Sunday afternoon’s NFL game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Carolina Panthers turned into a duel between two young Canadian running backs, as Chase Brown and Chuba Hubbard combined for three touchdowns and over 200 yards from scrimmage.
Brown opened the scoring for Cincinnati late in the first quarter, powering in from three yards out. Hubbard tied things up for the Panthers with a three-yard major of his own five minutes later. After the Bengals went up by a score on the final play of the first half, Brown extended their lead with a one-yard rush early in the third quarter and helped his team to a 34-24 victory.
Despite Carolina’s defeat, Hubbard carried 18 times for 104 yards and a touchdown, adding four catches for 17 yards out of the backfield. In addition to his pair of scores, Brown ran the ball 15 times for 80 yards and caught two passes for 12 more.
A native of London, Ont., Brown is in his second season with Cincinnati after being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. His role has grown considerably in 2024 and he has already eclipsed his rookie rushing total, running 29 times for 184 yards and two touchdowns through four games this year while adding seven receptions for 31 yards.
Hubbard was a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft and is now in his fourth season with the Panthers — his second as the starting running back. In four games, the native of Sherwood Park, Alta. has carried 55 times for 296 yards and a touchdown, while notching 13 catches for 84 yards and another score.
Brown attended the University of Illinois and Hubbard starred at Oklahoma State University, both winning the Jon Cornish Trophy as the top Canadian player in the NCAA. Their CFL rights are held by Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders respectively, though it seems unlikely that either will ever play in Canada.
The Cincinnati Bengals (1-3) will return to action next week against the Baltimore Ravens, while the Panthers (1-3) will take on the Chicago Bears.
