Babb: Chiefs defensive coordinator Crennel not going into panic mode

[Tribal Warfare]

Chiefs defensive coordinator Crennel not going into panic mode
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

After 89 points allowed, two losses and a bleak outlook, there seems to be plenty of reasons for the Chiefs defense to panic. Yet, coordinator Romeo Crennel has remained unruffled.

“He’s been calm,” Chiefs cornerback Brandon Carr said. “With a resume like Romeo’s, he’s seen it all, for the most part.”

Crennel has coached good defenses and poor ones, been the coach of a Cleveland Browns team that seemed to have little chance of turning the corner, and now he’s the leader of a defense that seems to possess talent but clearly lacks answers. The Chiefs have one sack, two interceptions — though Jon McGraw fumbled shortly after his pick last week — and one missing rising star at safety, Eric Berry, who tore the ACL in his left knee during the first game.

That has resulted in a group of stunned players and reason to think the Chiefs have little chance of stopping some of the league’s better offenses. They couldn’t do that the past two weeks, in blowout losses to Buffalo and Detroit, and it’s difficult to point toward ways the Chiefs might slow the Chargers’ powerful, multi-dimensional attack Sunday in San Diego.

But instead of appearing rattled, players said Crennel has been the picture of serenity. He’s still pointed in meetings, energetic during practices. This is the same old Romeo, even if his defense lacks the confidence it had in 2010, when it produced a pair of Pro Bowlers in Berry and linebacker Tamba Hali.

“I haven’t seen a change in him,” defensive lineman Wallace Gilberry said. “He still demands the best out of us, expects the best out of us, and we’re not giving it to him right now.”

For his part, Crennel said he has avoided the temptation to make drastic changes to the defense because doing so could further set back the Chiefs. That might sound impossible, considering the way they have lost, but many defenders believe that improving communication and fundamental play can prevent those two blowout defeats from being repeated.

“You have to look at what you’re doing and then try to figure out why you’re not doing as well,” Crennel said. “To change completely, there’s a learning curve that goes along with change.

“It might help you, and it might not help you. I think your best chance is to work on your foundations, and if you can identify something that’s definitely hurting you, then you make a change at that point or you change your technique or something there. But wholesale change, I don’t know if wholesale change is the answer.”

Crennel said the Chiefs’ top priority is to keep opposing offenses out of the end zone, something the defense struggled with against the Bills and the Lions. Big yards and field goals are tolerable. Touchdowns are not. Crennel and head coach Todd Haley have, in recent days, pointed to near-misses by the defense. Crennel said that’s a sign his players have continued to play hard, even amid large deficits, but becoming effective is a matter of taking those final steps in getting a sack, or holding onto the ball when it hits a defender in the hands, or simply a player being in the spot he’s assigned.

“Once we get all that stuff cleaned up and taken care of,” Gilberry said, “it’ll be back to where it was.”

Perhaps the most maddening thing for the Chiefs defense is that, even without Berry, the team possesses plenty of talent. Hali led the AFC in sacks last year, linebacker Derrick Johnson has a knack for big plays, and the secondary is loaded with solid youngsters, such as cornerback Brandon Flowers and safety Kendrick Lewis. None, though, has yet shown examples of that potential in 2011. The defensive line has been unable so far to stop the run, putting pressure on the other position groups to clean up its mess.

But even with all that, Crennel has indicated to his players that it’s not time to panic. He has told them to continue doing their jobs, albeit with greater attention to the details and their assignments, and eventually good things will come.

He said he hopes they come soon.

“If we can win one game,” he said, “then that’ll help us tremendously.”

Players said they believe Crennel still trusts them, and they still trust their coordinator.

“He knows we’re capable of getting it done,” Gilberry said. “It’s just a matter of us going out and doing it. He has faith in us; he has faith in his system, and it’s up to us to just prove that it works and prove that we have the guys that can get it done.”

CHIEFS AT CHARGERS
•3:05 p.m. Sunday at San Diego (Chs. 5, 13)

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by chiefsfootballfan

he's cute. to them. but before we are banned, here's a clip of a goal line stand in which Dorsey the magnificent is supposed to cut the legs of LT Bell so the LB - Scheffield can stand up the rusher. Dorsey can't even do that. After 3 plus seasons, you'd think he could at least do that;

http://www.nfl.com/videos/kansas-cit...st-1-yd-run-TD

Dont be stupid. You know Clay has posted SEVERAL clips of him kicking ass.

