Another Tight End Test For Todd Bowles
September 19th, 2026
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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Todd Monken’s no dummy.
The new head coach of the Browns knows how to exploit weaknesses on the football field. He proved that as offensive coordinator for the Bucs, Browns and Ravens before getting his shot in Cleveland this year.
As usual, the Browns are in disarray as they head into Raymond James Stadium for Sunday’s matchup.
If they aren’t the worst team in the NFL, the Browns are on the short list.
Cleveland doesn’t have many weapons to test a Tampa Bay defense that failed to make key stops at Cincinnati last week. But Monken might have a weakness to expose in an effort to spring a major upset.
He’s got a good tight end in Harold Fannin Jr.
Browns TE Harold Fannin, Jr.
As a third-round pick out of Bowling Green last season, Fannin led the Browns in targets, catches, receiving yards and TD receptions. He was one of the few bright spots on an offense that ranked 31st in points and 30th in total yards.
The Buc defense featured individual standouts in Week 1. Rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter enjoyed a sensational game while second-year corner Benjamin Morrison turned in a flurry of impressive plays filling in for injured Jacob Parrish.
And while Joe Burrow’s top targets, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, combined for only five catches and 71 yards, Cincinnati tight end Mike Gesicki found open seams all afternoon. For Todd Bowles, this continued a disturbing pattern for his pass defense.
Harking back to 2022, the Bucs have been routinely victimized by tight ends.
That season, opposing tight ends posted a 73 percent catch rate against Tampa Bay. In 2023, only two teams allowed more receiving yards by tight ends than the Bucs.
Things didn’t improve the following season, when tight ends caught passes at a 76 percent completion clip and only the Chiefs yielded more receiving yards at the position.
Surely last season had to mark an improvement, right?. Not really.p The Bucs allowed 12 TD catches by tight ends in 2025 — only the Bengals yielded more. Opposing tight ends were targeted 131 times and snared 100 footballs, a success rate of 76 percent.
Here comes Fannin, determined to rebound from a blowout loss at Jacksonville, where he caught only two passes for 21 yards.
“Oh, he’s a weapon,” says outside linebackers coach Larry Foote. “We’ve got to watch him. We’ve got to do a good job on him.”
Later in the season, the Bucs will face quality tight ends like T.J. Hockenson (Minnesota), Jake Ferguson (Dallas), Kyle Pitts (Atlanta), Colston Loveland (Chicago) and Sam LaPorta (Detroit). Pitts wrecked the Bucs last season by catching 18 of 20 targets in the two matchups, including three TD receptions during Atlanta’s comeback victory at Tampa that left Bowles and Mike Evans understandably distraught.
The Bucs should take care of business against the Browns. Almost everybody does. But instead of watching Fannin, who Bowles describes as “dangerous,” Tampa Bay defenders need to shadow him effectively.
He should be a marked man on Sunday afternoon, when opposing tight ends routinely come out to frolic vs. the Bucs.
September 19th, 2026 at 11:14 am
Good stuff Ira! Hope we can finally figure out how to cover a TE. A 75% completion rate is insane to me. Todd? BTW check Anzalone’s cleats before the game Sunday please.
Go Bucs!
September 19th, 2026 at 11:37 am
Really does not matter how bad a team is when your QB has given them bulletin board smack. It will be close and if Bucs lose, Lowes will have a Clearance Sale on Torches and Pitchforks.
September 19th, 2026 at 12:05 pm
It’s like the TE position is a mystery in TB’s era. He keeps stone hands Otten and other guys that would be cut elsewhere and doesn’t know how to handle the opposing TE. Won’t change until TB is gone.
September 19th, 2026 at 12:18 pm
According to Bowles, Gesicki was held in check when the Bucs played man but he torched the team when they played zone.
I don’t know, I’m no defensive guru, but how about maybe always playing man against the tight end – sort of like how teams use a spy on QBs sometimes?
September 19th, 2026 at 12:36 pm
The improved TE play against us since 2022 has has corresponded declining ILB play, and this defense depends on linebackers to cover tight ends
September 19th, 2026 at 12:44 pm
Buc defense practices against their own sub standard tight ends so when they play better tight ends they have no idea what to do. Get better tight ends here and the defense will be better.
