In the short week leading to the game, Romeo Crennel played it cool when it came to playing the Browns.
Romeo Crennel didn't speak Sunday about his feelings of returning to Cleveland, but his players on the Chiefs defense said they knew Sunday's win would be rewarding to the former Browns head coach.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- In the short week leading to the game, Romeo Crennel played it cool.
Crennel, in his first year as Kansas City Chiefs defensive coordinator, prepared for the Browns as if they were any other team.
Crennel was head coach of the Browns from 2005-08 before being jettisoned. So the Chiefs' defensive players knew the score.
"He didn't speak on it -- not once," cornerback Brandon Flowers said. "Coach Crennel is a very humble guy. But we knew that for him, deep down inside, coming in here and getting a win probably would be special."
Flowers led the way in making "RAC" a happy man. Flowers' interception return for a touchdown early in the second quarter proved huge in the Chiefs' 16-14 victory Sunday afternoon in Cleveland.
The Chiefs are 2-0 -- halfway to their victory total from last season. They beat the Chargers, 21-14, last Monday night.
Crennel's defense gave up one touchdown in the second half against the high-powered Chargers. It pitched a shutout in the second half against the low-powered Browns, who managed 55 net yards in the final 30 minutes.
"Coach Crennel has everybody on the defense believing that whatever he calls, it's the best option for that situation," Flowers said. "Going back to preseason, we've had great gameplans."
Preparation paid off handsomely for Flowers and his teammates with 10 minutes left in the first half. The Browns led, 7-3, and faced second-and-8 from their 30. Quarterback Seneca Wallace looked right, reloaded and threw a pass intended for Chansi Stuckey. Flowers stepped in front near the sideline, intercepted and raced 33 yards for the score.
"The secondary did a great job of making the quarterback think there was a certain coverage," Flowers said. "We rolled to a different coverage. When I saw the tight end or fullback break to the flat, I just knew the quarterback would try to make a quick read. So I needed to go make a play and not think twice about it."
Wallace rebounded in the next series, throwing a 65-yard TD pass to Josh Cribbs. Wallace passed for 187 yards in the first half, 42 in the second.
Kansas City's defense needed to be sharp in the second half because the offense was not able to score a touchdown. The Chiefs notched two field goals as they overcame a 14-10 deficit.
One of the Chiefs' best offensive plays in the final two quarters gained less than a yard. Sitting on a two-point lead with two minutes left in the fourth, Kansas City opted to go for it on fourth-and-a-football from the Cleveland 36. Thomas Jones dived high onto the pile and reached the 35.
The Chiefs killed the clock.
Jones said the dive was improvised.
"I just reacted to what their line did," he said. "They went on the ground, and our line did a great job of keeping them there."
Jones and the Chiefs were forced to sweat out a booth review.
"I was pretty confident I got the first down, but anytime you have a review, you never know what's going to happen," he said.