When the time came, he was more than ready.

Hall intercepted three passes, including one returned for a touchdown, in a 14-0 victory over the Browns on Sunday in Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Each of the picks occurred as Hall covered fellow Michigan product Braylon Edwards, the same Edwards who kept running past him in the Browns' 51-45 home victory Sept. 16, 2007.

Edwards caught eight passes for 146 yards and two TDs in the game in Cleveland last season. He caught four for 35 yards Sunday.

"I played a pretty bad game here last year," Hall said. "So it felt good to come back to the same stadium and get that taste out of my mouth. I think I redeemed myself."

Near the end of the game, Hall said Edwards had a question for him.

"He just said, 'Three picks?' " Hall said. "I was kind of like, 'The last time I was here I got scored on too many times.' It felt good to be on top this time."

Hall's trifecta are his first interceptions of the season. He went from tied for last on the club to leading it. He tied a Bengals single-game record for interceptions.

Hall wound up with as many catches as Cincinnati's leading receiver, James Johnson, who had three for 27 yards. Bengals quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick finished 5-for-9 for 55 yards and one touchdown; Fitzpatrick's main job was to hand off to Cedric Benson (38 carries for 171 yards).

On the Browns' first possession of the game, quarterback Ken Dorsey threw a second-and-8 pass toward the left sideline. The ball had begun to flutter when Hall stepped in front of Edwards, picked it at the 50 and raced to the end zone untouched with 8:30 left. It gave the Bengals a 7-0 lead.

"I got a good read off the quarterback and was able to jump the route," Hall said. "I think it's the first time in my life I've returned one for a touchdown. I had one at Michigan, but it was called back."

Hall struck again early on the Browns' first possession of the second half. Hall intercepted Dorsey at the Cincinnati 19 and returned it 10 yards.

Early in the fourth, Dorsey's heave down the right side never got close to the target. Hall, who was with Edwards stride for stride, secured the ball at the Cincinnati 33 and returned it 27 yards.

The pass came on first-and-10 from the Cleveland 22.

"I felt like they were going to try to get it to Braylon deep," Hall said. "The ball was underthrown. The wind probably caught it."

Hall threw Dorsey a Dawg Bone by saying the wind had more to do with his big day than the quarterback's ineffectiveness.

"The ball was floating a lot," he said. "The corner or DB has got to know that he can sit on a couple of routes or take a couple of chances, because the wind's going to work in his favor."

At one point, Hall appeared to be upset with himself that he did not intercept another pass.

"There was a slant I could have played better and possibly gotten another one," he said. "But I'm happy with three. I'm never going to complain about that."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jdmanoloff@plaind.com, 216-999-4664