The Browns have a clear chance to get Harold Fannin Jr. going in Week 2, and they’d be wise to take it.
After a quiet opener in which Cleveland’s offense sputtered across the board, Fannin still stood out for the wrong reasons. He finished with just two catches for 21 yards on three targets, a line that falls well short of what the Browns need from their top pass catcher. With rookie wideouts KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston still in the proving stage, the second-year tight end remains the most reliable receiving threat on the roster.
Now Cleveland heads back to Florida for a matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the setup looks favorable for Fannin to make noise. The bigger talking points around the game will be Baker Mayfield’s revenge and Deshaun Watson trying to keep his starting job, but the Browns’ best path to stress Tampa Bay may run right through the middle of the field.
That’s where the Buccaneers showed cracks in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Tampa Bay had trouble handling tight end Mike Gesicki, who led Cincinnati with 5 receptions for 78 yards and one touchdown. Gesicki consistently worked over the middle and gave the Bucs’ linebackers problems in coverage, a film clip the Browns surely noticed.
Cleveland also has to understand that Tampa Bay won’t be sitting still. The Buccaneers saw the same issues and know they need to clean them up, with head coach Todd Bowles and linebacker Alex Anzalone both stressing the need to be better in that area. And unlike Cincinnati, the Browns don’t have Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins stretching the defense, so they may not force the same looks.
Even so, Fannin has the kind of talent that should put the Browns in attack mode. As a rookie last season, he led Cleveland with 72 receptions for 731 yards and six touchdowns, plus an additional rushing touchdown, all in 16 games. That production made it obvious he was only beginning to hit his stride.
That’s what made Week 1 so frustrating. Cleveland barely involved him, and that has to change against Tampa Bay. If the Browns are going to cash in on what looks like a weakness in the Buccaneers’ defense, Fannin may be the player who turns that opportunity into a win.
In Other News...
Browns Rookie Tackle Faces A Tough Truth After Uneven Debut
Spencer Fanos first game at left tackle for the Browns came with the kind of immediate stress test that can shape how a rookie is viewed around here. Against the Jaguars, he ran into a tough matchup and spent plenty of snaps dealing with pressure, with Deshaun Watsons play style only adding to the challenge. It was the sort of debut that reminded everyone how unforgiving the position can be, especially when a young lineman is being asked to hold up in less-than-ideal circumstances.
The reviews reflected that reality, with analysts offering mixed assessments of how Fano handled the assignment and where the pressures came from. For Cleveland, the bigger question is not whether the debut was uneven but how quickly he can translate a rough start into growth. The Browns do not need perfection from a rookie tackle right away, but they do need signs that he can adapt, clean up the leaks and keep improving as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Deshaun Watson Put Browns Fans Through Another Brutal Spotlight
Deshaun Watsons latest press conference only widened the spotlight on a Browns season that already feels like it is under a microscope. After the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Watson drew criticism from Stephen A. Smith, who took aim at the quarterbacks play and said the focus should be on what happens on the field, not on complaints about media attention.
Watson is still lined up to start Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the patience around him is not exactly limitless. For Cleveland, the bigger issue is simple: if the performance does not improve quickly, the conversation around Watson is only going to get louder, and the questions about his place as the starter will keep following the Browns everywhere they go. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Is Making An Old Browns Mistake Look Even Worse
Josh Allens fast start to the 2026 season is only adding to the old ache around the Browns quarterback history. Through two games, the Bills star has piled up nine total touchdowns and 582 passing yards, a reminder of how different things might have looked in Cleveland had the draft gone another way back in 2018. Instead, the Browns chose Baker Mayfield, and the franchise has spent years living with the familiar churn that comes from missing on the most important position in the sport.
The latest surge from Allen has also revived a curious little footnote from that draft cycle, when Jenna Jameson reportedly urged the Browns to take him before the selection was made. It is anecdotal, not an official team position, but it fits the broader pattern in Cleveland: the warning signs were there, the debate was real, and the consequences still linger. Every big Allen performance now works like a fresh reminder of how expensive quarterback instability can be when a team gets the decision wrong. [Read more 🡒]