Tag: Lovie Smith

Houston Texans fire coach Lovie Smith after Week 18 win over the Colts

The Houston Texans have fired coach Lovie Smith after finishing the season 3-13-1.

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The Houston Texans have fired coach Lovie Smith.

The news comes after the Texans beat the Indianapolis Colts 32-31 at Lucas Oil Stadium to win their season finale. Houston finished the season 3-13-1, a step back from their 4-13 finish under rookie coach David Culley in 2021, who was also fired at the end of the season.

Smith told reporters after the game that he expected to be back in 2023 as the Texans’ coach.

“First off, they’re reports. I don’t know what the reports are,” Smith said. “Yeah, I meet with [chairman and CEO] Cal (McNair) every Monday. I met with him this past Monday. As far as — we talk about what’s happening the last game. We understand the totality of the season on what’s going on. Do I expect to be back? Yeah, I expect to be back. Absolutely.”

The Texans will have the No. 2 overall pick and the No. 12 overall pick in Round 1 of the 2023 NFL draft.

Houston Texans fire head coach Lovie Smith after one season

The Houston Texans have fired head coach Lovie Smith after one season.

On Sunday afternoon, the Houston Texans, led by head coach Lovie Smith, beat the Indianapolis Colts, even though it cost them the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft

A few hours later, the Texans fired Smith after one 3-13-1 season.

“Nick Caserio and I spoke with Lovie Smith tonight and informed him that we will be moving in a different direction as an organization,” team owner Cal McNair said in a statement. “I appreciate Coach Smith and his entire family for their contributions over the last two seasons. We are grateful for his leadership and character, and we wish him the best moving forward. While we understand the results have not been what we had hoped for, we are committed to building a program that produces long-term, sustainable success. Our fans and city deserve a team that they can be proud of. I will work alongside Nick Caserio throughout this process and I’m confident we will find the right leader for our football team.”

Caserio, the team’s general manager, said this in a statement.

“On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to thank Lovie Smith for everything he has contributed to our team over the last two seasons as a coach and a leader. I’m constantly evaluating our football operation and believe this is the best decision for us at this time. It is my responsibility to build a comprehensive and competitive program that can sustain success over a long period of time. We aren’t there right now, however, with the support of the McNair family and the resources available to us, I’m confident in the direction of our football program moving forward.”

Smith is the second minority head coach in a row to be fired after one season. David Culley was released from his position after the Texans went 4-13 in 2021.

After the game, Smith spoke about his status as the head coach.

“A couple things, and that’s all I’m going to say about that. First off, they’re reports. I don’t know what the reports are. Yeah, I meet with Cal [McNair] every Monday. I met with him this past Monday. As far as – we talk about what’s happening the last game. We understand the totality of the season on what’s going on. Do I expect to be back? Yeah, I expect to be back. Absolutely.”

Per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the top two candidates to replace Smith are Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. Ryans was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2006 draft out of Alabama, and he played linebacker with the team from 2006 through 2011.

Texans coach Lovie Smith followed through with winning, not concern with No. 1 overall pick

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith says that he was coaching to beat the Indianapolis Colts and was not worried about the No. 1 overall pick.

Things were going great for the future of the Houston Texans.

The Texans were trailing 31-24 to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Facing a fourth-and-20 from the Colts’ 28-yard line with 58 seconds remaining and two of their three timeouts burned, Houston was on their way to securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Instead quarterback Davis Mills threw a 28-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jordan Akins to pull Houston within one, 31-30. Then, the Texans went for two with Mills finding Akins again to push Houston ahead 32-31.

The success was part of the Texans’ overall performance against the Colts. The Texans generated three takeaways with one of them a spectacular interception from defensive end Jonathan Greenard, who returned it for a touchdown.

Coach Lovie Smith shared with reporters after the game, which cost Houston the No. 1 overall pick, what his thoughts were on not picking in the top spot in April’s draft.

“All right, this is the option that I had,” said Smith. “So, you’re saying, ‘Hey, guys, playing this last game, all that you’ve been working for all your life, you play to win, forget that, lose the game on purpose.’ I think that would be a hard one to get by. They wouldn’t expect me to say that. I didn’t.”

The Texans slip to No. 2 overall. The Texans also have a No. 12 overall pick thanks to their trade with the Cleveland Browns from the offseason.

“Each week our game plan to be to win the game,” Smith said. “It’s kind of simple as that. That’s what we followed through on today.”

The Texans finished with a better record in the head-to-head series against the Colts for the first time since 2016.

