Kevin Stefanski forgot to name “No Mas!” and Nick Chubb’s heroics from two years in the past escaped his reminiscence, too, as he deked a defender and scooted into the top zone along with his 3rd landing run Sunday.
That 12-yard rating put the Browns up 30-17 at the Jets simply earlier than the 2-minute caution, but what adopted used to be one of the crucial greatest collapses in NFL historical past, person who may have been have shyed away from had Stefanski rememered to remind Chubb to offer himself up if he were given the primary down on the 2 so they might run out the clock.
That’s what came about on Nov. 15, 2020, when Chubb used to be hailed the hero for shunning non-public stats, the purpose unfold and a positive rating when he veered out of bounds simply shy of the objective line after a 59-yard scamper so the Browns may shut out a 10-7 squeaker over the Texans with a few kneel-downs.
Chubb had a transparent trail to the top zone that day but with the Texans out of timeouts, he heeded Stefanki’s admonition — code named “No Mas” — to offer himself up if he were given the primary down so that they salt away the win.
Not this time.
“That’s a scenario where that is on me to communicate that to the huddle,” mentioned Stefanski, the Browns’ head trainer since 2020. “We have done that before. Having said that, we need to close that game out.”
The Browns watched their first 2-0 get started in 29 years move up in flames. They additionally blew a two-touchdown lead within the ultimate two mins towards the Bears in 2001. In between Cleveland’s colossal collapses, 2,229 groups with a minimum of a 13-point lead within the ultimate two mins walked off the sector victorious.
It took an astonishing collection of occasions for that to not occur Sunday after Chubb’s 3rd TD run. It all began with a ignored further level by way of rookie Cade York. After the 2-minute caution, York kicked off and Joe Flacco threw TD passes of 66 and 15 yards sandwiched round a superbly accomplished onside kick and Ashtyn Davis’ interception of Jacoby Brissett within the remaining seconds sealed the superb rally.
So, Chubb’s 3rd landing become a game-losing play identical to Todd Gurley had in Atlanta’s 23-22 loss to Detroit two years in the past. Gurley knew what used to be going down and attempted to move down but his momentum carried him around the objective line, main Lions linebacker Jamie Collins to sign landing as his teammates celebrated round him.
Move over Gurley, it is Chubb’s flip to lament the game-losing landing run.
“It presentations you’ll’t take anything else on this league with no consideration,” Brissett mentioned on a weekend during which the Ravens blew a 21-point fourth-quarter lead over the Dolphins and the Raiders frittered away a 20-0 halftime lead in a 29-23 additional time loss to the Cardinals.
Sometimes essentially the most notable takeaways on an NFL weekend are the giveaways.
Byron Murphy Jr. scooped up Hunter Renfrow’s fumble and returned it 59 yards for a landing with 3:51 left in additional time to cap the Cardinals’ extraordinary comeback at Las Vegas.
Arizona used to be nonetheless trailing 23-7 halfway during the fourth quarter when Kyler Murray ran round for an astonishing 86 yards on a 2-point conversion that made it an eight-point recreation. Murray rushed for landing as time expired in law, then hit A.J. Green with the 2-point move to tie it at 23.
If you assume Murray’s 86-yard scamper at the 2-point conversion used to be lengthy, imagine this: in line with NFL Next Gen Stats, Baltimore’s DBs ran a complete of 6,131 yards on move performs Sunday as Tagoviola ran the Ravens ragged.
He threw for 469 yards and 6 touchdowns, 4 of which got here all the way through a impressive fourth quarter because the Dolphins rallied for a 42-38 win after trailing 35-14 with 13 mins closing.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle blended for 22 catches, 361 yards and 4 touchdowns for Miami. The speedsters are the primary pair of teammates in league historical past to file a minimum of 10 receptions for 150 or extra yards and two TDs in the similar recreation.
Even with out that more or less secondary-scorching firepower, no lead is safe because the Raiders and Browns proved Sunday.
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With contributions from AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland.
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