David Njoku | Top Plays of the 2023 Regular Season

UNDERNEATH. NJOKU. NICE MOVE! THE BIG BODIED TIGHT END IS RUMBLING OUT TO THE 45. GREAT CATCH AND RUN FOR 29 YARDS THE BALL IS UP NEAR THE 45 FOR THE BROWNS, TRAILING BY FIVE. CREW, REALLY HATS OFF TO THE COLTS. SPERO: HOW ABOUT A LITTLE FLEE FLICKER ACTION AND NJOKU GETTING THOSE BROAD SHOULDERS GOING DOWNHILL OUT ACROSS THE 4-YARD THEY PICK UP 17. INTERESTING PLAY BY SHAQUILLE LEONARD. ADAM: IT JUST HANGS HERE AND COMES OUT. YOU SEE HOW DEEP THE COLTS LINEBACKERS, THEY DROP. THEY'RE 150 -- THEY'RE 10, 12 SEASON SETS UP CLEVELAND IN THE RED ZONE. ELIJAH MOORE WITH THAT ORBIT MOTION. ANOTHER PRESSURE PLAY, AND WALKER DELIVERS ON TARGET! ON HIS WAY TO THE END ZONE, AND IT IS A TOUCHDOWN! DAVID NJOKU. AND JUST LIKE THAT, THE BROWNS RESPOND! >> Daryl: DID HE GET IN? RESPOND! >> Daryl: DID HE GET IN? HE'S ON TOP OF THE DEFENDER, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE BALL BREAKS THE PLAIN. YEAH, HE'S IN. CLEARLY IN. YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. BEING ON TOP OF THE TEDEFENDER S THE REASON THAT HE WAS ABLE TO BREAK THAT PLAIN WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GROUND. AGAIN, THAT COMES OFF -- THAT SCREEN LOOK. IT'S A DOUBLE SCREEN, AND YOU SLIP THAT TIGHT END RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. YOU'VE GOT PURSUIT GOING OUT TO SECOND AND LONG. ELIJAH MOORE WAS IN MOTION, SCREEN PASS TO THE OTHER SIDE FOR NJOKU, WHO BREAKS FREE FOR THE FIRST DOWN, GOOD BLOCKING DOWN FIELD BIBIY BITONIO, AND >> Daryl: THIS IS MAKE OR BREAK. IF DAVID NJOKU CAN GET THROUGH THIS WALL OF PLAYERS, THIS COULD BE A BIG PLAY. JUST THAT LITTLE CREASE HE'S ABLE TO GET IN. I TELL YOU WHAT, ETHAN POCIC CAN A GREAT JOB OF GETTING OUT OF THE CENTER POSITION AND CREATING A SCREEN THAT KEPT THAT INSIDE OR DO YOU TRUST THE PASSING GAME? >> Spero: WATSON DELIVERS, CAUGHT! NJOKU! TOUCHDOWN! HERE BY THE TWO LINEBACKERS. NJOKU'S JUST GONNA SIT IT DOWN. WHITE AND WOODS, WATCH THEM. THEY'RE NOT REALLY SURE EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON OR WHO HAS WHO. BOTH OF THEM GO OUT WITH THE RUNNING BACK AND THEN YOU GOT NJOKU ALL BY HIMSELF IN THE END AMERICA'S GAME OF THE WEEK. >> Kenny: WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT, COWBOYS AND GIANTS. SECOND DOWN AND SEVEN. BROWNS PICK UP A FIRST DOWN AND NJOKU KEEPS ON GOING ALL THE WAY DOWN INSIDE THE RAVENS 30. >> Jonathan: KENRY, THAT IS AN ANGRY RUN. NJOKU RUNS RIGHT THROUGH THE LOOK AT THAT. IT'S JUST A FIVE-YARD LITTLE TURNOUT. NO ONE WANTS TO TACKLE HIM. HE IS RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH GENO STONE FOR THE FIRST DOWN. SECOND DOWN AND 8. IAN: THEY FAKE IT. THOMPSON-ROBINSON ON THE MOVE, WHITE OPEN. HE HITS NJOKU AND GETS TACKLED TRYING TO GO AIRBORN. A 18-YARD PLAY, TRENTON JONES WITH THE STOP. THE BROWNS IN BUSINESS WITH A OFFENSIVE LINEMAN AND RIGHT HERE, A FULLBACK POSITION AND THINK IT'S A LEAD RUN AND FAKE IT AND NJOKU STAYS AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE. AND YOU SEE THE LEAK INTO THE SECONDARY, IT IS ANOTHER EASY THROW FOR D.T.R., DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON JUST LOOPS IT TO HIM FOR A AMPLE PICKUP FOR THE BROWNS. IAN: FIRST DOWN. THEY'RE DOING. >> Kevin: DENVER'S DEFENSE LOOKING FOR A