Cleveland Browns RB Peyton Hillis Ready To Hit Opposing Defenders Harder

The Cleveland Browns host the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday in week 5 of the 2010 NFL season.

While the headline may appear that Browns power running back Peyton Hillis is out to injure defenders, he really is not, but after taking two Cincinnati Bengals defenders out of the game in Week 4, Hillis is hitting defenders harder than they are hitting him.

Hillis has begun to rack up an injured defender tally just like his touchdown tally.

Hillis has four touchdowns, one in each game this season, and he has taken two defenders out of the game as well.

Both Bengals defenders Roy Williams and Jonathan Joseph were casualties of the Week 4 game.

Williams is out three-to-four weeks after coming up from his safety spot to lay a lick on Hillis, but he wound up bouncing off the bruising back while Hillis continued to move forward.

Thinking he would get a good shot on Hillis, Williams learned the hard way that Hillis hits the defenders, not the other way around.

Bengals cornerback Joseph is day-to-day right now after being on the receiving end of a Hillis hit in Week 4 as well.

When was the last time you even heard of a running back who hit defenders harder than the defenders were trying to hit the runner?

Perhaps a few years back when the 255 pound Brandon Jacobs was running hard for the Giants.

Or maybe it goes as far back as one of Hillis's favorite players, former Tampa Bay Buc Mike Alstott.

Regardless, Hillis's style of running is punishing and the Browns need to watch how much they really use him.

As the numbers show for both Jacobs and Alstott in the past, they both ran hard in their mid-20s but then their production fell off.

Other variables could have been in play, but when a running back is running as violently as Hillis, Jacobs, and Alstott, there is cause for caution too.

The Browns may not have enough weapons on offense, and with the emergence of Hillis, it appears the Browns are featuring him more and more as the weeks go on.

How about spreading the ball around and getting Josh Cribbs more touches?

This is a good way to keep Hillis fresh and healthy longer, plus Cribbs only had 10 total touches in week 4 with half of those from kick returns alone.

Cribbs needs to have more than five touches on offense each week and increasing that number somewhere between 12-15 will keep Hillis running hard longer.

The Browns went from having one explosive weapon on offense to two with Hillis, but they still need to figure out how to use both effectively now.

Hopefully, the Falcons will see both these players take control of the Browns' offense, which will lead to win No. 2 for the Browns this season.

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(Also posted on Dawg Scooper: THE Cleveland Browns Blog)