Romeo Crennel

JACKSONVILLE. Fla. -- If Romeo Crennel ever wants to switch agents, I have a few nominees for the job. Their first names are Bill, Ted, Tedy, Richard, Mike, Willie, and Rodney. They see what the rest of us can't see. They know what we haven't been privileged to know. We see a finished product, which is certainly impressive. They see how it was constructed. We wonder about Romeo Crennel, who, to us, is the man behind the curtain. But they really know that man, and they say that -- shhh, nobody's supposed to know -- yup, he'll make a very good head coach for the Cleveland Browns.

INDIANAPOLIS - Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli said Friday that Matt Cassel is the team's starting quarterback, but yesterday, coach Romeo Crennel did not exactly give a ringing endorsement to Cassel, who finished 2011 on injured reserve. Crennel spoke highly of Kyle Orton, whom Kansas City claimed off waivers after Cassel's injury, and said he might not be coach if it weren't for Orton. Crennel also spoke glowingly about Robert Griffin III, the Baylor product and Heisman Trophy winner, and even raised his eyebrows when it was mentioned that Brady Quinn, his former quarterback in Cleveland,...

INDIANAPOLIS - Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli said Friday that Matt Cassel is the team's starting quarterback, but yesterday, coach Romeo Crennel did not exactly give a ringing endorsement to Cassel, who finished 2011 on injured reserve. Crennel spoke highly of Kyle Orton, whom Kansas City claimed off waivers after Cassel's injury, and said he might not be coach if it weren't for Orton. Crennel also spoke glowingly about Robert Griffin III, the Baylor product and Heisman Trophy winner, and even raised his eyebrows when it was mentioned that Brady Quinn, his former quarterback in Cleveland,...

Team officials and coaches have tried to avoid any discussion about Peyton Manning during this week's annual NFL scouting combine. Good luck trying that in a town Manning put on the NFL radar and in a venue he helped build. On Saturday, Kansas City coach Romeo Crennel let it slip that the Chiefs would be interested in pursuing the four-time league MVP — if the Colts let him leave as a free agent. "I'm not supposed to talk about anybody else's players, and he's still a player with Indianapolis," Crennel said, referring to the league's tampering rules.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs made Romeo Crennel the permanent head coach on Monday after he led the floundering team to a pair of wins late in the season. Crennel had been the interim coach and the leading candidate to replace Todd Haley, who was fired last month. He was scheduled to be introduced at an afternoon news conference. ‘‘We are very excited to name Romeo the new head coach of the Chiefs," Chiefs CEO Clark Hunt said in a prepared statement. ‘‘In 30 years as a coach in the National Football League, Romeo has established an outstanding track record...

NEW ORLEANS - The most valuable player didn't wear a uniform, never made a tackle, or got off the sideline. But there was no one more important to last night's heart-stopping Super Bowl victory than the Patriots' defensive coordinator, Romeo Crennel. He did the near impossible, under the greatest pressure anyone can endure in the game of football. Faced with trying to stop the best offensive team ever to play the game, he wrote out the plan before he started, and then had the heart to see it through.

The NFL is a league of second chances, for both players and coaches. Romeo Crennel compiled a 24-40 record as Browns head coach that included a 10-6 mark in 2007, the best in Cleveland in 15 years. But after being let go following the 2008 season, he was out of coaching for a season. He was a highly respected NFL assistant for well over 20 years, a run that included four years as the Patriots defensive coordinator during their run of Super Bowl wins, before getting his first head coaching shot.

By Zuri Berry, Globe Staff Patriots offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Bill O'Brien is a candidate for a head "coach in waiting" position with the Kansas City Chiefs, according to a report from NFL.com's Jason La Conforna . The Chiefs, according to the report, are looking at removing Romeo Crennel's interim head coaching title and bringing along an offensive coach to his staff that could possibly replace him. Former Patriots...

By Gary Dzen, Globe Staff FOXBOROUGH-- Welcome to Gillette Stadium, where the Patriots (6-3) will take on the Kansas City Chiefs (4-5) at 8:30 p.m. Patriots fans may be overlooking this game (Vegas certainly is), but an unsexy matchup may turn into a pretty good football game. The coaches, for one, are familiar with each other, with former Patriots defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel now running the defense in Kansas City. Scott Pioli is here as well, though former Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel is injured, leaving the quarterbacking duties to Tyler Palko.

