HOUSTON – Delivering an unexpected halfback touchdown pass on a gutsy trick play, Devin Singletary had perfect touch and accuracy on his throw to tight end Dalton Schultz.
The Texans’ running back hadn’t thrown a pass in a game since his freshman year of college at Florida Atlantic University. That would-be touchdown didn’t work out as his intended target caught the football with one foot out of bounds.
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This time, Singletary executed offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik’s play just right. He took a pitch from rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and lobbed a sharp throw to Schultz on Sunday in a 30-6 victory. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense was expecting a run on second-and-goal, and the Texans sold the play with a run look out of a double-tight end formation with Schultz and Teagan Quitoriano in addition to fullback Andrew Beck.
The ball seemed to hang in the air for a long time before Schultz could smoothly haul it in for the score.
“Slow motion, Devin throwing a great ball, back shoulder in the end zone,” Schultz said. “I told him when we sat down on the bench that ball was in the air for 30 seconds.”
“He did a great job, he actually put it in a window between two defenders,” running back Dameon Pierce said. “Shout-out to my boy Dev.”
What did Stroud, the Texans’ record-setting rookie quarterback, think of the throw.
“He liked it,” Singletary said. “He approved.”
In practice, though, it wasn’t nearly as smooth as the Texans were working out the wrinkles of the play. Singletary threw it over Schultz’s head initially.
Slowik still opted to call the play in the game on a second-and-goal at the Steelers’ six-yard line, trusting Singletary to throw the football.
“He did good with the play in practice, as well,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “You know, it takes time. The guy doesn’t throw the ball much, so there’s a lot of anxiety there when you’re in that position and asking the running back to throw the ball.
“It starts first as a play-caller, for Bobby, just having trust in ‘Motor’ to deliver the throw, and ‘Motor’ having trust in Dalton to make the catch. So, it’s really great execution on all levels, coaching and players, and very nice play call at the proper time.”
Slowik was hitting all the right notes with his playbook Sunday, including his decision to have Singletary throw the football.
“Coach Slow was rolling,” Singletary said. “We was feeding off his energy and got a dub. We got the dub, so let’s celebrate.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com