CLEVELAND — Clinging to a 10-7 lead with one minute and seven seconds remaining in the game, the Cleveland Browns offense found itself facing a 3rd and 3 from its own 40 yard line.
In the blink of an eye, Nick Chubb burst through the Houston Texans' defense for what appeared to be a surefire 60-yard rushing touchdown. But to the surprise of many, the 2019 Pro Bowl running back opted to step out of bounds at the one-yard line.
With the Texans out of timeouts, all it took from there was two Baker Mayfield kneel downs for the Browns to seal a 10-7 victory and advance to 6-3 on the season. Chubb's heady play was celebrated by many -- except for bettors and fantasy football owners -- as an example of unselfishness, with the Georgia product prioritizing the team's win over his own individual stats.
After the game, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski revealed that he had given Chubb the code word -- "No mas" -- to fall down once he gained the first down, knowing that Houston was out of timeouts and that Cleveland would be able to run out the clock.
Stefanski said he wouldn't have been mad at Chubb had he ignored his directions and opted to score the touchdown instead, but was happy to praise his third-year running back for his unselfish play.
"We're looking for tough smart dudes," Stefanski said. "And Nick Chubb is that."
After missing the previous four games with an MCL sprain, Chubb totaled 126 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. But as his final run showed, his impact was even bigger than his stat line.