Cleveland Browns studs and duds from Week 14 victory over Bengals
By Dan Justik
Stud: Nick Chubb
Despite only getting three carries during the first half against the Bengals, Nick Chubb was once again the catalyst for the Browns offense. With Mayfield struggling, Chubb’s play in the second half helped the Browns pull away with the victory.
More from Dawg Pound Daily
- How the Browns could maximize Nick Chubb in 2023
- Can Deshaun Watson get to Patrick Mahomes level for Cleveland Browns?
- 3 Cleveland Browns who should see an expanded role in 2023 and 1 who should not
- Is Marcus Davenport on the Browns radar in 2023?
- 5 Free agents from Super Bowl LVII Cleveland Browns should target
Chubb rushed 15 times on Sunday for 106 yards, an average of 7.1 yards per carry. His biggest play of the game came in the third quarter, breaking three tackles on his way to a 57-yard carry, which setup a three-yard touchdown for Hunt. Chubb also caught his only target for 11 yards.
Chubb’s ability to break multiple tackles put the Bengals defense on their heels in the second half. He was beating defenders at first contact, and then found room to run to make multiple chunk plays. He once again showed off his balance and patience to make plays.
Despite how Kitchens has handled the run game, Chubb leading the NFL in rushing is not a fluke. He is a dominant rusher who requires multiple defenders to bring him down. He breaks through tackles at the point of attack, but still has the speed to run away from defenders.
If Chubb’s usage was managed better throughout the entire course of a game, the Browns offense would look much different. But instead of building the offense around Chubb’s play, the Browns still rely on the pass. The performance of the offense in the first and second half Sunday showed why Chubb is the most important player on Cleveland’s offense.