Browns RB Nick Chubb believes his late TD 'cost us the game' in last-minute loss to Jets
The Cleveland Browns lost a last-minute heartbreaker to the New York Jets in Week 2, and running back Nick Chubb has one major regret: scoring a touchdown.
It wasn't just any touchdown, though. Chubb scored a touchdown with just 1:55 left on the clock, and when the extra point went wide, Cleveland led 30-17. With so little time on the clock, very few people could have predicted that the Joe Flacco-led Jets would get the ball back, score a touchdown in just two plays, execute a successful onside kick, and score again to win by just a single point.
The Jets had no timeouts left, so if Chubb had not scored that touchdown and just got the first down instead, the Browns could have knelt on the next three downs to run out the clock. They would have won 24-17 instead of losing 31-30.
Chubb is now aware of this, and he told 92.3 The Fan on Tuesday that he believes he cost the Browns that win against the Jets.
#Browns RB Nick Chubb: "I probably shouldn't have scored right there, looking back at it. It cost us the game...it's only a problem because we didn't win. I probably should've went down."
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) September 20, 2022
Is it all Chubb's fault?
Chubb might feel bad, but he is in no way solely (or mostly, or even halfway) responsible for how the game ended. It's not like he scored that touchdown and the game suddenly ended with the Browns losing. There was 1:55 left when the Jets got the ball back, and their offense doesn't take the field alone.
The Cleveland defense were also active participants in the game after that touchdown — or at least they should have been. They let the Jets and 37-year-old Flacco trample them, especially the defensive backs, who couldn't execute when they were needed most.
Hopefully the offense, and the defensive backs, send Chubb a six-pack and a thank you/I'm sorry card. Since he's on the radio taking responsibility for the loss and essentially apologizing for doing his job, it's the least they can do.