Running Backs Coach Duce Staley (12.20.24)
How disappointing is it to lose Nick (Chubb) to the foot injury?
“Yeah, it’s tough. Just being able to watch that video, and [by] the video I mean [the one] of him coming back. Being able to watch that movie. What he went through to get healthy, just working as hard as he could just to get back to play. So, it’s tough to see him go through that. But we all know as running backs, and I definitely know, there are a couple potholes in the road you hit throughout your career, but you keep fighting and you keep bouncing back, and that’s the love for the game. That’s why I expect for Nick to come back 100%.”
What were you seeing in Nick the last couple of weeks before the injury? Were you starting to see maybe him rounding the corner and becoming the old Nick Chubb in the way he was running?
“Yeah, well, I saw that once he stepped on the field. I mean, day one. And what I mean by that, just being able to come back from those injuries and come back out there and play says a lot about him. It says a lot about the training, and the commitment and the time that was put in. But you turn the film on, I get excited when I was turning the film on each and every day throughout practice and of course in the game. What you saw in the game was him being able to plant his foot to make cuts. It was slowly but surely starting to come back.”
Sometimes guys who have major knee injuries, and I know his was a major, major one, that second season they get closer to who they were. Could you see that being the case for Nick with another offseason? More time to build up whatever muscles, whatever he needs to do to get maybe that explosion that he didn’t have, that he used to have?
“It’s very easy for us to say that right now. And when you go and look at the film, he didn’t have an opportunity to show it. So, before we are so judgmental on that part, let’s give him an opportunity to see if he had the explosion. I think he has it. I think it’s still there, and hopefully those opportunities will show themselves next year.”
So, with Jerome (Ford) obviously probably getting more of a workload now, he had that big run on Sunday, he’s been great in the kick return game, what makes Jerome so effective for you guys?
“I mean, Jerome is, besides the speed, besides the quickness that he has, just being able to play all three downs and, of course, the special teams’ value is really good. I didn’t know Jerome was a kickoff returner until I got here. I knew what type of back he was, but just being able to show his skills on kickoff return is really good for me to see that he’s able to take it and go the distance. He had a couple chances there where he could have broken a couple, and I get on him about it; ‘Hey, man, you’re slowing down,’ or something like that. I always mention that to him. But having that opportunity to get out there on kickoff return and being able to show those skills, it’s really good.”
He had that hamstring injury earlier in the season. How much did that linger once he got back out there? And how much are we starting to — again, kind of the last couple of weeks, you’re starting to really see some explosion it seemed like out of him; the Pittsburgh (Steelers) game, even going back to Denver (Broncos).
“Yeah, he really never talked about it after he got healthy, so of course I’m not going to bring it up. He just went to work. And he went out there and just continued to be Jerome and show the speed, and the urgency and the quickness that he’s had around here for a while.”
How is Nick dealing with this? We haven’t seen him since the injury. Just back-to-back season-enders. How’s he handling it?
“I mean, it’s tough. It’s tough. I mean, like I said, just being able to put in all that work, all the time that’s dedicated. Nick is a passionate guy. He loves the game; he loves being around his teammates. He loves everything that comes along with the game, from practice to preparation, preparing, watching film, putting together a plan. So right now, of course, as anyone would be with anything that you’re passionate about, it hurts.”
The fact that Nick suffered a broken bone, which is going to heal in a timely fashion. Do you think from a psychological, mental standpoint that makes this recovery so much easier for him than what he had to go through with the knee?
“I don’t know. It’s an injury. You put them in a box after a while, no matter how small or how big they are. You’re just trying to avoid them. So as much as you can avoid the injuries, you would like to, of course. But sometimes they come in groves.”
Did he get stepped on? Is that what happened or are you not really sure?
“I can’t remember.”
Cincinnati’s defense, they haven’t had Logan Wilson the last few weeks. How much of an impact has that made on them because he’s around the football quite a bit when he’s on the field?
“Yeah, he is, and he’s helped that defense. The mentality, the energy, the juice that’s on the field. They play hard. This is a hard playing defense, and especially with him out there. So, we got our work cut out to making sure we know where he’s at all times.”
Does Nick’s injury create an opportunity now for D’Onta Foreman to get back in the mix and how has he kind of handled this stretch where he’s been inactive for some time?
“Foreman, he’s been good, man. Of course, another passionate guy that’s in the room that loves football, that loves the opportunity to get out there and show his skills. Those weeks that he was not out there, I had a chance to speak with him and just talk with him and continue to encourage and motivate. He’s been great, man. So now that his opportunity is back, he’ll take full advantage of it.”
To the run game – it’s not just the backs. But I’m saying overall, the run game probably hasn’t been what you guys hoped it would be. Why do you think you haven’t had that success?
“I mean, it’s a number of things. It’s all of us. And of course, I start with my room, so I can’t point the finger or speak of another room without talking about mine. There’s a lot of things we got to clean up, and we are getting better in the run game, but of course, we’re not where we want to be.”