The Big Ten: Hoping For More Breaks
November 4, 2008The 5-Hole, CBJ News and Notes – 11/04/08
November 4, 2008
So, despite denying any change at QB on Sunday evening and Monday morning, Romeo Crennel now wants us to believe that starting Brady Quinn on Thursday is his idea. Ok, let’s look at this logically. Crennel certainly couldn’t have broken the news of the switch through the media, so I’ll give him somewhat of a pass for his comments after the game. (At least his comments about the QB position, otherwise I’m in complete agreement with Terry Pluto, how can your players not muster the energy to finish that game off?)
Then Monday comes. You have a short week to prepare for Denver. If you are going to make a change at the QB position, don’t you have to come to the office Monday morning with that decision already made? And let’s just assume that you did want input from the rest of the coaches. Wouldn’t you call them Sunday night? Wouldn’t you meet before the players even got to Berea and have the decision made when the first team meetings of the day took place? As if there was really much to discuss…
Everyone from James Walker, to The OBR, to the Easter Bunny knows that DA was Romeo’s guy, and he was going to ride him until DA buckled under the pressure.
I got word of the switch from Dan by text message as I was driving last night. I hadn’t thought about the Browns for hours. After reading Crennel’s comments from earlier in the day I assumed that he was going to let DA play on Thursday, and then more than likely have to bring Quinn in sometime during the game. My initial reaction when I got the text was that Crennel was just trying to save his job. Then I got to thinking…it’s too late for that now, right?
Please tell me I’m right. The move may have saved his job in-season, but certainly the Browns can’t stand and watch the talent on this team go to waste. The players may say that they love Romeo, and I’m sure that they do, but I bet that if a new coach takes them to the playoffs they will like him just as well. Winning has a way a smoothing things out.
I don’t think anybody really expects Quinn to come in and take this team to the playoffs this year. If you do, then you really need a reality check. Cleveland’s schedule is still tough, and there is no longer any room for error. The Browns would have to win 6 of the next 8 games to even consider a wild card spot, and even then they would be 9-7, a game worse than last year when they missed the playoffs.
So tell me that nothing could happen the rest of the way that would save Romeo’s job. If Quinn won every game left on the schedule, and the Browns finished 11-5, Crennel would still be the one that waited too long to replace DA. (In addition to the many other wonderful decisions he has made.) If Quinn is an absolute bust and the Browns don’t win another game Crennel might not make it to the end of the year. So, let’s assume that Quinn splits the difference and leads the team to 4 more wins. The Browns finish 7-9. With the injuries that the team has suffered, would Crennel be given another chance? Please tell me no. I need to hear these words. On election day it is indeed time for a change, at least in Cleveland… Right?
32 Comments
I don’t think there is any way RAC is back next year. He has more than proven that he can handle the pressures of this job. If your players respect you, they will play hard (read: muster enough energy) for you. The players may like Romeo because he is soft, he runs a fluff training camp and practices, etc. I would like my boss if he didn’t make me work hard also. I wouldn’t respect him though. Big difference
I agree completely. Given the fact that the switch to Brady was a move made from above, it’s clear that those above are growing impatient. I’d be stunned if this isn’t Romeo’s last season with us.
RAC was on MMS at 5p yesterday. While they were asking him about the QB, he was talking about DA. At the EXACT same time, on KNR, they broke the news of Quinn…
Either he was playing dumb, or there was no discussion with him.
If we make the playoffs then we can’t fire Romeo. Not that we are going to, but if we somehow did, they couldn’t justify firing him
Just to play Devil’s Advocate, the OBR actually did say that the Browns were pissed at Dilfer because they were trying to keep this move quiet through today to give Denver no time to prepare for Quinn. They also said that Quinn knew he was going to start before that press conference. So, from that standpoint, it is possible this was RAC’s decision.
However, in that same article, the OBR also makes it seem awfully clear that this decision came from above, or at least significant pressure from above forced this move. They make it quite clear that all things being left alone, RAC would not have made this move this week.
