CLEVELAND — The Browns didn't take long to take a lead over the New York Giants Sunday afternoon.
Eleven seconds, to be exact.
Cleveland opened the game, kicking off to the Giants. On Dustin Hopkins' opening kickoff, cornerback Tony Brown II forced Giants returner Eric Gray to fumble. Browns safety Grant Delpit was right there to recover the fumble, giving the Browns offense the ball immediately.
would say @realgrantdelpit is having a good birthday weekend pic.twitter.com/ab8Zi9bkvU
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 22, 2024
With the ball in their possession, the Browns offense struck quickly. In the first play, quarterback Deshaun Watson found the connection with wide receiver Amari Cooper, whom they had been waiting on this season, hitting Cooper for a 24-yard touchdown pass.
Cleveland took a 7-0 lead over New York in the first 11 seconds of gameplay.
WHAT A START!!!#NYGvsCLE on @NFLonFOX and NFL+ pic.twitter.com/seNxF7oZUa
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 22, 2024
A special teams turnover leading to an early touchdown is exactly what the Browns entered this game hoping to achieve: complimentary football.
"Complimentary football is such a big part of this game, and I can think back to big games that we’ve been in, and the defense gets a big stop, and then we get a big punt return and sets the offense up," head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Friday. 'Watching complimentary football, watching it unfold, is a big deal. Something we talk about, and that’s the beauty of this game, is how each side of the ball really helps each other.”
