Harold Fannin Jr. came out of the Browns’ 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers sounding less like a player caught up in a wild finish and more like someone who knew exactly how the night was built.
Cleveland’s second-year tight end finished with three catches for 27 yards and a touchdown, but the biggest theme in his postgame comments was the work that led to the late execution. For Fannin, the result was the product of preparation showing up when the game tightened.
“I mean, obviously, feeling good. Beat all the obstacles.
We’re juiced up, we’re pumped. I don’t know, just excited, proud of the guys, played their tails off.
It was good to see all our hard work come out,” Fannin said.
When asked what had started to click between him and quarterback Deshaun Watson, Fannin kept it simple and put the emphasis on the practice field.
“You know, it’s simple: practice. Talking through things…Deshaun (Watson), got me the ball; I just went out there and caught it.”
The offense wasn’t smooth for long stretches, and Fannin acknowledged that Cleveland let itself get behind the chains. The fix, in his view, was straightforward: cleaner first downs and better efficiency.
“Just got a little bit off schedule. We just gotta, as you said, first downs, be more efficient.”
That mattered most when the Browns got the ball back for the final drive. Fannin said there wasn’t much need for a speech in the huddle because the group had already spent camp working through those exact moments.
“I mean, not much for there to be said. We knew what time it was.
You know, obviously throughout camp, we did situational. We already knew what the moment was; we just gotta go out there and do it.”
Fannin also made sure to shine a light on kicker Andre Szmyt, who drilled a career-long 56-yard field goal to help seal the win. He spoke about the pressure that comes with that job and the confidence Szmyt showed in delivering.
“Words can even explain it, man. I’m proud of him, you know.
People don’t even think about all the stress that goes into it. But every time, he goes out there and does his job.
I’m very proud of him, I love him, man, and [I'm] excited to see him do something that great.”
As for the noise that comes with a win like this, Fannin said the Browns’ response has to stay rooted in the same routine that got them through it.
“Just keep coming to work every day ready to work, and you know, don’t settle. Just keep coming to practice and keep working hard.”
The Browns now head to MetLife Stadium next Sunday with a chance to move to 4-1 against the New York Jets. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. ET.
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