Spencer Fano’s NFL regular season debut arrives Sunday against Jacksonville, and the rookie left tackle already knows what kind of test awaits him at the line of scrimmage. Fano will likely find himself matched up against Josh Hines-Allen, who led the Jaguars with 8 sacks last season and ranked fifth in the entire NFL with 46 quarterback pressures. Fano has embraced the challenge and is leaning heavily on Cleveland’s veteran offensive linemen to help him prepare for what promises to be a physical opening test.
“He’s a very powerful rusher. There’s a lot of things that he can do with his length and his power. And not only that, if he gets you to settle down a little bit, he can get you with speed, so he’s a very good rusher and I’m excited for the challenge,” Fano said. “I’m ready. I know it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m prepared to go out and do my best.”
Fano’s preparation this week has drawn heavily from a routine he developed back at Utah, where he would watch 2 full games of an upcoming opponent on Sundays before breaking down pass rush cut ups throughout the week. That approach has continued in Cleveland, with Fano explaining his plan is essentially to stay in the shadow of veterans like Zion Johnson and Tytus Howard to study how they attack film preparation. Howard in particular has provided valuable insight given his history against Jacksonville, having faced the Jaguars 12 times since 2019 and passing along specific details on what Fano should expect from that defensive front.
Interestingly, Fano’s daily practice reps may have already prepared him for Hines-Allen’s specific style more than he initially realized. Jared Verse, Cleveland’s own standout edge rusher acquired in the Myles Garrett trade, frequently uses a bull rush similar to what Hines-Allen employs, giving Fano regular exposure to that exact type of power-based pass rush throughout training camp. The bigger adjustment, according to Fano, will actually be schematic, since Jacksonville’s defense uses more 2 gap principles compared to the attacking scheme he faces daily in Cleveland’s own practices.
Now set to anchor the blindside against one of the more disruptive pass rushers in the league right out of the gate, Fano’s rookie season debut will offer an immediate and telling look at how ready he truly is for the level of competition that awaits him weekly at left tackle.
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