Indianapolis Colts running back Nyheim Hines never dreamed about having a game like he did on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Hines returned two punts from 84 and 71 yards to the end zone for a couple of touchdowns, something he didn't even think about while dreaming about the perfect game.
“I’ve had dreams where I played well,” Hines said, via Joel A. Erickson of the Indianapolis Star. “I don’t even think I had a day like that in any dream.”
On Hines' first return of the day, he took the ball back 40 yards, but that one didn't end in a touchdown. On his second attempt of the day, he took the pigskin up the left sideline and made a house call with an 84-yard touchdown.
His next chance for a return didn't come until the fourth quarter, but he didn't disappoint, bringing it back 71 yards and ending in the end zone. Hines almost had a return on his first attempt, but admitted he tried a little too hard to get the job done.
“I think I tried too hard to make him miss,” Hines said. “I was kicking myself about it.
Last season as a rookie for the Colts, Hines had issues with fumbling kicks which caused him to lose the job quickly. The Colts didn't give up on him and made him work hard on his craft all offseason.
“We had our confidence growing in Nyheim the whole offseason,” Frank Reich said. “He worked so hard, probably didn’t drop one the whole offseason; but Chester had done a good job, was doing a very good job returning for us. Chester earned the job.”
As long as Hines doesn't start coughing the ball up again, he looks to have secured the job long-term.
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