When It Comes To David Njoku, Browns Take The Good With The Bad
When you need him, he'll be there. That feels like a fitting slogan for Browns tight end David Njoku.
Through a burns to his face, four different quarterbacks, a plethora of dropped passes, everything always seems to come up "Njoku," in the end.
Njoku was a steady heartbeat of the Browns offense in a 20-17 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Anytime they needed a play, he seemed to provide it, as he stampeded his way to a career day with 10 receptions, 104 yards and a touchdown.
The 10 catches is the most of his career for a single game. The 104 yards, just the second time in his career he's gone for over 100 yards in a game.
"It’s not me. It’s a team effort," Njoku said of his performance. "Everybody from the kicker to the snapper to the offense, defense, special teams, it’s everybody. It’s not me."
The former first round-pick may be too humble to accept credit, but without him the outlook of the Browns season would look much different heading into week 15.
After quarterback Joe Flacco tossed the first interception of three interceptions on the third play of the second quarter, leading to an easy Bears touchdown, it was Njoku who he looked for in the back of the end zone for an equalizing score one series later. Flacco threw up a 50-50 ball and the Hulk-like specimen came down with it and tip-toed the sideline over Bears safety Jaquan Brisker.
There was debate over whether or not he got his feet down in bounds, fortunately for Njoku, the touchdown stood. When Flacco needed him he was there.
“I had that in mind," Njoku said. "I was hoping that they’d hurry up and kick the extra point so they couldn’t go back.”
He wouldn't reveal where it ranked among his best touchdown catches.
"It's not personal, this game is a team sport," he said. "Of course, there are personal accolades, but this is about the team. I’m second.”
Fast forward to the closing minutes of fourth quarter and Njoku was there yet again.
Flacco opened up the eventual game-winning drive with a short pass to Njoku off the right side, that he broke for 31 yards, nearly attempting to hurdle a defender at the end of the play.
Four plays later, facing a pressure packed third-and-15 at their own 47, Flacco found Njoku again, this time to his left and the 250-pound pass catcher did what he does best, shedding tacklers for gain of 34 this time. Just like that, the Browns were primed for another game-winning moment from kicker Dustin Hopkins.
"The last thing I want you guys to think is that it was my doing, because it is not," Njoku said. "It’s God first and then it’s the team. It was a team effort that we were able to win and we’re on to next week.”
Try as he may to deflect credit to his teammates, the Browns would have been sunk without his efforts.
For three quarters the offense had scored just seven points, had amassed 162 yards of total offense, had converted two of their 11 third down attempts. Flacco had tossed three picks and looked more like the quarterback of the 2022 Jets than the 2023 Browns.
Instead a 13-point fourth quarter rally propelled them to victory, on the back of their $54 million tight end – a top five contract in the NFL for tight ends
When you need him, he'll be there. Sure, there were a few games where dropped passes defined his day on the team's west coast trip in Denver and Los Angeles. With Njoku you take the good with the bad. And in a win, Sunday that Browns to 9-5 on the season and to the doorstep of a playoff berth, the good was really good.
