Texas Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale does two things to help his team win.
That’s what Dare Ogunbowale, a running back for the Houston Texans, felt his job would be against the Buccaneers of Tampa Bay on Sunday.
But during halfway, Ogunbowale was given more work to do because the Texans had to switch kickers.
In the second quarter, Houston kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn hurt his leg, so the team used Ogunbowale as a replacement, which was not what they usually do. To make it 33–30, Ogunbowale kicked a field goal from 29 yards out.
At 8:48 in the fourth quarter, Houston had a fourth-and-goal at their 11-yard line and Texans coach DeMeco Ryans delivered his running back to set himself up for a field goal try. Ogunbowale stepped up and made the kick.
In 2023, the Houston Texans were lucky to have Dare Ogunbowale play for the third time. In place of a hurt Ka’imi Fairbairn, Ogunbowale also kicked off games.
The backup running back kicked a much-needed 29-yard field goal in the Texans’ exciting 39–37 win in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at NRG Stadium.
Things might become a little more difficult if your kicker gets hurt and you need to use a backup running back. It was like that for the Houston Texans on Sunday when they played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In the second quarter, kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn hurt his leg, so defensive back Dare Ogunbowale had to step in as the backup kicker.
Even though he was in charge of the kickoffs in the second quarter, the Texans chose to go for two on the their first three touchdown drives in the second half.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans left his trust in Ogunbowale to make a 29-yard field goal when they had a fourth-and-goal at the 11-yard line with less than nine minutes to play in a tie game. Ogunbowale made the kick easily.
CNN’s Field Yates says that Ogunbowale had been the first player other than a punter as Wes Welker in 2004 to make an extra point in an NFL regular-season game.
After giving up a score with 46 seconds left, Houston lost the lead and was now behind 37–33. Next, rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud led a 40-second, 75-yard drive that scored two points and gave his team a two-point lead in six seconds left.
In the 46th second, Baker Mayfield threw a score from 14 yards out to Cade Otton to put the Buccaneers ahead.
It was the Texans (4-4) who drove down the field and scored with six seconds left. Stroud found Tank Dell within the end zone to give the Texas the lead.
Since kicker Kaʻimi Fairbairn was hurt in the thigh, Stroud decided to go for the two-point conversion instead of trying to make it. On the last play, the Buccaneers lost a fumble, which gave Houston the win.
It wasn’t until Stroud caught Dell again for the final touchdown that the Texans were able to pull off the come-from-behind win. Dell had 114 yards receiving.
After Texans K Ka’imi Fairbairn hurt his leg, running back Ado Ogunbowale took over kicking. He made a 29-yard field goal in the game tied in the fourth quarter to put the Texans lead 33-30 against the Buccaneers.
Ogunbowale kicked off the rest of the contest, and after scoring two touchdowns in the second half, the Texans tried for two.
The running back kicked off in the NFL for the first time and went 61 yards towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneer four-yard line.
The Nigerian player told ESPN, “I really didn’t have any chance to be nervous.” “I never expected to end up doing that, yet the guys were taking rides with me and they had my back.”
Since Wes Welker did it to the Miami Dolphins in 2004, Ogunbowale is the first person who isn’t a kicker to make a field goal within a regular-season game.
Ryans told the press after the game, “Dare stepped in and did an excellent job for us.” “We were sure he could handle it from there.”
He proved ourselves right, so good job, Dare. He really is the best player in the game. “He really stepped up for us, and it was great.”
Ogunbowale kicked off the second half, and wide-out Deven Thompkins grabbed the ball on the 4-yard line and ran it back to the Buccaneers’ 27-yard line. Two kickoffs went back to him, too.