WHAT WE LEARNED: NFL WEEK FIVE

Let’s get into it, because for maybe a whole day, the NFL season seemed to be on the ropes.

THE NFL HAS NOT DEFEATED COVID-19

As the college football conferences continue to cover up their own coronavirus numbers and break outs, the NFL has been pleasantly transparent as they put on a season amidst a once in a century global pandemic. Through the first three weeks of the season, it went off without a hitch.

Week four was all hitch. The NFL was hitched right in the hitcher.

Because the Tennessee Titans are based in Tennessee (as am I), one of the worst states in the country for public COVID-19 policy, they were hit with the league’s first real outbreak. Eventually it was discovered that 20 players and staff members were infected with the virus.

Cam Newton tested positive, costing him a start for the New England Patriots in one of their biggest games of the year against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs themselves didn’t go unscathed as scout team QB Jordan Ta’amu also was flagged for COVID-19. Of course, that’s quite the different hit for each team.

As the league scrambled to test all the players, the Pats-Chiefs game was moved from Sunday to Monday and played. The Titans and their opponent the Pittsburgh Steelers weren’t so lucky.

Their Week Four match up became a bye for both teams, and their game moved to Week Seven. The Steelers, who were supposed to play the Baltimore Ravens in Week Seven, now see that game pushed to Week Eight. And that’s if everything else goes off without a hitch.

Let’s not count on it.

With tests coming positive league-wide, a sense of doom loomed over us as Saturday hit. Luckily, for NFL and its fanbase, that was the worst of it. The Patriots got automatically handed a loss by starting Brian Hoyer (and eventually playing Jarrett Stidham), but what can you do? A positive coronavirus test for just one person is just like an injury. Next man up. And hopefully that man has been wearing a mask and avoiding lapdances on his days off.

The bright side is, the NFL’s system works. Everyone, including the media and fanbase, are included every step of the way and, in doing that, they’re mitigating a disaster that will surely befall college football over the next month.

As of this writing, the Titans have no more positive tests and should be able to field a COVID-less team as they host the 4-0 Buffalo Bills Sunday in a battle of unbeaten teams.

TEXANS HEAD COACH BILL O’BRIEN GOT HIM AND HIS GENERAL MANAGER FIRED

It might be unconventional. It might not be how it’s usually done, but I sit here commending the Houston Texans for firing their inept head coach and general manager after an 0-4 start. Both guys just happen to be Bill O’Brien.

We can all say that the writing was on the wall for O’Brien, but the line between a guy that should be fired and a guy that actually gets fired can sometimes be pretty wide. Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia and Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn should have both been shot out the airlock after last season, but their respective teams both decided to give them another chance. It has not worked out.

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn somehow avoided any hot seat talk in spite of scooping shovel after shovel of smoldering coals under his barcalounger.

Firings during the season happen all the time. They usually come between Halloween and Thanksgiving. O’Brien got the ax before the clocks went back to standard time. That’s rare. It was justly deserved, but rare.

There’s always a lot of somber reflection from sports punditry when these firings happen. Everyone wants to react in such a way as to reflect on the man’s humanity and the fact that he tried his best.

Not me. He sucked at his job and was paid millions of dollars to do it. As long as he opened a savings account and didn’t live like MC Hammer during Hammertime, he’ll be fine if he never works again. Frankly, I don’t know what he showed as head coach of the Texans that would make anyone hire him to do anything.

But he’ll probably get a job as an offensive coordinator somewhere. Probably back in New England if Josh McDaniels ever takes a head coaching job. More than likely in Miami with Brian Flores. NFL coaches are harder to get rid of than STDs.

O’Brien’s canning has now officially started the clock on his fellow horrible head coaches currently updating their resumes. The team that pulls the trigger first usually lands the best head coach. The Los Angeles Rams fired Jeff Fisher before Christmas in 2016 and got Sean McVay as their present from Santa. The Washington Football Team booted Jay Gruden after an 0-5 start and landed Ron Rivera.

The Texans, who still field a Super Bowl caliber roster in spite of O’Brien’s best efforts as GM, will be the best available job in the NFL this coming offseason (barring a shocker) and now they get a three-month jump on everyone else in their coaching search.

So who’s next? The smart money is on Patricia or Quinn. If the Falcons lose to the Carolina Panthers at home Sunday, you have to think that’s the end of that sordid affair. The Lions have stumbled into a bye this weekend. They travel to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 18 in what has to be a must win game for Patricia to keep his beard covered in a Lions-colored facemask.

We could very well see two more coaches fired in consecutive weeks. And, frankly, we should.

The writing is on the wall for the New York Jets’ Adam Gase as well, though that entire organization needs to push the reset button, salt and set fire to their offices and maybe bring in a priest. Doug Marrone of the aforementioned Jags could be safe because his team is in tank mode (whether they can pull it off or not) and the fact that the Chargers remain competitive and rookie QB Justin Herbert is looking like the real deal will likely keep Lynn’s seat just lukewarm for the season.

And then there’s Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys. Easily the worst hire of the offseason, McCarthy was handed the keys to a Lamborghini and has promptly driven it into the nearest flaming porta-john. They are an historic Falcons collapse away from starting the season 0-4. They get a reprieve with the New York Giants this week, but if Dallas finishes .500 or below, Jerry Jones will have to know he’s made a horrible mistake.

Follow our BetOnline Twitter account for the latest sports news and betting odds, and stay tuned on the Instagram feed for more good information too.