Amari Cooper catches fire, makes history for Browns on first snap in Week 3

Amari Cooper started the season slow but got rolling on the first play from scrimmage. The Cleveland Browns got the ball thanks to a special teams turnover and Deshaun Watson took a shot at the end zone on the first play, hitting Cooper for six.

Cooper was able to keep both feet in bounds, something he's excelled at throughout his career, as he brought the ball in for a 24-yard touchdown.

MORE: Cleveland Browns inactive list for Week 3 game against Giants

The play was significant not only in getting Cooper on track but it was also the first time since 2005 the Browns scored on the first play from scrimmage.

Cooper is no stranger to making history for the Browns as he was the first player in team history to record 1,000 yards receiving in back-to-back seasons. He recorded 1,160 yards in 2022 and 1,250 last year.

He was a holdout for much of the offseason, which could be the reason for his drops early in the year. This was a game where he had the ideal matchup to put those games in the rearview — and after one second, that appears to be the case.

Special teams addition shows up in Week 3 for the Browns

General manager Andrew Berry has made special teams a priority over the past two seasons. In 2023, he added Mike Ford and Matthew Adams due to their special team skill. This year, they went with Tony Brown and Justin Hardee.

Brown made his presence felt by forcing the turnover on the opening kick return.

Cleveland's defense quickly forced a punt on the next series as they look to improve to 2-1.

More Browns news and analysis