Chiefs In big win, Chiefs find a leader in Romeo Crennel - Page 5

Hammock Parties · 12-19-2011, 03:44 AM

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

Quote:

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.

Okie_Apparition · 12-19-2011, 06:31 PM

I don't understand connecting McDaniels as the OC
to me he is Todd Haley

'Hamas' Jenkins · 12-19-2011, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

degrees of credence =! dispositive.

You know, for a guy who seems to constantly decry 'binary thinking' you offer very little regarding building a successful franchise beyond 'suck as hard as you can for a year and grab the best college QB in the draft, rinse and repeat until it sticks.'

It may be contrary to Chiefs history, giving you a patina of indie cred, but it's as simplistic as any other autodidact on here.

It just so happens that it is more complex than that, but you're being reductive for the sake of rhetoric.

You can't win in the NFL without a top shelf quarterback anymore. That's the foundation of the house. What you want to do with the framing, interior walls, plumbing, wiring, etc, leaves a world of possible different directions (3-4, 4-3, Cover 2, Coryell, WCO, Earhardt, etc.), but without a QB in this league, you're building on a sinkhole.

With regard to your initial statement, I still don't see why it is of any concern. Players have long proven to be terrible evaluators of coaches, this team specifically. If we are to adopt one of your statements from some days past, much like a player who would quit because of a losing environment, a player that would quit or not give their full effort because of a coaching hire isn't a player worth having at all.

Brock · 12-19-2011, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

It just so happens that it is more complex than that, but you're being reductive for the sake of rhetoric.

You can't win in the NFL without a top shelf quarterback anymore. That's the foundation of the house. What you want to do with the framing, interior walls, plumbing, wiring, etc, leaves a world of possible different directions (3-4, 4-3, Cover 2, Coryell, WCO, Earhardt, etc.), but without a QB in this league, you're building on a sinkhole.

I think pretty much everybody wants a top shelf QB.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 12-19-2011, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brock

I think pretty much everybody wants a top shelf QB.

Which makes me wonder where the false binary is kicking in. You get a FA QB like Drew Brees, what, maybe once every 5-10 years? So if you can't procure him through that method, it's going to have to be the draft. Then, it's all about negotiating the supply vs. the demand.

Low supply of QBs this year, high demand=need for a high pick.

There was a higher demand last year, lower in 2009.

It's not just "you either hope the team gets the highest pick possible" or not, it's realizing when certain battles, like this season, are lost, and doing the best with what you have, hoping the team develops while also putting themselves in the best long-term position.

KCrockaholic · 12-19-2011, 07:52 PM

IMO after thinking about it for some time, I believe Romeo needs to stay as HC in 2012.

The players obviously like him, A LOT. They believe in him. He knows how to motivate them, and he has them believing in themselves.

If Romeo doesn't keep the HC job, the players will be distraught. Romeo will be frustrated (as he has stated, he wants to be a HC again).

The new HC might not want to keep Romeo around. And the LAST thing we need to happen, is to have Romeo leave the Chiefs. We finally have a pretty damn good defense (without a pro bowl safety btw).

If Romeo leaves, the key players of our foundation will not be happy. The defensive players are in love with him.

But at the end, my main point is that we can't afford to lose Crennel.

We can get away with keeping Crennel as HC, as long as we hire a real OC, and let him pick his own staff. He would likely either promote a guy currently on staff to be the new DC, or he could find his own guy who believes in the same philosophy. But I would actually be ok with Crennel continuing to run the defense on gameday as long as we fix the OC...And of course we need a QB.

Hammock Parties · 12-19-2011, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

If Romeo doesn't keep the HC job, the players will be distraught.

They'll get over it.

The last thing we need at this point is a short-term HC.

**dirk digler** · 12-19-2011, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

The defensive players openly campaigned for Gunther. We saw how that worked out.

The only thing I would say to this is that Gun and Gantz had never been head coaches before where Crennel would be on his second run. He is a smart man maybe he learned a lot and would be better the second go around or not.

**DeezNutz** · 12-19-2011, 08:13 PM

The funny thing is, at the beginning of the game I must have sarcastically remarked about how "well coached" we were about 4 different times: 12 men on the field x 3?, terrible challenge, ultra-conservative plays, etc.

