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Home > Blogs > Dawging the Browns > Archives > 2008 > December > 08 > Entry
Schottenheimer? Really?
You can’t go back in time. Believe me, I’ve tried.
So forget this nonsense about bringing back Marty Schottenheimer as head coach of this football team. But how about team president? He could serve in a Bill Parcells-like capacity, calling the shots from upstairs.
That would probably mean re-assigning General Manager Phil Savage or losing him completely, and I don’t think they should give up on him completely, so maybe such a role wouldn’t work.
Head coach, though? Can’t see it. Wouldn’t pull that trigger.
Saw a Schottenheimer poll on a Web site and about 40 percent of those responding were in favor of giving him a call if something can’t be worked out with Bill Cowher to be head coach. About one-third unconditionally said “yes” to Schottenheimer and the rest responded with a resounding no.
No. No. No. Can I make it any clearer?
Then again, why not?
What this team lacks is toughness, generally, and Schottenheimer is good at instilling that quality. And the Browns definitely will need to find the biggest name they can for this job, and since Jimmy Johnson isn’t coming out of the TV studio and Cowher’s interest is iffy, the idea has some merit, I guess.
One thing is clear: Romeo Crennel’s tenure as an NFL head coach has three games remaining. Even announcers are taking shots at him. Did you hear Dan Fouts and the great Don Criqui rip him on TV during Sunday’s latest dismal defeat?
Hello 5-11. And that’s only if they beat the Bengals in two weeks, because they’re not going into Philly and winning on Monday night, nor Pittsburgh (assuming the Steelers are still playing for something at that point).
It’s clear that Crennel has given up. How else to explain his not challenging the sideline play in which Braylon Edwards appeared to get both feet down but was ruled out of bounds? Maybe someone upstairs was asleep at the switch, but it looked bad. Not as bad as three games without an offensive touchdown, but pretty bad nonetheless.
And don’t look for Schottenheimer to solve your offensive problems. His offensive coordinator in San Diego was Cam Cameron, don’t forget. That’s where any innovation came from there. Schottenheimer is many things, but he’s about as innovative as Crennel when it comes to offense, as we know from his previous — and largely successful — stint as head coach of the Browns.
But there is that toughness thing and how Schottenheimer’s teams usually find a way to contend, even though he’s never been able to win the big one.
Hmmm. OK, maybe I’m a maybe. Maybe Randy Lerner should have his number handy just in case.
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Comments
By professor
December 9, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
Find it odd that people want to judge the coaches on getting to the big one when the Browns find it so difficult to even make it to the running. I’d enjoy just a playoff even …By tom
December 9, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this
Crennel gone? Can Marvin Lewis be far behind?By Stephen Payne
January 16, 2009 10:06 PM | Link to this
Mangini,I don’t know. But maybe we missed a shot by a few days. Jon Gruden would have been a good fit, I think.