Ka'imi Fairbairn named AFC Special Teams Player of the Month

Jan 03, 2019 at 08:34 AM

The NFL named Houston Texans K Ka'imi Fairbairn the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December.

This marks Fairbairn's first Player of the Month award in his career. He is the second player in team history to win the Special Teams Player of the Month award, joining Chad Stanley in September 2002. Fairbairn is one of 10 players in Texans history to win a player of the month award and joins DE J.J. Watt (September) as the only players to win it this season for Houston. This also marks the 17th time overall a Texan has been named Player of the Month in franchise history.

In December, Fairbairn hit 13-of-13 field goal attempts and 12 extra point attempts for a total of 51 points scored. He had the second-most made field goals in the NFL in the month and the second-most total points scored. He also had 17 touchbacks on kickoffs and hit two 53-yard field goal attempts. Additionally, he was the only player in the NFL to attempt at least 12 field goals without a missed field goal attempt.

Fairbairn led the NFL in points scored (150) and field goals made (37) in 2018. He also passed Shayne Graham (138 in 2012) for the most points scored in a single season in franchise history and passed Nick Novak (35 in 2016) for the most field goals made in a season. Fairbairn was 37-for-42 on field goal attempts (88.1%) in 2018, including two longs of 54 yards, and connected on 39-of-41 extra point attempts (95.1%). Fairbairn also forced a touchback on 58-of-91 kickoffs (63.7%) and made all 21 of his field goal attempts under 40 yards in 2018. His 58 touchbacks on kickoffs mark a single-season franchise record, breaking his own record from 2017 (49).

Fairbairn has made his last 15 field goal attempts (Weeks 12-17), which is tied for the fourth-longest streak in team history, and he is the first player in team history to score at least 15 points in multiple games of a season, which he also did in 2017. He is the only kicker in the NFL since 2015 to record multiple games with at least five made field goals, including one 50-plus-yard field goal. Fairbairn tied for third in the NFL with two games scoring at least 15 points (Todd Gurley II and Alvin Kamara - three).

The NFL named Fairbairn the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week following his performance in the team's 29-22 victory over the New York Jets in Week 15. He scored 17 total points on five made field goals and two made extra point attempts. He tied his single-game career high with 17 points scored and tied his single-game career high with five made field goals (Week 13). He connected on attempts from 41 yards, 32 yards, 53 yards, 49 yards and 40 yards. His five made field goals are tied for the second-most made field goals in a game in 2018 and tied for the second-most made field goals in a game in franchise history. In Week 13 vs. Cleveland, Fairbairn tied his single-game career high with 17 total points and five made field goals. He connected on attempts from 35 yards, 42 yards, 48 yards, 53 yards and 38 yards.