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Home > Blogs > Dawging the Browns > Archives > 2008 > November > 24 > Entry
Out of answers, Crennel needs to go
Buried in most accounts of the troubling 16-6 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday was an admission by head coach Romeo Crennel that he’s run out of ideas.
To say nothing of solutions.
“If I knew the answer, I would definitely get it fixed,” said Crennel, who pointed out that he has no inkling week-to-week of what to expect from this team, even in terms of how hard the players will try.
When the coach admits he is out of answers and has no idea how to turn it around, what choice is there but to remove him?
So it’s time for a change after the season (or sooner). It’s time, regrettably, for owner Randy Lerner to put down his soccer ball, reach into the vault and buy out another contract. Yes, Randy, this will require a press conference and an extra trip to Cleveland, so get the good suit ready. Don’t worry, you won’t have to stay.
Crennel will walk away with millions and one winning season in four, which now has the distinct feel of a fluke.
The only question: Does General Manager Phil Savage need to be purged as well. If you’re thinking Bill Cowher, then probably so, because Cowher most likely is not going to be interested in a situation where he does not have complete control of the roster, no matter how much you pay him. After so many years of succeeding in this business, he’s earned that, you would think.
Late in the game, the distinct chant of “Cow-her! Cow-her” could be heard loud and clear in Cleveland Browns Stadium. No question who the fans think should be the next coach.
Crennel’s successor needs to be a big name. Can’t be some college coach or even a hot coordinator this time. And what bigger name is out there than Cowher, whose resume even includes stints as a player and assistant coach with the Browns? It would be a wildly popular choice.
Crennel’s handling of the quarterback situation Sunday probably sealed his fate.
Dumb move yanking Brady Quinn late in the third quarter, maybe one of the dumbest a Cleveland coach has made in any sport in years. Here’s a guy to whom you are allegedly trusting your future, and you replace him with the guy you’ve just benched?
It smacked of desperation and of a coach, frankly, who doesn’t know what he’s doing.
Quinn, who has waited patiently for his chance and not been a rock-the-boat guy, put it best when he said, “I didn’t know I was on a short leash.”
Throw a rusty Anderson against the wall and hope he sticks this time? At this point, that’s what passes for an idea in the head coach’s head. And that’s why he shouldn’t — and probably won’t — be the coach much longer.
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Comments
By Jack
November 24, 2008 1:06 PM | Link to this
While it is obvious that Romeo will be going, would it be better to do it sooner then later? I think the team needs to get the ball rolling with Cowher and see if that is a possibility. If so, you can get a feel of who he likes and who should be playing. While we are at that, since the season is over, can we bench Edwards for at least a week. What would that hurt? Perhaps this off season he will re-dedicate his efforts to football and not Hollywood.By Dice
November 24, 2008 2:59 PM | Link to this
The issue is with the Ownership of this Franchise. Randy Lerner is far removed from this team and has no connection with the fans. Further more he hired a GM in Phil Savage who is cocky and full of himself and believes his way is the only way. It is Savage fault for getting Crennel a extension, It is Savage fault for trading away draft picks for Players who are not suited or tested for 3-4 defense I.E….Corey Williams. It is Savage fault for not addressing the Linebackers or addressing the Cornerbacks. You can’t give Crennel Eggs and expect him to make applesauce? Sure it sounds like I am blaming everything on Savage and not Crennel. Not true! Crennel has is a defensive coach not a Headcoach. He has no clue how to micro manage this club or make key adjustments during a game. Poor game planning also. With all that said I really feel if you fire Crennel you fire Savage also. To me they are joined by the hip. Time after Time there has been on the field and off the field issues. Players are on Crennel side all the time for the simple fact he lets this team get away with being average. In today’s NFL the “PLAYER’S COACH” Persona should become a thing of the past. Premadonna players who need ego strokes need a hard nose coach to get in there azz from time to time. I want a proven head coach a proven NFL quality coach with a actual win/loss record. Somebody who has been there. COWHER,FASSEL,MARUCCI,MARTY just to name a few I would be interested in coming to Cleveland.By sick of it all
November 25, 2008 5:13 AM | Link to this
it is sad to say but it is time for romeo to go..Edwards head has been everywhere but in the game all year but they throw to him 6 more times after he is shown quitting on routes..DA has been inept since game 12 last year and you not only give him a huge contract but you put him back in to throw more interceptions and miss by 5 yards..the whole team seems to have their heads up their asses..poor prep poor halftime adjustments..time for a staff shakeup and a team wakeupBy AP-FLORIDA
November 25, 2008 5:17 AM | Link to this
Do it now, can’t hurt will only help….This team definetly needs leadership/disciplineBy bob berger
November 25, 2008 10:09 AM | Link to this
