Reid receives his wish to kick during game

Benny Saia laughed at his TV set with cheery exasperation. The broadcast for the Texans’ final preseason game against the Buccaneers isn’t available in the retired high school coach’s home in Dutchtown, La., so he wasn’t able to watch his former star safety Justin Reid, also his former star kicker, crush the opening kickoff into the end zone Saturday night at NRG Stadium.

No, Saia is stuck with the Titans-Bears game. So, he couldn’t have known that Reid was drilling 33-yard field goal attempts in warmups. Or that Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn was being held out with precautions for a minor pulled muscle, which created an opportunity for Reid to fulfill the dream he’d been campaigning the new Texans coaching staff all training camp to let him try.

Reid has never attempted a field goal, much less booted a kickoff, in the three NFL seasons since the Texans selected him in the third round of the 2018 draft. He never got any tries as a kicker in three years at Stanford, either.

But while Reid was at Dutchtown High School, Saia said the former threestar safety kicked field goals for the Griffins and booted just about every kickoff out of the opposing end zone for touchbacks.

There have been hints behind the scenes that Reid has wanted a shot at being a kicker ever since he joined the Texans.

During training camp last season, he posted a video on Twitter of him nailing a 50-yard field goal after practice.

The Texans did not opt to send Reid in to try a field goal against the Buccaneers, opting instead to go for it on fourth down when near the Buccaneers end zone in the first quarter.

Reid said Thursday that he’s still optimistic he’ll get his chance at kicking a field goal.

“I hope so, man,” Reid said. “I hope so. I hope I never have to in the sense that Ka’imi is always there, because he’s clearly the best kicker on the team. But it would be a dream of mine to actually kick an extra point.”

Defensive starter duo misses finale

Texans starting cornerback Bradley Roby and linebacker Zach Cunningham did not dress out for the team’s final preseason game against the Buccaneers on Saturday night.

Both defenders practiced all week leading up to the final exhibition before the regular season.

Johnston shines in the first half

Texans punter Cameron Johnston pinned two punts within the Tampa Bay 20 during the first half of Houston’s final preseason game Saturday night at NRG Stadium, continuing what has been an impressive training camp for Johnston in his first season with the franchise.

Johnston’s three punts in the first half against Tampa Bay averaged 47.3 yards, and one traveled 61 yards.

New cornerback fined $5,000

Newly signed Texans cornerback Rasul Douglas was fined $5,500 for unsportsmanlike conduct while playing for the Raiders in last week’s preseason game against the Rams.

The Raiders cut Douglas days later, and the Texans signed the five-year veteran on Tuesday.