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2023 NFL draft: Bears will pick first overall after crazy Texans win

Justin Fields’ development since the Monday night game against the New England Patriots makes it a far more interesting decision-making process.d

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Turns out, Lovie Smith had one more gift for the Chicago Bears.

His Houston Texans’ diet-hail mary win over the Indianapolis Colts – combined with Chicago’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings – has placed the Bears in an unexpected place: they will be picking first overall in the 2023 NFL draft.

The Bears could decide to hit the reset button and draft Alabama quarterback Bryce Young at No. 1. However, Justin Fields’ development since the Monday night game against the New England Patriots makes it a far more interesting decision-making process.

If they decide to stick with Fields, they can pass on a quarterback and take a blue-chip defensive prospect like Will Anderson Jr. or Jalen Carter – obviously not great from Seattle’s perspective.

Then again, the Bears could benefit even more if they decide to trade down, taking advantage of whatever team is desperate enough to sell the farm for the first overall pick.

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Bears fans celebrated Sam Ehlinger’s ugly pick-six because of what it means for the NFL Draft

Everyone in Chicago was a BIG Texans fan on Sunday.

While Week 18 in the 2022 NFL season proved vital for a few playoff contenders and others trying to punch their ticket to the postseason dance, there was another vital matter to be settled — the team with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Should the Houston Texans defeat the Indianapolis Colts, while the Chicago Bears lose to the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago would secure the top pick in April’s draft. Obviously, with the supremely talented and promising Justin Fields already in the fold, this was a potentially exciting prospect for the Bears organization and their fans, given the massive trade-down possibilities.

And after the Colts’ Sam Ehlinger let off a brutal early pick-six to Houston DL Jonathan Greenard — while Nathan Peterman/Tim Boyle “did their job” for Chicago — Bears fans began to dream about a hopeful lucrative draft future:

Should scores hold — the Texans held a 10-point lead over the Colts at half, while the Bears were down 10 to the Vikings at the break — the Bears would be in the enviable spot of already having a gifted young QB but not having to draft one at No. 1 overall.

This is a final result that we may well remember for its essential long-term ramifications in the coming years.

Colts vs. Texans: Keys to victory in Week 18

Here are the keys to victory for the Colts as they host the Texans in Week 18.

Well…here we are. The finale to one of the most disappointing Indianapolis Colts seasons of the past few years.

This team had lots of promise in training camp but, needless to say, has not lived up to the hype. With a revolving door at quarterback, major offense line concerns, and a coaching change on the horizon, it will be an eventful offseason in Indianapolis.

The Colts can end this season on a high note as they host the Texans on Sunday.

Houston is just one loss away from locking up the No. 1 draft pick in April. The Colts can lock up a top-five pick—or even higher—with a loss.

Jeff Saturday, however, will want to show he has what it takes to lead this squad in the future and potentially get another shot at coaching, improbable as it should seem.

Here are the keys to victory for the Colts on Sunday against the Texans:

Texans tank: How Houston could benefit from a loss against the Colts in Week 18

Lovie Smith said sometimes divorce is good. Should the Houston Texans divorce their middling identity and tank in Week 18 at the Indianapolis Colts?

“Sometimes divorce is a good thing.”

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith has said this somewhat surprising quote several times over the last year. He mentioned it when the team fired executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby and in remarks following the Texans’ blockbuster offseason trade with the Cleveland Browns. It’s a statement that, at its core, recognizes sometimes change is a very necessary thing.

During his tenure, the Texans sit at 2-13-1 and are reeling off a humiliating loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that saw the team trail by such a comfortable margin that a team they previously had won nine straight against opted to bench starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence well before the fourth quarter.

Houston is an ugly football team that represents what has become an ugly football franchise. The Texans were the laughingstock of the league during their previous two four-win campaigns and have now somehow become even worse. Nothing better highlights the franchise’s irrelevance to the national picture than the national media fawning this week over the potential of the Chicago Bears to take the No. 1 pick.

Divorce is an ugly process that, as Smith has highlighted, ultimately allows two parties to come out the other side in better shape than before. In a very similar manner, Houston is potentially staring a beautiful divorce opportunity in the face on Sunday if they want their chance at leaving the cellar of the NFL.

The Texans should tank during Sunday’s game against Indianapolis.

The loss would secure the first overall selection for the fourth time in franchise history and give general manager Nick Caserio a clear path to a new franchise quarterback. An ugly, embarrassing loss to the Jeff Saturday-led Indianapolis Colts would cement the team’s need to move on from Smith and underscore just how the bad the team has been under his tenure.

