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Lovie Smith is no longer an NFL head coach. However, 48 hours ago, when he still had control of the Houston Texans, it was up to him as to how the team was going to play their final game of the season.
According to Adam Schefter, Smith made the intentional decision to attempt to win the game even if it cost the Texans the top spot in the NFL Draft.
Here's how Schefter put his thoughts:
"So even when the Texans didn't need to win, they failed at failing here on Sunday. This was a franchise-altering win and you don't like to talk about wins that way, but this was incredibly costly. They won a meaningless game against the Indianapolis Colts."
Schefter continued, explaining how the head coach may have gone rogue on Sunday:
"Let's be honest here, Lovie Smith had to know that there was a real chance he wasn't going to keep his job, so he didn't care one bit what he was doing when he went out there. He was going all out to win. And if it cost the Houston Texans the number one overall pick, then so be it."
Lovie Smith fails to elevate Houston Texans in first and only season as head coach
Heading into the year, not many expected the Texans to get off to a roaring start. However, those expectations were somewhat challenged after the team started the year with a tie against the Indianapolis Colts. That said, by mid-season it was clear that fans' biggest fears had been realized.
The team was 1-3-1 going into their Week 6 bye and by Week 10, some claimed they would be surprised if the team won another game. From Week 7 until the start of Week 16, the team turned those predictions into reality.
In Week 15, the team started to come to life to the amazement of those who had been watching all season long. They reached overtime against the red-hot Kansas City Chiefs and then went on a 2-1 run to close out the year.
With their final win over the Indianapolis Colts, the team lost the top pick in the NFL Draft to the Chicago Bears. After the team finished the season 3-13-1, Lovie Smith was fired.
If any of the above quotes are used, please credit First Take and H/T Sportskeeda.
