CLEVELAND — Romeo Crennel will meet with owner Randy Lerner today, heightening the likelihood that the Browns’ embattled coach will be fired one day after Cleveland concluded its dismal season.
Crennel’s record dropped to 24-40 in four seasons after the Browns were blanked 31-0 at Pittsburgh on Sunday. Crennel is 0-8 against the archrival Steelers and just 5-19 in the AFC North. If he is dismissed, Crennel will end his tenure as the only full-time coach in team history not to beat Pittsburgh.
Cleveland was shut out in its last two games, the first time in club history it failed to score in consecutive games. The Browns also set an NFL record by failing to score an offensive touchdown for 24 quarters in a row, breaking a mark of 22 held by the 1974 Bears.
Also, Phil Savage is out as the team’s general manager after four seasons, a person with knowledge of the decision told the AP.
Savage, who joined the Browns in 2005, will no longer be with the team after the organization decided to go in another direction, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because there were still details to work out.
Roethlisberger is expected to be OK
PITTSBURGH — Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sustained a concussion while being driven into the ground by two Browns defenders late in the second quarter of an essentially meaningless game, but he is expected to be ready for the playoffs.
“All tests are negative — which is a positive,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We are optimistic of where he is going to be (in the playoffs). The bye is going to be helpful in regards to that.”
Singletary gets four-year deal
SAN FRANCISCO — The 49ers announced that coach Mike Singletary would lose his interim label and be rewarded with a four-year contract.
Singletary rallied the 49ers to a 5-4 record, including Sunday’s last-second 27-24 win against the Washington Redskins, after taking over for Mike Nolan on Oct. 20.
The team also announced that 27-year-old Jed York, the son of owner John York, had been promoted to team president.
Ex-Patriot Villa facing rape charge.
The lawyer for Danny Villa says the former Patriots player and high school football coach will plead not guilty to child rape charges. Villa, who had been working as the football coach at Walpole (Mass.) High School, was arrested in Tucson on Saturday. He is expected to be returned to Massachusetts within a week to face three counts of rape of a child older than 14 and three counts of enticing a minor.
Denver Post wire services
