Tag: Romeo Crennel

Texans’ Romeo Crennel would go for 2 again versus the Titans

Houston Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel says that he would go for the two-point conversion again as he did against the Tennessee Titans in Week 6.

With 1:50 left in the game, up 36-29, Houston Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel decided to go for the two-point conversion to make it a two-score game rather than kick the extra point against the Tennessee Titans.

An extra point would have made it 37-29, and the Titans would have been tasked to score a touchdown and a two-point conversion to send the game to overtime. Instead, it only took a 7-yard A.J. Brown touchdown catch and a Stephen Gostkowski extra point.

With almost 24 hours to think it over, Crennel says he would do it all over again, even though the sequence led to the Titans tying the game, going to overtime, and beating the Texans with a 5-yard Derrick Henry touchdown run that sent Houston to a dismal 1-5.

“I think I would do it again because you know what, you’re on the road against a division opponent who is undefeated, and if you can get a two-point conversion, you shut the door on them and you win the game,” Crennel said. “I think that when you have that opportunity, if you want to win the game, you go ahead and you try it at that time.”

Part of the reason was because of how exemplary quarterback Deshaun Watson had been playing to that point. The two-time Pro Bowler was 28 of 37 passing for 335 yards and four touchdowns. The touchdown that setup Houston for the point-after decision was a 1-yard touchdown pass from Watson to Brandin Cooks on fourth-and-goal.

“It had a lot of to do with it,” said Crennel. “The offense, second half they came out and they were moving the ball and we got ahead in the game. We were making plays. Then we were down there close, so, I felt like we had a great opportunity to put the game away if we could get that two-point conversion.”

An element that hasn’t been mentioned is kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missing an extra point with 4:43 in the third quarter that would given Houston a 24-21 lead. Perhaps the tenor of the game changes as then the Titans kick a convention point-after to take a 28-24 lead upon Henry’s 94-yard touchdown run.

When Houston scored with receiver Will Fuller catching a 53-yard touchdown pass, it would have been 31-28. The final Cooks touchdown would have made it 38-28 Texans with 1:50 to play, the two-score situation Crennel was trying to foist upon Tennessee, who had one timeout remaining.

“We had a guy open,” Crenne said of Watson’s two-point throw intended for Randall Cobb that defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons tipped. “Unfortunately, the ball got tipped and we didn’t make it. Then, they were able to put it into overtime, they got the coin flip and then they win the game.

“I would do it again because I think it was a good choice.”

At 1-5, the Texans will have to make similar gambles as they seek to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Were the odds better for the Texans to kick the extra point against the Titans?

The Houston Texans went for two rather than kick the extra point against the Tennessee Titans in the 42-36 overtime loss. Were the odds with them?

The Houston Texans were aggressive after scoring a touchdown to increase their lead 36-29 with 1:50 to go in Sunday’s game at the Tennessee Titans. Instead of kicking the extra point, interim coach Romeo Crennel chose to make it a two-score game and go for the two-point conversion.

Were the odds better if Houston had kicked the extra point? Technically, yes.

According to ESPN’s win probability calculator, the Texans had a 98.2% chance to win compared to 98.1% if they went for the two-point conversion. Either way, the Texans had at least a 98.0% chance to win the game following the 1-yard Deshaun Watson touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks, and they weren’t able to hold on to the lead.

Tight end Darren Fells liked Crennel’s aggressiveness.

“It’s definitely a feeling of trust like he gives you that ability to run the offense and just go out there and win the game for us, and we just want to go out there and keep on building on that confidence that he has on us,” Fells said.

Part of keeping that confidence, even after starting 1-5, is to close out games where they have at least a 98.0% chance to win in the last two minutes of the game.

Texans’ Romeo Crennel was always going for 2 against the Titans

Interim coach Romeo Crennel explained why he decided to go for two in the Houston Texans 42-36 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans.

The Houston Texans weren’t leading 36-29 over the Tennessee Titans with 1:50 left in the game because they had played it safe for most of the game.

On a fourth-and-goal from the Titans’ 1-yard line, leading 30-29, interim coach Romeo Crennel chose to go for it rather than kick the field goal and force Tennessee to drive the length of the field to score a touchdown and win the game.

Quarterback Deshuan Watson threw a 1-yard pass to receiver Brandin Cooks, and Crennel was forced with another choice: take the easy extra point and make it a one-score game, albeit Tennessee needing a touchdown plus a two-point conversion, or go for two, make it a two-score game, and put it out of reach for the Titans.

