Patriots Top Choice; Texans, Lions On Monday

It only took six weeks for the first coach to be fired in the National Football League, when Tennessee cut Brian Callahan on Monday, six weeks into his second season after replacing Mike Vrabel (more on that later).

Callahan’s departure extended a recent win-now trend. The New York Jets dismissed Robert Saleh after five weeks in 2024, New Orleans dropped Dennis Allen after Week 9 and Chicago dumped Matt Eberflus after Week 14.

History shows new leadership does not guarantee a change of fortune for the strugglers. Saleh, Allen and Eberflus were a combined 8-18. Their interim replacements were 7-18 in 2024.

The 2025 replacements for the interim replacements — Aaron Glenn, Kellen Moore and Ben Johnson — are 4-13, with only the Bears’ Johnson (3-2) having much success. Glenn has dawn criticism for his game management of the 0-6 Jets.

The Titans (1-5) will open the Mike McCoy (interim) Era with a home game against the New England Patriots on the morning window Sunday.

The Monday Night doubleheader features two of the best games of the week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Detroit Lions early and the Houston Texans at the Seattle Seahawks late.

New England Patriots (4-2) at Tennessee Titans (1-5)

Sunday, CBS, 1 pm ET

First-year New England coach Vrable returns to Music City 21 months after the Titans fired him despite one of the best runs in franchise history — four consecutive winning seasons (2018-21) and three playoff appearances, the best streak since the team relocated to Nashville in 1977.

Vrable took the fall when the franchise did not live up to expectations in 2022-23 following injuries to quarterback Ryan Tannehill and a switch to rookie Will Levis, who was not to be the answer. It is the reason the Titans took Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft.

Callahan was 4-19 in one-plus seasons with the Titans, and whatever boost a coaching change can make, Ward is still in the growing-pains stage while Patriots’ quarterback Drake Maye has become a top pass/run threat in his second season after being the third player taken in the 2024 draft.

A big quarterback edge, and a big motivational edge, to the Pats’ here. Not to mention the Titans are 0-10 against the number in their last 10 at home.

The spread: Patriots -7

The money line: Patriots -360, Titans +290

The total: 41 1/2

The play: Patriots

Houston Texas (2-3) at Seattle Seahawks (4-2)

Monday, ESPN, 10 pm ET

Houston has won two in a row after an 0-3 start and has played strong defense in all five.

The Texans held the Rams to season lows in points and rushing yards (72) in a 14-9 loss on the road in the season opener, and their other losses have been to Tampa Bay and Jacksonville by eight total. The Bucs scored a touchdown with six seconds left in their 20-19 win.

DeMeco Ryans’ defense has given up scores on less than 20 percent of opponents’ possessions, two times better than the league average of 40.2 percent, according to

Seattle’s Sam Darnold has picked up where he left off in Minnesota, throwing for 1,541 yards (third in the league) and 11 touchdowns, but Houston already has found ways to limit Matthew Stafford and Baker Mayfield.

The Seahawks are 3-9 at home against the spread in coach Mike Macdonald’s two seasons, 1-2 straight up and against the spread this season this year.

The spread: Seahawks -3 1/2

The money line: Seahawks -174, Texans +146

The total: 40 1/2

The play: Texans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) at Detroit Lions (4-2)

Monday, ABC/ESPN, 7 pm ET

This will be a rematch of top NFC contenders. The Bucs pulled off a 20-16 upset in the second week of the 2024 regular season, after which the Lions became their real selves — winning 11 straight en route to the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the postseason.

Baker Mayfield has blossomed into a top five quarterback under Bucs’ head coach Todd Bowles, but he is expected to be without sidekicks running back Bucky Irving and standout rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, both dealing with injuries.

The Lions are a different team at Ford Field, and a different team after a loss. They are 8-1 in their last nine home games and 11-0 against the spread in their last 11 after a loss. They will wash away their ugly Sunday night loss at Kansas City here, even without suspended safety Brian Branch.

The spread: Lions -5 1/2

The money line: Lions -270, Buccaneers +220

The total: 52 1/2

The play: Lions

Last week: 2-1

Season: 9-11

^{Odds from FanDuel}