In big win, Chiefs find a leader in Romeo Crennel

[Hammock Parties]

This is dangerous. Chiefs players are lobbying openly for Crennel to get the job.

64-year old interim head coaches don't win shit in this league.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/12/18...-a-leader.html

Rookie linebacker Justin Houston grabbed an orange bucket of blue Gatorade and followed a pack of co-conspirators to drench the Chiefs’ new head coach. Romeo Crennel took it, smiled and clapped.

Running back Le’Ron McClain strutted toward Arrowhead Stadium’s west end zone, dropped his helmet around the 25-yard line, and joined five or six teammates in high-fiving and hugging delirious fans.

Crennel missed it. By this time, he was making his way off the field, wiping away tears.

The Chiefs stunned the football world by beating the previously undefeated Packers 19-14 on Sunday, the most shocking outcome in the NFL this season and in Kansas City for longer than that, one that we all might look back on in a few years as the day the franchise’s direction changed.

Three critical developments, in ascending order of importance, emerged from Sunday’s improbable upset: The Chiefs maintained a sliver of playoff hope, reminded a city that football can be fun and almost certainly found their new head coach.

“We treated this as our Super Bowl,” running back Dexter McCluster said. “This was our Super Bowl. You could feel that positive energy.”

What the Chiefs accomplished on Sunday is now the talk of the league. The Packers are still the prohibitive Super Bowl favorites, owners of the second-longest winning streak in NFL history, the model franchise for 31 others trying to build sustainable and long-term success. They’d won 19 straight and came in averaging nearly 36 points per game.

Juxtapose that with an organization in disarray. The Chiefs hadn’t scored more than 10 points since October and have lost five times by 27 points or more — one away from the most since the NFL and AFL merged in 1970.

This last week started with head coach Todd Haley being fired. Kyle Orton, cut by the Broncos a month ago, became the Chiefs’ third starting quarterback of the season. Injuries continue to expose an inexcusable lack of depth.

Nobody wondered whether the Packers would beat the Chiefs as much as they wondered just how badly the Packers would beat the Chiefs.

Then a funny, fun and completely unpredictable thing happened: The Chiefs led for all but 4 minutes, held the Packers to their fewest points and yards since last season, shut down Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers and beat the defending world champions.

It can’t be as simple as Tyler Palko sitting, and the plainly capable Orton playing, can it?

Because even before this, Crennel figured to drop the “interim” from his new title as head coach after Haley’s firing.

But now, after the team’s most inspired effort of the season, the Chiefs almost surely have their man. The locker room is rooting for Crennel to get the permanent job — actually, some Chiefs players are openly lobbying for it.

“Everything was different,” McClain said of the past week. “More meeting time. More football time. Learning your opponent better, understanding your opponent. I know I watched more film this week than I watched all year. Everything was different, man. Good different.”

Especially after Haley openly admitted the Jets were better prepared than the Chiefs last weekend. What you hear from players now is both an indictment of the past and endorsement of the future with Crennel.

McCluster: “I know everybody in this locker room will fight for him.”

Receiver Terrance Copper: “He doesn’t give us a reason not to play hard for him.”

Running back Thomas Jones: “He’d be a great choice for us.”

Receiver Steve Breaston, a noted Haley supporter, even referred to Crennel’s nickname after the game on Twitter: “Yeah by the way … Rac City!!!!”

The descriptions of Crennel are a general sketch of what owner Clark Hunt and general manager Scott Pioli say they want in a head coach.

Crennel treats everyone with respect. He is obsessed with details, with fundamentals, with the kind of preparation that means the Chiefs know their opponents better than the other way around.

Crennel makes his own decisions (Orton found out he was starting Sunday’s game before Pioli did) without being insubordinate. He gives credit to his players first, his assistants second and himself never.

“I was just standing on the sideline,” he said. “That’s all I did today. They got it done.”

The parallels are too many to ignore. Crennel is consistent. He is dedicated. You will never see him take the kind of unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty that Haley drew in his last game.

