Nick Chubb has had a four-game jumpstart to be at his best for his first game against the Steelers since his brutal knee injury in September of 2023. (TheLandOnDemand)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Browns practice and interviews …
Minkah Fitzpatrick still hasn’t called Nick Chubb.
They will meet at Huntington Bank Field on Thursday night for the first time since September 19, 2023, when Fitzpatrick’s low hit on Chubb in Acrisure Stadium wrecked Chubb’s left knee.
“I talked to him on the field when it happened and that’s about it,” Chubb said Tuesday.
Chubb has written that laying on the ground, he feared his career was over because it was the second major injury to the same knee.
But after two surgeries to repair his ACL, MCL, meniscus and medial capsule, and a gruelling, 11-month rehab, Chubb has come back to play four games this season.
You would think that the sight of Fitzpatrick and the Steelers might make this an emotional game for Chubb.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Chubb said. “It’s just the same normal game for me. I’m approaching it the same way. Looking forward to going out there and playing against a great team.”
Both Fitzpatrick and Chubb have said they didn’t consider the low hit beneath a scrum of players was dirty.
“It was very unfortunate,” Fitzpatrick said a few days after the game. “It’s a tough, tough injury. Unfortunately, it’s part of the game we play. I know people think I had ill will behind the tackle. It’s not the case whatsoever.
“I’m a guy that’s a competitor, that’s going to go out there and play the game. I’m chippy, I’m edgy, of course, but I’m not a dirty player. I’m not going to sit here and defend my character.
“People can sit behind a screen and tell me how I should have done it or what they would have done … they never played the game. It’s a fast game, and things happen. Like I said, it’s an unfortunate event. I’m praying for Chubb. I talked to him briefly as he was on the ground, just to let him know it wasn’t intentional. I was trying to tackle him and make a football play.
“What I seen was, it opened up. It was goal line. I didn’t see anybody on him. I made the decision as soon as I seen the hole open up and him in the hole to go low. You can tell me how to tackle him low, but like I said this is a fast game, a game you make decisions within milliseconds.”
In four games since his return, Chubb is averaging 40.8 yards, as opposed to 89.7 yards a game in the season prior to the injury. He is averaging 3.1 yards per attempt v. 5.1 yards per attempt in the season prior.
In Pittsburgh this week, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin again was deferential to Chubb, referring to him as “Mr. Chubb.”
“[I] just got so much respect for his game and body of work and his capabilities,” Tomlin said. “From an appreciative football standpoint, it’s really good to see him back. But from a guy that competes against him this week, obviously, he has our attention.”
What’s interesting is what’s happened to Fitzpatrick since the violent confrontation 14 months ago.
In his 63 games with the Steelers prior to the Chubb incident, Fitzpatrick was a turnover-making machine. He had 17 interceptions (three for touchdowns), 40 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, four tackles for loss and two quarterback hits.
In his 18 games since the Chubb incident, Fitzpatrick has no interceptions, three passes defensed, no fumbles forced, no fumbles recovered, one tackle for loss and no quarterback hits.
First time for Jameis
Jameis Winston showed great awareness of the Browns-Steelers rivalry when he said after the game in New Orleans, “Ever since I became a Brown, I learned I don’t become a Brown until we beat the Steelers.”
He expounded on Tuesday, “Well, I believe one, regionally, Pittsburgh is right down the road east of us, so it’s about two and a half hours right of us and I think that breeds the rivalry. I don’t think a lot of people talk about Cincy down south. I think that’s more in state.
“But just growing up seeing the blood, sweat and tears that happened in these games. These games are hard nose, hard fought, true definition, cold weather, football weather, football games. This is the premiere — when you’re growing up, watching NFL Films, hearing that amazing voice come on. When you see the Steelers and then he always talks about the (Las Vegas) Raiders, but the Steelers are in the Browns division. So, this is a big game, and we got to get this for our fans.”
The amazing thing is Winston revealed he never has played the Steelers in 101 games in his 10-year NFL career with Tampa Bay and New Orleans.
The one time Winston’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers were scheduled to play the Steelers, Week 3 of 2018, Winston was serving the final game of a three-game NFL suspension for violating the personal conduct policy.
Ifedi is ready
Germain Ifedi, who replaced Dawand Jones at left tackle the final three quarters in New Orleans after Jones suffered a fractured fibula, is on track to make his first start for the Browns.
If so, Ifedi would be the fourth player in 11 games to start at left tackle this season, following James Hudson, Jedrick Wills and Jones.
Wills’ four starts are the most for any of the left tackles. He was limited at practice on Tuesday. Coach Kevin Stefanski declined to say if Wills or Ifeadi would start.
Left guard Joel Bitonio gave Ifedi an endorsement.
“He’s been practicing [there] all year,” Bitonio said. “Obviously, he’s an ex- first round pick. He’s a guy that’s going to go out and play hard. I thought he played hard, had good energy and the tape looked good.”
Ifedi said of his work in New Orleans, “It was fine. Couple things to clean up, be a little sharper on. For being out there for the first extended period in a while, it was solid. We still think we have a good group over here.”
In 83 starts in his previous eight NFL seasons, Ifedi never played on the left side of the line. But he’s been there with the Browns since Day 1 of training camp at The Greenbrier.
“I’ve been right side a lot in my career, 50,000 snaps on the right side. As the years wore on, roles have changed and I’ve had to have a versatile mindset. If you have that, you’re never caught off guard,” he said.
Brownie bits
Before practice, the Browns placed Jones on injured reserve and signed tackle Geron Christian off the Rams practice squad. Christian was an under-radar hero last year when he came off the street and started nine games at left tackle when injuries hit. He was a former Bill Callahan draft pick with Washington …
Stefanski, who grew up in Philadelphia listening to hosts on sports radio giant WIP annihilate all Philadelphia coaches, chuckled at a question about being on the coach’s hot seat. “I think probably because I grew up listening to that, I’m smart enough to not worry about outside noise,” he said. “I get that’s part of this gig. That’s life in the big city. My sole focus is getting this team ready to get a win on Thursday night. That’s it.”