The Houston Texans have sacked coach Lovie Smith simply hours after a wild comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts value the facet the No. 1 draft choose.
Sure, you learn that proper — the Texans have had such a nasty season, the facet’s third win of the yr was really a nasty factor, handing the Chicago Bears its first No. 1 draft choose since 1947.
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Only a matter of hours after the sport, it was reported coach Smith was moved on by the facet after his one season within the job.
The knives have been out for Smith however after the Texans gained two of their final three video games and have been aggressive in 4 of their final 5, he had hoped he’d achieved sufficient to earn one other likelihood.
“We perceive the totality of the season on what’s occurring,” Smith mentioned postgame. “Do I count on to be again? Sure, I count on to be again.”
However Houston basic supervisor Nick Caserio revealed the Texans have been shifting on, the second straight one-and-done coach for the franchise.
“On behalf of your complete organisation, I want to thank Lovie Smith for all the things he has contributed to our staff over the past two seasons as a coach and a frontrunner,” the assertion learn.
“I’m continually evaluating our soccer operation and I imagine that is the perfect determination for us right now.
“It’s my accountability to construct a complete and aggressive program that may maintain success over an extended time period.
“We aren’t there proper now, nonetheless, with the assist of the McNair household and the assets accessible to us, I’m assured within the route of our soccer program shifting ahead.”
Followers have been fast to name out the organisation, calling the staff “the embarrassment of the NFL”, “trash” and a “unhealthy determination”.
The franchise was already struggling, having completed with simply 11 wins from the previous three seasons.
The franchise additional imploded after the exit of DeShaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns for a bag of draft picks. He was angling for launch earlier than the small print of his sexual assault allegations got here to gentle.
It comes after the 32-31 win value the Texans the No. 1 draft choose as a loss would have been sufficient to safe the distinguished choose.
With 50 seconds remaining on the clock and down 31-24, Houston BQ Davis Mills’ cross went straight by means of the fingers of a Colts defender and into the arms of Jordan Akins in the long run zone.
The Texans may have evened it up with the conversion however went for what was a profitable two-point conversion.
Smith mentioned he was at all times going to go for the win.
“So that you say, ‘Hey guys … all that you simply’ve been working to your life, you play to win, overlook that. Lose the sport on objective’,” Smith mentioned.
“That might be a tough one to get by. They gained’t count on me to say that. I didn’t. What we work on every week, our recreation plan, has been to win the sport. It’s sort of easy as that. That’s what we comply with by means of on the day …
“It’s fairly easy. We play to win the sport. It’s sort of easy as that.”
Dropping the highest choose is unlikely to cease the franchise from getting a high QB nonetheless as Justin Fields is seen because the Bears long-term QB, however they might at all times commerce to a staff who does want a QB with CJ Stroud and Bryce Younger enticing prospects.
However lengthy struggling Texans followers have been fast to slam the organisation.
Arkansas head coach Clint Stoerner tweeted: “The #Texans simply value themselves the #1 choose within the 2023 draft by changing two 4th & longs, one being a Hail Mary for a TD & a 2 level conversion. What, within the hell, did I simply watch??”
ESPN’s Mina Kimes wrote: “Lovie Smith realizing he’s prolly gonna be fired and going for 2 there may be iconic”.