Sending kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn out for an extra point was never an option for Crennel.

“No, I wanted to go ahead and get the two points,” Crennel said. “I felt like that would kind of put if out of reach for them. And if we had gotten it, we would have been in much better shape.”

Watson was looking for receiver Randall Cobb to score the 2-pointer, but the pass fell incomplete.

“As it turned out, we didn’t get it, and then with the touchdown and the extra point they tied it up and then we’re in overtime,” said Crennel. “And then we didn’t perform in overtime, and they win the game.”

The Titans mounted a nine-play, 75-yard drive to tie the game on a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Tannehill to receiver A.J. Brown. In overtime, Tennessee won the toss and marched 82 yards to score the winning touchdown with running back Derrick Henry rushing for a 5-yard score. Tennessee pulled out the win, 42-36.

“That’s the nature of this game that we’re in,” Crennel said. “When you win, when you’re successful, everybody feels good about it. When you lose and you’re not successful on a play, then everybody feels usually bad about it.”

Why didn’t the Texans call timeout before Titans RB Derrick Henry’s wildcat TD run?

Houston Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel explained why he didn’t call timeout ahead of Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry taking a wildcat snap.

Facing a third-and-goal from the Houston Texans’ 5-yard line with 6:35 left in overtime, the Tennessee Titans put running back Derrick Henry behind the wildcat formation, ready to take a direct snap.

The Texans had two timeouts at that point and could have used one to regroup ahead of the critical play.

According to interim coach Romeo Crennel, the Texans did not call timeout to prepare for the play because they had actually practiced it during the week.

“See, if we hadn’t practiced that play, I would say maybe they weren’t prepared,” Crennel said after the 42-36 overtime loss. “But that play was run in practice, and they should have been prepared.”

Henry took the direct snap and bounced to the left outside and rushed for a 5-yard touchdown to give Tennessee a 5-0 and drop the Texans to 1-5.

“They knew it was the wildcat,” said Crennel. “They knew it was the Wildcat. And they thought that they knew where the ball was going to go. And the ball started where they thought it was going to go, but then when the ball came back, the responsibility had been vacated, and so there’s a lot of space for the runner.”

Houston will have to take what they work on from the practice field to the playing field at NRG Stadium in Week 7 as the Green Bay Packers come to town looking to get over their 38-10 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.

DT P.J. Hall’s different skillset helps the Texans’ defensive line

Houston Texans DT P.J. Hall provides the defensive line with a unique skillset that brings explosion and quickness to the defensive line.

P.J. Hall isn’t the archetype for playing defensive tackle in the 3-4.

At 6-0, 305 pounds, Hall is about three inches too short and 50 pounds too light on paper. On the gridiron, the former Sam Houston State product provides the Houston Texans with explosion to control the line of scrimmage.

“I think P.J. has good explosion,” interim coach Romeo Crennel said. “He’s got some quickness. He’s got a quick step and has some explosion. His center of gravity, I think, helps him at the line of scrimmage. He’s been showing up, making plays at the line, getting into the backfield at times, impacting plays.”

The former 2018 Oakland Raiders second-round pick has collected 21 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, and a quarterback hit in his five games with the Texans, four of which he has started.

“I think he’s been a good addition even though he’s a different type of guy that we’ve had in the past, but because of his skillset, I think he helps our defense,” Crennel said.

The Texans are looking for combinations that work along the defensive line after losing defensive tackle D.J. Reader in free agency. As the defensive trenches are a work in progress for Houston, Hall is proving that he has talent to contribute, even if he may not be the prototypical defensive tackle for the 3-4.

 

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How can the Texans get RB Duke Johnson more involved?

Running back Duke Johnson has been a small part of the Houston Texans’ offense through five games. How can they get the pass-catching back involved?

Houston Texans running back Duke Johnson was billed as so complementary of feature back David Johnson’s skillset that the offense would have identical looks and threats regardless of who was on the field.

Through five weeks, Duke Johnson has been relatively nonexistent with 13 carries for 46 yards and four catches for 32 yards on six targets. What has also not helped Johnson is being out from Weeks 2-3 with an ankle injury.

Interim coach Romeo Crennel believes they have a decent back in Johnson, but the opportunities to utilize David Johnson have been more prevalant.

