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See the best reactions from Texans K Matt Ammendola’s 58-yard missed field goal that handed the Jacksonville Jaguars a 24-21 win in Week 12.
Football is a game of inches, and Houston Texans kicker Matt Ammendola certainly displayed that truism in Week 12 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On a game-tying 58-yard field goal, Ammendola’s kick hit the crossbar and bounced into the end zone, rendering the Texans losers 24-21 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 12 at NRG Stadium.
Twitter was full of takes and remarks surrounding the Texans’ heartbreaking loss. Here are some of the best posts.
Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale picked up special teams praise from NBC Sports’ Peter King.
The Houston Texans were fortunate to have Dare Ogunbowale active for the third time in 2023.
The reserve running back provided the Texans’ with a much-needed 29-yard field goal throughout Houston’s thrilling 39-37 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at NRG Stadium. Ogunbowale also handled kickoff duties in place of an injured Ka’imi Fairbairn.
According to Peter King from NBC Sports, Ogunbowale was his pick for one of two special teams players of the week.
Dare Ogunbowale, running back/kicker, Houston. For the first time in 19 years, an NFL player who is not a kicker made a field goal in a game. After Houston kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn suffered a quad injury in the first half against Tampa, Ogunbowale took over kicking duties and booted a 29-yard field goal in a 39-37 win for the Texans. Also notable: His kickoff with seconds to go, after the Texans took the 39-37 lead, made it to the end zone and handed the Bucs a very long field with six seconds to go. “Dare is our player of the game,” Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said.
Although in preseason, the last time a non-kicker handled such duties for Houston was in the 2021 exhibition finale against the Bucs at NRG Stadium. Safety Justin Reid kicked in place of Fairbairn, who sustained an injury pregame warmups.
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Running back Dare Ogunbowale had to handle kickoff duties for the Houston Texans in Week 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Dare Ogunbowale kicks it off to start the second half pic.twitter.com/LroDvaNoYz
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 5, 2023
The Houston Texans had to get creative.
Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn injured his quad against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday in Week 9 at NRG Stadium. The former Lou Groza Award winner left the game at halftime with the Texans trailing 17-10.
The Texans went with Ogunbowale, who just happened to be activated for Week 9 due to an injury to starting running back Dameon Pierce. If not for the injury to Pierce, the Texans may not have had a reason to activate Ogunbowale, who has consistently been a healthy scratch in 2023.
The last time Fairbairn was hurt in a game was in the 2021 preseason finale incidentally against the Buccaneers at NRG Stadium. Safety Justin Reid handled the kicking duties.
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Houston Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn has been ruled out against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 9 with a quad injury.
The Houston Texans will have to finish the game without Ka’imi Fairbairn.
The kicker was ruled out with a quad injury at halftime of the Week 9 encounter with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at NRG Stadium.
Houston has been using running back Dare Ogunbowale for kickoffs. Houston has yet to attempt an extra point or field goal.
Fairbairn earned praise from special teams coordinator Frank Ross earlier in the week.
“As far as when he is actually kicking the football, he’s doing a great job and hopefully continues to do just that,” said Ross.
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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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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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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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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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The Houston Texans waived Matt Ammendola, who helped them have a kicker to get through the preseason finale with the San Francisco 49ers.
One sign that may indicate Ka’imi Fairbairn will be ready to go against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 11 is the other kicker is gone.
The Houston Texans waived Matt Ammendola on Saturday. The former New York Jets kicker was on the 80-man roster as the Texans needed a specialist to get through the preseason finale against the San Francisco 49ers on Aug. 25 at NRG Stadium.
Ammendola went 2-2 on extra points for Houston in the 17-0 win, but went 1-2 on field goals. Ammendola hit a 45-yarder with 2:02 to go in the third quarter, but missed wide left on a 31-yarder with 12:59 to go in the game.
Fairbairn missed the contest with what has been deemed a short-term injury.
The Houston Texans have signed former New York Jets kicker Matt Ammendola.
The foregone conclusion is now official.
The Houston Texans have signed former New York Jets kicker Matt Ammendola to their active roster ahead of Thursday night’s preseason finale with the San Francisco 49ers at NRG Stadium.
Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn is dealing with a short-term injury and will not available. It will be the second straight preseason finale that Fairbairn has missed.
Ammendola tried out with the Texans earlier in the week. The 5-9, 195-pound kicker played 10 games for the Jets last season, connecting on 13-of-19 field goals and 14-of-15 extra points.
Last preseason, the Texans had to go with safety Justin Reid to handle kickoffs and extra points when Fairbairn was a scratch due to an injury in pregame warmups against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
