Given a Break, Hayden Gives Chargers Win

Exactly 53 weeks after breaking his right leg in two places in his last college game at Tennessee, Aaron Hayden hit the big time.

With Natrone Means sidelined for the fourth consecutive game, Hayden rushed 32 times for 127 yards and his first two NFL touchdowns as the Chargers beat the Cleveland Browns, 31-13, Sunday to keep their faint playoff hopes alive.

Means’ status is still uncertain, but Hayden at least put an end to the running-back-by-committee plan that had been less than impressive since Means strained his groin five plays into a loss to Miami on Nov. 5.

Hayden eventually will have to make way for Means, who last year set the Chargers’ single-season rushing record with 1,350 yards.

“I don’t take a back seat to nobody,” Hayden said. “But I know Means is the man here. I have no problem with that.”

The defending AFC champion Chargers won their second game in six days to improve to 6-7. On Monday night, they ended a three-game losing streak by beating Oakland, 12-6.

Cleveland (4-9) lost its fifth in a row, a streak that began the day before owner Art Modell announced he was moving the team to Baltimore.

Hayden’s 127 yards were a Charger season-high, and his 32 carries were the most by a San Diego back since Marion Butts carried 39 times in a victory at Kansas City on Dec. 17, 1989.

Hayden scored on runs of three yards and one yard as the Chargers built a 17-3 halftime lead. He was mobbed by his teammates after his first score, and even Means congratulated the rookie.

“At every position you want to get it to where if a player goes down, there’s no drop-off,” Means said. “Aaron came in and he definitely made a positive statement for himself, especially since he’s been out of ball for almost a year. He played great today.”

The Chargers rushed for 186 yards and had 416 overall, both season-highs. They held Cleveland to 26 yards on the ground.

Stan Humphries was sharp, completing 18 of 25 passes for 230 yards and one touchdown. He was six for six for 78 yards on a 96-yard drive in the fourth quarter, including a 25-yarder to Tony Martin for a 24-10 lead with seven minutes left. Martin had nine catches for 132 yards.

Humphries said he liked Hayden’s style even before he was activated.

“He makes some cuts that are unbelievable,” Humphries said. “The thing I was impressed with was when there wasn’t something there, he still leaped over the pile and got two yards.”

As for the Chargers, “we’ve got it back a little bit right now,” he said. “Let’s see what can happen. We had so much fun Monday night, we enjoyed what it felt like in this locker room. I think we were having fun out there today.”