Texans RB Dare Ogunbowale drills 29-yard go-ahead field goal vs Buccaneers

The Houston Texans, facing fourth and goal with the game tied 30-30, opted to put the field goal unit on the field despite the only kicker on the active roster, Ka’imi Fairbairn, ruled out. Without Fairbairn, they called on backup running back Dare Ogunbowale to hit a 29-yard field goal to put Houston up 33-30 with just over eight minutes to play.

Ogunbowale knocked the field goal through, much to the delight of Texans special teams coordinator Frank Ross. He became the first non-kicker or punter to make a field goal in the NFL regular season since 2004.

Prior to Sunday’s game, Ogunbowale had only posted two carries for four yards. Those carries came in Week 3 against the Colts.

Running back Dare Ogunbowale hits a 29-yard field goal to give the Texans the lead!

(Via: NFL, CBS)pic.twitter.com/5kIlxhJcdK

— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) November 5, 2023

Ogunbowale was an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin and is now with his fourth NFL team. He’s played the last two seasons with the Texans. Prior to Houston, he was with the Jaguars, Buccanneers and Washington.

The former Badgers star has 130 career carries for 426 yards and four touchdowns – and now, one field goal.

Fairbairn, a former UCLA standout, had just one miss on the season heading into Week 9. Through the first eight games, he went 17-for-18, with his lone miss coming from 50+ yards out. This is his seventh season in the league, all of which have been with the Texans. In his career, Fairbairn has hit on 86.4% of his field goal attempts.

Giants sign new kicker

The New York Giants, in need of a kicker after Graham Gano‘s injury, opted to sign Cade York off of the Titans practice squad on Friday, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter. York was with Tennessee through the first eight weeks of the season but is now getting another shot at an active roster. The Giants also signed veteran Randy Bullock to their practice squad for additional depth.

York, a former fourth-round draft pick for Cleveland, opted not to sign with the Browns practice squad when they gave him the opportunity after his release this summer. Instead, he went to Nashville to join the Titans practice squad.

The Cleveland Browns ended up replacing York with veteran kicker Dustin Hopkins. They traded the Chargers a 2025 seventh-round pick to acquire Hopkins.

As a rookie, the young kicker went 24-for-32 on field goals, good for 75% makes. He also went 37-for-39 on extra-point attempts. The 22-year-old’s career-long is 58 yards. Last season, he missed three of eight kicks from 50+ yards out.