BEST BET Texans figure to get boost without O’Brien

Timing is everything in the NFL. If Bill O’Brien had the Bears’ first- month schedule — the Lions, Giants, Falcons and Colts — he’d likely still be the Texans’ coach today.

Instead, the Texans opened with the Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers and Vikings. That’s arguably the two best teams in the NFL, a rejuvenated perennial contender in the Steelers and an underachieving Vikings team that was due to play closer to form.

So when the Texans went 0- 4 against that schedule, O’Brien was fired as coach and general manager. Obviously, there was more to it than just the bad start.

The Texans had a winning record in five of O’Brien’s six full seasons and made the playoffs in four of them, but they never seriously contended for the Super Bowl.

O’Brien went 2- 4 in the playoffs and never reached the AFC Championship Game, and the Texans’ postseason demise was always a huge letdown. His playoff losses were by 18, 30, 14 and 20 points — capped by last year’s 51- 31 loss to the Chiefs in which the Texans blew a 24- 0 lead. O’Brien further greased the skids by trading wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

So now what? J. J. Watt referred to the coaching change as “a fresh start.” As successful as the Texans were under O’Brien, it’s likely this will give them an immediate boost. The last time the likeable Romeo Crennel took over in midseason, the Chiefs beat the 13- 0 Packers 19- 14 as 11oe- point dogs in 2011, so ...

Pick: Texans 31, Jaguars 17.