[Ace Gunner]

after 3 plus seasons, that's all you got on Dorsey. Hold on to them. Memories.

[BossChief]

You posting like that with your sig...

[Ace Gunner]

Give Dorsey another season. He's close now.

[Saccopoo]

Originally Posted by Dave

Dont be stupid. You know Clay has posted SEVERAL clips of him kicking ass.

Every player in the NFL has a few (and with Dorsey, few is the key word) good "clips" of their play.

Dorsey just isn't getting it done. Blame the scheme, blame the coordinator, blame whoever, but he's been consistenly getting blown up by marginal talent every single week for the past three plus seasons. Sure, he'll make a nice play every once in a while, but as I said, it's usually a pursuit type play or from a slant play. He simply can't hold his own against the majority of tackles and guards he goes against.

People around here have blamed it on the NT, but Kelly Gregg, while in the twilight of his NFL career, is a solid nose tackle and Dorsey isn't playing any better. Gilberry and Bailey have both looked better with far less snaps so far this season. And Jackson is literally non-existent. These guys should be dominating at this point and they are not. They are some of the weakest links that this team has.

Two blown top five picks in three years will kill a team. We're seeing it first hand right now.

[BossChief]

I love it when sac posts.

He is almost as entertaining as KnowMo.

Dorsey was top 5 for DL last year in tackles and stops.

Sac clowned the Berry pick
Pimped the broken, black John Tait at 5
Thinks Dorsey sucks and gets blown up against below average players every week...blah blah blah

Watch Dorsey on any play Hali gets pressure or a sack and tell me the guy sucks.

Post more, please.

[FAX]

Anybody know what our TOP has been in the last 2 to 4 or so regular season games. Just curious.

I'm thinking that the incompetent offense is wearing the defense out ... maybe.

FAX

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by FAX

Anybody know what our TOP has been in the last 2 to 4 or so regular season games. Just curious.

I'm thinking that the incompetent offense is wearing the defense out ... maybe.

FAX

Maybe. The turnovers arent helping.

[Ace Gunner]

Originally Posted by FAX

Anybody know what our TOP has been in the last 2 to 4 or so regular season games. Just curious.

I'm thinking that the incompetent offense is wearing the defense out ... maybe.

FAX

it does and there's no doubt this team is getting run up late in games. but the problem right now for this defense is with the opening series. They are getting run over at the RDE position. Now, some of this has to do with Dorsey, because teams are running at him early on. Watch what SD does with Mathews. He'll hit the defense's right edge. Now, here's the thing about that edge of this defense - Hali is primarily in pass rush duty and DJ is the man behind Dorsey to maintain that edge. He's not getting it done and it's for the same old reasons - unable to get off blocks and caught out of position. So, we see big gainers there at any point in the game.

But you're right to some degree - you can't expect such a young and depleted defense to play 40 mins every game and expect to win without scoring points. It limits what kind of defense Crennell can use.

[Ace Gunner]

Originally Posted by Dave

Maybe. The turnovers arent helping.

and then there's this. Haley said during yesterday's presser the defense has started in their own territory 20 of 28 times. that's ****ing horrible.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

Originally Posted by FAX

Anybody know what our TOP has been in the last 2 to 4 or so regular season games. Just curious.

I'm thinking that the incompetent offense is wearing the defense out ... maybe.

FAX

It's not all about TOP. They've given the other team too many possessions and short fields to work with by playing like a bunch of tards on offense.

[Pasta Little Brioni]

I look forward to Romeo and Charlie's performance in "Disorderlies 2012"

[Fish]

Originally Posted by chiefsfootballfan

and then there's this. Haley said during yesterday's presser the defense has started in their own territory 20 of 28 times. that's ****ing horrible.

Wow. I knew it was bad, but damn.. Makes me question some of the defensive criticism this year..

[BigMeatballDave]

Originally Posted by KC Fish

Wow. I knew it was bad, but damn.. Makes me question some of the defensive criticism this year..

I haven't questioned any really. Turnovers are killer.

[Hammock Parties]

Sac is being a ****ing moron again.

How many times do I have to post this?

Dorsey graded out as a TOP FIVE run stopper among 3-4 DEs. And he was one of the few defensive player in the league to get 40+ stops. This is elite company:


40+ stop club:

Kyle Williams
Ndakamong Suh
Kenyon Coleman
Justin Smith

DeMarcus Ware
James Harrison
Anthony Spencer
Cameron Wake

Terrell Suggs
Trent Cole
Justin Tuck
Charles Johnson

GLENN DORSEY