OAKLAND — It took Nick Chubb just three carries to deliver one of the best games by a Browns rookie running back in some time.
Chubb turned his trio of touches into 105 yards rushing and two touchdowns in Sunday's dramatic, 45-42 overtime loss to the Raiders.
It was the most rushing yards by a Browns rookie running back since 2014 while Chubb's first score — a 63-yard run in the second quarter — was the longest by a first-year player since 2003.
"It always feels good to make plays and get points for your team," he said.
"I mean, I think one or two of the carries, I never got touched. So the O-Line did a great job blocking and the guys downfield were also blocking hard for me too so it was great to have a good night.
"But at the end of the day, you want to win the game and we didn't do that. Still have a lot of work to do."
Indeed, Chubb, the former Georgia star and 35th overall NFL Draft pick, was more disappointed in Sunday's outcome than he was excited about a breakout performance that showcased why Cleveland thinks he'll be an offensive fixture for years to come.
"That was exciting. I'm happy for him, definitely. He fed off of me, I feed off of him. We have to keep it going," said running back Carlos Hyde, Chubb's veteran counterpart. "I love when he breaks those long runs. It makes me anxious to get back out there. And then, when I break a run, it makes him anxious to get back out there. So it's good though, we have to keep it going."
"It was awesome, long runs are great for O-linemen, we love one play drives," left guard Joel Bitonio added. "It was sweet though, man he made some things happen. On the second one, they ran a nice blitz, and I think he made someone miss in the backfield, which was a great play by him. And he had some breakaway speed and finished those in the end zone."
Chubb showed a combination of burst and power against a Raiders defense that allowed 208 yards rushing. His second touchdown of the afternoon was another big run — this time for 41 yards — and looked as if it would seal the team's first road win since 2015. Instead, the Browns watched as multiple leads evaporated throughout the second half.
"It's a long way to go in the season," Chubb said. "It's Game 4 and we need to just keep grinding."
Although he's had somewhat limited opportunities behind veteran starters in Hyde and Duke Johnson, Chubb showed the Browns he'll make the most of whatever touches he gets. As teammates and coaches celebrated his success on the sidelines, he said it reminded of him of his days with the Bulldogs, when he ran for 44 touchdowns and 4,769 yards en route to becoming one of college football's top running backs.
Chubb hopes to continue that feeling for a long time.
"It's been a while since that's happened for me and I'm glad it happened here," he said. "They made me feel great about everything and I want to get this team going."