Crennel went 24-40 over four seasons in Cleveland, but you know that Bill Belichick was also fired by the Browns before taking over the Patriots.

Pioli believes in guys he’s worked with, guys who’ve been in his system before. He believes that smart and motivated people get better with experience and can learn from mistakes.

In other words, Crennel fits.

The immediate impact of the Chiefs winning his first game in charge is kind of fun and mostly obvious. Green Bay’s perfect season is over. The Chiefs can still claim a mathematical shot at the playoffs.

A fan base is truly encouraged for the first time since that Monday night win over the Chargers, when the Chiefs improved to 4-3 and receiver Dwayne Bowe spray-painted his shoes and a dozen or so teammates put on “Scream” masks to celebrate on Halloween.

But it’s the other stuff that is more important, the other stuff that the players seem to know gives this a chance to be more than a temporary reprieve like their win in Chicago two weeks ago.

The feeling is entirely different this time. Some of that is Orton, who ran the offense well enough to knock off an opponent that hadn’t lost in more than a year.

The bigger part is Crennel, and a genuine vibe in the locker room that this team has found the right coach to make a still-promising future become reality.

[lcarus]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

IM very weary of Romeo. I like the guy, but hes old and dude basically did nothing in Cleveland. Even Bellichek had 1 decent season with a playoff win in Cleveland. IM fearful that all this is is a Post Haley hangover bump.......

He had a decent season in Cleveland. They went 10-6 but missed the playoffs.

[DTLB58]

Originally Posted by Phobia

They absolutely did not. Lamar Hunt met in secret with 8 players at Nick Lowery's house. Gansz was given the job just in time for the strike of 1987 and was saddled with most of Mackovic's assistants who were disloyal and downright underhanded. He also had an awful front office led by GM Jim Schaaf, a baseball man who somehow managed to work his way up through the ranks of the Chiefs organization in the 70's. Injuries, bad personnel decisions, the strike, and being thrown under the bus by a former assistant ruined Gansz's 2-year campaign as a Skipper. After a 4-win 1988, Carl Peterson sent him packing as his first power move after being handed the reins by Lamar.

Even if you construe that to be "openly lobbying", it doesn't have a single thing to do with Crennel. Gansz was an amazing coach and there really aren't many people who would say otherwise. You can't look at his W/L record under Schaaf and the many other circumstances which permeated his time in KC and say "look how that turned out" as though he were a Herm Edwards, Paul Wiggin, or Todd Haley.

Gansz was an amazing ST's coach. There is nothing else to proof otherwise nor more.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by petegz28

B) The guy has experience and knows our system therefore not putting us back into a "rebuilding..just wait 5 years" mode for the 3rd time in a row

This is a decent argument for keeping Romeo, especially because we're nearing the point of no return on some of our better players.

But if Romeo doesn't find a QB we're going to waste his golden years, anyway.

I can probably grudgingly accept Romeo as head coach if he makes an attempt to go get a QB.

If not, he's an old fart wasting our time.

[lcarus]

We could always sign Romeo as HC and just shit can him if we suck? There will always be another coach to go out and get if things don't work out.

[DTLB58]

McClain said of the past week. “More meeting time. More football time. Learning your opponent better, understanding your opponent. I know I watched more film this week than I watched all year.

Wasn't that by his own choosing?

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

IM very weary of Romeo. I like the guy, but hes old and dude basically did nothing in Cleveland. Even Bellichek had 1 decent season with a playoff win in Cleveland. IM fearful that all this is is a Post Haley hangover bump.......

Did nothing? Did you see the talent he was given in Cleveland? Tell me, who has done anything in Cleveland since Marty? BB was fired from there. Romeo took them to their last winning season with dick for talent.

I am not saying we sign Romeo tomorrow but to be weary is rather obserd.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Omega

This is a decent argument for keeping Romeo, especially because we're nearing the point of no return on some of our better players.

But if Romeo doesn't find a QB we're going to waste his golden years, anyway.

