Time For Crennel To Go
Sep 15, 2008
Author: Ryan Lewis

In the over three years now that Romeo Crennel has been Head Coach for the Browns, I've supported him. I've backed him up, even though I've wished he instilled more motivation into his players, but I stood behind him none-the-less.
I've never called for his job; now I am.

Things are not going to change with Crennel at the helm in Cleveland. He lacks passion, he lacks the knowledge to lead a team without major help from his coordinators, and he lacks in-game decision making needed to win games in the NFL, especially on the fly with the clock winding down or in the fourth quarter.

With Mike Tomlin coaching last night - the Browns probably win. In fact, with any coach with any knowledge of how to run a two minute offense or even simple clock management, the Browns probably win.

In the final two minutes of the first half, actually in the last 1:46, Crennel cost Cleveland 39 seconds of game clock. This is not including the stupid, back-yard-football attempt at catching Pittsburgh off guard at the two minute warning by running up to the line of scrimmage and snapping the ball.

Sure, it's a good plan - but the idea of that play is to catch them napping and run past them for a big gain. How is an off-tackle run play to Jamal Lewis going to gain big yards? Maybe a streak route to Edwards or Cribbs would constitute as "running past them" and making a big play - but handing it off to Jamal Lewis?

Wow - you sure got them.

On second down, Derek Anderson and Kellen Winslow complete a fantastic catch-and-throw up the middle to move the chains - the ball was set at 1:46. Crennel can't make up his mind on what to do with his second timeout, and finally calls it at 1:23. 23 seconds are wasted on one play.
With 54 seconds left, the referees take about 45 seconds to confer with one another before making the standard ruling and running 10 seconds off the clock for the Browns snapping the ball before Anderson was set. Apparently, no one thought would be a good time to come up with a play. Anderson is forced to wait for the call, and can't get it snapped until the 33 second mark. There's another 12 seconds.

It's also not as if the play-call would have been any different if the clock was at 44 or 54 seconds. The play was a simple short pass to gain a first down - if that's the call with 44 seconds left, that's certainly the call with 10 seconds more to spare. There's no reason for that.

On 3rd and one Anderson QB sneaks for a first down, the play is called dead with 12 seconds left. Crennel doesn't get a time out called until eight seconds. Anyone paying attention would have caught that.

Instead of first down with about 45 seconds of game clock and three shots to the end zone, along with the option of throwing it away twice if the right call wasn't there, Anderson was forced to try one pass. 

To make matters worse, the only play call in the entire playbook should have been a jump ball to the back - way back - of the end zone to Braylon Edwards or Kellen Winslow. The middle of the field should have been as if it were engulfed lava.

Instead - Polamalu picks it off because Anderson threw it up the middle. Was that Romeo's fault? No. Should Romeo have told Anderson the only available space on the field was the back of the end zone? Yes.

It's now 10-6, the Browns are going to have almost no time to win the game, Cleveland has one precious timeout remaining, as well as the two minute warning to stop the clock.

Crennel takes a timeout with 2:42 remaining. What? That's a joke right? The announcers must have gotten something wrong.

By doing that, all Pittsburgh had to do was run a play that takes more than three seconds, and wait for the two minute warning. Or in other words, the Steelers only had to run one play before the Browns were out of clock stoppages.

If Romeo doesn't make that mistake, Pittsburgh has to run a play to get to the two minute warning, then another run to force Cleveland to use their final timeout. Or in other words, the Steelers would have had to run two plays.
Instead of Derek Anderson having 30 seconds to make a final comeback drive, he should have had at least 1:05.

And then on the last play of the game - he takes Kellen Winslow out, one of the best playmakers on the team and the only guy on the offense who had a stellar game. Al Michaels of NBC even commentated on fans below him screaming to put Winslow back in the game.

Looking at those two situations, Cleveland needed six points to win, two field goals. On one hand, Anderson should have had three shots to the end zone before kicking a field goal in the first half - aka - he can throw the ball away and wait for an open area.

Then, Anderson should have had over twice as long to try a comeback drive, or at least get in position for a heave to the end zone.

Instead, the offense never had a chance.

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this has happened.

And this coming one week after Crennel decides to kick a field goal in the fourth quarter, down by three touchdowns with 10 minutes left.

Crennel is a guy who has been labeled, multiple times, as a defensive mastermind. That's fine - you can sacrifice some offense for better defense in the coaching realm.

Except when that defense is consistently ranked near the bottom in the NFL in nearly every category in the book. Where's the coaching? Where's the expertise?

I have a riddle for you, you make recognize it dealing with a tree in the forest.

If you have a defensive only coach who can't coach defense - is he really a coach at all?

The defense did play well last night - but in a wind/rain/sleet storm, that's bound to happen - and the L next to CLE doesn't look too good either.

Then there's the little tidbit that the Steelers have beaten the Browns 10 straight times.
        
That's unacceptable. Romeo is responsible for seven of those losses.
        
Things will not change under Romeo Crennel. Savage has done a masterful job of putting players on the field with the resources he's had, the players played fairly well last night, especially Brodney Pool, Sean Rogers and Kellen Winslow - who made circus catch after circus catch.
        
However, Crennel lacks leadership - as a Head Coach, that's not exactly something you can compensate for.
        
The Cleveland Browns are in need of a man with passion, fire, love for Cleveland, and a balanced mind who can make snap decisions to win football games. We need a football coach - not a man known for defense who can't coach defense or manage the clock, or play call (I didn't even mention that until now. Sure, he has coordinators - but he's the boss). We need a man who values beating our rivals and our division foes, and a man who can lead the troops, a guy everyone can rally around.
        
If you think I'm being a Monday Morning Quarterback, I'm not. Most of the people reading this will be thinking, "Yeah I remember that, I was screaming at the TV." 
        
We all were. All night.

Cleveland is now 0-2, two games back, and will have to hear the words of everyone until week 17. The Browns have to win the next two games - it's a must. Make some plays, tie Pittsburgh heading into week 17, and then beat them on their own field.
       
It's doable. But with a man who can't inspire? Or orchestrate a defense? Or play call? Or manage the clock or make quick decisions or perform under pressure or..
       
I'm sorry Romeo - I've had your back for a long time. I hope you prove me wrong, but I think it's time for this little experiment to end.

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