Mellinger:Crennel’s bad decisions key to latest Chiefs debacle

[Tribal Warfare]

Crennel’s bad decisions key to latest Chiefs debacle
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star
The Chiefs have been pathetic already, so that’s not the surprising part. And they’ve looked hopeless, so that’s not new, either.

What we see now is worse, somehow, a bit further from respectability than even fans calling the team an “embarrassment” on a sign in the parking lot, or demanding the general manager be fired on a banner flown over the stadium before the game.

What we see now is a disjointed mess of a football team that was supposed to compete for the division title but is instead sinking toward the bottom of the league, with a head coach unable to make it stop and an offensive lineman making national headlines for destroying fans who cheered their quarterback’s injury.

If this isn’t rock bottom, then we could all save ourselves some trouble by guzzling Drano.

Because in losing 9-6 to the Ravens at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday, the Chiefs missed what even folks on the payroll have to admit is probably their last chance to salvage the season. Instead, the Chiefs dunked their fans’ heads even deeper under water.

This time, it’s Romeo Crennel’s turn to face charges of incompetence because, honestly, did Todd Haley ever mismanage a game this badly?

A defense-first man by nature, and still the Chiefs’ defensive coordinator, Crennel blew a fabulous performance against the league’s No. 2 offense because he couldn’t get anything else right.

The only thing Crennel appears willing to risk in his game plans is Jamaal Charles’ future — coming off ACL surgery, the Chiefs’ star running back is the only player in the league to go over 30 touches twice this season — and the result diminished the Ravens’ risk of losing.

A bizarre decision to punt instead of try for a first down or Hail Mary at the end of the first half, more will-breaking penalties and a team presumably coached to value the ball instead padding its league lead in turnovers sucked the possibilities from a game the Chiefs otherwise should’ve won.

Even by Kansas City standards, the idea of losing at home while rushing for 214 yards and outgaining one of the league’s premier offenses is extreme. But Crennel pulled it off by showing appropriately little faith in Cassel — but refusing to bench him.

The decision was no longer Crennel’s after Cassel got hurt in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late. Cassel threw two interceptions — including one into heavy coverage to Dwayne Bowe while Steve Maneri didn’t have a defender within 10 yards — and fumbled the snap on a quarterback sneak at the goal line. Damage done.

Spirit squashed.

Crennel might be the only coach in NFL history to be so loyal to a game-manager quarterback who has 13 turnovers in five games.

“No,” Crennel said when I asked after the game if he considered benching Cassel before the injury.

This is a problem, especially after Crennel talked openly last week of giving backup Brady Quinn a chance if Cassel continued to falter. Quinn has been behind Charlie Frye, Ken Dorsey and Derek Anderson in his career, so we’re not talking about Len Dawson here, but at some point a coach needs to be willing to make a change.

For Crennel, that point didn’t come until he had no other choice.

He is instead the coach of a team that can’t quit a quarterback who both averages nearly three turnovers a game and provides such minimal playmaking that the entire game plan centers on minimizing Cassel’s impact.

Crennel is a smart man and one of the most respected defensive coordinators in recent league history. But when the Chiefs promoted him to head coach, the team’s decision-makers made the behind-the-scenes case that Crennel’s 24-40 record in Cleveland was more a reflection of a dysfunctional franchise than the man’s ability.

Five games into the season, and Chiefs fans are left with this disheartening dilemma: Crennel really is that bad of a coach, or the Chiefs are now as dysfunctional as the Browns.

Actually, after a 12th loss in their last 15 games and a group of players and fans who share a strong mutual distaste for each other, it’s pretty clear that the worse of those two possibilities is now Kansas City’s sad reality.

[ChiefsLV]

Originally Posted by tredadda

Not disagreeing with you, just wanted to highlight that Houston who is a Pioli guy had two sacks.

4/5 of the offensive line that made that 200+ yards possible also brought in by Pioli. Just sayin`

[O.city]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

yea and thats how good the Carl and Herm players are, they can still look somewhat good and talented even with a shitty QB.

they are not ROLE players. Pioli is good at drafting and acquiring average complimentary role players.

Great, he needs Tom Brady for the guys he evaluates to succeed. That doesnt help the Chiefs any

So then that begs a question, how many stars are you going to have per team?

Look at a guy like Sproles. Is he a role player?

