It looked to me (I never saw a replay), that the holder didn't spin the laces and Fairbairn kicked the ball with the laces facing him.
I gave you your props. How big of a deal is laces out? Are kickers still expected to be able to make a PAT even if laces aren't out?
I'm not a kicker. I'd say it is a bigger deal on the new PAT length than the old PAT length. I'd assume that they actually practice kicking with the laces facing the kicker.
It's a big deal on anything other than a chip-shot. A bit, informally outside of practice. In actual drills it's a 1.2.3... thing, like a swiss ****ing watch. Repetition until perfection.
Less we forget he's won 2 games for us this year. He's above average as a kicker. Laces out gives the kicker significantly less control on where the ball goes in terms of left to right. A lot more kickers have missed more PATs than Fairbairn.