Yes.
Now, before I get attacked by Browns fans aplenty, it’s still no excuse for the defense and what happened next. Let’s set the scene.
The Browns have the ball with just under two minutes to go at the 12 yard line. The team is up 24-17 to the Jets and running back Nick Chubb gets a handoff. He bounces outside and gets into the end zone for the touchdown. Our beloved Cade York misses the extra point. 30-17, the score. 1:55 to go in the game. Looks like a Browns victory is in store.
I said to my fellow writers that Chubb should’ve slid down and essentially not scored. Why? Why stop your team from scoring points? Well, the NFL has thing called the onside kick. It’s essentially a way for a team to keep the ball even after scoring.
Most of the time, it’s recovered by the receiving team anyway. BUT not all the time. Under 20% of the time the ball gets recovered by the kicking team. That isn’t zero.
The reason fans are pointing at Chubb is because if he slid down and didn’t score, the Browns are able to wind down the clock. Maybe have to kick a field goal with a few seconds left and so on and so fourth.
Regardless, a defense giving up two touchdowns with 1:55 left is a complete joke. That should never happen. The missed extra point by York also made it so the Jets could get that one point lead and win the game.
Nick Chubb is a fantastic running back. On Sunday, 87 yards and three touchdowns in the Jets game. Another elite performance.
While it is fair to point out that Chubb *could* have slid on that specific play to allow the Browns to kill the clock, in no way should he be blamed for the loss.
The defense was terrible in those final two drives, York missed the extra point and the team failed to recover the onside kick. Blame all of those players and coaches firstly.
Technically, yes. Chubb could’ve slid, let the clock go down with a couple of kneel downs and the Browns would go on to win, 24-17. But the amount of mistakes made by everyone else is just too much to ignore.
Nick Chubb – you are appreciated. Now let’s go and beat the Steelers this week and forget this disgrace of a finish to a football game ever happened.
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