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The Cleveland Browns grabbed a much-needed Week 9 win by cruising past the Cincinnati Bengals in a convincing 41-16 win.
With this win, Cleveland comes a step closer to contending for the playoffs and potentially the AFC North division title. However, the Browns suffered a tough setback as star running back Nick Chubb will likely miss Week 10 action against the New England Patriots after testing positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN.
Browns suffer massive blow to running game with Nick Chubb contracting COVID
If Chubb is vaccinated, his status remains up in the air as two negative tests 24 hours apart would give him medical clearance to play. The Pro Bowler has been the focal point of the Browns' offense, especially with backup Kareem Hunt sidelined with a calf injury that required him to be placed on the injured reserve.
Chubb ranks third with 721 rushing yards and sixth with six rushing touchdowns, despite missing two games due to a calf injury. The 25-year-old is coming off another strong outing as he posted 137 rushing yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns. It includes a 70-yard touchdown run that fueled his huge performance.
In the seven games played, Chubb has tallied north of 60 rushing yards in each game, while topping more than 100 rushing yards three times. He also scored a touchdown in all but three contests.
His absence is a significant hit as backup Demetric Felton also tested positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, running back John Kelly was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, as well.
All that puts the Browns thin in the backfield as D’Ernest Johnson is currently the only available running back on the active 53-man roster. Johnson put together a breakout outing in the 17-14 win over the Denver Broncos in Week 7, posting 146 rushing yards on 22 carries and a touchdown.
Cleveland will likely lean heavily on him to lead the charge in the ground game. Beyond that, it places quarterback Baker Mayfield in the limelight as the guiding force for the offense.
Mayfield has struggled with injuries in his fourth campaign but has provided some essence of stable play in recent weeks. He’s coming off an encouraging outing against the Bengals, where he routinely made big plays down the field. His numbers weren’t monstrous with 218 passing yards and touchdowns, but the Browns moved the ball consistently.
Cleveland will need him to build off last week’s performance to guide the team to another much-needed win to further fuel their playoff push.
