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)

[Hammock Parties]

Someone's head is rolling for this disaster and Haley is the most likely candidate.

Which means his entire staff is out.

[HemiEd]

Encouraging article, the man knows something about leadership. They will get it done again, if the offense can upgrade its play to just poor.

[LOCOChief]

Dorsey and Flowers both need pick their games up, neither has looked anywhere close to as good as they were last year.

[KCUnited]

Yesterday, 610 had audio from Crennel, Carr, and Arenas, all three made references to guys on defense blowing assignments and missing coverages. The lack of preparedness on both sides of the ball is enough to get Haley fired. There isn't one phase of our game that is even close to being on par to where it was last year.

[notorious]

React defense in the NFL will get shredded.


Dictate defense is the best option.

[dannybcaitlyn]

Agreed.

[Hog's Gone Fishin]

We really needed training camp with a young team. This is all just a horrible mess. I hope we get our QBOTF out of this .

[WV]

Originally Posted by Gif Horse

Someone's head is rolling for this disaster and Haley is the most likely candidate.

Which means his entire staff is out.

Since he didn't really select his staff I don't think this is as likely or can be assumed.

[Chiefnj2]

Originally Posted by WVChiefFan

Since he didn't really select his staff I don't think this is as likely or can be assumed.

What semi-decent head coach would accept a job where he can't choose his assistants?

People need to get off the unfounded rumor that Pioli forces every single decision on his coach.

[WV]

Originally Posted by Chiefnj2

What semi-decent head coach would accept a job where he can't choose his assistants?

People need to get off the unfounded rumor that Pioli forces every single decision on his coach.

Rumor or not, the fact is that Pioli hired Crennel and Weis not Haley. Not only that with Crennel's pedigree what "semi-decent" HC wouldn't want to retain him?

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by WVChiefFan

Rumor or not, the fact is that Pioli hired Crennel and Weis not Haley. Not only that with Crennel's pedigree what "semi-decent" HC wouldn't want to retain him?

How is that fact? That has not been printed or reported anywhere I am aware of.

Yet another CP "fact".

[milkman]

I just think that in some ways, this game has passed Romeo Crennel by.

[WV]

Originally Posted by Marcellus

How is that fact? That has not been printed or reported anywhere I am aware of.

Yet another CP "fact".

Fine.....perhaps it's not "fact", but Pendergast was Haley's choice and then considering Haley and Weis conflicted how can you assume otherwise.

[milkman]

Originally Posted by WVChiefFan

Fine.....perhaps it's not "fact", but Pendergast was Haley's choice and then considering Haley and Weis conflicted how can you assume otherwise.

I don't think Pendergast was Haley's choice.

Because Clark Hunt asked Pioli to take some time with Herman ****ing Edwards and give him a fair evaluation before making the decision to fire him, the Chiefs entered the offseason hiring process far later than every other team that were making changes, including the HC hire.

By the time they started to assemble a staff, the pickings were pretty slim, and they were forced to settle for stop gaps like Pendergast.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by milkman

I don't think Pendergast was Haley's choice.

Because Clark Hunt asked Pioli to take some time with Herman ****ing Edwards and give him a fair evaluation before making the decision to fire him, the Chiefs entered the offseason hiring process far later than every other team that were making changes, including the HC hire.

By the time they started to assemble a staff, the pickings were pretty slim, and they were forced to settle for stop gaps like Pendergast.

People easily forget. Others, like myself can't forget.


Evaluate Herm ****ing Edwards. Pioli's first FAIL.