HOUSTON – Despite everything that went awry in a horrific second half of flat, ineffective football, the Texans had one final chance to salvage the game.
With just under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, they sent strong-legged kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn into the game with the score tied for a 58-yard field goal attempt.
Recommended Videos
Fairbairn has plenty of range and a proven track record for making field goals from that distance and in these critical situations.
After an uncharacteristic high snap from veteran long snapper Jon Weeks, the longest-tenured player in franchise history, holder Tommy Townsend got the ball down in time for Fairbairn to kick it. Although the kick had the distance, it sailed wide left to leave the score tied at 23-23. That set the stage for Detroit Lions kicker and Tomball graduate Jake Bates to power in a 52-yard game-winning kick as time expired.
That completed a comeback from a 23-7 halftime deficit and one of the greatest collapses in recent NFL history as the Texans squandered the lead and allowed 19 unanswered points in the second half.
“Yeah, I just mishit it,” said Fairbairn, who’s 24 of 29 on field goals this season and 20 of 20 on extra points and 11 of 14 on kicks 50 yards or longer. “Obviously I want it back. Yeah, that’s not a good feeling. The only option I got now is get back to work. So. So that’s what I’m going to do.
“You could see it. We were fighting. The defense was fighting. We weren’t going to give up to the last second.”
Five keys to 6-4 Texans’ 26-23 Sunday night loss to Detroit Lions
#Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn on missed field goal leading up to #Lions game winner @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/zosK1IzeMD
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 11, 2024
Weeks was accountable for the high snap and emotional after the game in a downcast locker room. This was a truly frustrating setback for the 6-4 Texans as they lost their second game in a row.
“‘I put my guys in a s--tty spot,” Weeks told KPRC 2. “I delivered a s--tty ball and Tommy did the best he could with it and ‘Imi did the best he could with it. I got to live with that. I let my guys down and that sucks. I’m going to have to get back to work. That’s just how it goes.
Now, the Texans have to regroup heading into a Monday night game next week against the reeling Dallas Cowboys.
“Lot of football left,” Weeks said. “A tough one, really good football team we just played. You can’t make mistakes. You’ve got to take advantage of opportunities. Unfortunately, I was one of the reasons we weren’t able to do that. It sucks.”
Read more on the Texans:
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.