Tag: Romeo Crennel

How COVID-19 gave the Texans confidence to go with Romeo Crennel as interim coach

The Houston Texans made the switch to Romeo Crennel, and part of what gave them the confidence to do so was war-gaming COVID-19 coaching scenarios.

COVID-19 waits for no man. Just ask the Tennessee Titans. The notion of a player or coach getting infected with the novel coronavirus was a scenario all 32 NFL teams had to war-game in July and August as the possibility of playing pro football amid a pandemic became more and more realistic.

According to Houston Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair, the club going through the scenario of who would take over as coach if Bill O’Brien was positive for the virus gave them the confidence to make the switch to Romeo Crennel after an 0-4 start.

“He’s our associate head coach, and actually we had gone through the exercise a little bit of thinking through the virus and what happens in different positions on our staff if someone caught the virus and was out for a couple of weeks and how we would handle that,” McNair said. “And, so, in fact, Bill felt strongly that Romeo was the right guy and talking through all our options, we absolutely agreed with that. And, so, this wasn’t exactly the same reason or rationale for making the change, but we had thought through this and made the change.”

McNair has a belief in the roster which features Pro Bowl talent in quarterback Deshaun Watson, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive end J.J. Watt, and inside linebacker Benardrick McKinney. McNair partly made the change to Crennel as interim coach to get the team back to having fun.

Said McNair: “I want to see the defense flying around. I want to put the ‘Rock Boy’ band back together. I want them to play their songs. I want Justin Reid to take a pick back 99 yards. I want to see Deshaun playing an air guitar and he’s got a great dance in the end zone my wife really likes to see. And these are things I want to get back to. I want to get back to having fun. I want the guys flying around. I want playing fundamental and that will lead to wins and get us to where we’re going to go.”

The Texans know what they have in Crennel after having him in the building since 2014. Houston sports fans are hopeful to have more fun on Sundays in the form of wins starting in Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at 12:00 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium.

Deshaun Watson, Romeo Crennel will be 1st Black QB-coach combo in Texans history

Deshaun Watson and Romeo Crennel will make history Sunday as the first Black quarterback and coach combination in Houston Texans history.

The Houston Texans will make history Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5 at NRG Stadium.

For the first time in franchise history, they will have a Black quarterback and a Black head coach when Deshaun Watson takes a snap under center and interim coach Romeo Crennel wears the headset from the sidelines.

“I didn’t even know that,” Watson said. “That’s pretty dope. That’s pretty cool. History is going to continue to grow, especially with the times going on right now.”

The Texans will become one of the 20 active teams in the NFL to have had a Black head coach.

As promising as it is to turn another positive page in history, Watson and even Crennel are focused on the immediate task at hand: getting the Texans off the schneid at 0-4 and recovering their postseason hopes.

“Me and RAC, what we want to do is make sure that this team and locker room is ready and focused to go win on Sunday,” said Watson. “We got to make sure that we’re prepared. We got to make sure that we put sure we put in the work throughout the week, make sure we’re healthy, and we got to expect to go out there and win. And that’s the mentality that we got to have for, not just this locker room and for this team, but this organization, for this city.”

With 13 weeks remaining in the regular season for Houston, including the bye week, the goal before Watson and Crennel is to keep out the negativity that could easily creep back in because of how difficult the challenge is, and the body of failure that has been assembled through the first four weeks.

“The next 12 weeks, 13 weeks, we got to be positive and we got to continue to grow and we got to continue to stick as one as a city, as a whole, as an organization,” said Watson. “That’s what I preach, and that’s what we’ve both been preaching.”

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Texans slide to No. 27 in Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings

The Houston Texans have fallen three places in the latest Touchdown Wire NFL power rankings.

The Houston Texans may have fired coach and general manager Bill O’Brien, but the club has still taken a tumble in the power rankings.

According to Doug Farrar from the Touchdown Wire, the Texans dropped from No. 24 to No. 27 in the latest NFL power rankings.

