The 2023 Browns are said to be one of the most talented teams the franchise has had in a long time. RB Nick Chubb said he feels good and that the team's offseason work, OTAs and training camp have prepared them for Sunday's season opener against the Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
"The biggest part is us playing together as one," Chubb said. "Everyone just has to play to their best potential."
The 4-time pro bowler has been the driving force for the Browns on offense since he joined the team in 2018. Against the Bengals, Chubb tends to have some of his best performances. He has played the Bengals nine times in his career, scoring eight touchdowns.
In his first five seasons, Chubb has rushed for over 100 yards in five games against the Bengals. Last season, Chubb rushed for 101 yards and scored two TDs against the Bengals in their first meeting on Oct. 31.
Check out photos from practices and the preseason of each of the players who made the 2023 Browns' initial 53-man roster announced Tuesday
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Safety Juan Thornhill (1) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Wide Receiver Amari Cooper (2) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. (5) before a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) before a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (11) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Punter Corey Bojorquez (13) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on August 17, 2023 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Browns and Eagles tied 18-18.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on August 17, 2023 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Browns and Eagles tied 18-18.
Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (19) during the third day of Mandatory Minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 8, 2023.
New England Patriots running back Pierre Strong Jr. prior to an NFL football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, Saturday, Dec. 24, 2022, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
Cornerback Denzel Ward (21) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals on December 11, 2022 at Paycor Stadium. The Browns lost 23-10.
Safety Grant Delpit (22) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers on January 8, 2023 at Acrisure Stadium. The Browns lost 14-28.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) before a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills on November 20, 2022 at Ford Field. The Browns lost 23-31.
Safety Rodney McLeod (26) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (28) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Washington Commanders on January 1, 2023 at FedEx Field. The Browns won 24-10.
Safety D'Anthony Bell (37) before a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on August 17, 2023 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Browns and Eagles tied 18-18.
Cornerback A.J. Green III (38) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Linebacker Matthew Adams (40) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Linebacker Tony Fields II (42) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (43) before a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on August 17, 2023 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Browns and Eagles tied 18-18.
Linebacker Sione Takitaki (44) during a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins on November 13, 2022 at Hard Rock Stadium. The Browns lost 17-39.
Long snapper Charley Hughlett (47) before a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk (51) during a NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns on December 17, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 13-3.
Center Nick Harris (53) before a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (54) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Center Ethan Pocic (55) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Center Luke Wypler (56) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire (57) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on August 17, 2023 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Browns and Eagles tied 18-18.
Defensive tackle Siaki Ika (62) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on August 17, 2023 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Browns and Eagles tied 18-18.
Offensive tackle James Hudson III (66) before the Hall of Fame Game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns on August 3, 2023 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The Browns won 21-16.
Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) before a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Offensive tackle Dawand Jones (74) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) before a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) before a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) after a NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns on December 17, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns won 13-3.
Tight end Jordan Akins (84) during Phase II Fieldwork at The Greenbrier on July 23, 2023.
Tight end David Njoku (85) during a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs on August 26, 2023 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. The Browns lost 32-33.
Tight end Harrison Bryant (88) before a NFL football game between the New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns on October 16, 2022 at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Browns lost 38-15.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (89) during the Hall of Fame Game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns on August 3, 2023 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The Browns won 21-16.
Defensive end Alex Wright (91) during the Hall of Fame Game between the New York Jets and Cleveland Browns on August 3, 2023 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. The Browns won 21-16.
Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (94) before a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott (96) before a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on August 17, 2023 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Browns and Eagles tied 18-18.
Defensive tackle Shelby Harris (97) before a preseason NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles on August 17, 2023 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Browns and Eagles tied 18-18.
Defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) during a preseason NFL football game between the Washington Commanders and Cleveland Browns on August 11, 2023 at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns lost 15-17.
Los Angeles Chargers place kicker Dustin Hopkins (6) kicks a field goal against the Denver Broncos during the second half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 17, 2022, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
In 2021, in a Week 9 matchup in Cincinnati, Chubb rushed for 137 yards on 14 attempts with an average of 9.8 per carry and scored two touchdowns, marking one of his best games in the NFL.
"I want to play my best no matter who it is," Chubb said. "That's just the biggest thing for me, is going out there and being in my best no matter who we play."
Sunday's game features a Bengals squad that faced challenges this off-season with injuries of their key players. The most notable is Pro Bowl QB Joe Burrow, who has returned to the team after being sidelined for a month due to a calf injury. CB Chidobe Awuzie is expected to play in Week 1 after recovering from a torn ACL. After missing the 2023 training camp, both players may experience rust early.
However, Chubb isn't taking the division rival lightly.
"It's going to be tough but that's what we expect every year," Chubb said. "No matter if they're not at their best, they will always play us hard so it won't be anything different from us from that aspect. We go into this game knowing what kind of battle is going to be and all of us understand what's ahead of us."
