One of many few issues the Houston Texans did properly final season was lose, and although that was all they wanted to do within the ultimate week of the season to make sure that they’d have the primary total choose, they not solely defeated the Colts however — the audacity! — actually tried to win, too.
That day in Indianapolis, a confluence of unbelievable occasions within the ultimate 90 seconds produced a Houston victory that rattled the highest of the draft, enabling Carolina to ultimately purchase the No. 1 choose, and hastened the dismissal hours later of Coach Lovie Smith, who, rightfully, cared extra about successful that sport than the viability of a staff he wouldn’t be main in 2023, anyway.
The butterflies at Lucas Oil Stadium began flapping their wings late within the fourth quarter, with Houston trailing by 7, when quarterback Davis Mills accomplished a 30-yard move on fourth-and-12.
4 performs later, on fourth-and-20, Mills heaved a move towards the tip zone. It sailed by the arms of a Colts defender and landed within the arms of tight finish Jordan Akins for a 28-yard landing with 50 seconds left.
Somewhat than ship out the kicking unit for a possible game-tying additional level, Smith pursued victory and went for the 2-point conversion. Mills zipped a move to Akins. Houston led, 32-31, and beat the Colts, one other nonplayoff staff, by that rating. On his approach to shake arms at midfield afterward, Smith appeared to take a look at the scoreboard and smile.
As a substitute of ending with the league’s worst report, and thus incomes the possibility to draft their alternative quarterback unimpeded, the Texans dropped to No. 2.
Vaulting forward of them have been the Chicago Bears, who, assured in their very own younger quarterback, Justin Fields, felt comfy auctioning off the No. 1 choice for an enormous return.
In got here Carolina, which had been selecting ninth. Final month, the Panthers despatched Chicago a bundle that included the No. 9 choose, a first-rounder in subsequent yr’s draft and the star receiver D.J. Moore.
When the primary spherical begins Thursday evening, the Panthers are virtually sure to take a quarterback — both Bryce Younger of Alabama, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State or Will Levis of Kentucky.
The Texans might take certainly one of them, or they might not. And the Bears, flush with draft selections, will once more thank the Texans and thank Smith, who, 10 years after Chicago fired him as head coach, simply might need accelerated the group’s return to prominence.