When your run defense is the worst in the NFL, and your pass defense allows Kick Cousins to put up a 127.1 passer rating, and quarterback Deshaun Watson can barely break the pocket without getting killed by 3-5 defenders, your best strategy is to *checks notes* run the ball as much as possible. The Texans gained 96 yards on those 26 carries, Watson ran the ball just five times for nine yards, and when it comes to O’Brien, the things he’s not doing well are adding up precipitously. That’s why the Texans are basically out of contention after 25% of the regular season has passed.

Assistant head coach Romeo Crennel will stand in for O’Brien through the rest of the season, at which point the Texans should have their choice of bright offensive minds — Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Titans offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, and Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll among them — who would be more than happy to work with Deshaun Watson and a talented group of receivers. Finding a general manager willing to deal with a barren draft landscape after O’Brien’s trades might be a bit more complicated.

The Texans’ immediate challenge is an AFC South showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday at noon CT at NRG Stadium. Houston seeks their first win of the year and of the Crennel provisional coaching regime.

The Tennessee Titans dropped all the way from No. 9 to No. 32 because they had some COVID cases. The Jaguars moved up just one spot from No. 24 to No. 23. The Indianapolis Colts moved up from No. 10 to No. 8.

Texans fire coach Bill O’Brien after 0-4 start

The Houston Texans have fired coach Bill O’Brien after an 0-4 start in his seventh season.

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The Houston Texans have fired coach Bill O’Brien after the team started 0-4 in 2020.

In Monday’s press conference with the media, O’Brien said he had no control when it came to his job security.

“I don’t have any control,” O’Brien said. “All I can control is what I can control, and I’ve got to do a better job with the team. That’s obvious, and we’re going to work hard to do that. Relative to things that I talk about with the team, I just try to keep that between me and the team as best as I can.”

The 0-4 start was the third in franchise history, the first of the O’Brien era. In 2005, Dom Capers, the club’s first ever coach, started 0-4 and was fired after a 2-14 finish. In 2006, coach Gary Kubiak started 0-4 in his third season with the team, but recovered for an 8-8 finish. The Texans would win two division titles, two playoff games, and have three winning season with Kubiak until he was fired with three games to go in the 2013 season, also a 2-14 finish.

Texans chairman and CEO Cal McNair said in a statement that the organization sincerely thanked O’Brien for his leadership and impact on the franchise.

“Bill’s leadership moved our organization forward as he guided us to four AFC South division championships, 52 wins and multiple playoff appearances during his tenure. Bill proved himself as a coach and leader in this league. I spoke with him earlier today and told him we are moving forward in a different direction.”

According to McNair, Crennel will serve as the interim coach for the rest of the 2020 season. The last time Crennel was interim coach was in 2011 with the Kansas City Chiefs.

“We have a talented team and I have no doubt our players and staff will rally to make Texans fans proud as we aim to win championships and do great things for the city of Houston.”

Crennel will serve as the second interim coach in franchise history.

Texans’ Romeo Crennel wanted to coach football, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Houston Texans associate head coach Romeo Crennel did give much consideration to opting out of the 2020 season because he enjoys coaching.

The term “opt out” has become a familiar phrase in pro sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

NFL players have chosen to opt out of the season, especially if they are at a high level of risk to falling ill or have family members who could catch the novel coronavirus.

Houston Texans associate head coach Romeo Crennel is 73 years old and in the high risk category when it comes to COVID-19. However, the three-time Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator never considered opting out of 2020.

“The COVID, it has impacted everybody and all of us, but I’m a football coach,” Crennel said. “I’m in the game of football. So, when they say let’s play, even though I’m high-risk, I see what we’re trying to do to protect the players and the coaches with social distancing.”

The Texans have showed tremendous initiative in implementing steps to keep COVID-19 out of team facilities, and Crennel sees how hard the club is working to keep their workplace COVID free.

“I mean, they’ve got hand sanitizers all throughout the building,” Crennel said. “They clean it constantly. I feel like they’re trying to be proactive and protecting us that way. I feel like I want to give it a shot and see what happens and hopefully, knock wood, that it’s not a bad outcome.

