The Cleveland Browns got pushed around from the opening whistle Sunday, and the ugly divisional loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers left plenty of blame to go around. Mike McCarthy’s team was beaten at the line of scrimmage on both sides, and the offense spent much of the day under siege as Deshaun Watson was sacked eight times.
That total included rookie left tackle Spencer Fano, who didn’t have one of his better afternoons. He wasn’t the main reason the protection collapsed, but he also didn’t meet the standard he’s set for himself through the first part of the season.
After the game, Fano didn’t hide from it.
"I need to play a whole lot better than what I put out on that field," the rookie said, per Browns reporter Camryn Justice.
"I feel like I've been taking steps all season, and feel like I took a little step back today and just need to get better."
That kind of reaction is exactly why the Browns believe he’ll be a special player. Fano’s demeanor may be calm and soft-spoken, but the competitive edge shows up when things go sideways. Sunday was a rough one, but it wasn’t the first time he’s been challenged and answered back.
He opened the season with a long day against Josh Hines-Allen and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, then came back in his second career game and didn’t allow a single pressure. He’s also already shown that in training camp, when he didn’t let Jared Verse bully him.
The numbers from Sunday tell the story of a tough outing. Pro Football Focus charged Fano with a career-worst eight pressures allowed, along with five hurries, two quarterback hits, and a sack. Even so, that sack was only the second he’s given up in his first eight games as a pro.
There’s also some context here. Fano, a former college right tackle with shorter-than-average arms, was dealing with a defense that kept winning up front, and it’s hard to keep the pocket clean when the quarterback is dropping back 13 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Under those conditions, protecting the edge becomes a brutal assignment no matter who’s lined up across from you.
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