Every-Thing Sports

Who/What Does Bill O'Brien Remind Me Of?

Jermaine Every
Jan 21, 2020, 6:55 am
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images

Back at the beginning of December, I wrote my column on Bill O'Brien. "Time for Bill O'Brien to bleep or get off the pot" was written after they beat the Patriots on Sunday Night Football. In the opening paragraph, I called him the Grand Poobah of all things Texans. After the "reassigning" of defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel and firing of Senior Vice President of Football Administration Chris Olsen, O'Brien's power has gotten to a point in which it seems only a disaster of epic proportions could possibly remove him from power.

The Texans became the first team in NFL history to lose a playoff game by 20-plus after being ahead by 20-plus. Not even that abysmal failure was enough for the McNairs to relieve him of his duties. Him only having to answer to Cal McNair and Cal not saying anything about O'Brien's piss poor performance tells me just how powerful O'Brien is. He reminds me of several historical figures who amassed great power and/or wealth, despite being a bad person:

John Gotti

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Dubbed the "Teflon Don" for any charges brought against him to stick, Gotti took over as the boss of the Gambino family, one of the top Italian mob families in the country. He did so by murdering his predecessor and his next in line effectively seizing power by eliminating those ahead of him in the chain of command. O'Brien has done the same thing by getting rid of any and everyone in his way. Gotti was eventually caught, convicted, and died of cancer in prison. I know Texans fans are hoping for a similar fate for O'Brien.

Frank Lucas

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Frank Lucas came to mind when thinking of those who rose to power by nefarious means. He was a small time criminal until Bumpy Johnson took him under his wing. Known as the Godfather of Harlem, Johnson was plugged into the Italian mob and served as their Harlem representative for heroin sales and distribution. When Johnson died of a heart attack, Lucas took over. Eventually, Lucas found a way to cut the Italian mob out when he discovered a direct line to heroin from Asia. Lucas was eventually caught and convicted, then snitched on over 100 others. Bill Belichick was O'Brien's Johnson. However, he's yet to find his own path.

Al Capone

fbi.gov

Al "Scarface" Capone was the co-founder of the Chicago arm of the Italian mob. He was one of the first famous gangsters back in the 1920s and 1930s. He ordered the infamous "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" in which he ordered the murders of seven members of a rival gang on Chicago's Northside in an attempt to eliminate the competition. This earned him "Public Enemy #1" moniker in the newspapers. He was ultimately jailed on income evasion charges of all things. He died at age 48 from complications of syphilis. When one thinks of how much blood-letting O'Brien has done, one could only hope something small and simple brings him down as well. He's become "famous" for being a buffoon of a coach and de facto GM, yet having complete power and authority.

Omar from HBO's "The Wire"

HBO.com

Omar Little was a fictional character from a tv show that most regard as one of the best shows ever. He was the guy who robbed the drug dealers as well as extorted them. The fact that Omar was gay only played a part in his character's story when one of his lovers was brutally murdered to get back at him. When Omar hit the block, even the most hardcore gangsters ran. He ended up testifying against an enemy (snitched) and sent him to jail, but wasn't killed because of it. What actually killed him was a kid, Kenard, who shot him in the head at a corner store. Too bad the Chiefs loss or the Jadeveon Clowney debacle didn't "Kenard" O'Brien.

These men have ultimately met their demise one way or another. What's curious is how so often their ends are met by unseen means. None of them died in a drawn out gun battle and only Gotti died in prison. While Omar is fictional, his death at the hands of a child was not something anyone saw coming. Lucas was a snitch who lived long enough to see movies made about him and died at age 88. Capone was the peculiar one who died from an STD after being jailed for not paying taxes. Different endings for different men, but all of them were eventually taken out. O'Brien will be taken out as well. The question remains: what will take him out? Will it be him retiring and walking away similarly to Lucas, or will he be taken out by a Kenard (Ex: trading premium draft capital for Laremy Tunsil, but not resigning him)?

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TE Darren Fells on his return to the Texans, "It's awesome to have a home"

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Up 14-0 with 1:27 left in the first quarter, the Houston Texans stood 2nd and goal after recovering a muffed punt by Chiefs' wide receiver, Tyreek Hill. With a chance to capitalize on Kansas City's misfortune, Deshaun Watson connected with tight end Darren Fells to complete a four-yard touchdown pass.

