The ‘Madden’ curse is still haunting Peyton Hillis’ career

RB finds himself jobless just two years removed from gracing the video game cover.

By SIMON SAMANO

Peyton Hillis … SMH.

Ever since Hillis graced the cover of “Madden 12″ just two years ago, his career has been an unmitigated disaster, reaching a low point Saturday when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released Hillis without him even playing a down this season.

You’ll recall that Hillis burst onto the scene in 2010 with the Cleveland Browns, when he rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was a fan favorite thanks to his throwback running style and the fact that he was an instant fantasy star.

It was good times all around for Hillis, who was voted as the cover boy for “Madden 12″ in the ensuing offseason.

Since then, though, it’s been a brutal downward spiral. Here’s what has transpired:

– In 2011, the last year of his rookie contract, Hillis played in just 10 games because of a strained hamstring. He rushed for just 587 yards and three touchdowns after his breakout 2010. Despite his letdown season, Hillis still expected a new, bigger contract with the Browns, which didn’t sit well with management. To boot, he lost favor with his teammates because of the way he acted throughout the ordeal. Not surprisingly, the Browns allowed Hillis to become a free agent.

– In 2012, Hillis joined the Kansas City Chiefs on a one-year deal. The idea was to have Hillis join Jamaal Charles to form a dynamic power-and-speed combo backfield, but Hillis never fit in. He finished the year with just 309 yards on 85 carries. With the hire of new coach Andy Reid, the Chiefs had no desire to keep Hillis.

– This season, Hillis joined the Buccaneers just hoping to keep his NFL career afloat. He suffered a thigh injury in the first preseason game and never played a regular-season snap before being released Saturday.

To sum up: Hillis went from “Madden” cover boy to playing for three teams and now being unemployed — all in a span of two short years.

At this point, even Hillis himself has to wish he’d never been voted to grace the cover.

Brian Hoyer will start for Cleveland Browns on Sunday against Minnesota Vikings

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns quarterback Brian Hoyer, a North Olmsted native and St. Ignatius grad, will start Sunday in Minnesota in place of Brandon Weeden, who is out with a sprained thumb.

Hoyer was chosen by coach Rob Chudzinski ahead of Jason Campbell, who had been listed as the team's No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart since the beginning of camp.

“I feel like based on our current situation where we’re at offensively as well as getting into the game planning for Minnesota that Brian’s strengths are the best fit for this week, and that he gives us our best chance to win,” Chudzinski said. “The things that he does well fit what we need.”

Chudzinski said Campbell, who has been the No. 2 quarterback since the start of training camp, handled it well.

“He’s a real pro,'' said Chudzinski. "He’s a team player. He said he’ll be ready if we need him.”

Hoyer, a fifth-year pro, has started one career game, a loss to San Francisco in the season finale last year less than three weeks after he joined the Cardinals.

Overall, Hoyer completed 19 of 34 attempts for 225 yards with one touchdown and one interception for a 73.8 rating that game. That performance included a 53-yard strike to receiver Michael Floyd. The Cardinals lost, 27-13.

"This is what I came here for, is to play,'' said Hoyer. "You don't come here to be just a guy, and I think anybody who plays this position in this league, they want to be on the field.

"But unfortunately, there can only be one. It's not like there's four receivers or two tight ends or five linemen. There can only be one quarterback out there, and you want to be that guy and if you don't have that drive, then you really don't belong.''

Chudzinski said early indications are that Weeden's thumb, which he smacked off John Greco's helmet in Sunday's 14-6 loss to the Ravens, is not a long-term issue.

"Everything has been positive up to this point,'' he said. "He’ll follow up with a hand specialist tomorrow, and we’ll see, get a better indication later on this week on his status going forward.”

Chudzinski said he doesn't know if Weeden will require surgery.

“We’ll see tomorrow with the specialist, what he says,'' said Chudzinski. "But everything’s been good. He’s been making progress and improving in the last few days.”

Chudzinski didn't guarantee that Weeden will get his job back when he's healthy.

“I’m going to leave all the options open,” Chudzinski said. “Really, it’s a matter of where he’s at from a health standpoint and all that plays into it, and where we’re at and how guys are playing as well.”

Chudzinski added, "Change can be good. It remains to be seen how Brian plays.''

Weeden was asked if he's concerned about keeping the starting job: "I don’t worry about that stuff.''

He added, "You never want to get hurt. I don’t care when it is, it could be the 16th game or the first game. as a player you want to be out there. it’s frustrating. I want to be out there with my guys.''

As for the status of his thumb, he said, "I don’t even know anything. I’ll know more tomorrow.''

He said he expects good things from Hoyer, originally signed by the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State.

"Brian will do great," Weeden said. "He's a good player, knows this system, has been around (Tom) Brady. I’m excited for him.''

