Odell Beckham Jr. Shines as Browns Beat Dak Prescott, Cowboys to Improve to 3-1

A huge game from Odell Beckham Jr. lifted the Cleveland Browns to a 49-38 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Beckham scored three touchdowns in his best game as a Brown, while Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes in his home state of Texas. It helped the road team build a 27-point fourth quarter lead before holding for a victory to stun a limited crowd at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.

The Cowboys (1-3) appeared destined for another huge come-from-behind win, scoring three straight touchdowns in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit down to three. However, Beckham came through once again with a clutch run to keep his team ahead:

An interception by Denzel Ward near his own goal line helped seal the win for Cleveland (3-1).

It was the third straight win for the Browns, matching their longest streak from last season. The team hasn't won four games in a row since 2009.

Dallas suffered its largest loss of the season despite Dak Prescott topping 500 passing yards for the first time in his career. The defense has now allowed at least 38 points in three straight games and is a miracle comeback against the Atlanta Falcons away from being winless through four games.

Notable Performances

Baker Mayfield, QB, CLE: 19-of-30, 165 passing yards, 2 TDs

Kareem Hunt, RB, CLE: 71 rushing yards, 2 TDs

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, CLE: 5 catches, 81 receiving yards, 2 TDs, 72 rushing yards, 1 TD

Dak Prescott, QB, DAL: 41-of-58, 502 passing yards, 4 TDs, 1 INT

Amari Cooper, WR, DAL: 12 catches, 134 receiving yards, 1 TD

CeeDee Lamb, WR, DAL: 5 catches, 79 receiving yards, 2 TDs

OBJ Keys Offensive Explosion for Browns

Arguably the biggest question about Cleveland over the past two seasons has been when is the team going to get Beckham going. He certainly made his presence felt Sunday.

The three-time Pro Bowler had his first multi-touchdown game since joining the Browns last year and totaled 154 yards from scrimmage.

The coaching staff worked to get the ball to Beckham in space early in the game, including through some trick plays.

He continued to make an impact throughout the day to help lift the offense:

When the team needed a big play at the end of the game, it once again turned to Beckham.

Nick Chubb was ruled out after suffering a knee injury in the first half, which could hurt the team going forward, but the offense did not slow down against the Cowboys during a historic day.

Even some NBA stars took notice of the performance:

Though Jarvis Landry might have had the best throw of the day, Baker Mayfield still impressed at quarterback while producing a 100.0 quarterback rating.

Kareem Hunt also shouldered a bigger load once Chubb got hurt with 71 yards and two scores. D'Ernest Johnson added 95 yards on a team-high 13 carries.

All the pieces were working as they were supposed to, providing hope that this offense can finally live up to the lofty expectations placed on it last season.

Dak Prescott Falls Short of Another Incredible Comeback

The start of the game was as good as Prescott could have hoped for, as he torched the Browns in the first quarter to give the Cowboys an early lead:

The next two quarters saw virtually no production from the offense as the Browns scored 34 straight points to take a 41-14 lead going into the fourth.

One issue was the play of the offensive line, which had questions even with Tyron Smith returning from his neck injury. Right tackle La'el Collins is out for the year with a hip injury, leaving a significant hole against Myles Garrett.

Of course, Prescott has showed that he can wake up in the fourth quarter regardless of the score.

The quarterback led three straight scoring drives, including a pair of late touchdown passes:

It gave the Cowboys hope after looking like this would be one of their worst home losses in years.

However, the defense couldn't hold up its end of the bargain while allowing 7.7 yards per carry on the way to a 307-yard total on the ground.

A late touchdown by Beckham put Dallas too far behind to complete the comeback, and Prescott couldn't do enough to keep up on the scoreboard.

If the Cowboys defense doesn't turn things around in a hurry, it could be a long season.

What's Next?

The Cowboys will have their first divisional game of the season in Week 5 with a home game against the New York Giants. The Browns will return home to face the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday.