BEREA — Jerome Ford didn't have the look of a player fretting about making his first NFL start at running back.

Friday afternoon, Ford sat at his locker playing a chess game on his phone. Almost exactly 48 hours from that moment, the second-year pro will be stepping into the massive shoes left by Nick Chubb's season-ending knee injury when the Browns play host to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Ford's nonchalance shouldn't misconstrued as detached disinterest. He acknowledges there's feelings bubbling inside of him.

"Mostly excitement," Ford said. "Just pretty much excited and ready to do whatever I can."

The Browns aren't putting all of the responsibility on Ford for replacing Chubb, who sustained the injury in the second quarter of Monday night's 26-22 loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. They acquired Pierre Strong Jr. in a trade from the New England Patriots in late August, then re-signed Kareem Hunt on Wednesday after the injury.

Strong and Hunt will both get some carries in the game. However, it's Ford's ball to, literally, run with to start.

"It helped me feel confident in myself," Ford said of starting. "It lets me know that I'm doing the right things. Everything that I do is being evaluated, and that means I've been doing pretty good."

Ford's been under a microscope of sorts essentially since the Browns allowed Hunt to initially depart as an unrestricted free agent after last season. They made that decision because of what they believed they had in Ford, who they selected in the fifth round of the 2022 draft.

There was a certain level of doubt outside of the team's facility about Ford. He primarily had been used as a kickoff return man as a rookie, and had just eight carries for 12 yards as a running back.

The questions about experienced depth with Ford behind Chubb got louder when the second-year back missed multiple weeks of training camp with a hamstring injury. Those questions, though, didn't necessarily rise up to those making decisions in the Browns organization.

"I go back to the spring and I think I've told you guys I was very impressed with how he handled the spring mentally, physically, really jumped into that role as a protector and understanding all the things that go with protection," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. "Catches the ball well. … I think all of your players constantly have to stay ready because they never know when their number is going to be called and in what role. Sometimes roles change and adjust and grow throughout the season."

The question likely grew deafening on Ford's very first carry of the season, a 8-yard run in the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals that ended in a fumble. However, the Browns went back to him, particularly late in the game as they were icing the win.

That was nothing compared to what awaited Ford, who had 15 carries for 36 yards in the opener, on Monday in Pittsburgh. With 14:14 remaining in the second quarter, Chubb planted his left leg, Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick rolled into the leg and the Browns Pro Bowl running back's season came to an end.

All Ford could do was what he'd been taught ever since he was a little kid. He caught a 3-yard touchdown pass on the very first play after the injury, and finished with 106 yards on 16 carries.

"Pretty much you're sitting on the sideline at any point, (thinking) this could be me in there," Ford said. "So I don't think I really needed too much time to prepare for it. I feel like with the sport that we play, when you're behind someone, you get that in your head. At any moment this can be me."

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jerome Ford ready to do what's needed to fill Nick Chubb's shoes