Nick Chubb knows that as the Cleveland Browns look ahead to the upcoming 2020 NFL season, there are quite a few reasons to be excited. Gone are the frustrating days of Freddie Kitchens botching play-calling and game management situations. A new era is beginning under first-year head coach Kevin Stefanski and the new head coach has a ton of talent to work with.
Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. are the first two names that come to mind when thinking about the Browns' offense. After them, Nick Chubb, Jarvis Landry, and Austin Hooper are other big pieces.
Speaking of Chubb, he has quietly become one of the elite running backs in the NFL. He put together another huge season for the Browns in 2019, carrying the football 298 times for 1,494 yards and eight touchdowns. Chubb averaged 5.0 yards per carry and also caught 36 passes for 278 yards on the season.
Those numbers show a bit of the full potential that the 24-year-old running back out of Georgia possesses.
Looking ahead to the upcoming season, Chubb is in line for what is expected to be another big year. If the Browns are finally going to live up to the hype and make a playoff run, they are going to need their star running back to play a major role.
Let's go ahead and take a look at three early goals for Nick Chubb's 2020 season with the Browns.
3. Continue Averaging Five Yards Per Carry
One of the most important numbers that Chubb must continue to keep up is his yards per carry average. In his rookie season, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry and finished last season with a 5.0 average. Chubb must continue averaging five yards per carry.
Having a running back who can get big chunks of yardage on the majority of his carries is a huge plus. It takes pressure off of Mayfield and the passing game in a big way.
Cleveland's offense has the chance to be elite. They have the pieces put together, they just need to figure everything out at the same time. Chubb averaging five yards per carry again is a step in that direction.
2. Increase His Touchdown Numbers
In each of Chubb's first two seasons with the Browns, he has scored eight touchdowns on the ground. He added two receiving touchdowns in his rookie year, but did not score a single receiving touchdown in 2019. Chubb needs to pick up his scoring numbers.
What would a reasonable goal for Chubb be in 2020? Let's go ahead and put that number at about 11 or 12. If he can find the end zone three or four more times, the Browns are going to be a much more balanced offense.
Kareem Hunt is back for a second year with the Browns, which could impact his scoring numbers. There is no question that when healthy and out of trouble, Hunt is an elite NFL running back. However, improving his touchdown number is a definite goal.
1. Become An Even Better Receiving Back
First and foremost, the fact that the Browns brought Hunt back likely means that he will be playing the majority of the downs that require a receiving back. Despite that fact, Chubb should still be striving to become a better receiving back himself.
More than likely, Hunt will be looking for a starting job elsewhere after the 2020 season. If Chubb can improve as a receiver, he can get back to being the every down workhorse. He already has showcased an ability to catch the ball, but could use improvement.
Chubb is already a lethal threat on the ground. If he can become an elite dual-threat running back, he will truly be viewed as one of the game's top running backs.
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