"Browns running back Peyton Hillis erased all doubt as to where he believes his future lies.

"I love Cleveland. I know there's always been some questions there," he said Thursday after practice. "I've always been a Clevelander in my heart. I love this place. I enjoy this team and I hope to be here."

Seemingly at ease and adorned with campaign gear from presidential candidate Ron Paul — at the request of teammate Tony Pashos — Hillis appeared ready to take on the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

After missing five consecutive games due to a hamstring injury, the workhorse from last season gained 65 yards on 19 carries in last Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. He confessed to some hesitation when playing, but the rust is off.

It's good that he feels that way as the team prepares to meet the Ravens, because they could certainly use the Hillis that rushed for 144 yards against them in the first of two meetings last season. He's confident that the explosiveness has returned to his legs.

"No doubt. No doubt. I'm excited about going this week and playing for the home crowd," he said.

He has given coach Pat Shurmur reason to believe that might be the case, too.

"It looked like he was competing at game speed. He looked great yesterday in practice," Shurmur said. "[In] my conversations with him he said he [felt] fine."

A healthy Hillis makes an improving Browns offense that much more productive.

"I still think we're getting more efficient regardless of who the back is," Shurmur said. "But when you have a top-flight running back in there, when you hand him the ball and he's carving out yards, you feel your second-down, third-down calls start to get easier when they start to feel you may not run it as much.""