It was Fells' eighth touchdown of the season, as the Texans took a 21-0 lead over the Chiefs. By the time Houston walked off the field at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs mounted a 51-31 comeback victory to advance to the AFC Championship Game.

"We let one get away," Fells told Houston SportsMap. "It was a lot of shock at the beginning, as we did not expect the game to go the way it did in the first quarter. The biggest thing was we lost focus too soon, and it is extremely tough to play against a team like Kansas City when you let them score too many points so fast. It is one of the most heartbreaking ways to end your season, but I know for sure we will be more hungry this upcoming year."

The Texans postseason elimination marked a bitter end to a career year for Fells. In 2019, he started 14 out of a possible 16 games played and finished the season with 34 receptions for 341 yards. With a career-high seven touchdowns, Fells set a franchise record for the most end-zone receptions by a tight end and finished the year ranked third in the league at his position.

For the first time since his departure from the Cardinals in 2017, the 33-year-old California native is entering a season with a sense of stability. Fells played for two different organizations (Lions and Browns) before he arrived in Houston during the spring of 2019. He exceeded expectations on a one-year contract, which led to the Texans' decision to retain his services on a two-year deal worth $7 million.

"It meant a lot to me and my family," he said. "We love Houston and the Texans. They were like a family to us, and being able to come back to our family in a sense is awesome. Talking with [Bill] O'Brien and how excited they are to have me back, it's just awesome being able to come back and have a home."

Under the stewardship of O'Brien, the former pro basketball player flourished during his first season in Houston. Unlike his previous two stops, the Texans game-plan to utilize Fells on the field allowed him to showcase his full potential as a versatile tight end, and one who could contribute beyond his blocking.

"The Texans wanted to use me differently than the other teams," Fells said. "Every other team I've been on I was a blocking tight end, and that was first and foremost. Houston felt I could help them out in different ways, and during OTAs and training camp, they saw me more as a complete tight end versus just a blocker. I always felt I had all the aspects of a tight end, and this was the first time a team wanted to utilize that part of my game."

The biggest beneficiary from Fells' game play was that of Watson. An on-field relationship based on trust, Fells provided Watson with a reliable target each week — most notably due to their connection in the red zone. On a Sunday afternoon inside NRG Stadium in Houston, the Watson to Fells tandem was on full display during the Texans' 27-24 victory against the then-Oakland Raiders.

Down by four midway through the fourth quarter, Watson threw a nine-yard touchdown pass to Fells as the Texans took their first lead of the game. It was the second time the duo connected in the end zone, as two of Watson's three touchdown passes came from Fells — who ended the day with six catches for 58 yards on six targets.

Deshaun Watson's TD pass to Darren Fells media.giphy.com

"That play is the definition of who Deshaun Watson is," he said. "With his skill sets, he is one of those guys where the play is never over, and he can make things happen out of nothing. And his knowledge of the game is amazing as well. For him to get kicked in the eye and still manage to throw that touchdown pass — it shows what kind of player and person he is."

The chemistry and familiarity built with Fells is one Watson may rely heavily on to start the 2020 season. The Texans made some drastic changes to their roster this offseason, including parting ways with their All-Pro receiver, DeAndre Hopkins. With Hopkins delt to the Cardinals, the trade will reunite Fells with his former teammate — running back David Johnson (2014-2017).

"I am extremely excited to be back with my former Cardinal teammate [Johnson]," Fells said. "He's an extremely dynamic running back who can do a little bit of it all. If you look back at his highlights on what he has done in the past, when he is out there healthy and feeling good, he is an extremely dominant running back."

As Fells tries to build off the success of a career season, he is met with the same challenges and hurdles millions of Americans are facing in their day-to-day lives due to the on-going pandemic of COVID-19.

Residing in Arizona at the moment, the closing of gyms and facilities across the state has hindered Fells' capability to train for the upcoming season. While trying to prepare for the 2020 season, the uncertainties surrounding the NFL are far from his daily concerns as a husband and a father.

"My biggest worry right now isn't the season," Fells said. "My biggest concern right now is my family and making sure everyone is okay. If the season is cut in half by any chance, I know my teammates and I will make the best of it."

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