Romeo has to go just like Bill Belichick needed to go. Gee, whatever happened to that crappy coach? Perennial losing franchises are that way because they change coaches and GMs if they don’t win the championship within a few years. Look at the successful franchises in the NFL. Tennessee. New England. Denver. Indy. What do they have in common. Long time coaches (and coordinators) who are able to establish a culture and an identity and bring players in over time that fit in. By constantly changing coaches after 3 or 4 years (or less), only insures flux and uncertainty. Not what is needed. Examples? Oakland. Detroit. Miami (between Shula and Tuna). Go ahead. Fire Romeo. Fire Savage. Be like Oakland and Detroit. Not Indy and N.E.By Jack
November 25, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this
Bob, you still have to have the correct coach/GM in place. Last year was a fluke, and most of us realize that. We were a year early, won with a bad schedule. Because of that, this years schedule was a little tougher, and we lost. If we can get some things in place, like a real coach, we can have a successful year.By Don
November 25, 2008 11:07 AM | Link to this
I have never been as disheartened with the Browns as I am at this moment. The game Sunday was so painful to watch that I actually chose to rake leaves in the cold instead of watching it. If any team other than the Bengals were another in-state option to root for I’d be doing that. Looks like Indy will be my next logical choice to support until the organization can commit to winning and show that by taking hard stances on benchings and getting personnel/players that have the same committment to winning.By whodey
November 25, 2008 12:16 PM | Link to this
Folks the only coach that needs to go is starving Marvin Lewis. What a freaking diaster this guy has become. He should be run out of town on the Dave Shula Express….nuff said.By Sipefan
November 25, 2008 12:35 PM | Link to this
What do Tennessee, New England, Denver, and Indy have in common? They all had previous coaches exit before hiring their current, long time coaches.By Bigjack
November 25, 2008 2:34 PM | Link to this
Don- come to the Light and join the Steeler Nation! We don’t win it all every year, but it is a quality organization with good leadership and a tradition of hard-working teams year after year.By John
November 25, 2008 3:00 PM | Link to this
Out of answers, Crennel needs to go? We’re fans, not owners and therefore have no direct vote in that matter. Heck, with cable, skyboxes, tax revenue and other royalties, owners might not need you to be a “Cleveland” or a “Bengals” fan, since Steeler fans fill their stadiums, anyway. What to do? Ask yourselves collectively what to do. Oh wishing for Bill Cowher might be nice, but will he be just another in a long line of coaches that didn’t quite work out (note the Bengals saga with Marvin)? No the owners have you by the short hairs and there isn’t too much you can do, until ownership either changes or has an epiphany—Isn’t it AMAZING though, that great franchises have GREAT coahes…even one to spare like Cowher? Sorry but Cleveland and Cincinnati are nowhere close.By Don
November 25, 2008 3:30 PM | Link to this
Bigjack, Thanks for the invite but my upbringing keeps me from becoming a full blown Steeler supporter. I can say that despite that upbringing I do find myself rooting for the Steelers more times than not. I really like Big #7 and like Mike Timlin too. he hwas a great follow up to Bill Cowher for you all. I failed to se ehow much the loss of Joe Jurevicius was going to do to this team and its leadership capability. They need to add more clones of him to the roster and tell edwards to stop using that 5 hour energy boost garbage he advertises. I gues ssomeone is too scared to get his pretty face messed up in a game so that Hollywood will not fade on him as fast as his pass catching skills have.By Joe
November 25, 2008 5:05 PM | Link to this
Crennel should never have been hired!By quantoid
November 25, 2008 7:43 PM | Link to this
Sean is right again. Wish he were covering the Browns to get the inside scoop for the Dayton readers again.By Disappointed Fan
November 25, 2008 9:04 PM | Link to this
I think they should move Braylon Edwards to running back. That way the qb could just HAND the ball to him.By Rogers Carter
November 26, 2008 12:59 AM | Link to this
the same thing that happen to anderson is happening to brady. braylon( cant catch a pass) edwards he the one our wanna be a coach crennel should have benchBy Rick
November 26, 2008 5:22 AM | Link to this
i was born and raised a browns fan, all my life i kept waiting til next year…when the browns moved out of cleveland was the best medicine for me. i no longer am sick on sundays because i’m a full blown steeler fan. i just can’t remember why it took so long to realize, it won’t be next year for the browns. it will never be next year for them til they have a complete upper management and coach change that will run the team as the steelers and plenty of other teams have. there are some very good players on the browns, maybe some of the best in years. i hated to see coach cowher leave but he is not the the answer to the browns problems, just the beginning.By Sean McClelland
November 26, 2008 10:48 AM | Link to this
Wow. It’s come to this. Browns fans turning into Steelers fans. Is that actually becoming a trend or is Rick alone in this madness? I mean, that’s pretty much a radical leap. I admired the Steelers growing up in the 1970s and I always wished the Browns could be like them, but to actually root for Pittsburgh? Nothing could have made me do that.