Baldwin, Moeaki, Dexter, Breaston etc can't look very good when you throw it 10 times per game and Bowe is the first read 9 times.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

what did Piolis guys do? How was Arenas? McCluster? I think I saw Jon Baldwin have a catch, that was neat? How about Tyson Jackson? Eric Berry did he even suit up? Tony Moeaki is he hurt or is he actually out there? Peyton Hills surely did something? I think I saw Stanford Routt hold a guy... twice? Scott Pioli players ladies and gentleman.

Overall, the D played very well today.

or find something else to bitch about.

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by ChiefsLV

4/5 of the offensive line that made that 200+ yards possible also brought in by Pioli. Just sayin`

same offensive line that knocked the QB out

same offensive line that just cried about the fan base and threw them under the bus

yeah Pioli acquired them. Thanks

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by Dave

Overall, the D played very well today.

or find something else to bitch about.

yeah, and the reason for that is Herm/Carls players not Pioli. So it's not bitching you blind dumb ****

[tredadda]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

same offensive line that knocked the QB out

same offensive line that just cried about the fan base and threw them under the bus

yeah Pioli acquired them. Thanks

Cassel is a sack machine. He could be behind the Chiefs offensive line of the early 2000s or the Cowboys line of the 90s and still get sacked a large number of times. One of those sacks was bound to knock him out.

[mr. tegu]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

seeing as how the entire defensive foundation rests on Carl/Herms players, it actually proves me right. So yes, good timing by me. Because it proves a point

So you are faulting the team for not replacing those guys which they recognized as important players? If a foundation is in place, why change it? I don't quite get it. Pioli's most critical failure is with Cassel, not the defense. Our defense would look even so much better if they could play with a lead.

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by tredadda

Cassel is a sack machine. He could be behind the Chiefs offensive line of the early 2000s or the Cowboys line of the 90s and still get sacked a large number of times. One of those sacks was bound to knock him out.

id actually like to see the PFF grades of the o-line, because I am willing to bet it's more fools gold than anything.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

yeah, and the reason for that is Herm/Carls players not Pioli. So it's not bitching you blind dumb ****

Blind? WTF is your problem?

You are preaching to the choir, reerun.

I'm telling you to because the D played well today.

[mcaj22]

Originally Posted by mr. tegu

So you are faulting the team for not replacing those guys which they recognized as important players? If a foundation is in place, why change it? I don't quite get it. Pioli's most critical failure is with Cassel, not the defense. Our defense would look even so much better if they could play with a lead.

no i am faulting a GM for not adding any talent of his own in four years. Any success the defense has is like 80 percent of the players from the old regime. What has Scott Pioli added? Justin Houston and Eric Berry? After that a bunch of first round d-lineman, a nickel midget CB, an injury prone FS that hasnt touched the field. A bunch of nobody NT depth. and a CB that holds more than I dont know what.

Abe Elam is a stain. Jovan Belcher cant cover the broad side of a barn. Travis Daneils? Jalil Brown? Brandon Siler? this is every year with Pioli. He adds turds and hopes the talent that was already here carries him. Eventually Derrick Johnson and Tamba Hali will be too old. Brandon Flowers will lose a step. And their prime years will be behind them before anyone else gets good. And that's the problem. It looks more like Scott Pioli's 10 year plan. In year 10 if we all just be patient and wait now, it will pay off in year 10. I don't have that kind of time.

[O.city]

Powe and Poe seemed to play better today. Someone on here was talking about Bailey playing well, didn't really watch him much tho.

[Nightfyre]

I still think Pioli has assembled a very talented roster outside of the QB position. The problem I have is: The roster is useless with the current philosophies and coaches in place and without a franchise QB. Pioli has had opportunities to fix these problems and has not adequately addressed them. It is time to move on.

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by mcaj22

no i am faulting a GM for not adding any talent of his own in four years. Any success the defense has is like 80 percent of the players from the old regime. What has Scott Pioli added? Justin Houston and Eric Berry? After that a bunch of first round d-lineman, a nickel midget CB, an injury prone FS that hasnt touched the field. A bunch of nobody NT depth. and a CB that holds more than I dont know what.

In other news, the Sun is hot and bright.

This is ground-breaking information.

Did you know that water is wet?

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

First 4 years in KC:

Carl. 39-24
Pioli 22-31 to date....

32 losses now am I right?

And 17 of those losses have been by 14 or more points.

[splatbass]

Originally Posted by BossChief

I didnt cheer, but I can understand why some did.

Question:

Did you cheer when Osama Bin Laden was killed?

Osama bin Laden was responsible for the deaths of more than 3000 Americans and spent years actively trying to destroy our country. Cassel is a bad QB in a GAME. This is a really stupid and insulting analogy.