“Hey, I’m in football just like you’re in football. You’ve been in it a long time. That’s what I know and I’m going to go with it.”

Like the 2017 season, Crennel is in a roving advisory role while a younger position coach takes over as defensive coordinator. Defensive line coach Anthony Weaver is adding the defensive coordinator role to his duties, and coach Bill O’Brien has Crennel helping Weaver with the transition.

“We have some young coaches on the defensive side,” said Crennel. “Anthony, I can help him because of my experience. So, that’s what I’m doing and whatever Bill needs me to do. Whatever way that I can help with the defense, I’m available to do that.”

Crennel wasn’t going to opt out of the season, and the Texans staff hopes to benefit from his presence in the building as they seek to defend their AFC South title.

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Romeo Crennel thinks Texans defensive rookies ‘have good ability’

Houston Texans associate head coach Romeo Crennel says that rookies DT Ross Blacklock, OLB Jonathan Greenard, and CB John Reid are doing well.

The Houston Texans had a five-man class in the 2020 NFL Draft, and three of their selections came on defense.

Second-round defensive tackle Ross Blacklock, third-round outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, and cornerback John Reid are expected to contribute to the defense, even following an offseason that lacked the tradition programs to acclimate rookies.

“I think those guys have good ability,” associate head coach Romeo Crennel said. “You can see it on the practice field, but you know my deal about rookies. They’re rookies. They’re going to make mistakes and they still have a lot to learn.”

Normally, rookies would have a rookie mini-camp within two weeks after the draft followed by the organized team activities and a mandatory mini-camp in June. Training camp would feature four preseason games throughout August to get rookies ready for the speed of the game and impact of the collisions.

All of those are gone in 2020, and Blacklock, Greenard, and Reid will have to be ready to go Sept. 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs to start the regular season.

“That will be a huge game,” said Crennel. “That’s a big game. So, to have to feel your way through the game probably is not the best thing for a player. That’s why the veteran players who have experience, I think they’re going to operate better.”

Even though the season may be skewed more towards veterans, Crennel likes what the trio could bring to the Texans overall.

Said Crennel: “But these young players we do have, I like all of them. I see the talent that they do have and I think they’re going to be very good players for us.”

Blacklock is taking over for D.J. Reader at defensive tackle, Greenard bolstering the Texans’ pass rush, and Reid has the ability to play slot corner in new defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver’s defense.

Texans’ Romeo Crennel feels good about Anthony Weaver as defensive coordinator

Houston Texans associate head coach Romeo Crennel says he feels good about Anthony Weaver taking over as the defensive coordinator.

The Houston Texans are going to another page in club history to face the challenges of 2020.

In January, the Texans promoted defensive line coach Anthony Weaver to defensive coordinator and moved Romeo Crennel to associate head coach. The move is identical to what happened in 2017 when the club promoted linebackers coach Mike Vrabel to the job and moved Crennel to assistant head coach.

Crennel, who has been the defensive coordinator for all of the Texans’ playoff wins in the Bill O’Brien era, doesn’t mind giving up the reins to a younger position coach once more.

“Anthony is a smart young man,” Crennel said. “He really is. He’s organized. He’s thoughtful. That’s the thing that I kind of look at. I know that he’s a good football coach because I’ve seen him coach his position. They do very well. He relates to the players and they relate to him.”

Being able to relate to the players is one of Weaver’s greatest attributes and comes from his time under Rex Ryan, former defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens from 2005-08. Though Weaver has a tremendous ability to connect with the players, the next step is getting everyone on the same page to execute the game plan.

“So now, it’s to the point about game planning, putting in a system and then getting the players to buy into that system so that it can be a productive group,” said Crennel. “I see that occurring and taking place and I feel good about what he brings to the table.”

Crennel was the coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2005-08 and also the Kansas City Chiefs from 2011-12, though in an interim role for the last three games of the 2011 season. Nevertheless, Crennel has seen his share of young coaches take greater responsibilities in his 39 seasons in the NFL.

“So, so we’ll find out,” said Crennel. “That’s the thing about football, you get a chance to find out how things work. I think with what I’ve seen so far, I think that he’ll do a very good job.”

