I’m not sure if anyone has experienced as rapid of a rise, or as steep of a fall, as Peyton Hillis. The Cleveland Browns running back has gone from a 2010 season in which he experienced career-best numbers to a tumultuous 2011 season that saw him having a great deal of trouble just getting on the field.

Hillis spent the first two years of his career buried on the depth chart at running back with the Denver Broncos. He gained a total of 394 yards over his first two seasons in the NFL before he was traded to the Cleveland Browns. In a case of being the right player at the right time on the right team, Hillis had a breakout 2010 season. He gained 1,177 yards on the ground and ran for 11 touchdowns.

His tough, bruising running style made him a fan favorite in Cleveland quickly, and the fans awarded him a special honor as a result. When the makers of the Madden NFL video game put to the fans a vote on who they wanted as cover player, Browns fans rose to the occasion. In an upset over more accomplished players such as Michael Vick and Aaron Rodgers, Hillis was selected to be on the cover.

However, times would soon turn tough for Hillis. Coming off the 2011 NFL lockout, Hillis was entering the last year of his original rookie contract. Believing that he had earned a new, more lucrative, extension, Hillis entered into contentious negotiations with Browns management. While it’s not known what Hillis was eventually offered for an extension, he never accepted it. Eventually the Browns decided to end negotiations until the season was over.

Hillis’ 2011 season has been a largely forgettable one. Plagued by slowly healing injuries, Hillis has had trouble fitting into an offense that has completely changed since the Browns hired a new head coach earlier in the year. As a result, Hillis has played in only nine games this season, accumulating only 557 yards and three touchdowns.

Recently, in an interview, Hillis stated that he believes his poor 2011 performance is a result of the “Madden Curse,” a well-known supposed curse that befalls players who have graced the cover of the video game. Prior victims of the curse have included Michael Vick, Dorsey Levens, and Shaun Alexander.

It’s not surprising that Hillis would blame the video game curse rather than taking full responsibility for his poor play. Hillis has spent a lot of time in the locker room in the first half of the season talking to the press discussing how unhappy he was with his contract situation. It infuriated his teammates so much that they eventually forced a private meeting with him to attempt to straighten out his attitude.

Whether or not you believe in this curse in Hillis’ situation depends on how you view the player himself. Is he a victim of circumstance (the lockout), nagging injuries, and a change in the coaching staff and philosophy? Or did he let his 2010 success go to his head and, instead of focusing on his play, spend too much time in 2011 whining about his contract? Time will tell. Until then, I personally believe that Hillis was a curse unto himself.

Julie is a long-time NFL fan who does not believe in the Madden NFL curse. Success in football is sometimes a curse unto itself. In any case, she supports the Cleveland Browns’ decision to stop negotiating with this particular running back.

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Browns quarterback Seneca Wallace will go out this season the same way he came in: determined to prove he should be the Browns’ starting quarterback.

With Colt McCoy officially ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Steelers, Wallace will make his third straight start, and he indicated it shouldn’t have taken so long for him to get his chance.

“At the end of the day, I can control what I can control,” he said. “Yeah, I get frustrated that, hey, I feel like I deserve a shot or I want a shot. But at the end of the day, it’s just a matter of making sure I lead my teammates in the right direction. The rest will take care of itself.”

Asked if he should he have a chance to compete for the starting job next season, Wallace said: “Maybe so. I don’t know. I’ll let you guys evaluate that.”

Before the season, Wallace, who had just signed a new three-year deal worth $9 million, told The Plain Dealer that he’d do everything he could to beat out McCoy for the starting job in camp.

“I still want the opportunity to go out and be able to play myself, so I’m not just going to sit back and watch,” he said then. “I’d rather go out there and play.”

During an interview Thursday on FM/92.3, Wallace said it’s been “very tough” for him to sit all season.

“Do I feel like things always are fair? No. And that’s just the way it is. . . . It was Pat [Shurmur's] decision to give Colt an opportunity, and that’s what it was.”

A nine-year pro, Wallace reiterated what he told The Plain Dealer in June — that he wasn’t going to share all his knowledge of the West Coast offense with McCoy because he wanted to beat him for the job.

Asked during Thursday’s interview how much mentoring he’s done with McCoy this season, Wallace said: “Not much. Not much. That was Jake [Delhomme's] deal. He did a lot of some stuff with him last year. But that’s not my thing. It’s just one thing I don’t do. I came in with the mind-set I wanted to compete, whatever case that was.”

Wallace said he’d answer any questions McCoy might have about the West Coast offense, but he wouldn’t offer unsolicited help.

