PHILADELPHIA -- As Cleveland Browns players filtered out of the visitors locker room at Lincoln Financial Field, running back Nick Chubb sat slumped in a locker, scrolling through his phone.
About 30 minutes later, defensive end Myles Garrett spoke about the potential to soon reintroduce a player often regarded as the "heart and soul" of the Browns to a team that hasn't shown much life as of late.
"The day is darkest before the dawn. And we've got a great one coming back, hopefully next week," Garrett said after Cleveland's 20-16 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. "He's going to help turn this thing around and we're going to continue to find ways to win. Right now, we're very close. Got to find a way to close these games out. We're putting ourselves in position. We've just got to take that next step."
That next step in a disappointing season that has seen the Browns (1-5) lose four straight games and their offense fail to take flight could be welcoming Chubb back to the field when Cleveland hosts the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday that Chubb, who has been practicing the last two weeks in his return from knee surgery, remains day to day. A source, though, told ESPN that Chubb is expected to make his season debut in Week 7.
The Browns' offense faces even more questions after trading wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday. But in Chubb, who was the engine of Cleveland's offense before suffering a season-ending knee injury last September, the Browns could reestablish an identity for their slumping unit.
Albeit in a loss, Cleveland found success on the ground against the Eagles. The Browns ran for 100 yards for the third time this season and averaged 4 yards per carry. Multiple players said after the game that running the ball, specifically the under-center zone runs that Stefanski has had success with, was a point of emphasis during preparation for Philadelphia. And the Browns were able to run the ball despite another injury to the offensive line, as center Nick Harris, filling in for the injured Ethan Pocic, fractured his fibula on the first drive.
"It helped a lot," quarterback Deshaun Watson said of the success of the ground game. "That's what we have to do with the offense. We got to be balanced. We got to have them play honest to the run game. And you can see in the second half, it kind of opened up play action, different things like that. And then also, it opened up the checkdowns and it didn't put so much stress on the O-line, necessarily."
Through six games, Browns running backs are averaging 4.3 yards per carry and 1.78 yards after contact per rush, which rank 16th and 19th, respectively.
The Browns haven't yet divulged their plans for Chubb's workload once he returns, but his presence could be an elixir of sorts for an offense that has yet to record 300 total yards this season and continues searching for answers. Coaches and players have praised Chubb's form in practice as he has helped on the scout team and increasingly received more reps with the starting offense.
Weeks ago, Watson said the team wasn't waiting for Chubb to return and save the offense. And at 1-5, the Browns' problems are multi-faceted, issues that span past the return of Chubb, a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
The Browns still have to find how to establish a functional passing game, now without their top pass-catcher. They have to find ways to get Watson more comfortable as he has regressed in a spread-out approach that was intended to highlight his talents. And Cleveland has to avoid the penalties that shrink its already slim margin for error on offense.
Watson has struggled woefully since debuting in Cleveland. He has recorded the lowest QBR of all qualifying passers this season. But his completion percentage and yards per dropback are both higher with Chubb on the field than with him off the field.
With Chubb expected to return soon, he could help to start stabilizing a unit that's still trying to find itself one-third of the way into the season.
"We're not playing well enough to overcome those [penalties]," left guard Joel Bitonio said. "So, we've got to find a way to do that. But I did think we did a little bit better in trying to run the ball this week."