June 19, 2013

About That Field Goal…

September 10, 2008 by 25 Comments

Injuries continue to mount, and the division rival is on deck. That doesn’t mean Crennel gets a free pass here at WFNY for that ridiculous field goal attempt down 28-7 with 10 minutes in the game. First, here is what ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook had to say in his Tuesday Morning Quarterback column-

Trailing Dallas by 28-7 in the fourth quarter, Cleveland kicked a field goal on fourth-and-3 from the Cowboys’ 17. If it were a chess match, the notation would read: “!!!!!!!!!!” Not only is fourth-and-3 attractive as fourth-down chances go — before the kick Cleveland needed three scores, and after the kick Cleveland needed three scores.

That ridiculous Cleveland field goal on fourth-and-short when down 28-7 to Dallas? Browns coach Romeo Crennel knew that if his team failed to score double digits, the game would be viewed as a disaster. Advancing the score to 28-10 might deflect some criticism, even if the kick nearly zeroed out any chance of a Cleveland comeback. The Browns didn’t even try an onside kickoff following the field goal! With 10 minutes to play and trailing by three scores, Crennel ordered the kickoff boomed deep. Cleveland never took possession again, as a Boys clock-killer drive that included a sequence of eight consecutive rushing plays brought the game to all-naughts. Why didn’t Crennel at least order an onside kick? Because he was playing to restrain the margin of defeat, rather than going all-out to try to win. And it’s only the first week of the season!

Indeed. Are you trying to win the game Romeo, or are you just trying to make it look like you wanted to win the game? In the end what difference would those three points make? Perhaps more disturbing is a point made by Les Levine-

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU5F95f_kd0[/youtube]

Is this making a mountain out of a molehill? I understand that a coach never wants to admit he’s wrong about an in-game decision, but this one was clearly a mistake. Own it Romeo.

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  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Scott

    Anyone up for a “create a thought bubble” contest in the comments? That picture is just asking for it…

  • SambofromOH

    If what Les says is true and R. Lerner was livid, it would seem to me that Romeo is on a hot seat. Pissing of your boss by making a terrible decision is not good for job security.

    As for the picture thought bubble thing. The first thing that popped in my head was, “I should have used Preparation – H.” Take that as you will.

  • Swig
  • Swig

    Oh, and I’ve defended Romeo since he got here: took over mess, we need consistency, blah blah blah. I’m done now. This is a classic not-even-thinking move. Glad Lerner is pissed.

    Haven’t they tried something like this a couple times then switched after the boos started raining down?

  • Swig

    thought about doing a Haiku:
    Think gregg covered this
    Kick late go for it early?
    Will write down next time

  • Harv 21

    My thought bubble for Romeo:
    “Go for it on 4th down? Nah … When Phil confronts me after this one, double-digits always looks better than single digits.”

  • DCBucks

    It worked out for my fantasy team!

  • Joe

    Swig: Dunno, but I’d have to say that there’s a big difference between “wrong” and “unpopular”. The field goal, however, had both in spades.

    About the only thing I can think of is that Romeo didn’t trust his ground game. The counterpoint is, of course, that *that doesn’t matter* at that point. It’s weird to think that he simultaneously thought the offense was too crappy to gain three yards in one play, and good enough to be able to score three times in under ten minutes.

    Now that I think about it, I’m coming around to the “Crennel thinks double digits looks better in the L column” POV. Oy. Just when I thought I was already as cynical as I could get…

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Craig

    I dogged Romeo like crazy since he got here. After someone FINALLY got in an offensive coordinator and after he rallied the troops I laid off him last year. Also last year, he stopped screwing up coaches challenges quite as badly has he has done in the past.

    But now look what happens. Todd Grantham gets the boot. Romeo gets to pick HIS GUY Mel Tucker to be head defensive honcho. I will give them a couple games before I lambaste them, but the defense certainly didn’t look good in the Dallas game.

    The point is that Romeo hasn’t ever really done anything well that we know of. He held on to Mo Carthon to ridiculous lengths. He didn’t hire Rob Chudzinski, Savage did. Romeo ran Grantham out of town and replaced him with his guy.

    If the Browns fail to show up and play competitive football this season, the only man left standing on that coaching staff is probably going to be Chud. What are the odds that Chud is the head coach for this team next season?

  • Kersh

    We might as well have conceded the game right there. What does it say to your team about your faith in them? The defense played badly, but why should they try if the head coach isn’t willing to? Starting to wonder about having the oldest head coach in the league.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com DP

    While I see your point, judging Tucker considering the fact that at least three of his projected starters have not-and will not-play for a time tempers it a bit.

    As for Romeo’s move, inexcusable. I heard his post-game on the way home in which he said something to the effect of, “If we’d gone for it and not made it, you guys would be asking me why we went for it instead of kicking.” I call BS on that. It’s a totally indefensible move.

  • AMC

    Kicking that field goal was so bad that the announcers, who are usually loath to criticize anything in the No Fun League we openly questioining the decision. I actually recall a shot of Romeo before third down with him mouthing the words “field goal.” He was preparing to kick it even before they failed to convert! This was one of the dumbest moves that I’ve ever seen – there’s one reason and one reason alone why Romeo might do it and that is to cover his ass like Easterbrook says. He wanted the scoreboard to look less bad. MAYBE the move is more defensible if he had at least kicked an onside kick, but by kicking it deep, he was forfeiting the game. Kicking it in that situation sent the wrong message to the team, the fans, and the owner.

