HOUSTON (AP) — With the Texans trailing by three points and 34 seconds left, Matt Ammendola’s 58-yard field goal attempt was on target, and it looked like Houston would be heading to overtime against Jacksonville.
Instead, the ball clanged off the crossbar, eliciting a collective groan from the home crowd as the Jaguars celebrated their 24-21 victory on Sunday.
“I thought the kick was going in,” Ammendola said. “I was a little bit shocked because I never come up short.”
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Texans (6-5) and kept them from sweeping the Jaguars and moving into first place in the AFC South. Instead, the Jags (8-3) took a two-game lead.
Ammendola signed with the Texans on Nov. 7 after Ka’imi Fairbairn suffered a quadriceps injury.
His career long in the NFL is 49 yards, but he made a 56-yarder in high school. The 26-year-old added that he’s made kicks as long as 65 yards in practice.
He missed a 50-yard attempt in the second quarter Sunday. It had plenty of distance but sailed wide right.
The Texans were facing fourth-and-12 when coach DeMeco Ryans sent out the field goal unit instead of giving electric rookie C.J. Stroud and the offense one more shot.
“I felt like that was the right decision for us to kick the ball,” Ryans said. “I thought he had good range from there, just didn’t make the kick.”
Stroud, who threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns, lamented the missed opportunities that forced Houston to try such a long kick.
“It’s tough to put it all on the kicker,” he said. “Matt has done a great job and we’ve got to put him in better situations, maybe get closer or try to score a touchdown and win the game.”
Ammendola’s longest field goal this season is 45 yards. He lifted Houston to a 30-27 win over Cincinnati with a 38-yarder as time expired in his debut with the team on Nov. 12.
Sunday’s two misses came after an attempt from 48 yards in last week’s win over the Cardinals was wide left.
“You have to hit that reset button and get back to work,” Ammendola said. “It happens but you’ve just got to stay positive throughout it and just got to execute.”
His teammates had his back after Sunday’s miss.
“We counted on Ammendola to make that field goal and we put our trust in him because we know he can do that,” receiver Nico Collins said. “It didn’t go in, but our trust doesn’t stop. We still trust in him to do that, and we know he can make those.”
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