“Duke is a very good, all-around player,” Crennel said. “He can play on third-down. He can play on first and second. He’s got great feet. I like what he brings to the table. Sometimes when you put the game plan together you think about how you want to try to do things, and so sometimes the bigger back kind of fits in more. So, the bigger back got more opportunities this game.”

The Texans aren’t down on Johnson, who they traded a fourth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns in 2019 to acquire. The opportunities haven’t presented themselves for Johnson to be a bigger part of the game plan.

“Next week it could be different, but we know what Duke brings to the table,” said Crennel. “We like what Duke brings to the table and just like in the receiving area, one guy wasn’t getting as many balls coming his way until last week. Next week Duke might be the guy who shows up more in the running game and in the receiving game as well.”

The Texans’ strategy is to get as many skill positions involved as possible and to similarly give more touches to the hot hand.

Said Crennel: “I know all players want the ball, offensively, skill positions, they all want the ball. We can’t get it to everybody all the time, so the game plan sometimes impacts that. What happens on the field sometimes impacts that. We like all our skill guys and we will try to get them touches during the game if we can.”

The Texans take on the Tennessee Titans Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at Nissan Stadium. The complexion of the game could provide another chance for Johnson to get his touches.

WATCH: Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel busts a move after 30-14 win over Jaguars

Houston Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel danced for joy in the locker room after the 30-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.

Houston Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel busted a move after the club’s 30-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium.

Video recorded by defensive tackle P.J. Hall and uploaded to his Instagram account showed the 73-year-old coach dancing after the team’s first win of the season, that improves their record to 1-4 overall and 1-0 in the division.

The win was Crennel’s first as a coach since Dec. 2, 2012, when the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Carolina Panthers 27-21. Crennel was let go at the end of the season.

Crennel is now 3-1 as an interim coach. His first interim gig was with the Chiefs in 2011 when he replaced Todd Haley as coach for the final three games.

Texans’ Romeo Crennel blames missed tackles on lack of offseason

Houston Texans interim coach Romeo Crennel believes that the lack of an offseason program has contributed to the defense missing tackles.

The Houston Texans only have 29 missed tackles, but it feels like a million with an 0-4 record and 181.8 rushing yards surrendered per game.

According to interim coach Romeo Crennel, one of the chief reasons the Texans have 29 missed tackles through the first four games has been due to an offseason obliterated thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Part of the issue is that we didn’t have an offseason,” Crennel said. “We didn’t have a preseason. So, those guys haven’t had that opportunity to hone in on their tackling skills because in tackling, you’ve got to take proper angles. You’ve got to know where your helps is. You’ve got to be able to wrap up. Tackling has changed in the NFL from what it used to be.”

Tackling is as much about individual technique as it is coordination, such as “keeping the cup” to form enclosures around ball carriers. With just one big training camp in the month of August and no preseason games, defenses have had to develop the tackling cohesion during regular season games where the results count.

However, Crennel isn’t going to accept the missed tackles because of the challenges that the Texans, along with the other 31 NFL teams, have had to face.

“I’m not making excuses for us because we do miss too many tackles,” said Crennel. “We have to do a better job of tackling. One way to do a better job of tackling is to have live tackling drills. But when you have live tackling drills, you expose your players to injury in practice as opposed to injury in the game.

“This sport that we’re playing, guys are going to get hurt. You have to pick your poison. So, if you pick your poison, I’d rather the guys play in the game, and then we’ll see if we can improve from there.”

The Texans will have an opportunity against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium. If the Texans can fix their tackling problem starting in Week 5, it should help them fix their winless record and catch a winning streak to get back on track.

Behind Enemy Lines: Week 5 Q&A with Texans Wire

Jags Wire sat down with Texans Wire to discuss the state of the Texans heading into Week 5 as the team looks for it’s first win.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will enter Week 5 in desperate need of a spark after losing three consecutive games. If they are to salvage their season and garner some momentum, they will need to acquire a victory Sunday against their divisional rivals in the Houston Texans, who have a 23-13 all-time record against them.

The Texans will come into Sunday’s game also needing some momentum as they ended Quarter 1 of the season winless. That resulted in the firing of their coach Bill O’Brien, making them the first team in the NFL to move on from a head man in 2020.

To discuss the upcoming matchup against the Texans and Jags, we sat down with our comrade Mark Lane of Texans Wire briefly and here are five burning questions he was able to provide answers for:

Jags Wire: The firing of Bill O’Brien seems to have alleviated some stress from the Texans’ camp and may lead to an energetic team Sunday. Do you think that’s a fair assessment? Also, how does the fanbase feel now?

