There's been a dearth of storylines this season that evoke memories of Peyton Hillis' breakout 2010 campaign with the Cleveland Browns.
Gone are the halcyon days where Hillis was defined by his ability to leap over defenders, drag trucks along country roads, or have his grill prominently displayed on iconic video game titles.
Instead, Hillis' story has been about strep throat, contract squabbling, and even whispers his role in the Browns' offense could be minimized.
Hillis had just 10 of Cleveland's 22 carries in a Week 4 loss to the Tennessee Titans, but coach Pat Shurmur made it clear on Thursday that Hillis remains the focal point of the ground game.
"Peyton Hillis is going to get the bulk of the carries, I can tell you that," Shurmur said of Cleveland's Sunday matchup with the Oakland Raiders.
This makes sense, especially since Hillis has done absolutely nothing to warrant losing touches. It's been a rough start for the back, but a big day against Oakland can go a long way in flipping the script in a very frustrating season.