September 19th, 2026 at 12:46 pm
This is Todd’s Super Bowl. Lose Sunday and it’s downhill from there.
September 19th, 2026 at 12:47 pm
Happy Anniversary, Ira!!!!
September 19th, 2026 at 1:34 pm
Fannin will prob have 200 yards and 3 TD and we’ll either barely win or lose.
Hopefully we win or sh!t will get real crazy around Tampa Bay.
September 19th, 2026 at 1:36 pm
SBucs Says:
September 19th, 2026 at 12:46 pm
This is Todd’s Super Bowl. Lose Sunday and it’s downhill from there.
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Hard to argue with that.
September 19th, 2026 at 1:43 pm
Pretty sure Coach Bowles is 0-64 in the past several years against opposing TE’s. Keep doing the same thing and expect different results Coach. I’m pretty sure we all what the definition of that quip is.
September 19th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
Lavonte shutdown Kelce in the SB. Same defense. Is it scheme or talent. Anzalone looked horrible v Cinci. Think about it.
September 19th, 2026 at 2:02 pm
Ira I know you watched the tape on last Sunday’s defense it looks worse way worse…
September 19th, 2026 at 2:02 pm
Ira I know you watched the tape on last Sunday’s defense it looks worse way worse…
September 19th, 2026 at 2:05 pm
FrontFour Says:
“Lavonte shutdown Kelce in the SB. Same defense. Is it scheme or talent. Anzalone looked horrible v Cinci. Think about it.”
Bowles was not the HC in that SB. No Offensive line for the Chiefs was a huge factor.
How long do you want to continue down this path of failure?
September 19th, 2026 at 2:19 pm
BucsFanInOregon , still bitter I see we didn’t draft Kenyan Sadiq huh? Mark my words, he will be the 1st rounds biggest bust. We are fine at TE.
September 19th, 2026 at 2:33 pm
The thing I appreciate the most about your articles ira is that you make your case with FACTS and without emotional arguments & disparaging innuendos. Kudos … and thank you.
September 19th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
Bowles needs to get back to his 2-high looks, and getting better play from his ILBs namely Alex Anzalone because TEs are his assignment more often than not. We ran single high looks about 68% of the time in Cincy which is zone. The bright side it played a part in keeping Chase at bay, but the flipside is that with a 46% blitz rate on all pass downs we were leaving 1-high and taking man out the grass to manufacture pressure.
That front 4 needs to step up, while Winfield & Tykee need to be left back and our ILBs (again namely Anzalone need to step it tf up. CBs did a solid job on the back end securing the boundary, but as we all saw that exact tact opened up the middle of the D. Better play within a tweaked approach against Cleveland might get a better result out of our front 6-7. Got to use Cleveland as an example that it really isn’t as sweet over the middle and send a message
September 19th, 2026 at 4:09 pm
Anzalone won’t be covering TE’s this week. The Bucs’ first round draft pick on the other hand, might just be an arms length away from the Bowling Green product.
September 19th, 2026 at 4:40 pm
Happy Anniversary Joe !! Did you mention the great Tom McEwen in your comments ? He’s my cousin from the Wachulla area I remember seeing him at family reunions and reading his articles in the Tampa Tribune.
Great post about Cleveland’s ability to exploit a typical weakness in the Bucs defense. That’s got me a little worried. But, I’m hoping the Bucs will play solid run defense and pass defense to hold the Browns under 15 points, and the super explosive Bucs offense will score 40 points !!
This game may turn into a muddy game in the second half. Which should be in the Bucs favor as well.
Go Bucs !!
September 19th, 2026 at 6:40 pm
Almost purely a symptom of the coverage skills of ILBers on the squad. Someone like Fannin and Pitts are good enough they should see safety help against them over the top. Especially with the browns where our corners should be able to single cover their rookie receivers. Against Atlanta, you also have Bijan and London to deal with but really should find a way to double both Pitts and London.
September 19th, 2026 at 7:14 pm
Let’s hope last week’s loss opens Todd’s eyes!!! In the past he accounted for the TEs very well, and again last week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Try something different!!! PLEASE!!
September 19th, 2026 at 7:16 pm
Correction: in the past he didn’t account for the TEs very well!!! He really need to do some rethinking fast!