Jerome Ford’s philosophy as he steps into a backcourt role for the Browns

“I think our running game has really gotten a lot better the last couple of weeks and Jerome is a big part of that,” right tackle Jack Conklin said. “He stepped up with Nick (Chubb) who was injured and he’s doing a great job.”

For the second straight season, Jerome Ford has been thrust into a bigger role in Cleveland due to a Chubb injury.

Last year, he had to do more with Chubb, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 2 against the Steelers, one that required two surgeries and a major reconstruction. The Browns also brought back Kareem Hunt last year to carry the load.

But with no pursuit this season, Ford carried most of the rushing load through the Browns’ first six games as Chubb remained on the physically unable to perform list and worked his way back from his knee reconstruction.

After being inactive in Weeks 7 and 8 with a hamstring injury, Ford has been able to play in Cleveland’s last seven, including Sunday’s loss at Cincy.

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But he has once again been asked to carry more of a load on the ground after Chubb broke a bone in his left foot in Cleveland’s 21-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Chubb was placed on injured reserve, ending his season.

So what is Ford’s philosophy as he once again helps the team navigate a Chubb absence?

“I feel like every day you go into the building to work like you’re the number one back and you get ready for your opportunity,” Ford said. “When the time comes, your jersey gets called and they’re leaning on you to make a play, you’ve got to go out there and play.”

Ford certainly made the most of this opportunity on Sunday.

On the 66-yard run, he used a nice block from Conklin as well as receiver Elijah Moore to find an opening. Cincinnati linebacker Germaine Pratt still had a clean shot to take down Ford, but missed a tackle. Ford was off to the races.

“I got a good block from the tackle,” Ford said. “The guy that hit the hole, overplayed it, got sealed inside and it was an arm tackle. The block from the O-line, the block from the wide receivers, always the ones that pop out.”

Unfortunately, the drive stalled at the goal line when fellow running back D’Onta Foreman fumbled the ball on a first-and-goal rushing attempt from the Cincy 1.

After the game, Ford was not bitter about the decisive error.

“We’re not even 10 minutes, five minutes into the first quarter, so it’s just keep your head up,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of football to play. Our room gets calls to go out there and make a play. So just make sure we’re ready. It’s football. We’re going to make mistakes.”

In addition to the 66-yard run, one of the more memorable plays of the day was Ford’s 4-yard TD scamper at 5:53 in the third quarter.

The score capped an 11-play, 70-yard drive in which the Browns converted on two third-down plays and Jerry Jeudy drew a DPI call for another to keep the series alive.

On the TD run, Ford made good use of blocks by center Ethan Pocic and right guard Wyatt Teller.

“The offense, everybody’s hitting the same thing, you’re all on the same page,” Ford said. “Hitting on all cylinders and running the ball to wide receivers, going in and digging people out. Without them, we’re not doing anything on the ground, and they’ve done a great job in the run.

But Ford was also impressive earlier in the drive when Cleveland got its first third-down conversion.

Facing third-and-6 from their own 34, QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson sprang left and threw back across the field to Ford near the midfield logo.

The linebacker jumped up and made the contested grab on linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither at the Browns’ 46 for a first down.

“Jerome, as we’ve talked about before, he continues to make big plays for us both in the passing game and in the running game,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “I thought he made a really incredible play on that game where Dorian was throwing to his left. Ford stepped up and got the ball and he continues to give us a spark.”

With all five of those catches, Ford was the second-leading pass catcher in an offensive game for Cleveland, behind tight end David Njoku’s eight catches for 66 yards.

Thompson-Robinson struggled to move the offense at all, finishing with 157 yards on 20-of-34 passing, two interceptions, five sacks and a 45.8 rating.

“Jerome had a couple of big runs that helped us,” Thompson-Robinson said. “But at the end of the day, we lost this game because of turnovers and I had to do a better job in that situation.”

In a disappointing 3-12 year, with an offense that feels like it never quite got going, Ford’s performance in these last two games will be something to watch out for.

With Chubb in a contract year and now out with an injury, the future of the space is still in flux. What Ford does in the coming weeks may well help determine its outlook for the future.

Then he tries to prove that he can become no. 1 left in the NFL?

“Not really,” Ford said. “I just go out there. I’m a cog in a big machine and I’m just trying to make the machine go. And whatever opportunity I get to show that I’m a good cog. I try my best to do the.”