Chudzinski stressed that the decision to start Hoyer was absolutely his and that, “Brian does a number of things well. Certainly playing in Chicago, he gave us a spark there, and that’s what we’re looking for is a spark. He can make every throw that you need. There’s no limitations from that standpoint.

"He's a smart guy, efficient, can operate and has a way of making plays. He gives us the best chance to win.''

Browns general manager Mike Lombardi has long been an admirer of Hoyer, in part because of the coaching and mentoring he received in New England under Lombardi's close friend, Bill Belichick.

In December of 2011 when Lombardi was an analyst for the NFL Network, he said of the Patriots' backups: "I think Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett are starters. I've said this many times: If I would have taken the GM job of the 49ers, I would have gone after Brian Hoyer, because I think he has all the traits and characteristics.

"If I were the Cleveland Browns, I'd rather have Brian Hoyer behind center than Colt McCoy. I think he's got all the traits you need, in terms of leadership, toughness, the arm strength, the ability to move the team."

Hoyer will have the benefit of deep threat Josh Gordon's return to the field after his two-game suspension for a failed drug test. In Gordon's absence, the Browns have scored a total of 16 points -- and one touchdown -- in their two losses.

Hoyer said serving as Brady's backup in New England for three seasons helped prepare him for this moment, especially the attention to detail.

He also said it was tough to be let go in the final cuts in New England last season and be without a team until November, when the Steelers signed him. He went on to get cut by the Steelers and then the Cardinals before the Browns signed him in May.

He feels he's a starting quarterback in the NFL, and now is his chance to prove it.

Lombardi and Banner's first draft with the Browns already a huge failure

Most Cleveland Browns' observers felt that Tom Heckert did a good job drafting for the Browns the last few seasons. They seem to have a good deal of young talent. His first draft in 2010 brought starters Joe Haden, TJ Ward, and Shaun Lauvao. In 2011, he did especially well, with six starters in Phil Taylor, Jabaal Sheard, Greg Little, Jordan Cameron, Buster Skrine, and Jason Pinkston. Last season, they added Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, Mitchell Schwartz, John Hughes, Travis Benjamin, and Billy Winn, as well as Josh Gordon in the supplemental draft. That's sixteen players, thirteen starters in three drafts. 

When new regimes take over teams, they usually like to put their own stamp on the team. Mike Lombardi and Joe Banner seemed especially anxious to make this "their team." They clearly have little faith in Brandon Weeden, and if he doesn't put up big numbers he will be gone. They also obviously planted a story with Lombardi's friend Jason LaCanfora of CBS sports, making it clear that Heckert left them nothing to work with.

If the Browns are going to have any success this year, and probably the next few years, Lombardi and Banner are going to have to rely on Heckert's players. The first draft of this regime can only be described as a failure. Top draft pick Barkevious Mingo has shown some promise. He has the speed and athleticism that they had hoped for. He is sidelined by a bruised lung, but he was not going to start anyhow. He may never be an every down player. He is very undersized for a linebacker. He is a converted defensive end who has never been asked to play in pass coverage. He is a pure pass rusher and maybe not much more. You would like to see more from the #6 overall pick. 

They had no second round pick due to taking Gordon in 2012. In the third round, they took cornerback Leon McFadden from San Diego State. They hoped McFadden would be the starting corner opposite Haden, a position at which the Browns are very thin. There were already questions about McFadden's height coming into the draft. At 5'9", it is questionable that he can cover some of the larger receivers in the NFL. McFadden has not looked good in the preseason, and not only will he not start, he enters the season as no better than the 4th cornerback.

Lombardi and Banner mysteriously traded the 4th and 5th round picks for a 3rd and 4th next season. For a team as devoid of talent as they want you to believe, passing on the chance to add young talent was an odd move to say the least. Presumably, they are stockpiling assets in order to move up and take a quarterback next year. That's an excellent way to show faith in your QB. 

Their next pick was 6th rounder Jamoris Slaughter, a safety from Notre Dame, who was cut yesterday. Seventh-round pick Armonty Bryant was arrested for DUI shortly after the draft, and barely squeaked onto the roster as their 4th string right defensive end. They had a second 7th rounder that they used on guard Garrett Gilkey, who has shown some promise, but is listed as the third team left guard.

There you have it. They traded two picks and drafted five players. Of those five, one was cut. The other four include a second team LB (Mingo), a fourth cornerback (McFadden), a fourth-string DE with substance abuse issues (Bryant), and a third team guard (Gilkey). None of them look like future starters, and only Mingo, and potentially Gilkey, appear to be guys that can contribute.

There is no way to categorize this other than a disaster. For a team still in need of depth and young talent, they added virtually none. Instead of planting stories about the poor job Heckert did, Lombardi and Banner should be grateful for the young talent he left them.