The Battle of Ohio started with a former Ohio State cornerback intercepting his former Buckeye teammate and returning it 99 yards for a touchdown.
As Joe Burrow attempted to complete a pass to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase – who Burrow also played with at LSU after transferring from Ohio State – on 3rd-and-goal on the Bengals’ opening drive, Denzel Ward picked him off just outside the end zone. Ward then returned the interception all the way to the other end zone, juking Burrow off of his feet in the process, for a 99-yard touchdown.
Denzel Ward picks off Joe Burrow and takes it all the way to the house. pic.twitter.com/5n07LfkeOb
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 7, 2021
The interception was Ward’s first of the season and eighth of his NFL career, while it was his second touchdown as an NFL player. It gave the Cleveland Browns an early 7-0 lead over the Bengals in the first game between Ohio’s two NFL teams this year.
Ward and Burrow were both members of Ohio State’s recruiting class of 2015.
The Browns went on to win Sunday's game 41-16, moving both teams’ records to 5-4 on the season, as Ward recorded three total passes defensed while allowing just one catch for 11 yards for a 0.0 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus.
Talk! https://t.co/EKksahR5CJ
— Denzel Ward (@denzelward) November 7, 2021
