Lions' Joique Bell: 'I'm going to rush for over 1,200 yards'

Detroit Lions running back Joique Bell rushed for a career-high 860 yards in 2014 while dealing with knee and Achilles issues. He would like to add at least 340 yards to that total this season.

"I'm going to rush for over 1,200 yards," Bell told Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. "That's the minimum. If I do less than that, I'll be surprised. I'll be disappointed."

The last Lions running back to top 1,200 yards in a season was Barry Sanders, who rushed for 1,491 in 1998. Since then, only three different backs (James Stewart - 2000, 2002; Kevin Jones - 2004; Reggie Bush - 2013) have topped 1,000 yards.

Bell underwent surgery on his knee and Achilles at the end of last season, and is aiming to return in time for the start of training camp. With Bush now in San Francisco, Bell is the obvious favorite to replace him as the Lions' starting tailback.

"My first year here I rushed for a few hundred (yards)," Bell said. "Second year, close to (700). Then last year, almost 900. So this next year, I'm just going to jump the gun and say 1,200. That's the minimum."