STOP. OFF THE PLAY FAKE. DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON THROUGH THE AIR, SLIDING CATCH. THE DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY FOR HIS CATCHES TODAY HAS BEEN HIGH, AND THAT SLIDE GETS HIM 18 AND A FIRST. THIS, BUT HE'S GOING TO GET BACK ACROSS. WATCH HOW TIGHT THIS IS WITH SIMMONS IN THE BACKFIELD IN THE SECONDARY RIGHT THERE. MAKING THE PLAY ON THAT FOOTBALL. >> Kevin: THEY CALLED THIS YOUNG MICHAEL DUNN IS IN THERE. ALSO NICK HARRIS THE BACKFIELD, 53. IAN: FAKE AND THROW. FLACCO, WIDE OPEN, TOUCHDOWN, NJOKU! WHAT A STATEMENT BY THE BROWNS ON THE OPENING DRIVE! CHARLES: AND IAN, YOU DESCRIBED IT PERFECTLY WITH ALL THE EXTRA LINEMEN IN THE BALLGAME. WITH DUNN IN THERE, AND ALSO IN THE BACKFIELD, NICK HARRIS, NUMBER 53, WAS AN OFFENSIVE LINEMEN USING AS A FULLBACK. EVERYTHING SAID HEAVY RUN ON THAT ONE. EVERY INSTINCT IS TO LOAD UP AGAINST THE RUN IF YOU'RE JACKSONVILLE. AND THEN THEY COME WITH THE PLAY-ACTION. TERRIFIC PLAY FAKE. AND THEN NJOKU RUNS FREE IN THE FLACCO, GARY KUBIAK. WHO HAD COACHED JOE FLACCO AND REALLY LIKED HIM. IAN: SECOND AND 5. OPEN MAN, NJOKU. HE COULD GO. TOUCHDOWN! SECOND OF THE DAY! 30 YARDS ON THE CATCH-AND-RUN. CHARLES: THIS IS A TRAP PASS. CHARLES: THIS IS A TRAP PASS. BECAUSE WATCH THE GUARD PULL. WYATT TELLER. SO YOU THINK IT'S A RUN. BUT IT'S A PASS. AND JEROME FORD STEPS UP AND PICKS UP A RUSHER. THE RUNNING BACK, 34. AND THEN FLACCO, AS IAN HAS BEEN DESCRIBING, RIGHT ON TIME WITH THE PERFECT THROW. AND HOW ABOUT THE STIFF ARM BY NJOKU? WHO CAME INTO THE GAME NUMBER SCHWARTZ SAYS, WE GO WHERE THEY GO. IAN: SECOND AND 8. FLACCO. GETS OUT THEREOF. FLACCO ON THE MOVE. THE THROW, CONNECTION MADE, NJOKU. THERE'S JUST A CREDIBILITY THAT COMES WITH JOE FLACCO WITH HIS RECEIVERS, WITH HIS TEAMMATES. AND WITH THE DEFENSE. CHARLES: AND JOE FLACCO'S ABILITY TO HANG IN THERE AND MAKE -- AND LET NJOKU MAKE THE SECOND MOVE. BECAUSE NJOKU MADE THE MOVE ON THE SCRAMBLE DRILL. AND FLACCO DOESN'T GIVE UP ON IT. BECAUSE HE COULD HAVE THROWN THE BALL AWAY AND SAID WE LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DOWN. INSTEAD, HE GIVES NJOKU A CHANCE SECOND DOWN AND GOAL. >> Mark: SPRINT RIGHT. SPRINT RIGHT. >> Kevin: FLACCO TO THE RIGHT. LOOKING. IN THE END ZONE. THROWS. JUMP BALL. NJOKU PULLS IT IN FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. LAST TWO GAMES PUTS THE BROWNS ON THE BOARD. >> Mark: THEY'RE GOING TO GET JOE FLACCO ON THE MOVE, PUT THE BACK IN THE FLAT. THEN IT'S NJOKU. AND THIS IS THREE GUYS IN THE READ, AND NJOKU IS JUST GOING TO BE READY FOR THE BACK SHOULDER THERE, AND JOE FLACCO, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A THROW-AWAY, AND HE'S TELLING NJOKU, GET THIS BALL FOR ME. ELEVATOR, SECOND LEVEL, GET UP TOP. GET THOSE THINGS IN LIKE AN ALLEY-OOP. >> Kevin: WAS THAT HEEL ON THE BACK LINE? IT WAS REALLY CLOSE. PACE, BUT THEY HAVE AN EXCELLENT KICKER. >> Kevin: OFF THE PLAY FAKE, FLACCO THROWS. NJOKU LEAPING IN THE AIR AND SHOVED OUT MIDLEAP BY TYRIQUE STEVENSON. ONE PLAY, 31 YARDS. CORNER ROUTE. THE QUICK FAKE. AND I LOVE THE TEMPO BY NJOKU. AND HE CUT OFF HIS WAY PERFECTLY. