Bradley Chubb Is Learning How To Be Best Version Of Himself
Dec 17, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) celebrates after recovering a fumble during the second half against the New York Jets at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Dolphins had the opportunity to get back on track Sunday, and no player was more excited for the chance than linebacker Bradley Chubb.
Leading a shutout on the defensive side, the former 5th overall pick tallied two forced fumbles, three sacks, seven total tackles and two TFLs in a 30-0 victory over the New York Jets.
It was the exact type of remedy the Dolphins needed after allowing the Tennessee Titans to rally on Monday Night Football a week earlier for a 28-27 victory. It was also the type of performance that Chubb had been working toward after he “let his problems be bigger than the team’s problems.”
During the second quarter of Miami’s loss to the Titans, Tennessee was faced with a third-and-10 and quarterback Will Levis slipped out of a would-be-sack by Chubb and picked up five yards before Chubb and cornerback Jalen Ramsey brought him down. The play would’ve set up the Titans for a 42-yard field goal attempt but Chubb picked up an unsportsmanlike conduct flag after he took his helmet off and threw it on the ground. After the game, he said he was upset that he wasn’t able to get the sack and his frustration ended up turning into a Derrick Henry touchdown two plays later.
“Just being frustrated with myself and I let my problems be bigger than the team’s problems and hurt the team in a way that I don’t want to do that,” Chubb said after Miami’s loss to Tennessee. “Looking back on it now, just two more steps and I would’ve been perfectly fine, so it’s just frustrating when I let my emotions get the best of me, but at the end of the day, I tried to do everything I could to combat that in the second half and after the second quarter so just got to find ways to be better as a player, as a person, as a leader, as a teammate and I will be and it’s just one of those things that lapse judgment got the best of me and I will be better next time for sure in that situation. But hopefully, that situation won’t happen again and I’ll make the sack instead of falling off of it.”
Chubb more than made up for it Sunday and head coach Mike McDaniel said Chubb’s determination to play at a different level for his team, is what makes him special. That passion ultimately got the best of him last week, but McDaniel said Chubb is learning how to be the best form of himself for his team.
“Every so often you are trying to take yourself to another level, and you’re inspired to take your game to another level, and you kind of have to realize that it’s the work that you do day in and day out, and nothing has to change on game day,” McDaniel said. “You have to be yourself. Yourself is absolutely good enough. You don’t have to try and go above and beyond. You just have to be diligent and play with your teammates. He’s one of my favorite players on the team simply because of how important it is for him to do right by his teammates, and as you can see, him being him is plenty good enough. He was really, really hard to block today.”
Chubb has ultimately been one of the key faces of the Dolphins defense this season. In 14 games, he leads the league with six forced fumbles, has tallied 9.5 sacks and has racked up 64 total tackles with nine TFLs and 18 total quarterback hits. His 64 tackles and six forced fumbles are career highs, with time still left to play in the regular season, and he has an opportunity to set new career highs in sacks (12), tackles for a loss (14) and quarterback hits (21), all of which were set during his rookie season.
Chubb’s emotions got the best of him last Monday, but the standards he sets for himself are high and he expects to exceed them because he ultimately sees himself as the driving force of Miami’s defense…and he isn’t wrong.
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