I can probably grudgingly accept Romeo as head coach if he makes an attempt to go get a QB.

If not, he's an old fart wasting our time.

The attempt at a QB is not necessarily up to the HC. You do have the GM who unfortunately carries a lot of weight in that decision. Having said that Romeo made the best and though obvious decision, he made it by starting Orton and using Stanzi as the backup and not even activating Palko. That's a step in the right direction regardless.

[KCrockaholic]

Originally Posted by DTLB58

McClain said of the past week. “More meeting time. More football time. Learning your opponent better, understanding your opponent. I know I watched more film this week than I watched all year.

Wasn't that by his own choosing?

He was probably forced to watch extra film because he had more snaps in this game than any other all season long.

[WhiteWhale]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Did nothing? Did you see the talent he was given in Cleveland? Tell me, who has done anything in Cleveland since Marty? BB was fired from there. Romeo took them to their last winning season with dick for talent.

I am not saying we sign Romeo tomorrow but to be weary is rather obserd.

I'm not sure you can compare the 'pre-expansion' Browns to the current expansion team.

Remember the team Marty coached plays in Baltimore now.

This Browns franchise has sucked since their inception.

[KCrockaholic]

Originally Posted by petegz28

The attempt at a QB is not necessarily up to the HC. You do have the GM who unfortunately carries a lot of weight in that decision. Having said that Romeo made the best and though obvious decision, he made it by starting Orton and using Stanzi as the backup and not even activating Palko. That's a step in the right direction regardless.

I agree with that. The way Romeo is making statements right now is refreshing. He didn't wait until last second to name a starter. He named his starter Wednesday. He doesn't **** around. He gets to the point.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by WhiteWhale

I'm not sure you can compare the 'pre-expansion' Browns to the current expansion team.

Remember the team Marty coached plays in Baltimore now.

This Browns franchise has sucked since their inception.

That sort of makes my point. Romeo was dealt shitty players and somehow squeeked out a winning season. And if I remember right didn't he damn near beat the high flying Chiefs until his player took his helmet off and Green somehow avoided a sack and got the ball handed to Tait who ran us into FG range?

[WhiteWhale]

Originally Posted by petegz28

That sort of makes my point. Romeo was dealt shitty players and somehow squeeked out a winning season. And if I remember right didn't he damn near beat the high flying Chiefs until his player took his helmet off and Green somehow avoided a sack and got the ball handed to Tait who ran us into FG range?

No. Romeo was in New England in 2002 during the helmet game. He didn't become coach of Cleveland until 2005.

[KCrockaholic]

lol Pete has his years all jacked up.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

I agree with that. The way Romeo is making statements right now is refreshing. He didn't wait until last second to name a starter. He named his starter Wednesday. He doesn't **** around. He gets to the point.

That is what an effective coach does. This guy has been around to know what it takes to when. Yes, he has made mistakes, we all do. He is smart enough to have learned from them and adjusted to see where he went wrong. I'd take him over Fisher in a heartbeat. Fisher has never won anything and never been on a team (that I am aware of) that has won anything. Fisher is a Marty wanna-be and Marty kicked his ass all over the field. Haley wiped the Titans all over the field last year with Matt ****ing Cassel.

Romeo has been on winning teams. SB winning teams. He has learned under some very successful people and programs. Maybe his 1st run at HC wasn't much to write home about but how many of us ever do good our 1st time at things? I think he has shown enough and has enough experience that giving him another shot at HC with some talented players is not a bad decision and could very well be a good decision.

And another intangible...he gets along with Pioli and Pioli repsects Romeo. Romeo didn't have to come here. He came here more or less as a favor to Pioli. He wants to coach, he wants to coach this team and a HC and GM that get along is something you MUST have.

I think Romeo is the kind of person he could tell Pioli "no" and Pioli says OK, you're the coach.

[Marcellus]

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

lol Pete has his years all jacked up.

When has CP ever let fact trump opinion?