Mark Lane: The fan base is ecstatic. There is a renewed energy definitely among Houston sports fans, even though it’s illogical because they’re 0-4 and probably won’t make the playoffs. They remind me of the Romanian people after Ceausescu was deposed in 1990.

The players are also loving it and things have started to relax around NRG Stadium. Chairman and CEO Cal McNair says he wants to see the team have fun again, and he may see that. Whether that leads to wins, that’s doubtful because their inability to stop the run, for instance, had nothing to do with Bill O’Brien.

JW: The Jags (at the end of the season) could be in the same boat as the Texans in terms of firing their staff. That said, who are some realistic general manager and coaching candidates for Houston in your eyes?

ML: Everyone is going to say Eric Bieniemy from the Kansas City Chiefs, but I think the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh is a good candidate. He previously worked with the organization. He knows what to expect. He’s also a defensive minded coach and could leave Tim Kelly alone to manage the offense with Deshaun Watson.

As far as general managers are concerned, I think Will McClay, the personnel boss with the Dallas Cowboys, is an option. If they want to continue to be Patriots South, they’ll look at Nick Caserio.

JW: Do you think Romeo Crennel could maybe get this team into wildcard contention?

ML: Yes, but only because of the added playoff team per conference this season. He went 2-1 with the Kansas City Chiefs as an interim in 2011, even beating the 13-0 Green Bay Packers in his first game. The players love Crennel and they will feed off of that.

Houston also isn’t a “bad” 0-4 as they still have all of their division games remaining. Let’s say they go 5-1 in the division, which could be possible given they’ve been 4-2 the last two seasons. They’re 5-5. You’re telling me they can’t beat the Detroit Lions? You’re telling me they can’t beat the Cincinnati Bengals? You’re telling me they can’t beat the Chicago Bears?

Now you’re at eight wins. Steal one from Green Bay, New England, or Cleveland, and it’s a 9-7 finish. They may have hurt themselves by dropping three AFC games though.

JW: Who are some unknowns to watch out for Sunday on the Texans’ roster?

ML: Watch out for tight end Jordan Akins. He is a master at getting yards after the catch. Defensive tackle P.J. Hall, a former Oakland Raiders 2018 second-round pick, is a local kid from Sam Houston State, and has started to come into his own with the Texans. Though he hasn’t made much noise since Week 1, outside linebacker Jacob Martin is another one to watch out for.

JW: What are your score predictions for the game?

ML: Houston doesn’t look incompetent and finally starts to get their takeaways. Gardner Minshew and James Robinson are able to keep pace with the Texans’ offense. It isn’t ugly like Week 2 last year, nor is it a dominant performance like Week 9 of last year. Houston gets their first win of the season with a 31-27 win.

Have Texans practices changed after the firing of Bill O’Brien?

The Houston Texans have had two practices since the firing of coach Bill O’Brien. What has changed at NRG Stadium since the coaching change?

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The Houston Texans have had two practices since the firing of coach Bill O’Brien. The coaching change begs the question: what has changed in the team’s practices since the coaching move?

According to defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver, there have been changes that have occurred that have brought enthusiasm to the players.

“I think structurally there were some changes in just the scheduling, which I think players were obviously excited about,” Weaver said. “But other than that, the game is the game.”

The only time a Texans coach was fired in-season was in 2013 when Gary Kubiak was let go with three games to go. Weaver was not yet in Houston; the only comparable event for Weaver is when general manager Brian Gaine was fired on June 7, 2019, the Friday before mandatory minicamp the following week.

“I was a here a year ago when our GM, Brian Gaine, god bless him, I love him, a phenomenal human being — was fired in June, and this train kept moving,” Weaver said. “We had an OTA and we came to work the next day and it kept going. You see NFL means ‘not for long.’ That’s everybody.”

“Not for long” could also apply to Weaver if the defense can’t find a way to stop the run and generate turnovers. The Texans give up 188 rushing yards per game, the most in the NFL, and are the only team yet to procure a takeaway through the first four games.

Said Weaver: “At some point we’re all going to be out of here. But while we’re here, we’ve got to maximize this time and do everything we possibly can to try to win and deliver wins obviously for our fans, but also for these players. At the end of the day for me, it’s all about these players.”

The Texans take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5 at NRG Stadium Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT. The opportunity is there to show much more than the practices have changed, but so have on-field results.