    Prediction: If this team goes 0-4, Crennel is not there after the bye week. If they go 1-3, Crennel is out of a job before the end of the season.

  • http://www.waitingfornextyear.com Craig

    The scariest thing DP is that Romeo truly believes it is a coinflip type decision. Six of one, half dozen the other.

    Someone needs to let him know that he was just flat out wrong on this one. Also, Easterbrook makes a good point about the absence of the onside kick thereafter. I was so distraught that they kicked a field goal that I barely noticed they kicked away after it.

  • TampaBrett

    This is all just a huge mess. I think if the Browns lose against the Steelers this week something major will be done. It’s ridiculous how bad that game was against Dallas. Cleveland is bound to be the laughing stock of the NFL, especially after Sunday on Primetime against the Steelers. Can’t Wait!!!!

  • Ricky

    I have hated Romeo for years now, I wanted him fired after week 1 last year. I really think that he has very little idea as to what he is doing as a head coach. How much of his successes in NE were because of Belichick? I guess it is impossible to know for sure but that NE defense seems to have been doing fine without Romeo. I find it mindboggling that a so called defensive minded coach has consistently failed to find a way to field a good defense. Remember how his system in NE was considered so good that you didn’t need stars in it, as long as you had guys who could do their jobs? That obviously isn’t the case here.

    A head coach should never coach with such a losers mentality that he is concerned about how bad he is being beaten. Who cares what the media thinks? 28-10 being better than 28-7? Who cares! The bottom line is that we lost, 28-27 isn’t much better than 28-7, because while it is closer, you still lose. A coach has to always think about what can he do to increase his teams chances of winning. It was a 4th and 3 for god sakes, BFD! You can’t draw up a play that has a good chance of netting 3 yards? Nobody will second guess the decision to go for it in that case, you are trying to win and a fg does not increase your chances of winning! Its ridiculous. Eric Wedge sticking with Joe Borowski as his closer thinks that was a dumb move. And then to not call an onside kick? What a pussy, worried about how bad you are getting beat, come on Romeo grow a pair

    If we fire Romeo, we HAVE to hire Marty. He would keep Chud as his offensive coordinator, didn’t they work together in San Diego? I don’t care about the rest of the staff, hiring Marty and keeping Chud on offense would be as much holdover as this team would need. Is the defense going to be any worse because they are learning a new system? Unlikely. It would be a perfect homecoming

  • Matt Booher

    Every time I see RC I think of a guy that deserved the opportunity to be a NFL head coach. He is a class act and the Browns could do much worse. I hate to see him lose his job – but as the questions mount he looks less capable of providing answers.

  • The Bambino

    I swear to holy Christ if I hear Romeo say “We just weren’t ready to play today” one more bleeping time I’m going to freak out. FREEEEAK OUT I TELL YOU!!!

  • Joe

    Ricky: “You can’t draw up a play that has a good chance of netting 3 yards?”

    Romeo just thought he’d have a better chance of drawing up a nineteen-point play with time expiring. Makes perfect sense, no? ;P

  • Kunal

    ricky: i love the idea of marty being our coach, can any1 say super bowl? haha

  • Bridgecrosser

    Coach Crennel is so overmatched when going against some other football minds it’s a joke. WORST. DECISION. EVER.

  • jason

    Who cares. It didn’t matter in any way whatsoever. Media/fans have made a big deal about nothing.

  • cathy

    Jason yes it is big deal because the move just showed that the Browns had given up, we bowed down to the stupid cowboys (not all of americas team) When a team doesn’t even go for it, it shows that we have no faith in oursleves as a team. Now they could have very well been stopped dead on their tracks but it would have shown that the COACH has faith in his team and it would have shown that not even the cowgirls were going to slow us down. I think DA could have pulled it off… i think we all did. Jason i believe it was more of the message than the actual act.

  • Swig

    So we go for it, then kick an onside kick. Assume 20% recovery percentage, and we score again. Don’t you think the defense would be psyched up now and maybe stop the Cowboys? So we comeback and win less than 5% of the time, but there’s still a chance.

    Kick the field goal, what incentive does the defense have to stop the Cowboy’s O? Coach just said the game is over. 0% chance of winning.

    Which do you really want?

  • The truth

    Crennel needs to leave the city if the Browns want any chance of becoming a premiere team in the NFL….

  • kemitcush

    We barely scored at all against Dallas but it is Romeos fault, with no responsibility going to the offensive coordinator. I guarantee that if we fail to score against Pittsburgh it will also be Romeo’s fault. When we had the last offensive coordinator he could do no right (along with Romeo of course). Now that we have Chud, he can do no wrong, the once unacceptable excuses of “depth” and injuries are now invoked regularly on his behalf.

    No matter how impotent the offense is on Sunday, Chud will be “teflon-man”. And unless Romeo manages to turn white in the next month or so, Chud will eventually have his job.