Also during his radio interview Thursday, Wallace changed his tune a little about the botched ending of the first half in Baltimore. Instead of assuming full blame for not spiking the ball as he did after the game, he put some of it on Shurmur. He said the players looked over to the sideline after tight end Evan Moore wasn’t ruled out of bounds and the clock was ticking down.

“I don’t know if Pat was ready to have his next call, or whatever the case may be,” Wallace said. “It was just a miscommunication between us, at that point.”

Jackson, Adams honored: The local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America voted linebacker D’Qwell Jackson as the Browns Player of the Year, and safety Mike Adams was voted the winner of the Good Guy Award for his cooperation with the media and for the way he carries himself in the community and with his teammates.

“I guess it means a lot,” Adams said, laughing. “It also means you guys are slipping because I’ve been here for five years and you finally got it right. I commend you guys for finally getting it right. I appreciate it. It’s an honor. I always try to tell the truth and tell as much as I can without giving any secrets away. I try to be as honest as possible, straightforward and just try say what I’m feeling, and I guess a lot of people respect that.”

Adams, who’s contract is up after this season, said he’d love to be back with the Browns.

“It’s my first choice, but I have to embrace change if change happens,” he said. “I’ve been around this business a long time. I’ve seen guys I never thought would get released get released. I think I did a good job this year. I definitely think I showed I’m a starter and I showed that I can make plays, get my team lined up and make the right calls.”

He said the Browns have given no indication they want him back.

“There’s been no numbers, no contract talk,” he said. “But that’s OK because I didn’t want it to mess me up mentally.”

But he wants to be around when the good times roll.

“When we went 10-6, that feeling was like no other — and we didn’t even go to the playoffs,” he said. “I want to experience that here again.”

Hicks to start: Artis Hicks will start Sunday at right tackle in place of Tony Pashos, who has been out all week with a stomach issue. Pashos has also been battling an ankle injury.

“People always remember what they saw last, so you always want to leave your best stuff out there,” Hicks said.

He’s gearing up for outside linebacker James Harrison, who lines up all over.

“In their nickel packages, they’ll move him inside, he’ll come over, he’ll rush on the right side. When you have a guy like that who’s capable of creating havoc, you want to get him moved around and try to get matchups with him all game.”

Hicks said he won’t get hung up on trying to get revenge on Harrison for his hit on McCoy on Dec. 8.

“All I focus on is what’s happening right now in front of me,” he said.

Injury update: Several key Steelers are probable, including quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ankle), safety Troy Polamalu (knee), Harrison (neck), center Maurkice Pouncey (ankle) and receiver Mike Wallace (ankle).

Plain Dealer’s Cleveland Browns beat writer Mary Kay Cabot hosts News and Notes with Colt McCoy, Peyton Hillis, D’Qwell Jackson, and Greg Little before they play the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

BEREA — Browns quarterback Colt McCoy (concussion) has been ruled out of Sunday’s season finale against the Steelers, and Seneca Wallace will make his third straight start of the season.

McCoy seemed to hold out hope on Thursday that he might at least be on the sidelines for the game. But he still hasn’t been cleared medically for football activity.

Coach Pat Shurmur said McCoy improved as a quarterback as the season progressed, but declined to provide much of an evaluation of his season. He re-iterated that it will be done after the season.

It means McCoy will miss the final three games after suffering his concussion Dec. 8 against the Steelers.

Wide receiver Jordan Norwood (concussion) and right tackle Tony Pashos (ankle, illness) have also been ruled out. Pashos, who’s been suffering from a stomach ailment, will be replaced by Artis Hicks. Norwood will miss his second straight game with his concussion.

In other Browns news, linebacker D’Qwell  Jackson has been voted Browns Player of the Year by the local chapter of the Pro Football Writers of America. Safety Mike Adams has been voted the team’s Good Guy for the way he conducts himself with the media, in the community and with his teammates.

Adams, whose contract is up after this season, said he’d love to be back in Cleveland to be part of the winning seasons that are ahead.

BEREA, Ohio — Forget everything Peyton Hillis has said and done this season. Well, most of it, at least. He’d appreciate if you didn’t remember the public missteps he had with Browns management about his contract renegotiations, the medical advice he took from his agent to skip a game when he was sick, and the closed-door meeting he had with teammates who reached out to the foundering running back.

And please, most of all, don’t recall the many times Hillis proclaimed he doesn’t believe in the Madden Curse.

Because he does.