Yes, we can, Ricky. The Chargers (albeit a dumb move) canned Marty after a 14-2 year, remember? 🙂
Give. Me. Martyball!
DP beat me to it, yes, there is precedence for teams to fire coaches who get them to the playoffs. If anything if Quinn comes in and plays amazing and somehow we make the playoffs this just reinforces that Romeo needs to go since it wouldn’t have been his decision in the first place to put Quinn in as the starter.
I’m with you and change Rick, I just hope the change comes in the form of a former Browns linebacker with a solid jaw and pron-stache
in fact, is it wrong that I want to wear my Browns Cowher jersey the rest of the year?
“May the Schwartz be with you”
Expect these T-shirts to be emblazened in Brown and Orange for the 2009 season.
Romeo doesn’t look as fat as he normally does in the picture above. It must have been stretched the long way because I know he hasn’t missed any meals lately!
First and foremost, let’s please just stop already with any suggestion or discussion of the Browns making the playoffs this season. It will NOT happen. Period. The remainder of this season is about seeing what we have, particularly at QB. Time to face reality: consistent, smart play should be what we root for.
Whether or not RAC returns is in large part up to the (rather sizable) ego of Phil Savage and/or absentee owner Randy Lerner. If Savage is ok with writing off the Crennel era as a mistake and doing what needs to be done to make a change, then RAC is done. If Lerner decides that a change must be made AND that Cowher is indeed the man, then Lerner must not only cut RAC loose, but Savage will likely be gone as well. Cowher will want GM powers, and while that has repeatedly shown itself to be ineffective in the NFL (think Holmgren in Seattle), it may be necessary if Cowher is to take the job. My guess is Savage stays on, RAC goes, and someone (Leach down at Texas Tech would not surprise me–I don’t want anything to do with him, but this organization loves going after new, inexperienced head coaches) is brought in to replace him. Chud likely stays, but defensive changes (perhaps to the more sensible 4-3) would likely happen as well.
What’s up with the Ray Lewis picture on the top of the page?
@Matt- that would be the result of a ‘friendly blogger wager’ with Blogimore Ravens…
Yuck. How long does that have to stay up there Rick?
For the week…
Funny thing about that. If the Browns had stayed in Cleveland…how many Cleveland blogs would Ray Lewis be the image in the header for?
Romeo Crennel was not a Phil Savage pick. He was a Lerner/Collins pick that was agreed upon before Phil took control.
So, it wouldn’t take much ego from Phil to look for a new coach and might buy him a couple years anyway.
Also, remember that Romeo is 5-17 against the AFC North and is at least 2 games under .500 against each team. Yuck.
@ Mark –
Is it possible that’s a photo from Crennel in the late 70’s and was photoshopped into a Browns jersey? I can’t explain him not looking exactly like the Kool Aid man there – “Oh yeah!”
In 4 seasons, RAC has racked up only 1 (potentially, lets not kid ourselves thinking Quinn can run the table) winning season, 0 playoff appearances, a consistently bottom teir defense when he was touted as some kind of “guru”, and perhaps worst of all NO wins against the damn Steelers. There’s no way this is acceptable, the NFL is about winning NOW, Romeo is lucky he even got 4 years to prove he sucked, most coaches don’t even get that. Hope he has extra large size luggage to fit all those blankets, er, shirts in as he shuffles out of town.
Cowher 09!
Bring on THE CHIN!!!
What ever happened to that Biff Belicheck guy that used to coach here in the early 90’s?
I cannot see any way possible Crennel is still here at the end of the year. As someone said above, even if they win out and make the playoffs, which shouldn’t happen, he would be the bum who stayed with Anderson for far too long.
And are we all sure the Chin would be that great? Don’t forget that until they won the Super Bowl a few years ago, with a lot of help from the refs, there was a lot of talk that Cowher teams couldn’t win the big games. Add to it he would want all the power of a GM as well, I am not so sure that would be the best fit. I don’t know who else honestly, and don’t want a college coach, but I am just throwing it out there since I always see people wanting and talking about Cowher.
