Tag: Cam Johnston

Texans activate RT Tytus Howard and other roster moves for Week 5

The Houston Texans have activated right tackle Tytus Howard from injured reserve. See the other five moves the team made to get ready for Week 5.

The Houston Texans made six roster moves ahead of their Week 5 tilt with the Atlanta Falcons Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Houston at last activated right tackle Tytus Howard (fractured left hand) from injured reserve after a full week of practice. The Texans also activated punter Cam Johnston (calf).

The Texans declared cornerback D’Angelo Ross and linebacker Garret Wallow their standard elevations from the practice squad to the game day roster.

Given that defensive tackle Maliek Collins (abdomen) was on the team charter headed to Atlanta, even with a questionable designation, the club released defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth from the active roster, indicating Collins may be healthy enough to play.

Houston also signed defensive end Derek Rivers to the practice squad.

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Texans special teams coach Frank Ross says P Cam Johnston has ‘gotten better as he’s gone’

Houston Texans special teams coach Frank Ross says that punter Cam Johnston has demonstrated consistent improvement throughout the 2022 season.

Punting may be one area where the Houston Texans have actually improved throughout the 2022 season.

Punter Cam Johnston is enjoying one of the best yards per punt averages of his career through nine games at 48.7. If Johnston is able to hold that figure for the next eight games, it would eclipse his career high of 48.1 set in 2018 with the Philadelphia Eagles.

According to special teams coach Frank Ross, Johnston has demonstrated improvement consistently throughout the 2022 campaign.

“Improvement has been every step of the way, he’s gotten better as he’s gone,” Ross told reporters Nov. 17. “Started out not where he wants to be, and has gotten better since then. Had a few clutch and really closer to the elite punts, one that checks back inside its own 10-yard line and the ball hits the ground and checks backwards and doesn’t go in.”

Johnston had one of his better punts against the New York Giants in the 24-16 loss at MetLife Stadium when he backed up the G-Men deep.

Said Ross of the 52-yard punt in the second quarter: “Not always easy to do and then it resulted in the ball being on the 3-yard line. That’s like the ideal version of every punt that happens, not always going to happen. That’s the strive on each one of those.”

The Giants were able to get out of the shadow of their own goalpost with a first down, but punted the ball away after the next set of downs — none of which may not have been possible if Johnston hadn’t pinned the Giants near their own goal line.

Nevertheless Ross believes Johnston and the rest of the unit has to, “continue to get better.”

The Texans take on Washington Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time from NRG Stadium.

Texans coach David Culley explains why he punted down 17-7 from the 49ers’ 41-yard line

Houston Texans coach David Culley explains why he decided to punt down 17-7 against the San Francisco 49ers at their own 41-yard line.

The Houston Texans made a conservative decision midway through the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17.

Houston trailed the 49ers 17-7 with 6:54 to go in the game. They needed a touchdown and a field goal to tie the game to extend their winning streak to three games.

Instead of going for it on third-and-8, or even sending kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn out for a 59-yard field goal, the Texans punted the football.

Coach David Culley explained after the 23-7 loss why he chose to punt the ball away rather than go with other options.

“We had three timeouts, and I felt like if we got them backed up with three timeouts, we’d be able to get a score and be able to get the ball back,” Culley said. “It didn’t work out that way. They ended up keeping the ball. But that was my thinking.”

The 49ers mounted a 10-play, 71-yard drive that melted another 3:27 off the clock and concluded with San Francisco kicker Robbie Gould adding a 27-yard field goal to extend their lead 20-7.

Incidentally the Texans ended up going for it on fourth down on the ensuing drive as they were down two touchdowns. It turned out to be the Texans’ only fourth down attempt of the game. Houston went four-and-out from their own 27-yard line and gave the ball right back to San Francisco, who added another Gould field goal, this time from 36 yards out, to establish the game’s 23-7 final score.

Texans special teams coach Frank Ross says not making Pro Bowl won’t affect P Cam Johnston

Houston Texans punter Cam Johnston did not make the Pro Bowl, but special teams coach Frank Ross doesn’t believe it will affect him.

Houston Texans punter Cam Johnston is one of two punters this season who has booted more than 70 punts this season. The other punter is the Seattle Seahawks’ Michael Dickson.

A.J. Cole from the Las Vegas Raiders will represent the AFC with his 50.6 yards per punt.

Cole hasn’t even hit the 60-punt threshold. Among such punters, only the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Logan Cooke’s 47.1 yards per punt is higher than Johnston’s 46.9.

Texans special teams coach Frank Ross doesn’t believe the lack of Pro Bowl recognition will affect Johnston for the final three games.

“I guess maybe in my own heart that stuff is nice, but you play the game not for accolades, you play the game just to be the best of yourself,” Ross said. “I think Cam, that’s not going to affect anything about any of our players. We’re going to compete every day regardless of what the outcome is. The ultimate goal is to be the best that you can possibly be, and hopefully that results in a championship. I think all those things along the way will take care of themselves.”

Johnston has punted a career high 75 times for 3,514 yards and has recorded a longest punt of 69 yards, also a career high. Although the Texans have been languishing at 3-11, Johnston has had a stupendous year personally.

“As far as how he’s played, I want him to continue to press to every punt, every rep, punt in and punt out to be executed with whatever that call or circumstance in the game will dictate, and hopefully he will do that to the best of his abilities,” said Ross.

Johnston will get opportunities to punt as the Texans take on the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Central Time at NRG Stadium.

Texans sign former Eagles punter Cam Johnston to 3-year contract

The Houston Texans have signed former Philadelphia Eagles punter Cam Johnston to a three-year contract.

The Houston Texans are revamping their special teams with the release of punter Bryan Anger and not retaining long snapper Jon Weeks.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Texans signed former Philadelphia Eagles punter Cam Johnston to a three-year contract. after Philadelphia declined to place a tender on the restricted free agent. The deal is worth $8 million and provides Johnston with a $1 million signing bonus and $3 million guaranteed.

Johnston has produced a 47 yards per punt average over the past three seasons with a 42.1 net average. In 2020, Johnston averaged 46.7 yards per punt.

The Geelong, Australia, native played his college ball for Ohio State. Johnston has had just one punt blocked in his career and has also executed two kickoffs for a 59.0 average.