| New England’s defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel met
with the media in New Orleans to talk about the Patriots’ defense, which was ranked
24th during the season, but has been much improved during the postseason. Q:
What do you know about the Rams’ offense?
A: We played them once before, so that helps us a little bit. We have watched their
most recent games. Every time they snap the ball, I am going to hold my breath and hope
nothing bad happens. We understand and realize they have good talent and ability, but we
also have some guys that can play the game and we are going to try and slow them down.
Sometimes that means mixing coverages, sometimes that means pressing them, and sometimes
that means backing off of them. We are going to do a little bit of everything. Nobody has
been able to completely stop them. They are going to make some plays, and hopefully we
will make some plays also.
Q: How do you prepare for the Rams’ offense?
A: They have all the weapons. We stopped Marshall (Faulk, who had 83 yards rushing in
the Rams’ 24-17 win over New England in Foxboro in Week 10), but we didn’t stop
the passing game (QB Kurt Warner threw for 401 yards). If you look at Philly, they stopped
the passing game in the first half, but then Marshall kills them in the second half. You
kind of pick your poison with this group. If you stop the run, look out for the pass. If
you stop the pass, then look out for the run. I would like to stop both of them.
Sometimes, you can get turnovers out of their offense. They have had some, and hopefully
they will continue to have some.
Q: What has head coach Bill Belichick done best this year?
A: I think the best thing he has done is be decisive in his decision-making. He made
the call on the quarterback, and he made the call on Terry Glenn. He gives the players the
feeling that he is trying to win. That is what players appreciate, and that is what they
want. It is part of the business for a head coach to make decisions, and he is not afraid
to make them. He is pretty analytical. He thinks things out, looks at the good points and
bad points and then makes his decision.
Q: He did you get the name Romeo?
A: The name does draw some attention. It has been good. I enjoy the name, and I think
other people enjoy the name also. My father, who was a veteran army man, gave it to me. He
had been over to Paris, and he likes poetry a little bit. He came back, I arrived, and
therefore you got Romeo.
Q: What problems do the Rams’ skill players present your defense?
A: They do a lot with their skill people. They move them around all over the place.
They can shift around anywhere on the field. They give you something different every play.
You probably are not going to see the same play twice in the game. What it does, is it
makes you try to limit your package. You have to limit what you want to do, and that is
probably what they are trying to get out of it. That plays right into their hands. If
their quarterback knows what he is going against, he will get you.
Q: How do you counter what the Rams’ offense is trying to do?
A: Sometimes the matchups may not be what you want, but then you hope that your
players, your fundamentals and your foundations are good enough to prevent the big play.
All offenses have to worry about what their opponent is doing. If we were able to devise
something to hit the quarterback, they can’t just stand back there and let the
quarterback get hit. They would have to put more protection in. They have to be concerned
about what we do also.
Q: Who is most responsible for the Patriots’ defense, Bill Belichick or Romeo
Crennel?
A: It’s a combination of both. We have been together a long time and we have
worked in this system before. We have grown together to tell you the truth. The parts have
come together. He has some great ideas and I have some ideas also. It doesn’t make
any difference who gets the credit as long as we win. I have been in this business for 20
years, and I have always been a team player. This deal is about winning ballgames. The
head-coaching job is a big job, so maybe my being here gives him more confidence to do the
head-coaching job. It is tough to be a head coach and defensive coordinator. You probably
spread yourself a little thin.
Q: Do you think you and Bill Belichick will get more recognition if you win a Super
Bowl without Bill Parcells?
A: In this business, people and coaches recognize good coaches regardless of the system
you are in. It does not matter if it is a Bill Parcells system, a Bill Belichick system, a
Mike Martz system, or a Bill Walsh system. They look at how the job is done on the field,
how players play, if they hustle and if they are fundamentally sound. Good coaches know
that. |