It would be a horrific way for Houston to end their season, the ultimate collapse of a team that had huge aspirations for improvement from last season and confirmation of the national narrative that they’re the worst in football. It would be embarrassing for Caserio and chairman and CEO Cal McNair that this is the product they put on the field for 2022.

It would also be the best potential path moving forward for the franchise.

Picking first in every round, in addition to all the draft capital acquire from previous trades, would set the Texans up well to run the 2023 NFL draft. Caserio would have his pick between quarterback Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud to find a signal caller that might elevate Houston into eventual Super Bowl contention.

No further losses can take away from the talented young players such as Derek Stingley, Dameon Pierce, Christian Harris, Tytus Howard, and Jalen Pitre. The coaching vacancy will have its perks in one of the country’s biggest football cities and that vacancy only becomes more attractive with Houston’s ability to control their own destiny in the draft.

This is all aside to some other perks such as forcing the rival Colts further away from the quarterback conversation in the draft and potentially encouraging their owner Jim Irsay to re-hire Jeff Saturday.

It’s not a very palatable proposition at first glance but it’s one that, viewing the whole picture, would seem to be a glaringly obvious choice for the Texans if they ever wish to change their own narrative.

Maybe that decision would look like resting key starters such as Laremy Tunsil, Steven Nelson, and Brandin Cooks. Maybe that decision could revolve around benching Davis Mills and returning to the disastrous Kyle Allen or Jeff Driskel. There’s not a perfect path but there’s an obvious best case scenario for Houston on Sunday.

Sometimes divorce truly is the best things, fans will have to see if the team acknowledges that on Sunday and decides to move on from their middling identity.

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4 bold predictions for Bears vs. Vikings

The Bears are going to throw the ball quite a bit with Nathan Peterman and score a safety in our bold predictions against the Vikings.

The regular season finale is upon us and the Chicago Bears will take the field one final time as they face the playoff-bound Minnesota Vikings at Soldier Field. This might feel more like a preseason game for Chicago, however. The Bears (3-13) are losers of nine straight and are simply playing for a draft pick at this point. They will be without a few key offensive starters, namely quarterback Justin Fields, who was ruled out with a hip injury. That means Nathan Peterman will make his first start as a Bear this weekend.

For the Vikings (12-4), it’s unclear how much playing time they will give their starters. They’ve already locked up a spot in the playoffs in the wild card round and would only be playing for seeding. Still, they could be looking for a convincing win after they were shellacked by the Green Bay Packers last week.

With so many unknowns, it’s the perfect opportunity to make some bold predictions.

Lovie Smith address Damar Hamlin incident and how the Texans are handling it

Coach Lovie Smith addressed how the Houston Texans have handled the Damar Hamlin incident.

The sports world was shocked Monday night when Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field at Paycor Stadium facing the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hamlin required CPR for his cardiac arrest, was transported to a nearby hospital, and has been in critical condition in the intensive care unit since Jan. 2.

The NFL, players, coaches, and fans have rallied around Hamlin.

Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith met with the media for the first time since the incident and talked about how the team is handling it.

“Just like all of you, I was watching Monday Night Football too, which I normally do,” said Smith. “I witnessed what we all saw. Our game can be violent. It’s a contact sport. Injuries happen, but you assume that an injury like that won’t happen.

Texans would hold pick Nos. 1 and 12 in 2023 NFL draft

The Houston Texans would be picking with the first overall and the 12th overall selections if the 2023 NFL draft were held after Week 17.

Picking in the top-12 isn’t so bad.

That is where the Houston Texans would have two selections if the 2023 NFL draft were held based on the results of Week 17. The Texans’ proprietary pick would warrant them the No. 1 overall choice due to their 2-13-1 record. Houston’s trade with the Cleveland Browns gave them the organization’s first-round pick, and currently it rests at No. 12 overall.

Having the No. 1 overall pick would allow the Texans to take the best quarterback of the draft class, whether it is Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. The 12th overall pick would help Houston find a player who can take some pressure off of their rookie quarterback, whether by beefing up the defense or providing another weapon on offense.

Coach Lovie Smith told reporters Monday his goal is to beat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 18 and not worry about the No. 1 overall pick.

“I’ve been asked this question a few weeks because we’ve been in that role,” Smith said. “I understand it. We’ve been trying to win for a long period of time, every game. None of that has changed. That’s why there is disappointment in what happened [in Week 17 versus the Jacksonville Jaguars]. We’re going to go to work this week and do everything we possibly can to win this last game.”

General manager Nick Caserio had two first-round picks in the 2022 draft and used No. 3 overall to take cornerback Derek Stingley from LSU and guard Kenyon Green from Texas A&M with the No. 15 overall pick.