Bye, Bye, Bill

FIRSTLY welcome to Fourth and 15. Another British take on all things NFL from a proud Colts fan #ForTheShoe!

I'll be sharing my thoughts on the news around the NFL and we have to start with the first head coach firing of the new season and we're only in Week 4! Black Monday could soon be a thing of the past if this continues.

Here's my immediate take on Bill O'Brien, he tried to be like Belichick and failed. There ain't nobody in the NFL today who can act as HC and GM - there's simply too much to do. When Darth Maul does ride off into the sunset in New England, Robert Kraft will need a GM to work with Josh McCoward (that is how you spell McDaniels in this house)

I know the Texans had a rough schedule to start the season so 0-4 is no surprise but if you want full control of the franchise you have to deliver, you have to go into Pittsburgh and win, you have to run the Chiefs close then they did.

You have to utilise one of the finest QB's in the league today better than O'Brien managed. I can't imagine Deshaun Watson is packing his bags and hanging up his cleats in Houston this evening at the O'Brien's demise.

Yes O'Brien took them to the playoffs but lets take a look at their last two visits to the post Christmas party. In 2018 they had home-field advantage against my Colts and basically stunk the place out as Lord Andrew Luck took us to a 21-7 win.

Last year was worse for the Texans, the Bills rode into Houston and were one quarter away from handed O'Brien another short playoff journey. A combination of Josh Allen forgetting he was an NFL quarterback and Watson turning up the gas as the star I think he will become saw the Texans home in OT,.

What happened next? The Chiefs stuck 50 points past them despite the Texans racing into a 24-0 lead after which the score was an embarrassing 51-7 against O'Brien's side.

He took an good roster into the playoffs, but there's the problem again. As GM he needed to put the pieces together to go from good to great, instead he took a good roster and hampered it with some simply awful trades.

DeAndre Hopkins GONE to the Cardinals for David Johnson and a second round pick. Two problems with this Johnson hasn't pumped in the numbers since 2016 at wide receiver because of injury and the state of the Cardinals offence. Oh and you give away your number 1 WR for a second round pick in the year you don't have a first round pick in the draft!

The thing is that's just one of a host of examples I could give you. O'Brien was simply awful at deal making, often waiting until it was too late and spending vital draft capital.

I'd imagine the McNair family won't be seeking an all powerful replacement for O'Brien who will resurface somewhere, he's clearly a good football coach and by all accounts an honourable, decent man.

So long Bill, hopefully that's two divisional wins for the Colts sewn up this year!