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J.J. Watt returns to Texans training camp practice

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt returned to training camp practice after being off since Aug. 14.

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt returned to training camp practice on Sunday morning.

According to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, the Texans had been managing the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year’s workload.

“Because he has been playing a long time, some of that wear and tear begins to impact your body a little bit,” associate head coach Romeo Crennel told reporters. “And so we are managing him just this year. We are not putting him out there all of the time, particularly in practice and trying to manage him in practice so he can be ready for the game and be able to play and produce at a high level at the games.”

The 31-year-old had previously stated he felt more like his 2014-15 version of himself due to the nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lock downs. Watt had much more time to get his body ready to go for a full 16-game slate.

Since Watt’s last defensive player of the year award in 2015, he has completed just one full season, 2018, when he recorded 16.0 sacks and forced seven fumbles. In 2016, he was limited to three games with a herniated disc, fractured his left tibial plateau five games into 2017, and tore his pectoral muscle in 2019, missing the final eight games.

The Texans know what type of impact Watt can have on the defense, and the 10-year veteran has seen more than enough playing time to mentally get ready for a season. Saving his body for when it counts is what Houston seeks.

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Did the Texans waste their edge defender talent in the 2010s?

The Houston Texans had one of the best groups of edge defenders in the 2010s, but the lack of playoff wins suggests such talent may have been wasted.

The Houston Texans had a formidable edge defender group throughout the 2010s. The catalyst was defensive end J.J. Watt, who the club took in Round 1 of the 2011 NFL Draft. As the club transitioned from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense, Watt became the war daddy for Wade Phillips’ defense and not former 2006 No. 1 overall pick, Mario Williams.

The Texans added outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus in the first round of the 2012 draft, and Jadeveon Clowney with the first overall pick in the 2014 draft, the first of the Bill O’Brien era, who brought on Romeo Crennel as defensive coordinator.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Texans group of edge defenders had the best wins-above-replacement for the 2010s. However, aside from the Oakland Raiders, there are two teams on the list who achieved more than Houston.

The Denver Broncos with Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware won a Super Bowl in 2015. The Philadelphia Eagles with Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, and Chris Long won a Super Bowl in 2017.

All the Texans have to show for the 2010s is four wild-card playoff wins — no Super Bowl appearances, no first-round byes, no conference title game appearances.

It would appear the Texans wasted the combined talent of Watt, Clowney, and Mercilus. After all, Watt produced 96.0 sacks, tied for second-most in the decade, and Mercilus had 50.0 of his own. The Texans as a team logged 370 sacks, tied with Buffalo for 17th in the 2010s.

However, the Broncos and Eagles had something the Texans didn’t receive until the end of the decade: stable quarterback play. Denver had Peyton Manning under center, and Philadelphia relied on Carson Wentz, who, even though he was injured and replaced by Nick Foles for their Super Bowl run, was an effective signal caller in 2017.

One fear is that as Deshaun Watson ascends to the top of the NFL, the Texans’ edge defense is going to taper off. If only the two forces could play at a high level in the same season, it could result in the Texans making a magical run in January.

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Former Browns coach Romeo Crennel wins the PFWA ‘Dr. Z’ award

Former Browns coach Romeo Crennel wins the PFWA ‘Dr. Z’ award

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel has been selected as a recipient of the Pro Football Writers of America’s Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman award, which recognizes lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL. The award is named after the late, legendary Sports Illustrated football writer Paul Zimmerman.

Crennel was announced as one of the two winners of the honor from the PFWA, along with longtime Dolphins assistant Bill Ansparger.

Crennel was the Browns head coach from 2005-2008. He was also the team’s defensive coordinator in 2000. Crennel has also coached with the Giants, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs and Texans, where he has been the defensive coordinator since 2014 (he sat out the 2017 season). Crennel has coached in six Super Bowls, winning five titles.

In the spirit of disclosure, I am a PFWA member and voted for Crennel.

Congrats to Coach Crennel, one of the truly good guys in the game!

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