3 players the Cleveland Browns are going to need to lean on not named Nick Chubb

The Cleveland Browns can’t just rely on Nick Chubb against the New York Jets

The Cleveland Browns can’t over-rely on Nick Chubb this season. He’s only a man and if we’ve seen anything from the likes of Christian McCaffery or Derrick Henry, it’s that if you over-rely on one player that hard for that long, they will break down. Especially if they’re running backs. Every single running back eventually hits a wall and breaks down. They’re never the same again after that.

Chubb is on pace to be the greatest running back in Browns’ history, and avoiding injuries is the only way to ensure that happens. He can’t keep missing games in a season and eventually break all the records he’ll need to in order to be seen as thee guy in franchise history.

Not only that, but pulling back from the macro and going into a more micro view, the Browns aren’t winning a single game with Jacoby Brissett under center, and Nick Chubb on injured reserved. It’s just not happening. So the Browns hope to stay afloat before the embattled and disgraced Deshaun Watson returns, Chubb needs to be healthy.

There’s just no other way around it. So these three players need to be ready to go against the Jets.

Three Cleveland Browns payers who need to be worked into the offense vs. the  New York Jets

Kareem Hunt

Kareem Hunt isn’t on Nick Chubb’s level rushing the ball, we know this. Yet, Hunt is a much better pass-catcher than Chubb, and considering the limitations, we’re seeing from the receiving corp, Hunt may be the best option to get a passing game going. Hunt’s falling into more of a fullback role at times, and that could be useful for some play-action misdirection, allowing Brissett to possibly work the flats.

David Njoku

David Njoku was paid all that money to catch balls, not be a mediocre blocker. Anytime he doesn’t get lit up, fans overreact. He’s literally doing the bare minimum as a blocker, which is actually fine.. He wasn’t paid to block. That’s why Jesse James is here and played as much as he did against the Panthers. Njoku needs to get open, he needs to catch balls. He needs to be a factor on the field. We can blame Brissett all day and I intend to, but Njoku has to get open and be a contributor regardless of how much the team calls his number. Njoku has a history of not always getting separation, and that issue is following him into 2022. He’s got to do better at finding spots, sitting in them, and getting open.

Donovan Peoples-Jones

Donovan Peoples-Jones is proof that Amari Cooper and Njoku not getting a lot of catches isn’t just on Brissett. Peoples-Jones had a nice game against the Panthers and their standout corners. The Jets don’t have the same depth in their secondary as the Panthers do, so Peoples-Jones could very well have a much bigger game.