot, to perhaps be all he can be with far fewer things on his to-do list.
"It got on me every now and then, got me down, especially in college, but I just finally learned that my blessing was to do a lot of things on a football field," said Hillis, who finished the 2008 season on injured reserve after tearing his right hamstring in a game against Kansas City on Dec. 7. "So you get used to it, I guess."
Good thing, because McDaniels has plenty of plans for him as well. Being a disciple of Bill Belichick, McDaniels will certainly play matchup football above all else. Belichick is regarded as one of the NFL's best at taking away what a team wants to do the most and at finding one-on-one matchups all over the field that work in his favor.
McDaniels' offense is built on changing formations, moving receivers around to create indecision by the defense as it sets its coverage. That is why a player like Hillis appears all over the formation.
Hillis played fullback and running back Saturday night as well as lining up wide in the formation several times. He carried the ball twice for 5 yards â€" he had a 29-yard run called back on a clipping penalty by Ryan Clady â€" to go with an 18-yard reception.
"I think as time goes on, I like doing a lot of things more and more," Hillis said. "Again, you know, your blessing can be your curse sometimes. You can love something too much, you can spend too much time with something â€" that's when you've got to learn how to balance.
"Some people spend too much time with their job, not enough with their family. You've got to balance things out. I think I'm learning how to balance it all out and just try to work as hard as I can on all of it so I can do whatever they want me to."
Hillis also may have been the most consistent running back in training camp.
"If I meet somebody and they ask me what position I play, I always just say an 'athlete' or that I do a lot of things," Hillis said. "Being classified as an athlete is better than the rest anyway. So I'll go with that. I'm an athlete."
What player did the Broncos miss the most in Saturday's 27-13 preseason loss at Seattle?
Brandon Marshall? No.
Brian Dawkins? Hardly.
Jay Cutler? Not even warm.
How about rookie running back Knowshon Moreno?
Yep, that's who.
Moreno may have had only three rushes in the preseason opener against San Francisco, but the Broncos offense are in obvious need of a running attack to rest the defense which got worn down by poor field position throughout thesecond half against the Seahawks and too much time spent on the field because of an ineffective running game.
Admittedly Chris Simms' ankle sprainlimited what the Broncos could do in the final quarter because Tom Brandstater was obviously overwhelmed thrust into subbing at quarterback. Darrius Walker led the Broncos running game with 11 carries for 48 yards. Peyton Hillis again was effective but his longest gain was negated by a penalty by Ryan Clady. Correll Buckhalter and LaMont Jordan have not been overly impressive in the first two preseason games-- Jordan has 29 yards on 11 carries in the two preseason games;Buckhalter is 8 for 19.
We realize it's just the preseason game, but the Broncos are going to need a running game to take considerable pressure off quarterback (now the obvious No. 1 QB) Kyle Orton. Let's face the facts: Orton may be a serviceable signal caller but he's not going to make Broncos fans forget about Jay Cutler any time soon.
That's where Moreno's absence from an MCL sprain in his knee is even more crucial.
And his quick return is even more important. The Broncos lost seven running backs to injury a year ago; now Moreno's imminent return proves the importance of the position even more for Denver.
The Broncos need Moreno's speed, shiftiness and innate ability because he has the entire package.
Hillis is an excellent receiver, blocker and occasional ball carrier, especially in the red zone. Jordan and Buckhalter have veteran leadership and a history of success. But none of them have all of the skills put together to match Moreno. The former Georgia back proved a lot in three measly carries against the 49ers. Plus, he showed his toughness while staying in the game despite an obvious injury.
When Moreno returns, let's hope he's healthy and then maybe the Broncos' ground game will prove just as effective as many expected it would be.
If that happens, the offense can utilize all its skills, from Orton to Brandon Marshall, Brandon Stokley, Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney, Tony Scheffler, Hillis, Daniel Graham, et al.yep, Moreno has that "innate ability" alright! and he showed it by carrying the ball three times before getting hurt. amazing! in fact, since he's slower, smaller, and weaker than Hillis, AND he can neithercatch nor block as well as Hillis ... let's make him the starter!
these guys are unbelievable.
dwid said:I don't recall Hillis getting that many carries. I think he had that one long one that was negated and then one other one. Hillis carrying the ball more is what was missing. He has already proven that he can be the main back last season. What has Moreno proven? Yes he did well in the SEC but apparently that means nothing in the pros because Jacob Hester sure hasn't had a real opportunity to run the ball.
They don't need Moreno. They wasted a first round pick. The guy they need was already on the roster before the draft.
dwid said:Bigger, Stronger, Faster
WHITE NOISE said:The way coach has him playing all over the place including special teams, one would thing they are deliberately trying to get him hurt. My God just let him run the freaking ball.