CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Playing in a regular-season NFL game for the first time since Week 11 of the 2018 season, Kareem Hunt returned after serving an eight-game league suspension and made his presence felt -- both with and without the ball -- Sunday in the Browns’ 19-16 win over Buffalo at FirstEnergy Stadium.

On Cleveland’s second play, he entered the game and shared the backfield with fellow back Nick Chubb and quarterback Baker Mayfield. Two plays later, Mayfield fired a quick screen pass wide right to a split-out Hunt for a 7-yard gain.

Hunt’s first series and touch embodied exactly what he brings to Cleveland: reliable versatility.

On Sunday, Hunt was on the field with Chubb for more than 20 plays while coach Freddie Kitchens toyed and teased all the different ways Hunt can be used, establishing the former 2017 league-leading rusher will have a prominent role in the Browns offense going forward.

In his Browns regular-season debut, Hunt finished with four carries for 30 yards and seven catches for 44.

Other than playing on the offensive line or taking a direct snap, Hunt lined up everywhere he could for Cleveland and was heavily involved in most plays, whether as a motion man, lead blocker or the primary target.

Hunt didn’t earn his first carry until early in the second quarter, showing Kitchens’ plans for Hunt encompass much more than merely handing him the ball.

On a third-quarter first down play near midfield, Chubb and Hunt sandwiched Mayfield in the backfield presnap but Hunt used jump motion to bubble along the right perimeter, behind two split out receivers. At the snap, Mayfield threw another quick screen, and Hunt sprung for 19 yards after bouncing off a few Bills defenders.

On the tackle, Hunt sprung up, taking in the roars of the Dawg Pound and signaling an electric first down.

Going forward, featuring both Chubb and Hunt puts the Browns in advantageous situations as opposing defenses must respect both, which is evident when Kitchens sends Hunt in motion as a decoy. On a first-half Chubb carry, Hunt went in jet-motion, crossing the formation and prompting the Bills defense to flow right with him.

On the snap, Mayfield didn’t even have to fake it to Hunt, as the action of him crossing is useful enough. Instead, he handed to Chubb, who picked up a first down by finding a cutback lane created by Hunt’s initial motion.

Whether used in motion to deceive the defense, as a lead blocker for Chubb or the guy getting the ball, Hunt is already a success after one game. His presence took an underachieving Dontrell Hilliard off the field, especially on critical downs. And the game cemented Hunt as not only the new third-down back but also as a go-to option for Mayfield.

Coming into Sunday, there was concern there wouldn’t be enough footballs to go around and that injecting Hunt into an already turbulent offense would prove problematic.

Those worries should be put to rest. Hunt simply makes the Browns offense better, and therefore he’s here to stay.