After that, he ran back to the end zone for an encore. That lasted only 30 seconds or so.

And then, the game began. Oh, yes, the Browns — spurred by two spectacular plays from Beckham, including a dazzling 89-yard touchdown dash — won, 23-3.

Did anyone think Beckham’s return to the New York area after his tumultuous exit six months ago would pass without his version of performance art — both on and off the field?

Beckham understood the context.

“It was like closing a chapter,” he said late on Monday night. “There was joy; there were mixed feelings.”

Within minutes of the start of the game, Beckham backed up his pregame show with his usual panache. Racing down the right sideline, Beckham made a spectacular, overhead, one-handed catch with a defender in tight coverage by his side .

Pushed out at the 4-yard line after gaining 33 yards, Beckham ended up only a few strides from the spot on the MetLife field where he made his best-known one-handed catch, the touchdown from 2014, his rookie year, that made him a household name among sports fans. On that play he snatched an Eli Manning pass out of the air with just his index and middle fingers and his right thumb, his back arched until it was almost parallel to the ground.