David Njoku knew where the ball was, where the end line was and where the cameras were.
The Cleveland Browns drove into the back of the end zone with quarterback Joe Flacco running right.
By the end of the second quarter, the Browns were down 7-0 against the Chicago Bears.
Bears safety Jaquan Brisker covered Njoku. But with nowhere to go, Flacco threw the ball away and gave Njoku a chance.
Njoku jumped over his head and planted both feet inside the boundary line.
Njoku looked straight into the lens of the team’s end zone photographer as he signaled to the referee that he had the ball.
Njoku, a 2017 first-round pick, has always shown the ability to be a top tight end. Now he does the same.
That’s a big reason why the Browns are on track to make their first playoff appearance since 2020 despite numerous injuries on offense.
“I’m proud of Dave as a person and as a player,” said coach Kevin Stefanski, who presented Njoku with a game ball in the locker room after the game.
“He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever had. He has grown as a person and as a player. …
He has the mentality to fight for everything and he showed it [against the Bears]. He really did.
I needed him.”Njoku is having the best two games of his career.
Two weeks ago, in a 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Njoku caught six passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns for Cleveland’s first drives of 34 and 30 yards.
Njoku was much better on Sunday against the Bears.He finished the game with 10 receptions for 104 yards and a single touchdown in the back of the end zone.
He and Amari Cooper (109 yards) became the first Browns duo to have over 100 receiving yards in a game since 2013 (Josh Gordon and Jordan Cameron).
“He was really great.” Flacco said. “When he has the ball in his hands, he’s a very strong runner…
He’s just his player.”Njoku has earned Flacco’s trust to go his own way even in difficult situations.
With the game tied Sunday and 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Browns faced a third-and-15 at midfield.
With the pocket collapsed, Flacco threw the ball to Njoku, who gasped.
Njoku jumped for the pass and then took off for a 34-yard gain to Chicago’s 19-yard line, putting the Browns in position for the game-winning field goal.
“It’s not me. It’s a team effort.” Njoku said when asked about his quick game.
“The chemistry [of this team]. We are all intertwined. We play for each other when we go out.
“Honestly, there’s a lot going on, injuries and all, and we’re just finding a way, and I have a lot of respect for this team.”
In the 2022 offseason, the Browns rolled the dice on Njoku to become a difference maker.
He had three straight under 500 receiving yards. In his first five seasons in the league, he had only one season with more than 36 receptions.
However, the Browns signed Njoku to a four-year, $56.75 million contract, making him one of the highest-paid tight ends in the league.
Njoku will fulfill that contract this season. Despite the struggles the Browns have had to overcome, Njoku already has a career-high 69 receptions for 704 yards and five touchdowns.
He hasn’t missed a game since suffering second-degree burns to his hands and face in a backyard fire in mid-October.
With all the moving parts of the offense, the Browns desperately needed the continuity Njoku provides.
“Knowing what he’s been through, especially after [the burn] this year, it’s been really exciting to see him grow as a person, develop as a player and see how good of a teammate he is,” defensive end Myles Garrett said.
Words cannot express what a great team we have become.
“He’s gone from a guy who was making plays and trying to find his role on the team to one of the greatest defenders on this team.”
