Running back Nick Chubb will look to provide the Browns with an offensive spark when Cleveland takes on the visiting Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon. Chubb is expected to take the field for the first time since a Week 2 knee injury ended his 2023 season prematurely. He returns at a difficult time for Cleveland (1-5), which is coming off trading Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday and saw running back Jerome Ford injure his hamstring during the first quarter of a 20-16 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday. Ford did not practice Wednesday, while Chubb participated fully. “It’s super nice to be able to have his presence, his energy, his work ethic and just having Chubb in the backfield,” Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson said. “He definitely means a lot, not just to this offense, but to this community and this organization. So definitely that enthusiasm and hopefully that spark that we need to take it to another level.” Chubb needs to get Cleveland on the right track, as the Browns are averaging the third-fewest points per game in the NFL (15.8) and have lost their last four games. “I just think with where we’re at, we’ve got to play. Solid offensive football to help our team,” Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski said. “Solid attacking football, we all know what that looks like. It’s about taking care of the ball. You have to be efficient and explosive on the first and second down, and be good in those critical moments.” Early season struggles have also tormented Cincinnati (2-4) The Bengals got off to an 0-3 start, but they have since won two of their last three games, most recently beating the New York Giants 17-7 in Week 6. Cincinnati’s defense finally stepped up, holding an opponent under 24 points for the first time since a season-opening 16-10 loss to New England. However, Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo knows that. containing the Browns at home probably won’t be as easy. Cincinnati has a six-game losing streak at Cleveland and has averaged 27.5 points per game during that stretch. I let everyone know (Wednesday. ) morning in our defensive meeting room that we had not yet boarded the bus happy,” Anarumo said. “They are aware of what this building presents, what this team presents to us and the challenges. We need to step up and do better.” The Bengals should have almost everyone available when they try to end the losing streak, as cornerback DJ Turner II was the only player affected by an injury during Wednesday’s practice. He was limited due to an ankle issue. Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (ankle) and center Ethan Pocic (knee) joined Ford in the Browns’ missing practice Wednesday. Defensive end Myles Garrett (Achilles), cornerback Denzel Ward (hamstring) and running back D’Onta Foreman. (groin) were among those limited. Sunday marks Cleveland’s premier league game of the season. The Browns went 3-3 against AFC North foes in 2023. – Field Level Media.
