ESPN reports the Kansas City Chiefs are on the verge of hiring Romeo Crennel as the team's next head coach. He has been in that position as an interim capacity ever since Todd Haley was relieved of coaching duties in mid-December after a disappointing loss to the New York Jets. Despite interviewing other candidates such as Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio, the Chiefs may have already had their man in-house.
Crennel would come into the job with previous head coaching experience. He helmed the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008. He amassed 24-40 record in Cleveland, earning a 10-6 record in 2007, but Crennel failed to lead Cleveland to the playoffs.
He formerly held the job of defensive coordinator with the Chiefs. The defense was the cornerstone of Kansas City's play this year as the offense sputtered. The unit held the Pittsburgh Steelers to just 13 points back on Nov. 27. They also kept the Green Bay Packers to just 14 points in their only loss of the season to this point.
Crennel is also well-liked. Players joked with him and were all smiles after the victory against the Packers. Had Kansas City won their game against the Oakland Raiders late in the season, they would be hosting the Steelers as opposed to the Denver Broncos.
Two other things helped. Both sides of the ball improved under Crennel's leadership, not just the defense. The on-field intensity and enjoyment of playing the game of football was apparent when Kansas City took the field for Crennel. His 2-1 record also speaks volumes to general manager Scott Pioli. Positive attitudes are great, but when that translates to victories then the people that write paychecks take notice in professional sports.
Hiring Crennel is an excellent choice. He's already familiar with the players and upper management. Clearly the defense liked playing with him as players stepped up to fill voids left by injuries.
Crennel's time as head coach won't be easy to start the season. He will have a potential quarterback controversy on his hands when Matt Cassel returns from his hand injury. Kyle Orton started the last three games of the year. He had a game of 299 yards passing and 300 yards passing, both of which were season-highs for the club.
Nothing is official as of yet. The Chiefs' website states when the team is ready to announce a new head coach, a press conference will be scheduled. That press briefing will be broadcast live on the website.
Bring on the Crennel era. It should have happened a lot sooner.
William Browning is a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs after latching on to the team during the lean years of St. Louis football. Born in the gateway city, he is also a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan. He currently resides in Branson, Mo.
Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
Source: http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5717300777
beyonce hines ward troy polamalu james harrison james harrison gop debate falcons
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.