Last week the challenge was simple for the San Francisco 49ers defense.
If they could shut down rookie Tetoria McMillan, no one else on the Carolina Panthers passing attack was lethal enough to up more than ten points. While you can say that McMillan having a few drops on his own was an issue, and he did score the Panthers only touchdown, the 49ers held him to two catches on eight targets, and it is the main reason their defense won the game.
The player is completely different but the thought is the same; if the 49ers shut down the rookie, the rest of the offense is not talented enough to succeed. This time, the 49ers must shut down Harold Fannin.
San Francisco 49ers defensive success hinges on one player on the Cleveland Browns
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Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Jerry Jeudy actually leads the Browns in targets, but Fannin has 462 yards on 68 targets while Jeudy has 395 yards on 75 targets. Beyond that, Fannin averages 1.59 yards per route run, while Juedy is at 1.01.
Perhaps the quarterback play is holding Juedy back, but even last week the Fannin caught four of six targets while Juedy caught one out of four. The player to shut down is Fanin.
Beyond Juedy, the Browns skill players are running backs Quinshon Judkins, and Jerome Ford other tight end David Njoku, and other wide outs Isaiah Bond and Cedric Tillman.
Judkins averages 0.69 YPRR, Ford is at 0.51. Njoku is at 1.1, while Bond is at 0.81 and Tillman is at 0.84. Fanin is nearly twice as productive on a per route basis compared to the majority of his teammates.
To put this into perspective Jake Tonges is averaging 1.18 yards per route run, Kyle Jusczyk is at 1.07, and Luke Farrell is at 0.82. These players are hardly even options when they run routes and they achieve as much as the Browns pass-catching bunch.
San Francisco has talented cornerbacks and playing against McMillan is more in their wheel house. They struggle against tight ends and slot receivers who can work over the middle of the field because that gets them matched up on linebackers and safeties.
San Francisco has improved safety play in recent weeks, but their linebackers remain their biggest weakness. If the 49ers can shut down Fanin, no one else is talented enough to do anything about it. Do they have what it takes?
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