Denver RB Peyton Hillis Making a Name For Himself

Who is this freakin' guy?

Peyton Hillis has been living in the shadows and doing the dirty work for first round picks Darren McFadden and Felix Jones for the past four years.  Now, the spotlight is on No. 22 for once, and he is taking advantage.

Due to injuries, the Broncos have essentially lost their top five running backs.  Hillis, who hoped to be the full time starter at fullback, was called upon to resume the duty of tailback on a Thursday night against Cleveland.

At 6'2" and 250 pounds, Hillis has been an absolute beast for opposing defenses ever since.

In three starts, he is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and has four rushing touchdowns.

Not too impressed? 

Well, since Hillis took over as Denver's starting tailback, he is averaging more yards per carry than the three best (in my opinion) running backs in the NFL Adrian Peterson (4.6), Clinton Portis (3.8), and Michael Turner (4.0) in that same three game stretch.

Still not impressed? 

Despite being a rookie, seventh round pick, and sixth string tailback, he has more touchdowns (four) than Adrian Peterson, Clinton Portis, LenDale White, Brandon Jacobs, Thomas Jones, LaDainian Tomlinson, or fellow rookie Matt Forte in the last three games.

Look, I'm not saying Peyton Hillis is the greatest running back who has ever lived, but the stats don't lie.

Hillis is currently leading the NFL among starters in frequency of first downs, moving the chains on 35-percent of his carries.

Peyton Hillis has been an excellent addition to the Broncos, even though nobody expected him to be.  He has helped the Broncos overcome a plague of injuries, and his team is currently in first place, comfortably in the drivers seat.

And victories are more important to Hillis than any other stat, which is why the Broncos are a force to be reckoned with.

In his most recent effort, the rookie back helped the Broncos to an impressive victory over the "AFC team to beat" New York Jets, becoming the first back to rush for over 100 yards against the New York defense this season with 129.

The Broncos finally have that final piece to their offense, in the form of a 250 pound, white running back/fullback who only wanted a chance.