Tag: Frank Ross

Texans CB Kris Boyd fined for penalty in AFC Divisional Round game

Kris Boyd’s unsportsmanlike conduct call now has cost him a bit of cash.

While Henry To’oTo’o and Will Anderson Jr. avoided the fines from the NFL, Houston Texans cornerback Kris Boyd did not.

The league fined Boyd $8,056 for unsportsmanlike conduct for throwing his helmet across the field after forcing a fumble before exuberantly shoving special teams coordinator Frank Ross.

On the opening play of Saturday’s 23-14 loss at Arrowhead Stadium, Boyd forced a fumble after a 63-yard return from Nikko Remigio. As the ball bounced on the ground, the veteran cornerback tossed his helmet, thinking that Houston had recovered.

Instead, the Chiefs picked up 15 yards on the penalty. As he headed toward the sideline toward Ross, Boyd shoved the coach.

“I was just too excited,” Boyd said. “I did something I shouldn’t have done. I shouldn’t have done it, keep my helmet on.”

When asked about shoving Ross, Boyd said it was out of love and not anger.

“That’s not in my character,” Boyd said. “I love everybody here. I love my coaches. I would never disrespect anybody. I love Frank. I’m a God-fearing man. I respect everybody in that building.”

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans offered a similar response to the situation when asked about the perceived altercation online.

“I don’t think he was pushing Frank in a disrespectful manner. I think it was more, so he was fired-up, overly fired-up and thought he made a play to help us,” Ryans said. “So, that narrative that he’s pushing a coach, that is incorrect.”

The second-year coach was still upset that the action cost Houston 15 yards, even if the defense forced Kansas City to settle for a field goal.

“We can’t lose our minds in that sense of taking our helmet off, we still have to remain poised. You cannot take your helmet off in a game,” Ryans said.  Everyone knows and understand the rules. So instead of helping us, it ended up hurting us.”

Texans’ DeMeco Ryans not concerned with Kris Boyd incident in playoff game

DeMeco Ryans wasn’t concerned with the altercation on the field between Kris Boyd and special teams coach Frank Ross, but rather what led to it.

Kris Boyd drew headlines after shoving Houston Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross on the opening play of the AFC Divisional Round matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans was more upset that the special teams’ star threw his helmet off before the play was over, resulting in a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, setting up Kansas City inside the red zone.

“We can’t lose our minds in that sense of taking our helmet off, we still have to remain poised,” Ryans said on Monday. “You cannot take your helmet off in a game. Everyone knows and understands the rules. So instead of helping us, it ended up hurting us.”

Boyd said after the game that he was “turnt” after causing a fumble and thought Houston had recovered the ball. When he came to the sidelines, the shove was out of enthusiasm and the situation was a big misunderstanding.

“That’s not in my character,” Boyd said. “I love everybody here. I love my coaches. I would never disrespect anybody. I love Frank. I’m a God-fearing man. I respect everybody in that building.”

When asked about the situation, Ryans echoed a similar thought.


“I don’t think he was pushing Frank in a disrespectful manner. I think it was more, so he was fired-up, overly fired-up and thought he made a play to help us,” Ryans said. “So, that narrative that he’s pushing a coach, that is incorrect.”

Boyd apologized to Ross and re-entered the game after Houston tied it 3-3 following a 30-yard field goal from Ka’imi Fairbairn. The 15 yards wouldn’t lead to a touchdown, but it did factor into a 23-14 loss at Arrowhead Stadium.

Still, Ryans was far from pleased with Houston starting Saturday off on the wrong foot, whether or not Ross and Boyd made amends afterward.

“That’s not what we teach, that’s not what we’re about at all,” Ryans said Saturday. “For us to be here in this moment and to throw our helmet? We know the rules and we know we can’t do that. It just puts us in a negative light to start the game. We give them a big return, we take our helmet off to add 15 more yards to the play, it’s just not smart football.”

The Texans will select 25th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Kris Boyd weirdly shoved Texans’ special teams coach Frank Ross after Chiefs’ kickoff return

This was a bizarre sequence from the Texans’ Kris Boyd.

After a chaotic opening kick-return sequence, the Houston Texans’ Kris Boyd seemed intent on adding to the confusion as his team tried to upset the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round on Saturday.

When Houston’s special teams unit allowed a 63-yard return to the Chiefs’ Nikko Remigio, ESPN’s cameras caught Boyd weirdly shoving Texans coach Frank Ross after the fact. Boyd would be penalized an additional 13 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct — giving the Chiefs even better field position in deep Houston territory — in a bizarre moment between a player and his coach.