If they hire another guy without prior NFL head coaching experience I may stick my head in the oven … can’t take more years of watching a rookie coach get on the job experience.
Never saw a Cowher team unable to “muster energy,” even when the players weren’t that great. But if he wants to pick or control the personnel, how will that come about here? Savage answers directly to Lerner, with no team president in Lerner’s ear, right? So, Lerner makes his own move from England to get Cowher and dump Savage? Hmm … Savage won’t orchestrate his own demise. Love to see Cowher coach here, but don’t see that happening unless it gets really ugly on the field, in the locker room and in the offices. Unless, of course, Randy reads this blog.
This is all under the assumption that Cowher would want the GM duties, who knows maybe Savage and Cowher could work something out like say Cowher gets the final say in personel decisions, the thumbs up or thumbs down if you will. He gets sort of the GM power without the additional workload which frees him up for coaching.
As for the skinny of RAC, he seems to be twisted and this photographer just be phenomenal at hiding the fat.
Oh, I like Schwartz as an idea, but if we want a coach who has head coaching experience we may just end up with Marty Ball.
In response to Tron post #19, this is where the Browns’ D ranked 2004 (prior to Romeo) until currently. Taken from yahoo.com NFL Stats:
Cleveland Browns
Overall Passing Rushing
2004 15 5 32
2005 16 4 30
2006 27 15 29
2007 30 24 27
2008 25 13 28
The 10 worst D’s from 2004 and their changes to currently OVERALL.
2004 2008
Overall Overall
New Orleans Saints 32 14
Kansas City Chiefs 31 31
Oakland Raiders 30 28
Indianapolis Colts* 29 15
Minnesota Vikings 28 11
Tennessee Titans 27 7
Seattle Seahawks* 26 27
Green Bay Packers 25 20
San Francisco 49ers 24 19
Houston Texans 23 17
*Went to Superbowl during this time.
Take these stats for what they are worth, but the Browns have continually gotten worse in the Defensive rankings, while the 10 worst teams around the time RAC’s tenure started have essentially improved.
Again, I caution the way you interpret these stats, they are aggregate level measures and do not take into consideration many other relevant factors, but may put a few things in perspective about RAC’s D “guruness”.
Raiders reportedly to cut DeAngelo Hall, any chance the Browns could make a run at him?
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/around_the_nfl/post/Sources-Raiders-to-cut-Hall;_ylt=AtLNDZYPn5T3i3eKPruG3pE5nYcB?urn=nfl,119775
thx cha for putting that together
Cmon…..does anyone think that that RAC cares whether or not he is fired? He showed he didn’t care almost from the start…….fat slob gets paid his full contract value regardless. His lame press conference gigs and sideline lethargy are proof point.
Send his fat wobbling ass to Burger King, where he gets a free meal for each shift he works.
@Kunal- No. I don’t think so. McDonald and Wright didn’t perform as well last week as they have all season. McDonald was even rumored to be getting pro-bowl consideration from some scouts and coaches in the league. With the Browns record where it is, plus the fact that they don’t need a KR, I can’t see them going after Deangelo Hall.
they still need a corner… terry cousins is absolutely horrible. Im not saying for this year but sign him and you have a great start in the secondary for next year when holly comes back even. then allows the browns to look for LBs and get rid of some of the old guys or people who dont know how to tackle.
Problem Hall is best in a zone scheme, where a nickel CB plays man usually – which is Hall’s weakness. So that’s not a good fit.
To those that don’t believe “rookie” HCs can be successful…
have you not watched the NFL the past few years?
Mike Tomlin didn’t have HC experience….
All of this year’s guys:
Harbaugh
Mike Smith
Sparano
They all seem to be doing just fine their first year in situations that were assumed to be dire.