Browns' Harold Fannin Jr. Earns Solid Grade After Breakout Performance vs Steelers

The Cleveland Browns fell back down to earth on Sunday, dropping its game to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers.

The final score came in at 27-6, but the entire game felt very one-sided from the opening kickoff. Cleveland couldn't match the physicality of the Steelers during the contest, and they could never get anything going offensively.

The Browns now sit with a record of 5-3 on the season, sitting in third place within the very tight AFC North. Cleveland was looking to sweep the series from the Steelers this year after taking a game from its rivals earlier in the season.

But the Steelers had other ideas, pushing the Browns back to the drawing board when it comes to these divisional games. Cleveland's offense was limited in what it could do, and Pittsburgh took full advantage of that fact.

In the loss to Pittsburgh, Cleveland did see a few positives that they can take away going forward. One of them came from the day that tight end Harold Fannin Jr. put together against a tough Steelers defense.

Fannin finished the game with 10 catches for 154 yards, being the majority of the Browns' offensive attack. Quarterback Deshaun Watson targeted Fannin 12 times in the game, and the pass-catcher made it worth his while.

Due to his performance, Fannin earned a letter grade of "B+" from NFL analyst Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report. Fannin was one of the lone bright spots from this game for the Browns, but he did have a fumble; otherwise, his grade would have likely been a little higher.

With the rookie wide receivers that the Browns have on the roster, they will need more games like this from Fannin going forward. Having a tight end who can help stretch the field is important, and Fannin has proven himself at times.

For the year, the second-year player has caught 35 passes for 411 yards and three touchdowns. Fannin has become a favorite target of Watson, and the two players have been developing more chemistry each week on the field.

Even in the loss, the Browns can take away what to do better moving forward, making sure to not allow this type of performance to happen again. Cleveland still has its eyes set on making the playoffs, and this game against the Steelers could just be a bump in the road.

Next up for the Browns is a matchup on the road against the New Orleans Saints.