RB-by-committee keeps Browns churning without Nick Chubb،
CLEVELAND – Nick Chubb pulled down the Batman mask and started smashing the guitar.
On Thursday night, Chubb, the All-Pro running back who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2, appeared as the captain of Dawg Pound, whose job is to break a guitar before the kick-off to pump up the local audience. Chubb did just that, as Cleveland clinched its first playoff berth since 2020 with a 37-20 victory over the New York Jets.
Chubb's big pregame moment in front of an electric crowd was a reminder of everything the Browns have overcome this season.
“Losing Nick was huge,” Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said. “It took a lot of feet to fill his shoes. But we're really happy with every one of them.”
At the time of Chubb's injury, Browns coach Kevin Stefanski emphasized that no player could replace such a prolific runner.
He was right.
Through its committee of defenders, Cleveland found ways to continue to run the ball, especially in the decisive playoff victory over New York. Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong Jr. combined for 124 yards on 26 carries with one touchdown, as Cleveland took a 34-17 halftime lead.
Ford, who led the way with 64 rushing yards, also caught two passes from Joe Flacco for two touchdowns, including a dazzling 50-yard score late in the second quarter.
“He was running hard,” Stefanski said. “And then the play he made at the end of the half was incredible. Joe, to come out [the pocket]give him the ball, and then the rest was all Jerome, and we simply wouldn't deny him.
Cleveland's rushing attack is no longer the best in the NFL, as it had been in recent seasons behind Chubb. Chubb has averaged 90.6 yards over the past four seasons and has eclipsed 1,400 yards twice during that span. Before Thursday, Cleveland had gone four straight games without 100 rushing yards.
But since Chubb's injury, the Browns are still 14th in the NFL, averaging nearly 114 rushing yards per game. Cleveland is also eighth with 104 rushing first downs.
“We can all play,” Ford said of Cleveland’s three-back rotation. “We all bring different things to the table. I think it's tough to prepare for as a defense.”
Unfortunately for the Browns, Chubb got off to a monster start before suffering an injury in Pittsburgh that damaged his medial capsule, meniscus, medial collateral ligament and anterior cruciate ligament. Chubb underwent surgery to repair the MCL in September, then another to treat the ACL in November. Only recently has he started walking without crutches. But in that game and a half, Chubb had rushed for 170 yards and averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
To make up for this massive loss of production, the Browns inserted Ford into the starting lineup and re-signed Hunt, a free agent who had been Chubb's tight end in previous seasons. Cleveland also used Strong as a third-down back.
All three fell into their roles.
“Obviously, Nick has been a big part of our running game, and he makes up for a lot of things that sometimes aren't blocked perfectly,” All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio said. “But I think Ford, Kareem and Pierre have done a good job of finding their niche.”
Ford leads the Browns with 201 carries for 807 yards, an average of 4 yards per carry. Ford can both make large clearances from a single cut and also push the piles forward for difficult jobsites.
In Cleveland's 39–38 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7, he had a 69-yard touchdown run on the third play of the game. Three weeks later, Ford had a 12-yard run in which he took several Baltimore Ravens with him – with help from his offensive linemen – putting Cleveland in position for the game-winning field goal late in the game. allotted time.
“That game was fun for everyone. It was stressful for me … being pushed on both sides, getting the ball,” said Ford, a fifth-round draft pick of Cincinnati in his second season in the NFL. “But it was that Ravens game that made me think, 'We're playing against the best defense, this is what we can do…and I can hit the ball against them.'”
Hunt hit the ball particularly hard. A short yardage specialist at this point in his career, he gave the Browns a boost at the goal line. He leads Cleveland with nine touchdowns, including a 7-yard plunge against the Jets.
“Kareem, throughout the season, really the entire time I've been with him, has an incredible talent for short yardage and running the goal line,” Stefanski said. “He's got that nose for the end zone. He's got the nose to score first [down]. He just has a great running style in those moments, because he goes and understands. … His style, the violence with which he runs, was very important in those moments.”
Hunt is now fourth among running backs in rushes per touchdown (15.0) and seventh in first downs per carry (28.1%).
“I definitely know I’m the murderer,” Hunt said. “And [Ford and Strong] are really quick, quick guys who can make big plays for us. »
Strong only has 49 carries this year. But he has both a 41-yard reception and a 40-yard run, highlighting his big-play potential as a third-down back. He also had 29 yards on just four carries against the Jets.
“We have a different mix of flavors in our [running back] space – power, speed, strength, hands, everything,” said Strong, who joined the Browns in a preseason trade with the New England Patriots. “But that's our O-line. A lot of people can run behind that O-line because it's a really good O-line. They do a great job creating holes for us and making it work.”
Cleveland's offensive line has dealt with its share of significant injuries, losing its top three offensive tackles — Jedrick Wills Jr., Jack Conklin and Dawand Jones — to season-ending knee injuries. But the All-Pro guard duo of Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, along with center Ethan Pocic, continued to open up the running lanes.
“The O-line did a heck of a job fighting for us,” said Hunt, who is one of Chubb’s closest friends on the team. “And I feel like our running back group has been great. We've all been able to come together and do our job out there. … take advantage of the situations that we're in and make the most of it of our opportunities.”
