Now That Mack Has His 1,000, He’d Like to Make It a Pair

Now that he’s made it to 1,000 yards, Cleveland Browns’ rookie Kevin Mack says he intends to help teammate Earnest Byner reach that plateau, too.

Byner has 814 yards rushing through 14 games and needs to average better than 90 yards a game in the last two weeks of the season to get to 1,000. That total seems accessible, however, because Cleveland’s opponent this week is Houston, against whom Byner gained 188 yards in one game last season.

Byner, who’s in his second year in the National Football League, has averaged 6.4 yards per carry in his three appearances against Houston.

“I don’t really have a goal of 1,000 yards,” Byner said. “If it happens, it happens. I’m trying. But if it doesn’t happen, it won’t be the end of the world for me. More than anything, we want to get into the playoffs.”

Mack spent one season in the United States Football League before joining the Browns this season as a No. 1 supplemental draft pick. His 1,002 yards rushing through 14 games are the most ever for a first-year Cleveland running back, and they dispelled some of Mack’s insecurity about his own ability.

“It means to me that I can come into this league and play,” Mack said. “At the beginning of the season, I really had my doubts. But now I know I can play in this league, and hopefully I can add to that total.”

Mack says Byner deserves some of the credit for his strong showing because Byner has encouraged him all year and has turned in outstanding blocking performances on many of Mack’s long runs.

“I know he takes pride in his blocking,” Mack said. “We talk a lot about that. I told him when I got my thousand, I was going to help him get his.”

Byner did not want to accept credit for Mack’s accomplishment, but he said Mack’s 1,000 yards could be looked upon with pride by the Browns’ entire offense.

“It’s nothing for me really,” Byner said. “That’s an accomplishment that he himself really got. But there’s a pride here about the running game. I think everybody that’s associated with it feels that we can run the ball on anybody. For Kevin to go over 1,000, it’s a tribute to all the offensive linemen, to me and to the receivers as well.”