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE JUMP AT THE END. >> Kevin: LIKE, I'M GOING TO LEAP OVER YOU. STEVENSON, NO, YOU'RE NOT. >> Mark: LIKE A KUNG FU MOVIE OR SOMETHING. >> Kevin: TO THE 48 YARD LINE. FIRST DOWN. SEE IF THEY GET IN MORE MAN-TO-MAN. >> Kevin: THIRD AND 15. FLACCO OFF HIS BACK FOOT. NJOKU IS THERE. HE'S GOT THE FIRST DOWN AND MORE. SPINNING DOWN THE SIDELINES. THE TIGHT END INSIDE THE 20 BEFORE HE'S TWISTED OUT OF BOUNDS AT THE 19. 34 YARDS, AND THE BROWNS WELL OVER THE BALL. HE'S GOING TO FAKE, THEN COME, AND HERE COMES THE FREE HITTER. FLACCO'S GOING TO DRIP JUST SLIGHTLY TO THE RIGHT AT THE VERY END AND HELD ON. THIS IS ALMOST IDENTICAL TO THE GAME LAST WEEK. THEY TRIED TO BRING WEAK PRESSURE WITH THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, AND JOE COOL, AS COOL AS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PILLOW, FLOELTS AWAY, HOLDS IT FOR AN EXTRA BEAT. THAT'S THE SAME REACTION AS LAST WEEK AGAINST THE JAGUARS. GETTING REPS HERE AS THE HOLDER. >> SECOND DOWN-AND-12. FLACCO LOOKS. END ZONE. TOUCHDOWN! A DIME TO NJOKU. AND JOE FLACCO WITH ANOTHER ELITE THROW. >> TALK ABOUT READING THE THE MIDDLE ZONE IS OPEN FOR HIM. RIGHT? SPLIT SAFETIES. NJOKU RUNNING THE STICK NOD AND THEN CUTTING BACK TO THE INSIDE. HE THROWS IT RIGHT OVER ON THE LINEBACKER, PERRYMAN. AND TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SAFETY, AMOS. AND NJOKU, GO MAKE A PLAY. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE DID. BEAUTIFUL READ. BEAUTIFUL THROW AND EXECUTION BY FLACCO. NJOKU, HIS CONFIDENCE COULDN'T BE HIGHER. >> BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION, CLEVELAND IS LOOKING TO GO FOR THIRD AND 15. THAT IS CAUGHT AT THE 25, PICKING UP A LOT MORE AND GETTING A FIRST DOWN, TAKING IT INTO JETS TERRITORY, DAVID NJOKU , THE TIGHT END. KIRK: HE IS RIGHT HERE. THE JETS ON THESE THIRD AND LONGS RELY ON THE TWIST GAME. THIS IS YARDS AFTER THE CATCH. HE IS AS GOOD AS THERE IS IN THE NFL AT THE TIGHT END POSITION. HE HAS CONFIDENCE PLAYING WITH JOE FLACCO AND GETTING THESE OPPORTUNITIES IN SPACE. YOU CAN SEE WHEN HE HAS ROOM TO PRIDE. THE CONSISTENCY HAS BEEN REMARKABLE. AL: ROBERT SALEH AND JOE DOUGLAS WILL BE BACK NEXT YEAR. FIRES ANOTHER STRIKE. THAT IS NJOKU. SETTING UP A FIRST DOWN AND GOAL. HE HAS CAUGHT PASSES OF 36 AND KIRK: HE IS ON THE BACKSIDE RIGHT HERE. PLAY-ACTION, MOVE THE LAUNCH POINT A LITTLE BIT. HE IS A BIG QUARTERBACK BUT HE HAS BIG TARGETS DOWNFIELD AND HE CAN GO UP AND OVER THE LINEBACKERS. LOOK AT THE ROTATION. GOOD SNAP ON THE FOOTBALL. JUST CLEARS C.J. MOSLEY FOR A NICE COMPLETION. AMARI COOPER OUT. AL: PASS IS CAUGHT, NJOKU OFF TO THE RACES AGAIN. INSIDE THE 30, INSIDE THE 20, OUT OF BOUNDS INSIDE THE 10 YARD LINE. DAVID NJOKU, HAVING A PRO BOWL PERFORMANCE IN ONE QUARTER. HE HAS ALREADY GAINED 113 RECEIVING YARDS. KIRK: IT WAS ANOTHER THIRD DOWN. THIS TIME, THIRD AND 12. C.J. MOSLEY ALMOST ANTICIPATED NJOKU WOULD BE COMING TO HIM. WATCH HIM, I GOT HIM AND THEN HE JUST LOSES HIS FOOTING. NJOKU HAS THE SPEED TO JUST RUN RIGHT BY HIM. AL: FIRST AND GOAL INSIDE THE 7 YARD LINE. DESPITE ALL OF THE INJURIES THEY HAVE HAD ON SCHEDULE AND ON TRACK IN THIS SEASON. SEE IF HE CAN FIND A RESPONSE TO PUT UP THE FIRST POINTS OF THE DAY. PLAY ACTION ON FIRST DOWN. FLACCO AIRS IT OUT. HE PUT IT IN THE BUCKET FOR HIS TIGHT END TO THE TUNE OF 45 YARDS. >> Todd: WHAT AN INCREDIBLE ROUTE BY NJOKU. HE LOOKS LIKE HE IS RUNNING AN