CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my Browns notebook, still savoring Thursday’s 29-17 victory over Pittsburgh:
1. Nick Chubb’s stats were impressive: 113 rushing yards, a 4.9 average. According to Pro Football Focus, he forced seven missed tackles and 102 of those yards were after contact. For the year, Chubb has forced 19 missed tackles, more than all other TEAMS combined. The Browns have played one more game than most teams, but it’s still incredible.
2. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said: “I thought they controlled the game, man. They possessed the ball. Nick Chubb controlled the game … He was running through arm tackles … getting yards after contact.”
3. Pittsburgh safety Minkah Fitzpatrick: “They did what they wanted to do. And what they wanted to do was give the ball to Nick Chubb … and we couldn’t stop it.”
4. Pittsburgh defensive lineman Cameron Heyward: “They ran the ball. We got our ass kicked. It’s as simple as that.”
5. There was more to it than Chubb, who loves giving credit to his teammates – especially good backfield buddy Kareem Hunt. Then he credits the offensive line. Jacoby Brissett also had a terrific game (21 of 31 passing, 220 yards and a pair of TDs with zero interceptions).
6. But the key in this game was the Browns dominated Pittsburgh physically. That’s why Tomlin and the Pittsburgh players were so upset. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski called it “a heavyweight fight,” and the Browns delivered several knock out punches.
7. Tomlin was fixated on how his team could not stop the run. When he was asked about Browns tight end David Njoku (nine catches, 89 yards, TD), the Steeler coach said, “(That was) less of an issue than Chubb in the run game.”
‘We’re better together’ says Kareem Hunt, Nick Chubb of the Browns backfield
8. This season, Hunt and Chubb have combined for 492 rushing yards, a 5.1 average along with 5 TDs. As a team, the Browns have rushed for 572 yards in three games. That’s the most after three games to start the season since the 1958 Browns, according to Dan Murphy, the Browns director of communications.
9. That inspired me to check on the 1958 Browns. The incredible Jim Brown rushed for 1,527 yards in 12 games, a 5.9 average. His backfield buddy was Bobby Mitchell, who had 500 yards rushing and a 6.3 average. The Browns were 9-3 that season for coach Paul Brown. Milt Plum was the QB.
10. As for these Browns, they also have a running weapon in Brissett. He’s not fast, but he’s strong at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds. He has rushed for seven first downs. Five of them were on QB sneaks. Stefanski said sneaks “are not that complicated.” That probably is true, but not every QB has the lower body strength to consistently do it without getting hurt.
11. We’ll see how the season progresses, especially with the schedule becoming tougher starting with Week 5. But Brissett is giving the Browns exactly what they’ve hoped for: 66 percent completion, 4 TD passes and a single interception. He’s been sacked only four times in three games. He stays away from negative plays and mistakes – and he’s made some big plays, too.
Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Cameron Sutton upends Cleveland Browns wide receiver Amari Cooper. Cooper has had exactly 101 receiving yards in the last two games. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
12. In his last two games, Amari Cooper has caught passes for exactly 101 yards. The last Cleveland player to have back-to-back 100-yard receiving games was Josh Gordon in 2013. Brissett called him a “great player, a great teammate … you see all he does in the pass game, but in the run game (blocking), he holds his own. You don’t see that a lot from No. 1 receivers.”
13. Stefanski on Cooper (who wears No. 2): “He is really, really smart. He is a great teammate. He runs every imaginable route – slants, go-balls, double moves or you name it. I just think he is so versatile. He is such a big, physical receiver. Trustworthy. I really enjoy No. 2.”
14. Yes, the Andrew Berry front office traded a 2022 fifth-round pick to Dallas for Cooper, a 4-time Pro Bowl pick. Dallas had salary cap problems and the Browns quickly moved to add the veteran. Unlike some elite receivers, Cooper is not a diva.
15. Give defensive coordinator Joe Woods and his staff for fixing many of the pass coverage problems. It appeared the Browns played more man-to-man coverage. Things looked more organized. Woods needed a big game, and he delivered it after the team had four damaging broken coverages in the first two games.
HEAR ME TALK: I will be speaking at the Uniontown Library on October 4 at 6:30 pm It’s free. I’ll take questions, meet fans and sign books.
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