Position analysis: Special teams
With training camp approaching, we’re sizing up the Texans and looking at each position group.
Tracy Smith paid a lot of dues before being promoted to be the Texans’ new special teams coordinator.
Replacing Brad Seely, one of the top special teams coaches in NFL history, Smith is entering his third season with the Texans.
He inherits a capable group that he was an integral part of building. After years of instability on special teams before their arrival, Seely and Smith significantly upgraded the kicking game and kick coverage.
Following a rocky start during which kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn missed three field goals and four extra points, he got acclimated to new holder Bryan Anger and solidified his season. Fairbairn made 20 of 25 field goals (80 percent) and 40 of 45 extra points.
Fairbairn was rewarded with a four-year, $17.65 million contract that includes $9 million guaranteed.
The Texans committed to Anger as their punter on a three-year, $8.25 million contract extension. It was deserved. Anger flipped the field regularly, averaging 46.5 yards per punt with 24 downed inside opponents’ 20-yard lines.
Return specialist DeAndre Carter lost a fumble in the 51-31 blowout loss to the Chiefs, contributing negatively to a historic comeback by Kansas City. Carter is the primary return specialist, averaging 9.7 yards per punt return and 22 yards per kickoff return.
Overall, Carter is a reliable return man. He isn’t that explosive, but he generally takes care of the ball and gets upfield for positive yards. He’ll face competition from rookie wide receiver Tyler Simmons, an undrafted free agent from Georgia.
Veteran long snapper Jon Weeks is coming off another perfect season.
Weeks has a strong track record, going back to when he joined the Texans in 2010 as an undrafted free agent. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2016. Weeks owns the franchise record for consecutive games with 160.
The Texans already had several good special-teams contributors in kick coverage, including safety A.J. Moore, linebackers Peter Kalambayi, Dylan Cole and Tyrell Adams, fullback Cullen Gillaspia, running
back Buddy Howell and corner Keion Crossen.
They also signed Pro Bowl special-teams ace Michael Thomas, a Nimitz graduate, and former Chargers safety Jaylen Watkins to bolster the kick coverage.