CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns utilized the skills of a pair of Pro Bowl-caliber running backs, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, in Sunday’s 19-16 victory over the Buffalo Bills at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.
Hunt and Chubb’s teammates are hoping that is a trend that continues, starting with their “Thursday Night Football” game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium tonight.
“I hope so,” guard Joel Bitonio said. “They are both willing blockers. They both can catch out of the backfield. They can line up in different spots. They both run with great energy. It was cool to see them both out there, and I think Hunt ran the ball hard the few times he got it.
“The cool thing was he was lead blocking a few times and some of those were big-spring plays. We do not have a fullback and he kind of acted like it a couple of times. That was really cool to see his willingness to be that guy.”
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With Hunt on the field for the first time during the 2019 regular season after serving an eight-game suspension for off-the-field incidents, including assaulting a woman at a Cleveland hotel/apartment complex, the Browns averaged 5.7 yards per carry, gaining 147 yards on 26 rushes on the way to Cleveland’s first win in more than a month.
With Hunt leading the way and distracting the defense coupling with hard running from Chubb, the Browns’ lead back gained 116 yards.
“I think we kind of did some experiments on just how much we can do with that package,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “Obviously, two dynamic players with Nick and Kareem. We are able to do a lot, but kind of make to where we format it where it all looks similar, but we are doing different things out of it. It can be an explosive package for us. We just have to go out there and do our job.
“It is just a matter of how we are going to do it and however we want to attack teams. Just having both of those guys back there, it creates keeping to key on that. It can change the identity, but what it comes down to is being physical up front, us doing our job in the run game and establishing that early and often to where we can take our shots when we want to.”
When Hunt was not the lead blocker, he was a difference maker for the Browns’ offense with the ball in his hands.
Hunt got only four carries, but turned them into 30 yards and a game-high 7.5 yards-per-rush average. Additionally, Hunt caught seven of the nine passes Mayfield threw his way and turned those receptions into 44 yards.
“I guarantee you they can,” right tackle Chris Hubbard said when asked if Hunt and Chubb could be difference makers for the offense over the second half of the season. “It kind of throws the defense off. The have to be on the lookout for that.
“They do a great job. They did a great job throughout the OTAs and training camp working together. I know what kind of running back Kareem is. They just feed off each other. That’s what you need as a 1-2 punch combination in the backfield.”