The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Chubb emerging as a force in Browns’ offense
Browns rookie running back Nick Chubb ran his way into some heady company Nov. 11 at FirstEnergy Stadium.
Against the Atlanta Falcons, with the Browns on their 8-yard line and leading, 21-10, Chubb took a handoff from rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield early in the third quarter.
Bursting through a hole on the right side of the line, the 5-foot-11, 227-pound Chubb ran through one attempted tackle, cut left across the grain and simply out-ran all the other Atlanta defenders on his way to the end zone.
The University of Georgia product’s 92-yard jaunt was the longest TD run in Browns’ history.
It eclipsed the previous standard of 90 yards set by Bobby Mitchell against the Washington Redskins on November 15, 1959 at Griffith Stadium.
Mitchell gained a career-high 232 yards that day on 14 carries and had three rushing TDs in a 3117 Browns victory.
Jim Brown, Mitchell’s running mate that day in Washington, previously had the third-longest TD run in team history, an 80-yarder against the Redskins on Sept. 15, 1963.
Browns and Mitchell both are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
An 85-yard TD run by Isaiah Crowell against the Baltimore Ravens on Sept. 16, 2016 now is the thirdlongest rushing TD in franchise history.
“It was definitely very special to be in this place with so much history and so many other great running backs, be a part of it and break their records. It’s a great feeling,” Chubb said.
This was a breakout performance for Chubb, who didn’t get that many touches early in the season when veteran Carlos Hyde was the starter at running back.
Hyde was traded to Jacksonville on Oct. 19 for a fifth-round draft pick in 2019.
Chubb, taken by the Browns in the second round of the 2018 draft with the 35th overall pick, is emerging as a force next to Mayfield in the Browns’ muchimproved offense.
He gained a career-high 176 yards on 20 carries against the Falcons. He also caught three passes for 33 yards, 13 of them on a TD hook-up with Mayfield just before halftime.
Mayfield drew laughs from reporters after the game when asked how it felt to watch Chubb run wild as a teammate rather than as an opponent.
In the 2018 Rose Bowl, the College Football Playoff semifinal, Chubb and Georgia teammate Sony Michel combined for 326 rushing yards and six rushing TD’s in the Bulldogs’ 54-48 double-overtime victory over Mayfield’s Oklahoma Sooners.
“OK, all right. Sorry, I just started seeing red,” Mayfield said, referring to Georgia’s uniform color. “It is a lot better when he is on my side. He is a physical runner, able to impose his will.”
The soft-spoken Chubb is a Georgia native.
“I know this is my hometown team and all, but I just prepared like any other game,” he said of beating the Falcons.
Chubb singled out his offensive linemen for their contributions to his performance on the sunny, cold afternoon.
“Just a great job up front,” he said. “Those guys blocked hard the whole game and (the 92-yard TD play) was wide open.”
Playing with more assurance every game, Chubb now has 579 rushing yards and five rushing TDs on 94 carries.
He is averaging 6.2 yards per carry.
“I feel more comfortable,” Chubb said. “My eyes are getting better. I am seeing everything up front at first, but the game is still fast against everyone we play.
“There are great players on the other side of the ball and it is always tough, but I am up for the challenge.”