Without a good run back, any NFL club attack will not get very far. And the Browns have one of the best in the league.
Or do they?
Last year, Nick Chubb rushed for 1,494 yards on 298 attempts, scoring eight touchdowns with just two fumbles. If not for a man named Jim Brown, Chubb would have won the franchise record for most yards in one season. An impressive 5.0 yards per carry ranked him seventh among all running backs with 100 or more carries. In addition, Chubb had 278 yards with 36 receptions, 13 as what culminated in a first down. As a bonus, he’s an excellent blocking back.
He won 96 yards in Week 3 in a 20-13 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, but Chubb’s name began to appear in the list of league leaders after a 165-yard, three-touchdown run against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. For that game, he was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Chubb’s 88-yard touchdown ran straight in that 40-25 victory over the Ravens at home clocked him at 21.95 MPH, the season’s fourth-fastest speed for each score and the second-fastest time for a running back. In the replay, you can simply add Ravens defenders for the chase (click on the “Watch on YouTube” link to watch).
Almost every week, his game totals were above normal: 122 yards, 131, 116, 106 (twice) and 127. It was a constant to see his name on top of the rushing league leaders.
In the final game of the season, Chubb went number one who came back with 1,453 yards just ahead of Christian McCaffrey (1,361 yards) of the Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans’ Derrick Henry (1,329 yards). The margin was just pitcher of 100 yards, but he had the league rushing title in sight.
The Panthers play the New Orleans Saints who were fourth against the run, while the Titans faced a must-win situation on the road at the Houston Texans whose run defense ranks 25thth. Chubb and the Browns faced off against a Cincinnati Bengals squad with one win, who were the last in the NFL to die in stopping the run.
The Saints killed Carolina as expected 42-10, while McCaffrey led just nine times for 26 yards. Instead of hitting the ball, Cleveland head coach Freddie Kitchens Chubb ran eight times in the first half for 21 yards and just five yards in the second half for just 20 yards for 41 total yards against the worst rushing defense of the NFL.
Meanwhile, Henry had a career day against the Texans as the Tennessee 35-14 victory got them into the playoffs. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel got the memo to run against clubs that have poor defense. Henry’s totals were 32 coaches, 211 yards, three touchdowns with zero fumbles.
The enormous day for Henry coupled with poor performances from both Chubb and McCaffrey catapulted Henry for the Crown League match.
That, after a big season in which a Titan attempt by Henry took away the league’s rushing title in the 11thth hour of Chubb, everyone should be on board with the workhorse superstar effort, including Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns, right?
Apparently not
Not so fast. Each sports news release runs articles about upcoming players.
ESPN wrote about how the Denver Broncos’ Melvin Gordon will explode in his new home. Bleacher report has done a piece on how Alvin Kamara is the next kneeling superstar. USA Today has treated Ezekiel Elliott since testing positive for COVID and how he is such a weapon and a force. This year, McCaffrey’s media treasure has been brought back on theundefeated.com about how special a player he is and that this season will be his breakout year.
Chubb? Other than the various websites dedicated to covering the Browns – nothing but frogs.
Yahoo! Sport recently ran a full discovery on running production for 2020. They listed six boys in the ‘Elite Class’ that included McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, Elliott, Kamara, Dalvin Cook and Henry.
“Level 2” included Kenyan Drake, Chubb, Joe Mixon, Austin Ekeler, rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Miles Sanders.
Excuse me?
Drake finished 22ndnd in the league last year in total rushing yard with 817. Mixon is listed at No. 9, while the rest of this second level of running backs finished outside the Top 25.
Then there is fantasy football.
According to CBS Sports, in her fantasy leagues, Chubb is mentioned as her seventh top running back behind McCaffrey, Barkley, Henry, Elliott, Kamara and Cook. But why?
ESPN fantasy football rankings named Chubb as the 21stst overall best player to draw. It’s understandable for quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson to appreciate above Chubb, but TE George Kittle? WR Davante Adams? They also list Chubb as the eighth best running back just behind Aaron Jones. That’s the same Aaron Jones who needed the last game last year to crack 1,000 yards.
In fantasy, the players are ranked by “projections.” This basically calculates what a player is expected to do in all offensive scoring situations that will generate points for the owner of the fantasy team. In fantasy, there are no brownie points for hiring a linebacker on a delayed blitz. Instead, it is figures, figures, figures. And apparently, Chubb will get your yardage and be at the top of the lead, but scoring is what matters most and his numbers – eight TDs in each of his two NFL seasons – are considered low. Plus, he didn’t score a single touchdown in the passing game.
Over the past few years, the Browns have been pretty pedestrian on offense that does not help Chubb’s case as one of the league’s mainstays. This unit is regularly placed with penalties and caps and honestly does not score many points because Cleveland was 20th last year scored a total of touchdowns. While the Ravens scored 64 TDs, the Browns scored only 38.
And Cleveland last season under Kitchens was in the bottom third in rushing touchdowns and ranked 29thth in passing. This could have prepared defenses on the run more.
Athlon Sports lists McCaffrey, Elliott, Barkley and Kamara as “Tier 1” players, while Cook, Chubb and Henry are listed in “Tier 2.” Their rating on Chubb:
“Unfortunately for Chubb, Kareem Hunt is still with the Browns. If he was not, Chubb would be in tier 1. But with Hunt sharing some of the work (he was eliminated the first eight games) last season, Chubb still put up tremendous numbers: 1,494 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He had seven games with more than 100 rushing yards. Hunt will take some of (and some receptions) away from, but Chubb is still an RB1. ”
Which is a valid point. In the first eight games last year, Chubb got 803 yards rushing from his 1,494 yards without Hunt in the same backfield. It was only three short seasons ago that Hunt was the NFL rushing leader himself (2017) and made the Pro Bowl, was named NFL Rookie-of-the-Year and placed on the NFL All-Rookie Team. When he was cut halfway through the 2018 season, he let the league run as well.
CBS Sports Senior Fantasy Writer Dave Richard lists Chubb at number 11. Along with the usual big names, he places above Chubb boys like Josh Jacobs (1,150 yards), Kansas City Chiefs rookie Edwards-Helaire and Sanders (818).
Chubb led the NFL last season until the league’s rushing title was removed from him in the final game. Was he a wonder with one hit, when fans of the stud workhorse Browns came to know and love? Why is no one talking about him?
Someone?
