Cleveland Browns: Top 5 rushing performances since 1999
2. Nick Chubb, November 11th, 2018
In the future, football historians are going to look back on this game and say, “This was the turning point for the Cleveland Browns.” It is so obvious, so clear a paradigm shift, that it is impossible to ignore. Week nine of the 2018 NFL season showcased not only the turning of the page for Cleveland football, but the coming-out party of Nick Chubb.
Chubb had impressed at Georgia, and during his time with the Bulldogs, he became the SEC’s second leading rusher of all time, behind only the great Herschel Walker. Despite that, his injury concerns kept him out of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Following this game, it was abundantly clear that Chubb should have been a first round draft pick.
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The Browns took the firing of head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley in stride. New offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens obviously saw the talent in Chubb, and in his first game as head of the offense, Chubb rushed for 176 yards on the day. Nick Chubb became a star for the Browns, literally overnight, and he has one huge, game-changing run to show for it.
With a 92-yarder against the Atlanta Falcons, Chubb not only broke William Green’s rookie record, but he broke the spirits of the Falcons as well. Jim Donovan’s now-famous “Chubba Wubba Hub” call showed that, undoubtedly, there was a light at the end of the tunnel in Cleveland. The 92-yard touchdown played a huge part in sealing the game and putting the Cleveland Browns, finally, on the right track in the NFL.