Tag: Bills vs. Texans

Texans K Ka’imi Fairbairn earns AFC Special Teams Player of the Week

For the second time this season, the Houston Texans feature the league’s best kicker.

Another Sunday, another 55-plus yard field goal from Ka’imi Fairbairn to help bail the Houston Texans out of trouble.

Another Wednesday, another accolade from the NFL’s front office.

For the second time this season,  Fairbairn was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week following yet another record-setting performance that helped lead the team to a 23-20 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

The Texans have now moved the team to 4-1 on the season and are looking for their best start since 2012.

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“We got a lot more work to do,” Fairbairn said Wednesday. “I think guys know that. We’re trying to get better every day. That’s the main goal.”

Fairbairn connected on all three field goal attempts and totaled 11 points, surpassing Kris Brown to become the Texans’ all-time leading scorer with 773 points tallied over his career.

“A stat like that, becoming the all-time leader, is not something you can do alone, so you need everybody to get those points,” Fairbairn said. “I plan on scoring a lot more. I’m very grateful.”

Two of his three field goals were once again from beyond 50 yards, marking his seventh and eighth such field goals made this season. His eight field goals made from at least 50 yards are the most in a single season in franchise history, currently lead the NFL, and are the most in NFL history through the first five games of a season.

With two seconds remaining, Fairbairn booted a 59-yard kick through the uprights as time expired, becoming the 12th kicker in NFL history to connect on a game-winning field goal from at least 59 yards.

“It’s comforting to know you have a guy who can hit it at that critical moment,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Sunday.

This marks Fairbairn’s fourth time winning AFC Special Teams Player of the Week. It also marks the second time this season after picking up the title in Week 2’s 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears.

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“Experience always helps,” Fairbairn said. “This one was no different.”

The Texans travel to Gillette Stadium to take on the New England Patriots on Sunday at noon CT.

Texans Wire Player Of The Game: K Ka’imi Fairbairn

Ka’imi Fairbairn has ice in his cleats once again to secure a 23-20 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

If a player makes history, they win the weekly accolade.

Ka’imi Fairbairn’s game-winning 59-yard field goal over the Buffalo Bills was just the cherry on top of a record-setting day in the Houston Texans’ 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills.

In the third quarter, Fairbairn drilled a 47-yard field goal to put Houston up 20-3. That kick made the longtime kicker the franchise’s all-time leader in points.

“This is a special one,” Fairbairn said postgame. “I don’t take it lightly. A guy I definitely have to shout out is Jon Weeks. He’s been with me every step of the way, every single snap.

“A stat like that doesn’t happen without everybody involved. Offense, defense, special teams, everyone was coming together. I’m happy, it’s incredible.”

Eight years into his NFL career, Fairbairn is aging like fine wine. Kicks back in the 2018 season would seem out of reach are now becoming common themes while keeping Houston’s potential path to a No. 1 seed in the AFC alive.

This season has been all about the Fairbairn field goals. In Week 2’s win over the Chicago Bears, he drilled a 59-yarder to bail out the offense. Last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, his 30-yard poot punt went right down the middle.

On Sunday, Fairbain was perfect once more, making attempts from 50 yards, 47 yards and the game-winning from the H for “The H.”

“We already know what Ka’imi’s capable of,” said receiver Tank Dell. “He’s a great kicker and he did what he had to do. He did his job. Congratulations to him.”

If the season were to end tomorrow, Fairbairn would be Houston’s Most Valuable Player. He’s currently missed one field goal from over 50 yards and has a success rate of 90 percent. Fairbairn also is a perfect 7-of-7 in attempts at NRG Stadium.

“I was taking my padds off,” defensive back Jalen Pitre said of the kick. “I knew he was going to hit it. We see it every day in practice so I knew.”

For that reason, plus the ice in his veins when asked to drill long shots of what seems like easy money, Fairbairn is Texans Wire’s Player of the Game for Week 5. This is the second time he’s taken home the hardware from us this season, making him the first multi-winning recipient.

It probably won’t be the last, either.

Instant analysis: Ka’imi Fairbairn’s game-winning field goal secures 23-20 win

Ka’imi Fairbairn’s can’t-miss leg secured the Houston Texans another win on Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium.

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

The Houston Texans love the theatrics.

A week after C.J. Stroud threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Dare Ogunbowale with 18 seconds remaining against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ka’imi Fairbairn drained a 59-yard field goal as time expired to secure a 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium.

The Texans improved to 4-1 and 3-0 at home before hitting the road for two games. Stroud, a favorite to win the MVP, threw for 331 yards and a touchdown while completing 73.7 percent of his passes.

Houston jumped out to an early 17-6 lead entering halftime thanks to a pair of touchdowns from Cam Akers and Nico Collins. Fairbairn, who became the Texans’ all-time leader in points, also drilled a 50-yard field goal to close out the second quarter.

But Josh Allen and the Bills never broke despite bending their will. They rallied to outscore the Texans 17-3 in the second half. Keon Coleman’s 49-yard reception on fourth-and-5 put Buffalo within three with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Allen, who entered Sunday as the MVP favorite, was 9 of 30 for 131 yards and picked up another 54 with his legs. He evaded a sack on third down with 3:18 remaining to set up a 33-yard field goal for Tyler Bass.

The Texans had a chance to put the game out of reach midway through the fourth quarter and were driving after back-to-back first-down gains. Stroud tried to find Stefon Diggs for first down, but the pass was intercepted by Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard.

On the ensuing drive, defensive end Dawuane Smoot’s strip-sack of Stroud on third down gave Buffalo the ball at the 15-yard line. Allen left on the previous drive to be evaluated for a concussion, yet somehow managed to return to set up the Bass field goal.

