If you thought Baker Mayfield looked a little sharper when Nick Chubb was lined up in the backfield with him, you thought correctly. And now, thanks to NFL Next Gen Stats, there is evidence to back it up.
The Browns rookie tandem was better when playing together. It’s reflected in the decided uptick in Mayfield’s statistics and efficiency with Chubb on the field versus when other RBs, or no RBs, were on the field.
Mayfield’s completion rate was over 7 percentage points higher, and his TD-to-INT rate looks a lot better when No. 24 was paired with him.
Chubb caught 20 passes on 29 targets, averaging 7.5 yards per catch and scoring 2 TDs. Those aren’t eye-popping numbers for a running back, but his threat as a home run hitter as a runner impacted the pass defense pretty dramatically for a rookie.
