CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made quite the return to his former home field, MetLife Stadium, in front of a national television audience on Monday Night Football.
As the Browns fought their way to a 23-3 victory over the New York Jets, Beckham Jr. found the game therapeutic in a sense, as the former New York Giants star shined bright under the prime time spotlight when he pulled in six catches for 161 yards and one touchdown, an 89-yard score in the third quarter.
“It was just kind of like closing a chapter today,” Beckham Jr. said. “It really was. It was special for me to be able to come here. It was more special to get a win. It was special to have a pretty good game, but we’re back at it tomorrow. It’s time to get back to work.
“No animosity. No hate. I’m full of love, so I wish everybody over there nothing but the best.”
Running a slant route from the left side of the field with the Browns backed up deep in their own territory, Beckham Jr. caught a pass from quarterback Baker Mayfield and sprinted the final 79 yards for his first touchdown with the Browns.
Beckham Jr.’s touchdown gave the Browns a 23-3 lead over the New York Jets with 3:32 to play in the third quarter.
“I knew that it was going to be a big play, and I saw the safety,” Beckham Jr. said. “As I caught it, he knew I was taking an angle to the right. I saw him duck his head down and I made a cut. I knew I was going to be out of there if my hamstrings could hold up.
“I didn’t know I would make it all the way to the end zone, but God willing, I did.”
According to ESPN, Beckham Jr. ran a top speed of 21 miles per hour on his way into the end zone, the fastest touchdown over the first two weeks of the regular season.
“I think I’m in a better physical and mental space than I’ve ever been in my life,” Beckham Jr. said. “It didn’t feel like the fastest I could run. I was just trying to get to the end zone.”
The touchdown was not the only play Beckham Jr. made in his return to MetLife Stadium, as he helped set up the Browns’ first score of the game.
On second-and-12 from the New York 37-yard line, Mayfield took the shotgun snap and lofted a pass down the right sideline for Beckham Jr. In nearly the exact same spot as “The Catch,” Beckham Jr. made against the Dallas Cowboys during his rookie season, he reached up and pulled down a one-handed catch.
“I’d seen the ball go up, and I was like, ‘Am I a rookie again? This is the same moment, the same, exact play,’ and you forget how dark it is at this stadium and how hard it is to track the ball,” Beckham Jr. said. “I just knew I had to make a play. Baker’s giving me opportunities. He threw a perfect ball and I just made the catch.”
In the lead up to the game against the Jets, Beckham Jr. traded words with New York defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, and the Pro Bowl pass catcher was paying close attention to the words.
“Everything fuels me,” Beckham Jr. said. “Good comments about me, bad, everything fuels me. I feel all of that, so I just want to be the very best that I can. I’m going to work as hard as possible to be the very best that I can for this team and be the leader that I’m supposed to be. Just trying to do better.”