The Browns released the following statement on Tuesday on RB Nick Chubb’s scheduled second surgery:

Browns running back Nick Chubb underwent his scheduled second surgery today to repair the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) as part of his knee injury sustained in the September game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

Team Head Physician James Voos, MD, performed the surgery at University Hospitals Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute. Dr. Voos considered today’s surgery successful and added that Nick’s recovery has progressed very well following his first surgery in late September. As previously announced, the estimated recovery time from these surgeries indicates that Nick would be able to return to play during the 2024 season.

Browns have no shortage of unlikely heroes in win over Chicago Bears

CLEVELAND, Ohio — When Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz talks to rookie cornerback Cameron Mitchell, he usually issues him a reminder.

The same reminder.

“He tells me all the time you’re not a rook no more,” Mitchell said. “Even though I am still a rookie, but the responsibility of it. I’m just glad that they trust me to make plays.”

Mitchell heeded that reminder. He was just one of a handful of unlikely Cleveland heroes on Sunday, as the Browns, a team decimated by injuries, improbably came back to beat the Chicago Bears 20-17 after trailing by as many as 10 in the second half.

Mitchell. D’Anthony Bell. Marquise Goodwin. Michael Dunn. Luke Wypler.

All stepped up and made key plays and contributions in big moments, in a week in which the Browns lost another handful of players for the season. If you need a reminder, Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee), Dawand Jones (knee) and Maurice Hurst (pectoral) are done for the year. Grant Delpit (groin) is done for the regular season. They are still awaiting final word on Ogbo Okoronkwo (pectoral).

Mitchell’s play came at the start of the fourth quarter, with the Browns defense trying to keep the Bears from scoring off a takeaway after Joe Flacco threw his third pick of the afternoon.

With Justin Fields and Chicago facing fourth-and-1 on the Cleveland 33, Mitchell made a huge stop, sacking Fields for no gain — it was a play that really looked like a run stop, but the official stats ruled a sack. It was a big sequence for the non-rookie-rookie, who has stepped into a larger role with Denzel Ward working his way back from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the previous three games. Mitchell has struggled with injuries himself this year and has been in and out of the lineup, and was just activated from injured reserve last week after rehabbing a hamstring injury.

And then there’s the other big defensive play of the fourth quarter: The big, final stop, solidified by D’Anthony Bell.

The second-year undrafted safety was thrust into the starting lineup due to Delpit and Juan Thornhill’s (calf) absences. He finished with four tackles, one pass defensed, and his biggest contribution, an interception on Fields’ Hail Mary attempt that ended the game. After the ball was tossed, tight end Cole Kmet tipped it down toward his teammate, receiver Darnell Mooney. Mooney had about three chances to control the ball, but couldn’t corral it. As it slipped through his arms, he inadvertently kicked it up in the air, into the waiting arms of Bell.

“Very slow,” Bell said when asked what it was like watching the play unfold. “It is like you’re waiting forever for the ball to go up, but I trust the guys that we got and the preparation that we go through as a team and everybody, I trust everybody, everybody trusted me to be out there today. So it was a blessing to come out with the win.”

No one was happier for Bell than his defensive teammates — the guys who have watched him fight and claw his way into a roster spot each of the last two seasons, and is a willing contributor on special teams.

“I’m happy for him because he’s one of those guys that’s been waiting for his opportunity and it came,” linebacker Sione Takitaki said. “Obviously the safety room has been riddled with injuries and just excited for him to get his opportunity. He goes out there, makes some really key plays. He has that TFL, tackles, good communication. I was communicating. He was communicating out there the whole time. So just really happy with him and Ronnie, another rookie, really getting a lot of action.”

Bell had nothing but confidence in that moment as the ball came his way.

It’s something that’s as much of a testament to the guys around him as it is to his own preparedness.

“Everybody was like, ‘Hey man, we trust you. Just don’t stop the train.’ The train keeps moving. So everybody trusted me and that made me trust in myself more.

“It means the world. I just want to thank God and thank my family that supports me. Thank all the guys in the room that believe in me to come in and fill a great safety spot behind Grant Delpit, a great Pro Bowl guy, so just filling in and try to keep the same course that we’ve been going on as a defense this whole year.”

Offensively, while Amari Cooper (109 yards, 4 of 8, 1 TD) and David Njoku (104 yards, 10 of 14, 1 TD) had big days and Joe Flacco had a big fourth quarter, there were still several underrated performances.

Michael Dunn was thrown into the fire at left guard, when All-Pro Joel Bitonio had to exit in the first quarter with a back injury. It’s routine for Dunn at this point, as he’s a veteran who’s been with the team four seasons and knows how to be prepared — but it’s not old hat for rookie center Luke Wypler, who is third on the depth chart but was thrust into action when Nick Harris had to exit with an injury in the fourth quarter. Starter Ethan Pocic (stinger) wasn’t active for this game.

And then there was receiver Marquise Goodwin, who was brought to Cleveland in the offseason as a vertical speed guy, but who has been sidelined for most of the year. He missed all of training camp with a blood clot issue, and then was sidelined for four games in the concussion protocol before returning last week.

Goodwin had only one catch on one target Sunday against Chicago, but it was his longest of the season, and offered a glimpse at that vertical speed the Browns have been missing.

The 57-yard bomb came on Cleveland’s second snap of the fourth quarter, and got the Browns into the red zone to ultimately set up a 33-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins.

“It is really less about me, it’s more about my team,” Goodwin said. “They supported me so much throughout my journey this year, dealing with the highs and the lows and I’m just glad that I was available today to be out there to make one play for the team and hopefully just capitalize on that and build off of it moving forward.”

This is only scratching the surface too.

There was also Siaki Ika playing significant D-line snaps in the first game he was active all year. Undrafted linebacker Mohamoud Diabate recovering a key fumble in the third quarter. Alex Wright recording a big strip sack in the first half.

And that’s what’s helped the Browns get to this improbable point, in the playoff hunt at 9-5, despite being ravaged by injuries in a competitive division.

On any given Sunday, just about anyone on the roster is ready for their chance to be a hero.