Fortunately for the Texans, they would come out of the sequence relatively unscathed, allowing the Chiefs to only get a field goal and the first points of the day. It could’ve been a lot

To upset the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions on the road, the Texans will have to be on the same page. Hopefully, for Houston’s sake, this was just a blip on the radar … whatever it was.

Texans’ Kris Boyd shoves special teams coach Frank Ross on sidelines

Texans special teamer Kris Boyd made a tackle, forced a fumbled and played the fool

Kansas City got a 63-yard kickoff return on the opening kickoff against Houston on Saturday.

The Texans’ Kris Boyd made the tackle and forced a fumble by Nikko Remigio. Rather than trying to recover the loose football, Boyd started to celebrate and headed for the sidelines.

The Chiefs recovered the football and Boyd decided to compound his foolishness by shoving special teams coach Frank Ross on the sidelines. Boyd was flagged on the play for unsportsmanlike conduct, having thrown his helmet in the chaos.

Watch: Texans M.J. Stewart recover fumble on muffed Packers punt

Houston Texans safety M.J. Stewart was the one to fall on the loose ball, recording the second takeaway against the Green Bay Packers.

The Houston Texans needed to steal possessions to protect its depleted defense from the Green Bay Packers offense.

Special teams call for special plays.

Packers return man Keisean Nixon elected not to catch the ball in the air and it bounced off teammate Corey Ballentine. Multiple players from each team jumped on the live ball, but Texans M.J. Stewart was the one to record the fumble recovery.

Houston has now forced six takeaways in the last six quarters after totaling just three in the first five games.

Stewart’s fumble recovery is Houston’s first special teams takeaway of the season.

Stewart’s fumble recovery is his first since Week 1 of the 2023 season against the Baltimore Ravens.

Both takeaways against the Packers have set Houston’s offense up inside the Packers red zone.

The Texans will start the second half on offense.

Texans special teams coach Frank Ross admires Ka’imi Fairbairn’s consistency

Houston Texans special teams coach Frank Ross appreciates how kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn has started the season with consistency.

The only big change to hit Ka’imi Fairbairn on the football field is a number change.

The Houston Texans’ kicker sports No. 15 now that quarterback C.J. Stroud obtained the rights to No. 7, Fairbairn’s number from 2017-22. Although the numeral has changed, the production on the field is close to where it was a year ago.

Fairbairn finished 2022 with a 93.5% hit rate on field goals (29-31). Through five games this season, the former UCLA Bruin is 93.8% (15-16).

Texans special teams coach Frank Ross told reporters Oct. 12 the reliability from Fairbairn makes for an impressive trait.

“He’s loose, man, and he does a great job of staying level-headed,” Ross said. “Nothing is too big or too small, he’s just the same person every day — consistency. Happy with where he’s at. No kicker is perfect, but whenever we’re in practice and we miss a kick then he does his best to make that correction in real time in the moment and not over correcting it. Just be whatever correction he’s made.”

Fairbairn has also been consistent on extra points. Since Week 1 of last year, the Texans are 34-34 on extra points, which is the much preferred kick attempt the Texans would like to see from the former Lou Groza Award winner.

“Hopefully he continues to grow and anytime we go out on the field, we expect points,” said Ross.

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Texans special teams coach Frank Ross says DeMeco Ryans excels at connection

Houston Texans special teams coach Frank Ross says that one of DeMeco Ryans’ best attributes is his ability to connect.

Everyone has been older than Frank Ross.

Whether the Houston Texans special team coordinator was getting his break in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts and Frank Reich or serving under David Culley and Lovie Smith the past two seasons in Houston, the coaches ranged from big brother to father figures.

DeMeco Ryans is in a new category. The Texans’ sixth coach in team history is three years older than the 36-year-old Ross. For once, someone who is a peer is Ross’ boss.

However, Ross does not mind the age gap — or lack thereof.

“Doesn’t matter about necessarily age, but the one part about the NFL is that it keeps everybody young,” Ross told reporters Aug. 24. “We’re all out here faking like we have jobs, but we get to just play a game for fun so I guess age doesn’t really necessarily matter in that regard.”

What Ross has noticed as he has worked with Ryans is the former Pro Bowl linebacker’s ability to relate.

Said Ross: “The guy has the ability to connect with any human there is, so whether that’s talking about the nitty gritty all the way down to the x’s and o’s, the operation, or whether it’s just having a conversation.”

Even though Ross and Ryans are close in age, the special teams coach still sees an opportunity to grow and learn.

