ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Broncos rookie star pass rusher Bradley Chubb and Browns rookie star running back Nick Chubb are second cousins, which brings up a natural question. Does anyone know who their second cousins are?
Football brought the Chubb once-removed cousins together, but it took a while. Bradley Chubb grew up about 20 miles northwest of Atlanta. Nick Chubb grew up about an hour west. They didn’t meet until college when Bradley was all that at North Carolina State and Nick starred for Georgia.
There’s a decent chance there will be Chubb on Chubb contact Saturday night when the Broncos and Browns meet at Broncos Stadium at Mile High.
“I know he’s not going to hold back and he knows I’m not going to hold back,’’ Bradley Chubb said. “It’s just going to be a regular football game. You can’t put too much weight on it because then if you start thinking, ‘My cousin’s on the other side,’ you end up getting trucked or something.”
The Broncos almost had the Chubbs 1-2 in their 2018 rookie draft class. After taking Bradley with the No. 5 overall pick in the first round, the Broncos were trying to move up from their No. 40 pick in the second round to take Nick.
The Browns confounded that strategy by taking Nick Chubb at No. 35. After playing behind Carlos Hyde and getting no more than three carries in any of the first six games, Nick Chubb became the team’s featured back after Hyde was traded away.
But it worked out well for the Broncos, too. Once Nick Chubb was gone, the Broncos stayed at No. 40 and took receiver Courtland Sutton. They got their running back in the third round with Royce Freeman. And then the Broncos hit it big with running back Phillip Lindsay as an undrafted free agent.
As for the Chubbs, it will be the first time the second cousins have played against each other.
“It’s going to be pretty fun,’’ Bradley said. “I used to hear about him in high school and all that, then we met and in college he was doing his thing and I was doing my thing. We used to talk junk and stuff, but now we’re going to actually get the chance to see each other.”
Keenum hears his coach
What, you thought Case Keenum was going to disagree with his head coach? No chance. Vance Joseph said Monday he thought his quarterback was a little too cautious in not throwing the deep, seam routes against the San Francisco 49ers.
On Tuesday, Keenum agreed with his coach.
“I can’t get caught back there with the ball in my hands,’’ Keenum said. “I’ve got to give guys chances down the field. It looks different on different plays, but in general, that’s a good mindset to have. I think being smart with the ball, continuing to be smart with the ball, but giving guys chances when we feel like it’s a good matchup or advantageous time to take a shot or take a chance down the field.”
Sutton, Wolfe ailing
Sutton didn’t practice Tuesday because of a bruised quad. Defensive end Derek Wolfe took part in stretching but otherwise sat out practice as he is in the concussion protocol.
Outside linebacker Shaq Barrett was working out on the side during practice for the first time since suffering a hip injury two weeks ago. Barrett says he hasn’t given up on playing against the Browns, but he will for sure play the following week on Christmas Eve at Oakland.
