ALLEN PARK -- The 1,000-yard rushing season remains a gold standard for tailbacks, and the Detroit Lions have gone without one longer than any other team.

Reggie Bush is just 60 yards from becoming the first Lions tailback since 2004 to break 1,000 yards.

That's about to change.

Reggie Bush is just 60 yards shy with two game to go, starting with Sunday's affair against the New York Giants.

If he makes it, he would be the first Detroit running back to manage the feat since Kevin Jones rushed for 1,133 yards as a rookie in 2004. That eight-year drought is the longest in the NFL, and is tied for the 10th longest ever since the AFL-NFL merger.

Put it this way: The Broncos, Jaguars and Texans have all had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season since the Lions last managed even one.



"Hopefully I can break that," Bush said. "That would be nice to add to the resume ... I think it's tough to run the ball in this league, and to be able to gain a 1,000 yards."

The Lions drafted Jones out of Virginia Tech in 2004 and thought he would be their horse for years, particularly after he broke 1,000 yards as a rookie. But Detroit has struggled with injuries, consistency and lack of productivity at the position ever since.

They thought they might have found something in the rushing/receiving threat of Jahvid Best, but injuries derailed his career prematurely.

So they signed Bush to a four-year, $16 million deal to fill that role, and he's proved to be worth every penny. He has 1,403 yards from scrimmage this season, which is seventh in the NFL despite missing two-and-a-half games due to injury.

"He's certainly added credibility to our running game," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "So has Joique (Bell). Between the two of them, the combination has been pretty much what we've been hoping for."

Receiver Calvin Johnson said Detroit's rushing game, with Bush and Bell, is the best it's been since he was drafted in 2007. Their effectiveness -- Detroit averages 112.9 yards per game -- has transformed the way defenses scheme against the offense.

"They bring down the extra safety in the box a lot," Johnson said. "You have to respect that run because, like I said, you have seen those guys breakout in explosive runs all the time."

Bush does a lot of things well, but there's still something magical about the 1,000-yard rushing mark. That's true even for the big boys such as guard Rob Sims, who hadn't paved the way for a 1,000-yard back in his eight-year career.

"I don't want to say that's pathetic, but it's just unbelievable I've had this kind of success and never hit that milestone," the left guard said. "We'll be sharing that with him. That means a lot to us.

"Since I got here, the run game is something people have been asking for, and we've finally pulled it together. Now we're a throwing offense that can run the ball too."