“So far, it’s been nothing but fantastic learning from him, a guy who has done it at the highest level, a guy that’s done it,” said Ross. “I mean I’m going to be all ears and anytime he is speaking I’m going to have my antennas up listening. Just trying to absorb as much as I can from his knowledge.”

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Texans K Ka’imi Fairbairn pledging field goals, extra points to help rebuild Maui

Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is pledging his extra points and field goals to raise money to help rebuild Maui following the wildfires.

Maui suffered an immense disaster with the wildfires that struck Hawaii’s big island in mid-August.

Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, who was born in Kailua on O’ahu, is using his platform in the NFL to help the residents tasked with an arduous and emotional rebuilding process.

According to Fairbairn’s Instagram, the Texans kicker will donate $250 per made field goal and $100 per made extra point to rebuild Maui in partnership with the Lonomai Foundation.

Texans special teams coach Frank Ross told reporters Aug. 24 that Fairbairn’s efforts to help Maui are, “just a small representation of who he is.”

“That’s who he is every day,” Ross said. “I mean, the guy has such a high level of care for human and that’s who he is.”

While Ross admitted to never venturing out from the United States’ mainland in his life, he nevertheless could appreciate Fairbairn using his platform in the NFL to help the state where he grew up.

“God bless him and for anyone impacted for ‘Imi’ [Fairbairn] and part of our country, I hope everything can back on their feet as soon as possible so that’s fantastic that he’s doing that,” said Ross.

Fairbairn graduated from Punahou High School in Honolulu as a star in football and water polo.

“Hopefully everyone that’s out there that saw that can help contribute for him and Hawaii,” Ross said.

To learn more, visit rebuildingmaui.org

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Texans’ Frank Ross is ‘excited’ to see what K Jake Bates offers

Houston Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross says he is looking forward to what rookie K Jake Bates can offer in training camp.

The Houston Texans aren’t scared of competition — and they can’t afford to be if they want to improve from their 3-13-1 finish last season.

One area where the Texans are infusing competition that may be puzzling is kicker. Despite Ka’imi Fairbairn coming off a year where he drilled a career-high 93.5% on field goals (29-31) and went perfect for the first time on extra points (24-24), Houston signed a kicker.

The Texans announced Aug. 1 they signed undrafted Jake Bates from Arkansas.

Special teams coordinator Frank Ross emphasized the signing is part of the evaluation process that takes place in training camp.

“We have to evaluate as many players as we can,” said Ross. “This is training camp, so proving yourself every single day. As much competition as we can bring to the entire roster — doesn’t matter what you are, what position you are — the better is the way I see it.”

Bates, who graduated from Tomball High School, played his senior year at Arkansas. The 5-10, 202-pounder led FBS with an 85.3% touchback percentage (64-75).

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Could the Texans use more squib kicks on kickoffs?

With the new kickoff rule providing for fair-catching kickoffs, would the Houston Texans use more squib kicks to entice opponents to return kicks?

NFL rules on player safety are typically a pendulum that swing either for the offense or defense.

The league’s new kickoff rules stipulate that a returner can fair-catch a kick and have the offense’s drive start at the 25-yard line — the same result as if there were a touchback.

Houston Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross is a competitor yet also believes in player safety. Nevertheless as a coach in the transition phase of the game, Ross understands special teams is a component of the game where players are able to make their case for inclusion on the 53-man roster.

“When we get a chance to cover a kick, let’s go out there with our hair on fire,” Ross told reporters May 31 after organized team activities. “We get a chance to return it, we want those guys to get shot out of a cannon and go. I got it. I’m 100% in favor of player safety, so, anything to elongate the existence of the NFL and our game, great, and player safety.”

While Ross was filibustering on playing within the rules of the game, he provided an interesting scenario.

Said Ross: “Those are the rules, so we’ll play within that scheme. If that’s going to save time, waving a fair catch, end-of-half situation or you’ve got to learn how to squib it and get it through, you’ve got to judge yard mark, what’s the average return.”

A squib kick, which is a kickoff that hits ground first as it bounds its way to the opposing end zone similar to a grounder in baseball, would fall outside the parameters of fair-kick eligibility. If a returner fielded a squibbed kick, the point where they were downed by contact would be the starting point of the offense’s drive, not the 25-yard line — even with the rule change.

After possession field position is a key part of special teams.

“That starting field position, you guys have known this, that chart doesn’t lie,” said Ross. “Every yard means percentage up on opportunity to score on the offensive end or defensive side to defend.”

If the Texans wanted to mitigate the opponent’s ability to start drives at the 25-yard line, using Ka’imi Fairbairn to squib more could be an option.

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