Small decisions players make often win games and coaches look smart. One of those decisions for the Houston Texans against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3 was the decision to kick the ball into the end zone for a touchback on Indianapolis’ final drive, where they scored the game-winning field goal.
Special teams coordinator Frank Ross addressed the intention of that final kickoff ahead of Houston’s Week 4 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.
“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,” Ross said. “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 [K Ka’imi] Fairbairn in putting that thing at the inch 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.”
Fairbairn’s kick was a rare mistake by him, as Houston wanted to pin the Colts back deep to make it harder to get into field goal range. That play alone potentially cost the Texans their first win of the season.
This was also the second game in a row where Houston had a major special teams miscue with their botched field goal attempt in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
If they are going to win their game against the Cowboys, the Texans will need to avoid these kinds of mistakes. They also desperately need this win to avoid dropping to 0-4. There has only been one team in NFL history, the 1992 Los Angeles Chargers, that have started 0-4 and made the playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans STC Frank Ross on the intention during final kickoff vs Colts