Robert Woods returned a punt 13 yards to put Houston at midfield after the defense forced a three-and-out. Dare Ogunbowale had a 5-yard run to set up Fairbairn for the game-winner.

After drilling a 61-yard field goal earlier this season, a 59-yarder felt like a chip shot.

Diggs, who was traded to Houston this offseason after spending four seasons with the Bills, finished with a team-leading six receptions for 82 yards.

Collins, who entered Saturday as the NFL’s leading receiver, caught two passes for 78 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown in the first quarter before leaving with a hamstring injury.

The Texans travel to face off against the New England Patriots next Sunday at noon CT.

Eagles fan TV watch guide: 5 games to watch in Week 5

The Eagles (2-2) are off for the Week 5 bye. Although Philadelphia fans won’t be able to see their favorite team, there are still plenty of viable NFL games to watch on the national and local television schedule. There are matchups full of star …

The Eagles (2-2) are off for the Week 5 bye. Although Philadelphia fans won’t be able to see their favorite team, there are still plenty of viable NFL games to watch on the national and local television schedule.

There are matchups full of star power and several that feature revenge factors or playoff implications.

With the Sunday slate of games set to begin, we’re looking at five games for fans to watch.

Philadelphia will face both teams in the coming weeks, which will give Eagles fans an opportunity to scout two of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow. In the Ravens’ four wins over quarterback Joe Burrow, Baltimore has held Cincinnati’s wide receivers to an average of 119.7 yards. In the Ravens’ three losses to Burrow, Baltimore allowed the Bengals’ wide receivers to average 287.3 yards.

Philadelphia will face both of these teams, and it’s an exciting storyline that features two of America’s most-watched franchises. The Cowboys will be without their two best players on defense, Micah Parsons (ankle) and DeMarcus Lawrence (foot), facing the 10th-best rushing offense. Pittsburgh’s offense has averaged 34.5 rushing attempts per game despite averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. The Cowboys are 27th in run defense but gave up just 26 rushing yards last week.

Philadelphia will face Cleveland in Week 6, while two upcoming matchups against Washington loom. Washington’s defense played its best game last week against Arizona, holding the Cardinals to 115 total passing yards and sacking quarterback Kyler Murray four times. Nick Chubbs could return for the Browns, and the Commanders have struggled versus the run, allowing 5.3 yards per carry, which ranks 31st in the NFL. The Browns rank 17th, rushing the ball at 4.3 yards per carry.

An early morning game in London will feature Aaron Rodgers and the Jets against the NFC’s top team, the Minnesota Vikings. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson has had a touchdown reception in every game this season; with one on Sunday, he can join Randy Moss (2004) as the only player in Vikings history to receive a touchdown in each of the team’s first five games.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud has thrown seven passing touchdowns and zero interceptions in his past five home games. Houston wide receiver Stefon Diggs will face off against his former team, the Buffalo Bills.

Report: Texans RB Dameon Pierce’s Week 5 status revealed

Dameon Pierce won’t suit up on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills despite returning to practice Friday afternoon.

Despite returning to practice for the first time in three weeks, Dameon Pierce will wait at least until Week 6 before taking the field.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Pierce will miss his fourth consecutive game Sunday against the Buffalo Bills due to a hamstring injury. Pierce was always going to be a game-time decision after being limited on Friday.

Pierce hasn’t played since Week 1 after totaling nine offensive snaps and carried three times for 16 yards against Indianapolis. His return would have been beneficial since Joe Mixon has been ruled out for a third straight week due to an ankle injury.

Cam Akers will likely lead Houston’s backfield for the third straight game, with Dare Ogunbowale serving as his primary backup. The Texans also elevated J.J. Taylor from the practice squad.

Houston’s inability to run the ball has hindered the offensive success over the last three games. In Sunday’s win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston averaged 3.9 yards between Akers, Taylor and Ogunbowale.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs scored a touchdown on an 8-yard run in the first quarter.

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.

Texans vs. Bills: Three key starters out for Buffalo

Three key names won’t be suiting up for the Buffalo Bills this Sunday against the Houston Texans.

The Houston Texans will be without Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon on Sunday at NRG Stadium.

The Buffalo Bills will be without more.

Wide receiver Khalil Shakir, defensive tackles Ed Oliver and Austin Johnson and safety Taylor Rapp were all ruled out by coach Sean McDermott on Friday, according to the injury report.

Both teams enter Sunday at 3-1 and very well could be competing for the No. 2 ranking in the AFC behind the Kansas City Chiefs.

Johnson (oblique), Rapp (concussion protocol) and Shakir (ankle) have not practiced this week after suffering injuries during Sunday’s loss against the Baltimore Ravens. Oliver started the week as a limited participant before suffering a hamstring issue in practice.

After Stefon Diggs was traded to the Texans, Shakir took over as the Bills’ leading receiver. Through four games, the third-year receiver has caught 18 of 19 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns.

With Shakir out, veteran Curtis Samuel should take over as the slot receiver in an expanded role opposite rookie Keon Coleman and Mack Hollins.

Left tackle Dion Dawkins (hamstring) is expected to play after being taken off the injury list. With Olivier’s absence, Buffalo must rely on DaQuon rookie DeWayne Carter and Zion Logue.

The front seven has been a concern for the Bills, espeically with its ground presence. Last week, Buffalo allowed 271 rushing yards against the Ravens, 199 of which came against All-Pro Derrick Henry.

“When I watched the tape, Baltimore seemed far more like an anomaly than a norm. They had some mental mistakes that happened that created some plays that really haven’t shown up on their tape,” Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. “They give some yards in the run game but over the course of the game they don’t believe you are going to keep doing it and keep doing it, eventually they will get you to a third down and they are pretty good in third down. It is a challenge for us.”

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT.