When Houston gets near midfield against the Chargers on Sunday, the real question is what happens on third down.
Ka’imi Fairbairn has turned into a built-in advantage for the Texans. He was 11-for-11 on field goals in October, knocked in five from at least 50 yards, and was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month on Nov.
- That kind of leg changes how an offense can operate.
It gives Nick Caley room to be more aggressive, because Houston knows it has a reliable fallback if a drive stalls.
Fairbairn’s month made that point in two very different ways. His 49-yard field goal beat Jacksonville 34-31 in London on Oct.
- Then a week later, he drilled kicks from 58 and 57 yards against the New York Giants, and Houston still lost 27-21.
That’s the tradeoff with an elite kicker: he can swing a tight game, but he can also do his job perfectly while the offense leaves points on the table.
That’s why the third-down decisions matter so much. If Houston faces something like third-and-6 at the Chargers’ 36, the smarter play is to give C.J.
Stroud a route at the sticks and an easy outlet underneath. An incompletion still leaves a 54-yard field goal try.
A completion can turn the drive into seven points. The one thing Houston can’t afford is a sack, because that wipes out both choices.
Stroud needs a quick answer if the rush gets home.
The matchup also sets up a chance for Houston to press an opponent that has been stuck in neutral. The Texans are 2-5, the Chargers are 0-7, and Los Angeles has gone 27 straight drives without an offensive touchdown, according to the Texans’ matchup preview.
That makes an early lead especially important. If Houston gets ahead, it can force Justin Herbert into a chase game, and that gives the Texans’ pass rush more chances to attack a quarterback who has thrown 10 interceptions in seven games.
Short fields are part of that equation too. If the defense gives Stroud the ball at the Chargers’ 40, three points still matter, especially late.
But in the first half, that kind of field position should invite a more ambitious call. Starting that close to the end zone gives Caley more freedom to take a shot he might not want to call from deep in his own territory.
For anyone tracking more than the score, the drives before Fairbairn’s kicks will tell a story of their own. If Houston can run for four yards on first down and keep Stroud upright on third, that says something about the line.
If the Texans need a tough catch just to reach field goal range, that says something else. Either way, Fairbairn can still cash in for three.
Kickoff is today at 3:05 p.m. Central at SoFi Stadium.
The Texans will gladly take Fairbairn in a tight fourth quarter. Even better would be seeing him handle extra points in the first half because Houston trusted Stroud to finish the drives.
In Other News...
Kamari Lassiter Gets A Big Chance To Quiet A Texans Concern
Kamari Lassiters first season has not been as clean as the Texans would have hoped, with the cornerback giving up 1.6 yards per coverage snap, a mark that sits above the league average for his position. For a defense that wants steady play on the back end, that has made his development a point to watch, especially as Houston looks for more consistency from its young secondary.
A matchup with the Chargers offers a timely chance to change the tone. Los Angeles has been uneven on offense, and that gives Lassiter a shot to settle in, stack a stronger game and maybe even come away with a momentum-shifting takeaway. For Houston, a confident outing from Lassiter would do more than quiet a concern. It would give the Texans another piece they can trust as the defense tries to keep tightening up. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Inactives Bring One Lineup Twist Fans Will Notice Fast
The Texans Week 9 inactive list brought one lineup wrinkle that stands out right away, with rookie tight end Marlin Klein active for the first time since Week 3. Houston will be without injured players David Montgomery and Reed Blankenship, and Braden Smith is also sitting out as a healthy scratch, leaving the game-day picture a little thinner in a few spots as the team gets set for the Chargers.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, arrives with a much cleaner availability report. The Chargers listed no surprise absences and will have all of their top starters available, which adds a little more pressure on Houston to make the most of the pieces it does have in uniform. [Read more 🡒]
Tank Dell Just Gave Texans Fans A Reason To Get Excited
Tank Dells return to game action gave the Texans a jolt in a matchup with the Chargers, and it came in the kind of way that reminds everyone why his presence matters so much. C.J. Stroud found Dell on a 63-yard touchdown strike, and the receiver finished the first half with two catches for 66 yards and the score, a sharp sign that he can still tilt the field when he gets space.
For Houston, the encouraging part goes beyond one highlight. Dell is working his way back after a severe leg injury that kept him out for nearly two years, and DeMeco Ryans said his workload should keep growing as he continues to recover and stack more reps. The Texans have been careful with the process, but plays like this make it easy to see why they are eager to see what comes next. [Read more 🡒]