‘Love my role on this team’

HOUSTON – Dare Ogunbowale followed his blocking, plowing forward and he didn’t stop until he reached the end zone.

With a bit of vision and power, the Texans’ running back scored what ultimately became the game-winning touchdown in a pivotal victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was another clutch performance by a versatile football player who is rarely utilized on offense having played just 85 snaps overall on offense this season for 10 percent of the playing time.

One touch, his fourth run of the entire season Sunday night, and one touchdown from five yards out for Ogunbowale as he stepped in for injured running backs Woody Marks and Nick Chubb.

“One for one, everybody would love that,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “That was an awesome job by Dare. I talk about it all the time, taking advantage of your opportunities. There’s none better than Dare in that moment and we needed it most. We needed to get in the end zone and Dare is the guy to do it. I’m happy for Dare.”

At the start of the season, Ogunbowale had a rough moment when Los Angeles Rams linebacker Nate Landman executed a perfect punch out to force him into a rare fumble. That turnover cost the Texans a chance to win the season-opener as it derailed a late comeback attempt in the fourth quarter of a 14-9 road loss.

This time, nothing was stopping Ogunbowale.

With four runs for 23 yards this season and five receptions for 36 yards, Ogunbowale is the Texans’ third running back behind a rookie starter in Marks and a veteran backup in Chubb. With Marks dealing with a sore knee and Chubb forced out of the game with a rib injury, Ogunbowale stepped up.

“It was fun,” Ogunbowale told KPRC 2. “Fun game, fun environment, it was fun to be able to get in the end zone at the end of the game. I’ve got a fun role on this team, man, just helping the team win.

“Whatever it is, just trying to find a way to help the team win. It’s a blessing to be on this team and we got a good team, so it’s fun.”

This season, Ogunbowale has played his usual 65 percent of the special teams snaps.

He has recorded a career-high 14 tackles.

For his career, he has 592 rushing yards and five touchdown runs with 104 catches for 810 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Texans, he has even hit a field goal when kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn went down three years ago.

After quarterback C.J. Stroud connected with Ogunbowale over the middle, Landman managed to punch the football out of Ogunbowale’s hands at Los Angeles’ 18-yard line. Rams defensive lineman Braden Fiske pounced on the loose ball. And the Rams offense put the game away with a first down to wide receiver Puka Nacua.

One of the most reliable players on the roster, Ogunbowale is a special-teams standout who had only fumbled twice previously in his career. Both were in 2019 when he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ogunbowale didn’t duck any questions. He made it a point to talk about the miscue inside the Texans’ locker room.

“It was a punch the ball out, it was a bad play,” Ogunbowale told KPRC 2. “My job is to protect the ball. I didn’t protect the ball. So, it was an unfortunate play. Bad timing, especially, but I got to protect the ball right there.”

The fumble against the Rams, that’s in the past, just like an 0-3 start. The defending AFC South champions are on a five-game winning streak heading into a home game Sunday night against the Arizona Cardinals. They’re in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt and are currently in the seventh spot in the playoff standings.

“Absolutely, man, we just got to keep going, keep winning games, you know, keep finishing games, Ogunbowale said. ”That’s really it, playing complete games. We’re on a run right now, we got to keep going. Whatever I got to do, whatever I got to do when I’m on that field, try to do it. Whatever coach asks of me, whatever my teammates ask of me, we got to make sure I do it.“

The camaraderie of the Texans’ locker room is significant to Ogunbowale.

This marks his fourth year playing for the Texans and he has been a part of two AFC South division winners.

“No question, close team,” Ogunbowale said. “I feel like we continue to get closer as the season goes on, as most teams do, most good teams do. It’s been fun being here for a couple of years now and seeing the same guys. We got a good team.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com

‘Love my role on this team’

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