The Browns found a way to beat the Buccaneers 23-19 on Sunday, and the rookies up front played a huge part in making it happen.
Denzel Boston had the flashiest stat line of the day, hauling in five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. But the cleaner story for Cleveland came from two players who didn’t show up in the box score: left tackle Spencer Fano and right guard Austin Barber.
Per NFL Next Gen Stats, neither rookie allowed a pressure against Tampa Bay.
Browns rookies Spencer Fano and Austin Barber did not allow a pressure in today’s win, per @NextGenStats.
That kind of performance matters a lot in Cleveland, especially with Fano. The Browns took him ninth overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the expectations were already heavy because the team hasn’t had a true left tackle since Joe Thomas anchored the spot from 2007 to 2017.
So far, though, Fano has handled the first two games of the season well. Barber has been just as important, even if his path to the lineup was less expected.
Cleveland selected Barber with the 86th pick, and he was initially supposed to be a backup this year. Then Teven Jenkins got hurt leading into Week 1 against the Jaguars, Barber was pushed into the starting role at right guard, and he responded.
The Browns lost that opener 34-10, but Todd Monken still came away encouraged by what he saw from the two rookies.
"I'm jacked," Monken said on Sept. 14.
"Those two guys are going to be really good players. Austin, for jumping in there and learning early in the week [that] he was going to be starting.
And Spencer is going to continue to grow.. I really think we got some young, really good players."
They backed that up against Tampa Bay, and that’s the kind of momentum Cleveland has been looking for while trying to settle in a completely new front. The Browns have five new starting offensive linemen this season, so there’s still plenty of work to do. But if Fano and Barber lock down the left and right guard spots for the next five to ten years, that changes the picture for this offense in a major way.
Cleveland now turns to Week 3 and its first home game of the season, hosting the Panthers at Huntington Bank Field. Carolina is coming off its first win after beating the Atlanta Falcons 34-3 in Week 2.
Bryce Young has also started fast, throwing for 648 yards and six touchdowns, so the Browns are headed into another real test.
In Other News...
Todd Monken Sends Clear Message After Browns Silence Early Doubts
After the Browns steadied things with a Week 2 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Todd Monken had little interest in letting one rough opening act define the conversation around his team. The Cleveland coach went back to the criticism that followed the Week 1 loss, and he framed it around a remark from former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, using it as a springboard to address the early doubts head-on.
Monken did not dispute that the Browns were poor in the opener, but he pushed back on the idea that it should become the team's identity. His message was simple enough: the only real way to change the public view is to play better, and the Browns have already shown they are trying to do exactly that. Tomlin later answered with a little humor of his own, adding another layer to a storyline that has quickly moved beyond one bad Sunday. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Rookie Is Forcing A Bigger Question About Clevelands Passing Game
Denzel Boston has quickly given the Browns something they have been searching for at receiver: a young target who can win with size, strength and a steady physical edge. In his first two games, he has already topped 50 receiving yards and found the end zone once, production that fits the kind of role Todd Monken once helped carve out for Mike Evans in Tampa Bay.
The comparison matters because Cleveland still has bigger questions at quarterback and in the broader passing game, but Boston is making it harder to treat the receiver room as a secondary issue. If he keeps showing he can be a consistent, high-end pass catcher early in his career, the Browns may have to think more seriously about how much more is possible through the air, regardless of who is delivering the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Defense Just Showed A Different Side Fans Need To Watch
The Browns defense looked a little different in its latest outing, leaning harder into man coverage, bringing more blitzes and making life far less comfortable for the opposing quarterback. It was the kind of shift that stands out because Cleveland has spent so much of the early season trying to find a steadier identity on that side of the ball, and this version looked more aggressive and more connected from front to back.
Mason Graham and Isaiah McGuire helped set the tone up front, while Denzel Ward was active on the back end and Myles Harden added a milestone moment with his first career interception. The snap counts and grades tell part of the story, but the bigger takeaway is harder to ignore: the Browns may have uncovered a defensive approach worth watching closely if they can keep building on it. [Read more 🡒]