With 3:42 remaining in their matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, the Cleveland Browns took over possession of the ball at the 50-yard line trying to stave off what would have been an epic collapse.
Merely a quarter earlier, the Browns had led the Cowboys 41-14 and appeared poised to cruise to a 3-1 record for the first time since the 2001 season. But after Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott led his team to 24 unanswered points, Cleveland found itself on the verge of totally squandering what had been a 27-point second-half lead.
One play and 17 seconds later, however, the Browns were back in the end zone with star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. scoring on a 50-yard run. Beckham's run was even more impressive than the box score might suggest and ultimately clinched a 49-38 victory for Cleveland.
Here's how it happened:
The Browns line up in a singleback ace pair formation with running back Kareem Hunt in the backfield, Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant at tight end and Beckham and Jarvis Landry at wide receiver.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield fakes a handoff to the weakside to Hunt before pitching the ball to Beckham who's reversing toward the strong side.
While Browns right guard Wyatt Teller pull to block Cowboys star defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (90), Dallas linebacker Aldon Smith (58) manages to break free into the Cleveland backfield. Running as far back as Cleveland's own 37-yard line, Beckham manages to evade Smith before turning up toward the sideline.
Beckham's luck appears to run out as he is cornered by safety Xavier Woods (25), linebacker Joe Thomas (48) and cornerback Trevon Diggs (27) around the Cowboys' 45-yard line.
But thanks to an assist from Landry -- who interferes with the path of both Thomas and Diggs -- Beckham manages to split through Woods and a diving Donovan Wilson (37) while cutting back with only linebacker Jaylon Smith (54) left to catch him.
Smith does an admirable job keeping up with Beckham, but isn't able to bring him down, as the 3-time Pro Bowl receiver uses his arm to create just enough distance to race into the end zone.
Here's how members of the Browns coaching staff and roster described the play:
Head coach Kevin Stefanski:
“We needed to move the rock there. We had not done a good job prior to that. It was a play we ran earlier in the ballgame. Figured we would come back to it. It did not look good to start and looked real good to end, but nice job by No. 13.”
Quarterback Baker Mayfield:
“Extremely important play at the end. We needed a score. We let our foot off the gas a little bit. We needed to put that game away. It is a learning experience for us. Odell was making plays all day. That is what he is capable of doing."
Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.:
“It is funny. Kareem before the play was like, ‘We just need five yards.’ Harrison Bryant, the rookie is giving me advice and coaching me up, telling me to stay in bounds. I said ‘Thanks, rook.’ I turned the corner and everybody was blocking, and it was weird. I was about to slide, and I just turned the jets on and got in the end zone.”