The Cleveland Browns are second place in the AFC North with an impressive 7-3 record.
Ask anyone who is a pivotal reason for that success.
Many would answer RB Nick Chubb.
Though given Chubb’s quiet and humble demeanor, he would not say that.
Every week, there is at least one play that shows us what Nick Chubb is about.
This week, it was the stiff arm.
Week 11 Chubb Highlight: The Stiff Arm
NICK CHUBB OH MY 😳 @NickChubb21 @Browns
📺 #PHIvsCLE on FOX pic.twitter.com/CRjetSFcmf
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 22, 2020
Chubb rolled for a 54 yard run on this play.
And there was no way he would allow Eagles DE Joel Ostman take him down
While protecting the ball in his left arm and running on the wet grass, he stuck his right arm out and delivered a massive stiff arm.
Before Ostman had a chance to react, he was thrown to the ground.
Tackling @nickchubb21 is hard, we get it.
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/7ZJgXaJY5K
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 22, 2020
And it’s appropriate that Nick Chubb’s work on this play set up a Kareem Hunt TD.
There is a lot of grit there, and you could say it’s symbolic of the Browns’ season.
The Browns have had adversity by way of injury and illness.
But they keep pushing ahead, trying to keep the adversity at bay, and marching forward to victory.
Week 10 Chubb Highlight: The No Score Run
That's our RB 😤
📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/TNMnLnEb45
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) November 15, 2020
Nick Chubb is all about team, and he sacrificed his own stats (which he doesn’t care about) to make sure the Browns won this game.
Many were amazed (like teammate Myles Garrett) while others were disgusted (Charles Barkley) when Nick Chubb ran out of bounds to secure the win instead of running in the end zone to score.
Chubb’s work on that play fits his personality.
He is not arrogant or boastful; in fact, he is usually the quietest guy in the locker room.
His work ethic and his on-the-field play do the talking for him.
In the preseason, Chubb’s habits made an impression on rookie WR Donovan Peoples-Jones who said:
“He sets the example. He’s a humble guy, a very hard worker on the field. You can just tell how much he loves football by the way he practices.”
Chubb Is Key To Browns Success
Nick Chubb missed 4 games with the MCL injury.
The Browns went 2-2 without him in the lineup.
When Chubb went out, the Browns were the top rushing team in the NFL.
The Browns dropped 9 places to 10th by the time Chubb rejoined the team.
Remember that Kareem Hunt was playing through a groin injury during the time Chubb was out also.
That being said, the Chubb/Hunt tandem is among the best in the NFL.
Browns Schedule
The Browns have beaten the teams they were expected to beat.
Arguably, they could have and should have beaten the Raiders, but they had lousy weather and no Chubb.
To excel down the stretch, they need to beat the teams where they come in as the underdog
Those are their division rivals, the Ravens and Steelers.
The Ravens may be on a bit of a slide right now, but they dissected the Browns in Week 1 just the same way the Steelers did in Week 6.
To win these games, the Browns running game led by Nick Chubb is going to need to turn in big explosive runs to lead this team down the stretch.
NEXT: What A 7-3 Start Means For The Browns And Cleveland
