You can forgive the Texans if their heartbeats Sunday fluttered a bit more than they normally do.
In the aftermath of Houston's 23-20 victory over the Bills at NRG Stadium, phrases like "I can't even process it yet" and "Trying to settle down a little bit" were uttered by the likes of kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn and Head Coach DeMeco Ryans.
The Texans are now 4-1 in 2024, and the latest triumph came with Fairbairn's 59-yard field goal splitting the uprights as time expired. Last week, quarterback C.J. Stroud tossed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Dare Ogunbowale with 0:22 to put the Texans ahead for good in their win over Jacksonville. Fairbairn explained how the 2024 Texans have been able to flourish late in games, and when confronted by adversity.
"We're a resilient team," Fairbairn said. "We work hard. Obviously, we can get better, but we take every day as each one has its own."
The Bills trailed, 20-3, with 11:15 remaining in the third quarter. But they chipped away at the Texans' lead, tying it at 20-apiece after a Tyler Bass 33-yard field goal with 3:18 remaining in regulation. The Texans marched into field goal territory, but an intentional grounding penalty on 3rd-and-5 at the Bills' 39-yard line pushed them back 15 yards.
But a few key things happened on that possession, even though it didn't end the way the Texans would've liked. The Bills used up their remaining timeouts, and punter Tommy Townsend dropped a gorgeous 46-yard punt that was downed at the Buffalo 3-yard line Kris Boyd.
Then, the Houston defense forced three quick incompletions, leaving 16 seconds on the clock before punting from the end zone. Robert Woods returned the 56-yarder to the Bills' 46-yard line, and Stroud again connected with Ogunbowale for five more yards before the Texans called timeout with two ticks left on the clock.
After the return by Woods, Ryans was confident Houston could get more points on the board to win it with one more quick play from scrimmage.
"I felt really good about the return," Ryans said. "I wanted to get some more yards."
Stroud, too, pointed to the complementary football played in the closing moments.
"Rob did a great job on the punt return getting us something," Stroud said. Then me and Dare just finding a play to get four or five yards and then bang a timeout. I thought that was huge."
When it came time for Fairbairn to kick, the snap from Jon Weeks was straight and true, Townsend's hold was good, and the veteran kicker of eight seasons whistled it through for three points and the win.
"I'm just happy for my team," Fairbairn said. "Big dub (win) against a good team. We got a lot more to go, a lot more to show. I'm proud to be a Texan."
For Fairbairn, it was his third field goal of the day, along with a pair of extra points. In addition to the game-winner, he also drilled a 50-yarder as the half expired, and a 47-yarder in the third quarter to set the franchise's all-time scoring record.
The Texans travel to New England next weekend for a Sunday matchup with the Patriots.
