Football fans were saying the same thing about former Houston Texans head coach Lovie Smith after the club clinched a playoff berth on Saturday.
Led by rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans, the Texans defied expectations by finishing 10-7 to clinch a playoff berth. Houston defeated the Indianapolis Colts 23-19 on Saturday to end a four-year postseason drought.
Thanks to Smith’s refusal to tank for the first overall pick a year ago, Houston got the No. 2 pick and selected Stroud after Carolina used the top selection on Bryce Young. As such, Smith’s name was being mentioned aplenty on X/Twitter after the Texans’ big win:
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In Week 18 against the Colts last year, the Texans needed a loss to clinch the top pick. After a late touchdown, Smith called for his team to attempt a two-point conversion. It was successful, and Houston won 32-31 in the season finale.
With that, the Chicago Bears got the first overall pick and wound up trading it to Carolina. Needless to say, Smith’s refusal to tank, knowing Houston was about to fire him anyway, did wonders for the franchise.