Texans Fans Aren't Handling The Lovie Smith Betrayal Well

One has to wonder what in the world the Houston Texans brass were thinking. Towards the end of the 2022 season, it became obvious that they were seriously considering another head coaching change. That meant Lovie Smith would be fired after only one year on the job. While the decision itself is hard to understand, what made it even worse is that the Texans left him in charge of the team during a tight race for the #1 overall pick. Ownership with common sense would've recognized that Smith isn't dumb. If he felt he was likely getting fired, why would he conform to the idea of tanking the last game of the year to ensure the team's future?

Once again, Cal McNair proved he wouldn't be winning awards for intelligence. Smith went into the season finale against the Indianapolis Colts with clear intentions. He would try like hell to win and completely ruin the Texans' plans for the #1 pick. It took some significant effort, a lot of luck, and one bold decision, but the 64-year-old head coach got it done. Houston stunned the Colts 32-31 in the final seconds to finish 3-13-1, handing the Chicago Bears the #1 pick. Mere hours later, the Texans fire Smith. Too little, too late.

Houston fans appear to be taking it about as expected. Here is a small taste from their Reddit page.

Lovie Smith did what he had every right to do.

There was no reason for him to feel a sense of loyalty to the Texans. He knew he was gone, likely before the game even kicked off. Any self-respecting competitor would want to go out with a win. The Texans merely gave him added incentive to do so. Now they're in an awkward position. With Chicago holding the #1 pick, there is a genuine risk that another team will jump ahead of them in the draft to secure one of the top quarterbacks. If it ends up happening and that quarterback becomes a franchise guy, Texans fans will forever curse Smith's name.

The truth is the people they should blame is ownership. If they weren't so incompetent and impatient, Lovie Smith might've recognized the value of losing that game against the Colts. The Texans created a sleeper agent inside the organization and did nothing to stop him before he dropped a nuclear bomb on all their off-season plans. All one can do is laugh.