“No doubt about it,” Hillis finally admitted Thursday. “Things haven’t worked to my favor this year. There’s a few things that happened that made me believe in curses. Ain’t no doubt about it.”

Blame the first 14 or so weeks of this season on Hillis’ picture on the cover of the “Madden NFL 12″ video game. He finally feels healthy after a nagging hamstring injury knocked him out for five games at midseason, and it showed in his season-high 112 yards rushing Sunday in Baltimore.

He finally feels happy, an attitude that manifested in his cheerful, “Howdy!” to media in the locker room Thursday — and in his declaration that he hopes this isn’t his final game with the Browns because he wants to prove last season’s 1,177 yards weren’t a fluke.

“I really enjoyed my time playing in a Browns uniform, and I hope I can continue to be here,” Hillis said. “I know these past couple games and this game, I’ll play my hardest. I’m going to play my best, and people are going to see that I’ve still got it and I want to be here.”

Hillis is performing not only for the fans he likened to a “second family,” but for Browns management, who appear uncertain on whether they want the running back to return. Head coach Pat Shurmur declined to say Thursday whether the Browns intend to re-sign the soon-to-be free-agent Hillis. On three separate occasions, Shurmur was asked about the possibility of Hillis’ return — including point blank whether he wants Hillis back — and each time Shurmur said that the decision will require off-season evaluation.

“I think, as we look at our roster and we look at building our team . . . we’ve got to consider everything,” Shurmur said. “One thing you’ve seen about Peyton is that, in the last month or so, he’s gotten himself healthy and he’s performed well. I think that’s the Peyton everyone was used to seeing a year ago.”

Last week’s 4.7 yards per carry against the Ravens was the highest mark for Hillis this season, surpassing last season’s 4.4 yards per carry. He’s averaged 105.5 yards per game the past two contests, bouncing back from just 25 yards in the most recent meeting against Pittsburgh, when he was also battling a hip injury.

“I just feel people can see, when I’m 100 percent, I am running hard,” Hillis said. “I can do pretty good. That’s what I want people to see. . . . I want people to see that I’m not a one-hit wonder.”

Madden Curse or not, Hillis said this season has been a learning experience, but he believes “there’s no such thing as accidents. . . . This is the way it’s supposed to be.”

“It’s kind of funny how things worked out, but at the end of the day, I’m really happy with where I’m at,” Hillis said. “I’m a truly happy person. When I look back on this 15, 20 years from now, I’m probably going to just laugh.”

More than proving he can battle back from the Madden Curse, however, Hillis wants to use Sunday’s game against the Steelers to show his appreciation for Browns fans who have continued to support him through his trying season.

“I’d love to come back here,” Hillis said. “I’m a Cleveland Brown at heart. Ever since I’ve been here, I fell in love with the fans and the city and the people who live here. They’ve been nothing but 100 percent supportive. They’re everything. When I talk to them, it’s good to have a second-family backing like that. All I can do is go out there and do my best, and we’ll see what happens.”

Jauron back? Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron has already been a head coach in the NFL, but when asked Thursday whether he would like to return next season in his current position, he didn’t hesitate.

“I would love to do this again,” Jauron said. “Absolutely. I would obviously like to win a lot more games. To be in the NFL is an unbelievable honor and treat. . . . I really like it [being in Cleveland]. I like the old rivalries, I like the history. I’ve really enjoyed it. This is a great place to work.”

The Browns’ defense is 10th in the NFL, yielding an average of 330.5 yards per game.

Hardesty healthy but sitting: Last Sunday, for the first time in a long time, Montario Hardesty felt fully healthy. But the running back didn’t have a single carry.

Shurmur said Hillis’ resurgence is to blame.

“As we’ve always talked about, if Peyton Hillis is healthy, he’s our starting running back,” Shurmur said. “I think, at this point, Montario’s coming back from an injury he had that limited him for quite a while. There’s no real reason.”

For his part, Hardesty said he’s ready to play when needed, and he has made sure his coach knows he’s healthy.

“He knows I want to play. He knows I’m 100 percent,” Hardesty said.

Quick hits: Quinton Spears returned to practice on a limited basis Thursday after suffering a concussion against the Ravens. . . . Quarterback Colt McCoy (concussion), receiver Jordan Norwood (concussion) and offensive lineman Tony Pashos (stomach illness) missed practice Thursday. . . . Steelers safety Troy Polamalu (knee) hasn’t practiced this week. . . . Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (ankle) participated fully in practice for Pittsburgh each of the past two days. . . . Linebacker James Harrison participated fully in practice after missing Wednesday with a neck injury.