RB Nick Chubb (9.6.23)
Nick, what are kind of your overall feelings as we head into week one?
“I feel good. I think we had a great offseason, great OTAs, great training camp, and now it’s time to put it all together.”
What do you think is going to make this team maybe the best that you’ve been on since you’ve been here?
“I don’t know. I think just putting it all together, coming out here. Well, we’ve always had weapons since I’ve been here, and I think just the biggest part is us playing together, playing as one, playing as a team, and everyone playing to their best potential.”
We’ve heard a lot of talk that you will be more involved on third down and catching the ball more out of the backfield this year. But in the past, we’ve heard other things too, about you and what might happen during the season. Do you really feel like that’s going to happen or we’ll just have to see kind of how it goes?
“We’ll have to see. Anything can happen in the game. We have a lot of guys who can do a lot of different things. So, for me, I’m waiting for any opportunity I can to be on the field with my team and to get the job done.”
Nick, some of your best games ever have been against the (Cincinnati) Bengals. I wonder, is there a reason for it? Just super pumped up in a division game like this, or how do you look at this Cincinnati team?
“I’ll take it week by week. It’s not a certain team or anything in my mind. I want to go out there, I want to play my best no matter who it is. And that’s just the biggest thing for me, is going out there and being in my best no matter who we play.”
Do they look any different? Obviously, you played them multiple times, but when you look at them preparing for this game, does that defense look any different to you?
“For the most part, it looked the same to me. I mean, they have a bunch of guys, core guys who’ve been there for a minute. They all play extremely hard. They’re all tougher, they’re all very smart. They do what they’re told to do. It’s always a challenge playing, though.”
I know we’ve talked a lot about Deshaun (Watson), but what gives you the most confidence that he’s going to be a different player than he was those last six games?
“Just knowing who Deshaun is and knowing who he’s always been back when he was in high school in Gainesville, Georgia. I mean, he’s always been a great player, and that hasn’t changed since going through college or playing the NFL. So, we’re all confident in Deshaun and what he can do.”
What should fans expect from him and from this offense this season?
“I expect us to hopefully play well, go out and execute, make small or no mistakes at all, to go out there and play together.”
How could it help you if there’s more receivers on the field and there’s lighter boxes for you? How is that helpful?
“Obviously if there’s lighter boxes, there’s a lot of guys we have to block. In that way, that would help us a lot.”
Do you think Watson’s threat – Watson’s running helps the running backs also like it does in Baltimore?
“I think so. I mean, I guess it’s hard to you know, assume we’re just going to run the ball with me or another running back. You have to respect Watson, his legs and his arm in RPO situation.”
Have you ever done the option kind of like you’ve been doing in training camp? Has that been part of your game?
“It’s always been something we’ve had in our playbook but we’ve never done it in a game situation so we’ll see how it goes.”
There’s been a lot of talk about what’s going to look different this year offensively. Do you think when we get to week one Sunday it’s going to look a lot different than it has in the past?
“Hopefully different in a good way. So, I would say yeah.”
The division has never been this good. All four teams expect to be in first place. Long before you got here, it’s never been that every team has been this good at this time. What do you make of the division, just in fact that you’re playing three of the teams in the first month?
“It’s going to be tough but that’s what we expect every year. 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.”
You had a career year last year and I know you’re not someone that likes to talk about your personal goals and put them out there, but when you reflect on that, is it possible for you to top how well you did play last year?
“I don’t get too caught up in that. Like you said, I take it day by day, year by year, and I’m trying to be the best player I can on this Wednesday and that’s all that’s important to me.”
Did you do anything differently to prepare for sort of a different role this year in any way?
“I guess over the course of me getting more practice reps I guess I’m in better shape. I would say that, but everything else – what’s worked for me in the past, I still do.”
How about I know you’ve always had good hands, haven’t had a chance to really show them. Did you spend any more time on the jug machine or playing catches?
“That’s always been a part of my preparation, so I haven’t changed anything.”
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