Wins make for good deodorant.

KCrockaholic · 12-19-2011, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omega

They'll get over it.

The last thing we need at this point is a short-term HC.

If he works out well, then he wont be a short term HC.

I know you like Fisher because he is the picture of continuity and consistency, but why would he want to continue to run a 3-4? The 3-4 is just now starting to work well for us, so it would not be a good thing to switch it up now.

Hammock Parties · 12-19-2011, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCrockaholic

If he works out well, then he wont be a short term HC.

Yes, he could coach well into his 70s.

Dude will retire within 3, 4, maybe 5 years. He will be 65 in June.

I'm sure he would be a hot head-coaching commodity if he wasn't under contract with the Chiefs, though.

**dirk digler** · 12-19-2011, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

The funny thing is, at the beginning of the game I must have sarcastically remarked about how "well coached" we were about 4 different times: 12 men on the field x 3?, terrible challenge, ultra-conservative plays, etc.

Wins make for good deodorant.

McCarthy was out coached

Hammock Parties · 12-19-2011, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirk digler

McCarthy was out coached

How?

The biggest factor in the game was most likely all the drops by Green Bay's receivers.

KCrockaholic · 12-19-2011, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omega

Yes, he could coach well into his 70s.

Dude will retire within 3, 4, maybe 5 years. He will be 65 in June.

I'm sure he would be a hot head-coaching commodity if he wasn't under contract with the Chiefs, though.

I guess I've never understood the whole age thing with coaches.

If a guy still has a real passion for coaching, and for reaching the ultimate goal, then it shouldn't matter what his age is.

Coaching isn't a physical job, it's a mental job. I don't see why it matters whether he's 50 or 70.

Marcellus · 12-19-2011, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

The funny thing is, at the beginning of the game I must have sarcastically remarked about how "well coached" we were about 4 different times: 12 men on the field x 3?, terrible challenge, ultra-conservative plays, etc.

Wins make for good deodorant.

I am not in the keep Orton long term bandwagon, period. Keep him and draft a QB maybe but if we draft a guy may as well play him.

But he was the deodorant, he was the only difference that I saw from a team standpoint.

It just shows how bad Pioli is at QB evaluation which does not bode well for the future.

**DeezNutz** · 12-19-2011, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcellus

I am not in the keep Orton long term bandwagon, period. Keep him and draft a QB maybe but if we draft a guy may as well play him.

But he was the deodorant, he was the only difference that I saw from a team standpoint.

It just shows how bad Pioli is at QB evaluation which does not bode well for the future.

No question that there was a stark difference with Orton. He was composed, didn't look at the rush, and went through progressions.

Essentially, he was everything Cassel isn't, but that doesn't mean that he's the answer either. Just accentuates the Cassel suck.

12-19-2011, 06:31 PM	#61
Okie_Apparition Banned Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: floatin cobwebs n the sky Casino cash: $10004900	I don't understand connecting McDaniels as the OC to me he is Todd Haley
Posts: 7,012

12-19-2011, 07:52 PM	#65
KCrockaholic Sarcasm Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Olathe Casino cash: $3312900	IMO after thinking about it for some time, I believe Romeo needs to stay as HC in 2012. The players obviously like him, A LOT. They believe in him. He knows how to motivate them, and he has them believing in themselves. If Romeo doesn't keep the HC job, the players will be distraught. Romeo will be frustrated (as he has stated, he wants to be a HC again). The new HC might not want to keep Romeo around. And the LAST thing we need to happen, is to have Romeo leave the Chiefs. We finally have a pretty damn good defense (without a pro bowl safety btw). If Romeo leaves, the key players of our foundation will not be happy. The defensive players are in love with him. But at the end, my main point is that we can't afford to lose Crennel. We can get away with keeping Crennel as HC, as long as we hire a real OC, and let him pick his own staff. He would likely either promote a guy currently on staff to be the new DC, or he could find his own guy who believes in the same philosophy. But I would actually be ok with Crennel continuing to run the defense on gameday as long as we fix the OC...And of course we need a QB.
Posts: 21,179