Colt McCoy marched the Browns right down the field after the opening kickoff, capping off the drive with a 20-yard TD pass to Robert Royal. The Browns had a quick 7-0 lead less than three minutes into the game.
The Bengals got the ball at midfield after the kickoff and moved to the Browns’ 28, where they stalled and were unsuccessful on a fourth-down try, giving the ball back to Cleveland.
The Browns moved the ball to the Cincinnati 41 but stalled, and rather than risk a fourth-down try, pinned the Bengals deep at their own nine-yard line with a punt as the first quarter neared the 4-minute mark.
Cincinnati began moving the ball and at quarter’s end were looking at a 2nd-and-five at the Cleveland 45.