3 reasons why Nick Chubb is the key to the Browns’ success this season

The Cleveland Browns entered the 2021 season hoping to build off last season’s success after earning their first playoff berth in nearly two decades.

Since falling to a tough loss in the season opener to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Browns have tallied back-to-back wins that have them with a share of the lead in the AFC North standings through the first three weeks.

Why the Browns season rests on Nick Chubb

Cleveland looks every bit the part of a playoff contender with a realistic chance to secure its first division title since 1989. The Browns possess plenty of balance on both sides of the ball, which bodes well for a promising season ahead.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield continues to bring stability, but the offense remains anchored by the running game. Star running back Nick Chubb sits as the workhorse option that head coach Kevin Stefanski has built a game plan around.

The Georgia product currently ranks third with 262 rushing yards while being tied for first with three rushing touchdowns and seventh with 5.5 yards per rushing attempt.

“Chubb is going to be himself no matter what,” Mayfield said of Chubb via Cleveland.com. “Whether it is a meteor shower outside or it is sunshine and rainbows, he is going to be the same guy every day, but that is what we love about him.”

As the Browns push toward the playoffs, here are three reasons why Chubb is the key to the team’s success.

#1 - Chubb anchors the offensive attack

If last season proved anything, the Browns can depend on the running game to push them forward.

Although he missed four games in 2020, Chubb racked up his second straight 1,000 rushing yard campaign while averaging a career-high 5.6 yards per carry and notching a career-best 12 rushing touchdowns.

The 25-year-old has been a model of consistency throughout his brief NFL career as he’s tallied north of 990 rushing yards and at least 5.0 yards per attempt in each of his first three full seasons.

Chubb hasn’t topped 100 rushing yards in a game this season, but he’s been a highly effective running game option with north of 80 yards in each game, including averaging 8.6 yards per attempt against the Houston Texans in Week 2.

#2 - Chubb takes the pressure off Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield hasn’t proved he can carry the Browns offense with his arm.

However, the Oklahoma product doesn’t need to do that with a strong running game behind him. Chubb and Kareem Hunt take a significant amount of pressure off Mayfield to lead the offense forward.

Mayfield's numbers aren’t standout by any means with 720 passing yards with two touchdowns, but he’s completing a career-best 73.8% of his passes while holding a 102.1 passer rating. What’s been most appealing is that he’s averaging 9.8 yards per pass attempt, which means he’s making plays down the field.

As long as he’s got a stable running game behind him, Mayfield has shown he can be a stable option under center.

#3 - Chubb helps keep the defense off the field

Over the offseason, the Browns made a concerted effort to revamp the defense.

Last year, Cleveland’s secondary struggled, leading to many high-scoring contests that placed more pressure on the offense to lead the charge. The Browns have shown some improvement so far this year with more pressure on the quarterback led by Myles Garrett’s league-leading 5.5 sacks.

Though that has seen the defense benefit from having a more balanced offense on the other side of the ball. Through the first three games, the defense has been on the field for 27 minutes or less in each of the first three contests, averaging just under 24 minutes per game.

All that speaks to helping the team over the long haul of the season.