The Houston Texans’ wide receiver room took another hit Sunday, and this one stings: Jaylin Noel is done for the season after suffering a turf toe injury.
Noel had started slowly, but he was beginning to find his rhythm and flash the kind of explosiveness that can change a game in a hurry. Houston had gone from a receiver group that looked thin to one that suddenly felt stacked, only to lose another piece just as the unit was coming together.
Even with Noel out, the Texans still have enough talent to keep the passing game rolling, especially with how C.J. Stroud has been playing this season. The expectation is that the offense should not see a major drop-off.
A big part of that confidence comes from the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr., whom general manager Nick Caserio acquired earlier this year from the Arizona Cardinals. Harrison has already made an impact in limited work while he continues to learn the offense. Once the bye week passes, his snap count is expected to rise significantly, giving Houston another dangerous weapon next to Nico Collins.
Tank Dell is another name to watch. He recently returned after nearly two years away from football, and while his first game back came with limited action, he still managed to catch a pass and turn it into more than 40 yards.
That play gave the offense a needed jolt, and his connection with Stroud remains intact. As he keeps building back, Dell should add another explosive layer to the attack.
Behind those three, the Texans still have Kayshon Boutte and Xavier Hutchinson, both of whom have provided valuable depth at different points this season.
In Other News...
Will Anderson Jr. Sounds Fed Up With Texans Defensive Slide
Will Anderson Jr. has become the face of the Texans defense in more ways than one, and not just because of his production off the edge. The third-year pass rusher has been one of the leagues most disruptive players, leading the NFL with 7.5 sacks through seven games, but his individual success has come against the backdrop of a defense that has not been nearly as steady as it expected to be.
Andersons frustration has been hard to miss, and it speaks to a larger issue in Houston: the work is being put in, but the results are not following often enough. As a captain, he has stressed that the unit prepares intensely and has plenty of talent, yet the Texans are still trying to turn that into consistent execution on Sundays, which is the part that keeps this slide from feeling like a short-term blip. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Bye Week Suddenly Comes With Real AFC Playoff Stakes
The Texans bye week is supposed to offer a breather, but it has turned into a scoreboard-watching exercise with real AFC playoff implications attached. Houston is sitting back and hoping a cluster of results elsewhere break its way, with several matchups across the conference carrying added weight for a team trying to stay in the thick of the postseason chase.
Jacksonville, Baltimore and Cincinnati are among the teams Houston has reason to root against, and the list stretches beyond those familiar rivals as the AFC race tightens. For a team not even taking the field this week, the stakes are still very real, because the Texans can improve their position without snapping the ball if enough of the right opponents stumble. [Read more 🡒]
Texans May Be Sitting On A Trade Asset They Cant Keep Hidden
The Texans may have a little more depth at center than they can realistically keep tucked away much longer. Jake Andrews, a backup with starting experience, has become the kind of lineman other teams start circling when injuries hit across the league, and Houstons own situation helps explain why his name is coming up at all. Evan Brown is handling the starting job, while rookie Keylan Rutledge has also taken snaps at center, giving the Texans options even as they evaluate what they can afford to hold onto.
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, center-needy teams are looking for answers, and Andrews fits the profile of a player who could draw interest before the market tightens. The Green Bay Packers are among the clubs dealing with injuries at the position, and they are not alone in that regard. For Houston, the question is less about whether Andrews has value and more about whether the Texans can keep a useful piece hidden when so many teams are searching for help in the middle of the line. [Read more 🡒]