HOUSTON — The Houston Texans fired coach and general manager Bill O’Brien on Monday.

The firing comes a day after Sunday’s 31-23 loss to the Vikings dropped the Texans to 0-4 for the first time since 2008.

After assuming the role of general manager in the offseason, O’Brien received almost universal criticism when he shipped superstar receiver DeAndre Hopkins to Arizona for running back David Johnson and draft picks.

The pressure on O’Brien only intensified as the Texans limped out to the terrible start with Johnson struggling as their running game was the worst in the NFL and with the defense allowing the most yards in the league.

O’Brien was in his seventh season in Houston where he compiled a 52-48 record. He won the AFC South four times in his tenure, including the past two years.

Team owner Cal McNair announced the decision Monday and thanked O’Brien for his work with the team.

“Bill’s leadership moved our organization forward as he guided us to four AFC South division championships, 52 wins and multiple playoff appearances during his tenure,” McNair said in a statement. “Bill proved himself as a coach and leader in this league. I spoke with him earlier today and told him we are moving in a different direction.”

Romeo Crennel, who was the team’s assistant head coach, will serve as interim coach for the rest of the season.

“We have a talented team and I have no doubt our players and staff will rally to make Texans fans proud as we aim to win championships and do great things for the city of Houston,” McNair said.

VIRUS: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has warned the league’s 32 teams of penalties including potential forfeits of games for violations of COVID-19 protocols that force changes in the regular-season schedule.

In a memo sent to the teams Monday after a conference call involving NFL and club executives, Goodell reiterated the need to adhere fully to all of the league’s health and safety guidelines.

“Protocol violations that result in virus spread requiring adjustments to the schedule or otherwise impacting other teams will result in additional financial and competitive discipline, including the adjustment or loss of draft choices or even the forfeit of a game,” Goodell wrote in the memo obtained by The Associated Press.

“Simply put, compliance is mandatory. Now is the time to recommit ourselves to our protocols and best practices for the duration of the season.”

The NFL was forced to reschedule Sunday’s game between the Steelers and Titans when Tennessee had the league’s first coronavirus outbreak, which has affected 20 organization members, including 10 players. That game was moved to Week 7, causing adjustments that also impacted the Baltimore Ravens.

New England’s game at Kansas City was moved from Sunday to Monday night after Patriots quarterback Cam Newton tested positive for COVID-19.

RAIDERS: Darren Waller and several teammates have been fined for attending his charity event that violated COVID-19 protocols.

A person familiar with the punishment said Waller was fined $30,000 and his teammates were docked $15,000 each for their actions at last week’s fundraiser for his foundation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the punishments weren’t announced by the league.

Among the players seen in attendance were quarterbacks Derek Carr and Nathan Peterman, tight ends Jason Witten, Foster Moreau and Derek Carrier, receivers Zay Jones and Hunter Renfrow, cornerback Nevin Lawson, offensive lineman Erik Magnuson, and Waller.

Players were seen without their masks mingling with guests, who also didn’t have face coverings. The city of Henderson fined the DragonRidge Country Club $2,000 for four violations of the Nevada governor’s COVID-19 emergency directives, including people not wearing masks and more than 50 people at the event.

GIANTS: Coach Joe Judge said his players told him that Jalen Ramsey threw the first punch and Golden Tate was only defending himself.

So Judge didn’t see an “immediate need” to discipline Tate for Sunday’s postgame fight with the Rams’ cornerback. And a source indicated to the Daily News that NFL suspensions are not anticipated for either Tate or Ramsey, though they still could be fined.

“First off, I don’t want John Mara or Steve Tisch or anybody involved with this team to have to deal with something like this after the game,” Judge said. “This isn’t why we play the game. We have 60 minutes to beat the hell out of each other legally between the whistles. We don’t need anything extra after.

“There’s a number of things we still have to look through as a team, but based on the information I was given, and what I saw with my own eyes and what our players gave me, it didn’t sound like there was an immediate need for (disciplining Tate). But we’ll look into it if there is. Obviously we’ll always take care of our players.”

JETS: QB Sam Darnold and the New York Jets will need to wait a few more days before they know if he has a shot at playing next Sunday.

The quarterback has a sprained right shoulder that could limit him at practice – if he’s able to throw at all – when the team begins its on-field preparations for Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals.

Darnold sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder last Thursday night when he was sacked late in the first quarter by Denver’s Alexander Johnson. The third-year quarterback stayed in for one more play and handed the ball off before heading to the locker room to be examined.

He appeared to have avoided serious injury when he came back into the game during the Jets’ next offensive series. But it’s unclear whether he’ll be healthy enough to play against the Cardinals. The team says Darnold’s status hasn’t changed since Friday – when Coach Adam Gase said “anything’s on the table” – and it will see how the shoulder is feeling Wednesday.

BROWNS: The Cleveland Browns can have 12,000 fans – double the number from their first two games – inside FirstEnergy Stadium for this week’s home game against Indianapolis.

The team is being granted the increase by the Ohio Department of Health, which informed the team of its decision in an email to the organization.

The Browns had hoped to get more fans after successful games against Cincinnati and Washington. The state initially granted the team a variance to allow fans, and the Browns implemented strict safety protocols

On Sunday, the Browns beat the Dallas Cowboys in front of 25,021 fans at AT&T Stadium.

• Powerful Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb will miss “several weeks” with a sprained ligament in his right knee.

Chubb injured his medial collateral ligament in the first quarter of Sunday’s 49-38 win over the Cowboys, moving the Browns to 3-1 for the first time in 19 years.

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