Here's everything Houston Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross said ahead of Week 4's matchup vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
Frank Ross opening statement:
“I feel it. This game means a lot to the born-and-bred Houstonians. Couldn't be more honored to be in it and excited for it. I grew up in Ohio. We thought football was important, still do. You guys believe in football down here in Texas. When you get to the professional football level, it means a lot. I’m fired up to go against the Cowboys. More importantly, for us to prove ourselves, to get our first win under our belts. We have to go and find a way to factor in this game on fourth down. I'm glad with our improvements. But, just when you think you're starting to get it going, bang, here walks
in one of the best, if not the best return man in the league in KaVontae Turpin. We all know the story of K] Brandon Aubrey being a dynamite kicker from the other side of the football field. For us, we have to do a great job of affecting their specialist, making great tackles and continuing to improve in field position.”
Q: On the intention of the final kickoff in Week 3 vs. Indianapolis
Ross: “Depending on the situation, we’re always aiming for the goal line and really being able to know that, if it goes in, no worries. If it stays out, great, let's cover it up, depending on the call in the game. I know Coach [DeMeco Ryans] referred to that. For all of the strategy and the statistics of the whole dynamic kickoff, the farther you have to run gives your coverage the better chance. Nobody’s better than [Ka’imi] Fairbairn in putting that thing at the one-yard line and making them. Those goal line decisions, making that returner, we have been a benefactor of seeing some of those poor decisions by returners to, ‘Wait, where am I’, and then they run. You just gained time. Knowing when and where a forced kick in the field of play, a green light to try and put it directly on the goal line, if it touchbacks, live to fight another day.”
Q: On RB Dare Ogunbowale returning
Ross: “My mother is a teacher. She has a student that's now middle-aged that actually lives in Houston, Texas, that she taught from Youngstown, Ohio, 50 years ago and 40-plus years ago. You just always remember special people that you get to go to work with. Dare Ogunbowale is that for me. I'm proud to watch him play. It means the world to me. We're in a tough spot. We have to look no further than scooping up Dare back here, put him in a Texans helmet. I know our team is fired up. I'm fired up. I'm probably holding back my emotions now. I love that guy, not because he's a great football player and he's had special moments here, but because the work, the behind-the-scenes, the leadership, the guy wore the ‘C’ for us for special teams last year. That's everything you need to know about a guy like Dare. Proud to coach him, fired up. No bigger game to get going for the Texans than him to be back on our special teams unit.”
Q: On RB Dare Ogunbowale’s sister and Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale setting a WNBA record
Ross: “Dang! That's an elite athlete family, Arike [Ogunbowale]. We all know they're well-rounded athletes. Whatever you ask an Ogunbowale to do, they're going to do it to their best of their abilities and it's probably pretty good. That's cool, that's cool.”
Q: On advocating for K Ka’imi Fairbairn to attempt a 70-yard field goal
Ross: “Yeah, I think maybe it was said in some jest and we had our direct conversation in serious tone in the moment and it's a long kick. That's a long kick. We're going to defend against that this week. [Dallas Cowboys K] Brandon Aubrey, I don't know if he could kick it from the opposite 20. This guy has a leg. We know our yard lines and asking superhuman things of our guys. Maybe it would have been a miracle and been a miraculous kick if we marched that out there, but feel good with the decision to go that [Head] Coach [DeMeco Ryans] had. Anytime we go out there, we're going to give it our best shot.”
Q: On the strategy in kickoff placement
Ryans: “Yeah, definitely. To clarify, there's some strategy on week-to-week, whatever weekly opponent we're going against. Maybe their formation on how their returners align and dictate that we'll kick it differently or not only the depth or distance control of the kick but accuracy on how far towards the middle of the field or out past the numbers we're trying to get that. That is a week-to-week thing. Obviously, you're not going to divulge on where and when we're going to use that. For me, if you just watch around the league, regardless of how you're kicking it, like Brandon Aubrey's hitting these dirty knuckle kicks, the wrapping low drivers that get onto the ground. Whatever type of kicks you deploy and your kicker's great at. Ours is, he's [K Ka’imi Fairbairn] great with distance control and width control. Each week we'll say, ‘If it goes into the end zone, that's okay, we're being aggressive to that goal line.’ Or, ‘We don't want it in the end zone at all. Maybe we want it a little bit tighter.’ That way he'll adjust his dial. I’m proud with how much he's worked to be able to have that club in his bag. Most people go to a driver, a putter and a pitching wedge. He has a few and he's worked for that. We'll continue to use those per weekly game plan as you mentioned there.”
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Everything Texans STC Frank Ross said ahead of Week 4 matchup vs. Cowboys
