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.

Originally Posted by Omega

The point was that I don't think Romeo is going to go find himself a superior QB.

Considering how old he is, he may not even have the patience for a rookie.

You don't think? What do you think is going to happen due to his age? Is he going to keel over on the sideline? What are your specific concerns because "he's too old" and "no old people have ever won the SuperBowl" before aren't really very solid footing for your argument.

[okcchief]

The main thing is getting rid of Cassel. I think Romeo could do a good job though I wouldn't jump up and down about the hire. Interim coaches never pan out but they usually don't have five rings as an assistant and previous head coaching experience. If he hires good people around him and let's them coach thats most of the battle.

The Frank Ganz comparison is stupid. He was a special teams coach. One of the worst hires in NFL history.

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by splatbass

64 is not old. Do you know anyone that is over 60? You don't appear to.

Pretty old for an NFL head coach.

[petegz28]

If Romeo is HC and Cassel is QB and we don't draft a QB in the 1st then you can pin it squarley on Pioli and therefore it wouldn't matter who was HC

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by Phobia

You don't think? What do you think is going to happen due to his age? Is he going to keel over on the sideline? What are your specific concerns because "he's too old" and "no old people have ever won the SuperBowl" before aren't really very solid footing for your argument.

24 of 27 is very solid footing.

The odds are astronomically against Romeo.

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by petegz28

If Romeo is HC and Cassel is QB and we don't draft a QB in the 1st then you can pin it squarley on Pioli and therefore it wouldn't matter who was HC

If Cassel is QB it doesn't matter who the head coach is. We'll just have to wait for Pioli to get shit canned.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by okcchief

If Cassel is QB it doesn't matter who the head coach is. We'll just have to wait for Pioli to get shit canned.

Not necessarily. It's not out of the realm to see them draft a qb and bring Cassel back another year.

Originally Posted by Omega

Pretty old for an NFL head coach.

You keep saying the same stupid crap over and over. Why? What are your specific concerns? Why can't he effectively head coach at his age? You never seemed to have a problem with him being defensive coordinator at his age. But now you have a random argument and your only data to back it up is "old interim coaches have never won a superbowl". Yeah, we get that part. It's an invalid argument. Post a fair argument or abandon the stupid "he's old" bit.

[okcchief]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Not necessarily. It's not out of the realm to see them draft a qb and bring Cassel back another year.

If Cassel is on the roster they are obviously not capable of making good decisions. He has NOTHING to offer this team.

[Okie_Apparition]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/post?id=36146

How did the Chiefs stifle the Packers' passing game? Mostly with extra coverage and a standard four-man pass rush. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Chiefs used at least five defensive backs on 86 percent of the Packers' plays Sunday. On top of that, they sent four or less pass rushers on 78.6 of Rodgers' dropbacks. As a result, Rodgers completed only two of 12 passes downfield, defined as 15 or more yards past the line of scrimmage -- the worst completion percentage on such throws all year. The Packers had four dropped passes, but Rodgers also had a tough time getting the ball into the small windows afforded by Chiefs coverage. He either underthrew or overthrew 10 of his 35 passes. Say what you will about the drops and Greg Jennings' absence, but on a relative scale there is no doubt Rodgers played the worst game of his season

[Hammock Parties]

Originally Posted by splatbass

64 is not old. Do you know anyone that is over 60? You don't appear to.

I actually love old people. They are infinitely more interesting than young people, and less douchey.

Just don't see the value in Romeo as HC.

[ChiefsCountry]

Originally Posted by Omega

Just don't see the value in Romeo as HC.

Yet you pimp Jeff Fisher.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by petegz28

Yeah because he hasn't been a part of this team the last 2 years or anything. WTF do these players know about him?

What a weak ass argument this team has experienced moderate success with him. Are you saying it won't get old if he performs like he did in Cleveland as the head coach? Bullshit.

Originally Posted by Omega

24 of 27 is very solid footing.

The odds are astronomically against Romeo.

When Vegas starts calculating their odds based on the age of the head coach then I'll recognize your argument.

[petegz28]

Originally Posted by Bo's Pelini

What a weak ass argument this team has experienced moderate success with him. Are you saying it won't get old if he performs like he did in Cleveland as the head coach? Bullshit.

That owuld be with any coach...JFC