Romeo Crennel's boss isn't planning to make him the next former Cleveland coach. Not now, and not any time soon. Browns general manager Phil Savage strongly backed the former Patriots defensive coordinator yesterday, saying it was unfair to blame him for all of Cleveland's problems, temporarily snuffing speculation the struggling club was on the verge of a coaching change. "Romeo has the total support of [owner] Randy Lerner and myself," Savage said. "He has the respect of the team.

The NFL is a league of second chances, for both players and coaches. Romeo Crennel compiled a 24-40 record as Browns head coach that included a 10-6 mark in 2007, the best in Cleveland in 15 years. But after being let go following the 2008 season, he was out of coaching for a season. He was a highly respected NFL assistant for well over 20 years, a run that included four years as the Patriots defensive coordinator during their run of Super Bowl wins, before getting his first head coaching shot.

The NFL is a league of second chances, for both players and coaches. Romeo Crennel compiled a 24-40 record as Browns head coach that included a 10-6 mark in 2007, the best in Cleveland in 15 years. But after being let go following the 2008 season, he was out of coaching for a season. He was a highly respected NFL assistant for well over 20 years, a run that included four years as the Patriots defensive coordinator during their run of Super Bowl wins, before getting his first head coaching shot.

Kansas City's fifth offensive coordinator in four years is hoping to lend some much-needed permanence to his new team. Brian Daboll said Monday that he considers stability to be very important. "You look at teams, for the most part percentage-wise that have been successful over the years, one word I think is sometimes overlooked is continuity," Daboll said Monday at his introductory news conference with the Chiefs. "When you can have a system in play and you understand that your players are going to be in that system and they understand their...

The Steelers will hire former Chiefs coach Todd Haley to be their offensive coordinator, according to an ESPN report. The move, first reported by 610 AM in Kansas City, has not yet been announced. Haley will replace Bruce Arians, now with the Colts. The 45-year-old Haley, fired by Kansas City Dec. 13, went 19-26 in two-plus seasons with the Chiefs, leading them to the 2010 AFC West title. He spent 10 seasons as an assistant before being hired by Kansas City.

INDIANAPOLIS - The voice on the other end of the phone is gruff and familiar. "Keep me out of this one, will ya?" Bill Parcells says. "Don't stir up any [expletive]. " He is the almighty Tuna and he's up for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday. After rebuilding the Giants, Patriots, Jets, Cowboys, and Dolphins, Parcells, now 70, finally appears to be done with the National Football League. He does a little work for ESPN, goes to the track, and waits for spring training baseball near his home in Jupiter, Fla. He's also the man who knows more about Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin than...

INDIANAPOLIS - The voice on the other end of the phone is gruff and familiar. "Keep me out of this one, will ya?" Bill Parcells says. "Don't stir up any [expletive]. " He is the almighty Tuna and he's up for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday. After rebuilding the Giants, Patriots, Jets, Cowboys, and Dolphins, Parcells, now 70, finally appears to be done with the National Football League. He does a little work for ESPN, goes to the track, and waits for spring training baseball near his home in Jupiter, Fla. He's also the man who...

The Romeo Crennel era began with a bang, some booms, and more than a few bolts. Cleveland's first-year coach had his debut diluted by some severe weather that caused a lengthy delay in Cleveland, but he got his first exhibition win as the Browns rallied for a 17-14 win over the Giants last night. Rookie Charlie Frye threw a touchdown pass and first-year kicker Tyler Jones booted a 41-yard field goal with 6:18 left as Crennel got a penalty-filled victory that may not count in the standings but should help him get the Browns to believe.

By Greg A. Bedard, Globe Staff FOXBOROUGH - Some quickie thoughts at halftime: The Chiefs and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel came out with a gameplan to blitz Tom Brady and it worked like a charm -- until the 52-yard touchdown to TE Rob Gronkowski, when the Chiefs had a mixup in the backend. Brady and his line had a hard time sorting out the blitzes, which were very effective. That kind of gameplan works in spurts against the Patriots, but once Brady gets it sorted out, he'll get his. RT Sebastian Vollmer is having his troubles against...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The red, white, and blue confetti floated in the sky and dropped ever so gently on their latest field of dreams.There were hugs, pats on the backs, and family moments with children hugging their hero dads, and wives kissing their hero husbands. There was Bill Belichick, Romeo Crennel, and Charlie Weis, the brain trust of the Super Bowl XXXIX champions embracing for the final time, with Weis off to Notre Dame and Crennel off to Cleveland. The Vince Lombardi Trophy was touched, kissed, and embraced like a loved one. The New England Patriots,...