Texans' Fake Punt Fails Hard
Up 22-9 on the Patriots last Sunday, with 10:26 left in the third quarter, all the Texans needed was a routine punt play.
But they had something cooking.
The #Texans have a big lead over a team and then do thispic.twitter.com/cxMJAZpWQ6
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 10, 2021
Facing 4th and 2 on his own 36, Texans' punter Cameron Johnson lined up at shotgun depth, expecting a snap for a fake punt.
Then Terrence Brooks came running in from the wing, lining up behind the centre, expecting to receive the snap up close.
As Brooks stood behind the centre and the Patriots defence rushed the line, Johnson dropped back into routine punt position.
This trick on the Patriots defence backfired on Houston as Johnson punted low, riffling the ball off Brooks' helmet, resulting in a rare zero total yards on a "double fake" punt attempt.
Coach David Culley explained the genius behind the double fake:
"If they gave us the right look, we were possibly going to fake it. They didn't give us the right look so we were going to back out and re-punt it and it didn't work out. We ended up having a leakage up the middle and it ended up getting blocked."
Luckily this double fake debacle didn't happen against the Patriots of years past, and a 52-yard Nick Folk field goal is all that came from the ensuing New England drive.
However, the Patriots stole momentum and didn't allow the Texans to score another point, while mounting an impressive comeback, ending with a 21-yard game winning field goal from Nick Folk to put New England up 25-22.
The Texans have a week to lick their wounds and burn their fake punt playbook as they prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday, with a matching 1-4 record.
© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
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