It had looked like Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals were marching down the field for an eventual touchdown to kick off Sunday's afternoon matchup with the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium.
However, on 3rd and goal from Cleveland's 3-yard line, Burrow threw a pass that was picked off by Browns cornerback Denzel Ward, who sprinted 99 yards for the game's first touchdown and a 7-0 Browns lead.
Ward, drafted fourth overall by the Browns in the 2018 NFL Draft, was initially questionable to return for this week's contest after dealing with a hamstring injury Ward suffered in the Browns' 17-10 win over the Denver Broncos on Oct. 21.
Ward's stellar play caught attentions around the league, including a highlight on the NFL's Twitter page:
The Browns also produced a clip on their own account:
Multiple sources also took note of No. 21's catch-and-score, including NBA stars LeBron James and C.J. McCollum, and Ward's former school:
Ward's interception was outdone by only one other Cleveland Browns defender. Former Cleveland safety Brodney Pool returned an opposing pass for 100 yards in the Browns' 33-30 win over the Baltimore Ravens on November 18, 2007: