Coming off a rookie year in which he racked up 72 catches and 731 yards and looked like a star fixture for the Cleveland Browns, things have been much quieter for tight end Harold Fannin these days. In fact, in Week 6’s win over the Ravens, Fannin managed just one catch for nine yards. That was the worst production he’s had going all the way back to … the Week 5 loss to the Jets. In that one, Fannin had one catch for four yards.
Now, there is a chicken-and-egg question here for the Browns. It’s hard to tell exactly why Fannin is catching fewer balls than he did last year. The Browns have only completed 112 passes on the season, and have only tried 175, which is 26th in the NFL. They’re 29th overall in yardage and 28th in first downs. This is not a high-powered offense, so there aren’t big-time reception numbers available for anyone. And lately, it has been Fannin who’s been the odd man out.
Browns Have Playmakers
But Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson says that’s not a reflection on Fannin–it’s just ho things have worked out thus far. The team added two playmakers at wide receiver–rookies Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, to go with Jerry Jeudy–and one of the victims of their rise has been Fannin’s opportunities.
Watson said nothing is intentional–the ball just has not come to Fannin because of how the defenses are guarding the Browns. Watson has tried to hit Fannin nine times in the last two game, but only those two receptions have been completed.
Said Watson on Wednesday: “It depends on how the defense is playing us. There’s only one football and we’ve got a lot of guys who can make plays—Boston, Jerry has been coming along, KC. And we got Harold. That’s four different guys and one football. You gotta pick your spots, depending on the play call and what the defense is presenting. You’ve got to find the open guy, the right guy with the ball. It just depends on the game.”
Harold Fannin: ‘I Am Cool With It’
As for Fannin, he is somewhat at a loss to explain why his numbers are down in his second season with the Browns.
Said Fannin from Browns practice: “I am cool with it. It doesn’t really bother me, obviously I am happy we are winning. We are going to keep winning whether I have catches or not. The main thing is to go out there and win. It’s just how it plays out. I am going to keep going out there and doing my job to the best of my ability. If it comes my way, it comes my way.”
The Browns will take the field again on Sunday against the Titans in Tennessee at 1 p.m. ET.
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