There was a lot of excitement around the Cleveland Browns before the 2019 NFL season began and although results have not quite lived up to that hype, the Browns remain in with a great chance of reaching the postseason for the first time since 2002 if they can end the year well.
Here is a look at three players who have stood out the most this season and if they can continue to excel then they can help their side reach the playoffs.
Nick Chubb
Based on last week’s NFL Power Rankings for the league’s 100th season, the Browns were languishing in 19th place following victories over the New York Jets and Baltimore Browns, while their close defeat to the Seattle Seahawks showed they are capable of mixing it up with the best teams in the league. However, their recent loss to the New England Patriots is likely to have seen them move down the rankings even if it was a tight game against a mean defense and arguably the best team in the league.
One of the big reasons for the success Cleveland have had recently is due to their running game, and particularly how explosive RB Nick Chubb has been. The second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft had a breakthrough year in his rookie campaign and he looks to be taking his game to another level in 2019. He already has six touchdowns from his opening seven games, while he has rushed for 738 yards. If he keeps those numbers up, the Browns’ offense is going to prove to be very dangerous.
Myles Garrett
Defensive end Myles Garrett is proving exactly why Cleveland drafted him as the first overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft as he is currently the joint-leader in the league with sacks this season, with 10 to his name along with Tampa Bay’s Shanqui Barrett. Garrett’s pace and strength has been so impressive this year that he has made getting to the opposing quarterback look easy. As long as Garrett stays fit and healthy, he is going to continue to cause havoc to QBs in the NFL and it will help the defense do their job when it comes to limiting their opponents’ points per game. It would be no surprise to see the Cleveland man finish the year with the most sacks as he is on track to becoming the most destructive DE in the league.
Joe Schobert
Myles Garrett with the strip and Joe Schobert with recovery!#LARvsCLE pic.twitter.com/ST6O6m5Fiu
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 23, 2019
Cleveland’s secondary is currently being led by Joe Schobert who is excelling in 2019 with 73 combined tackles in his side’s opening six games of the season. The Browns man particularly stood out in Cleveland’s 40-25 victory over the Ravens as he had 17 tackles and one sack on quarterback Lamar Jackson. The inside linebacker was all over the field in that game and he is making a case for being one of the most important players on the team. Without him, they would certainly be a lot worse than 21st for yards allowed per game. He made the Pro Bowl in 2017 and he looks certain to once again be rewarded with that honor at the end of this year.
There is a lot of work to be done to reach the playoffs this season, however, no team has made the AFC North their own yet which leaves the door open for the Browns to run the table.
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