CINCINNATI — EDITOR'S NOTE: You can listen to Jim Donovan's top calls from today's game in the player above.
On the first series of their game against the Cincinnati Bengals, it looked like the Browns' defense was in for another one of those rough starts.
That changed as quickly as Denzel Ward's speed.
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow had led his team on a 75-yard drive all the way to the Cleveland 3, and appeared to get a major break after a third-down sack was wiped off the board by a Browns offsides. However, on the second third-and-goal opportunity, his pass intended for Ja'Marr Chase was intercepted by Ward, who promptly took it 99 yards all the way for a touchdown.
It was Ward's first interception of the season and the second pick-six of his career, with the last once coming against this same Bengal team back in 2019. This is also the first time the Nordonia grad seen the field in more than two weeks after missing time with a hamstring injury.
It was a tremendous boost for a defensive unit that has struggled all year, and it came up with two more takeaways in a 41-16 Browns win. Ward had three pass deflections in the rout.
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