Texans Rookie Speaks on Ray Lewis Dance That Stirred Tension

Through the Houston Texans' commanding 44-10 victory on the road vs. the Baltimore Ravens in Week 5, third-round rookie wide receiver Jaylin Noel managed to haul in the first touchdown reception of his career

The catch came from a play-action pass from C.J. Stroud to the Texans rookie at the four-yard line during the fourth quarter of their domination over the Ravens, taking Noel into the endzone for the quarterback's fourth touchdown pass of the day, and over a 30-point lead in Baltimore.

FIRST FOR THE ROOKIE 😤

📺 : @nfloncbs / @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/QJ3UXJppFb
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 5, 2025

After the game, Noel would relish the opportunity to get his first-career touchdown catch.

"It felt great," Noel said of his first career touchdown, via KPRC2's Aaron Wilson. "It's just an honor and a blessing to be able to get my first one in the NFL. Not many people get that opportunity. So, it was a blessing, for sure."

Noel would also end up causing a bit of a stir-up after scoring, hitting the familiar Ray Lewis "Squirrel Dance" on the Ravens’ home field, inside M&T Bank Stadium. It's something that Baltimore cornerback Jaire Alexander seemingly didn't take too fondly to, attempting to wrestle the ball out of the rookie's hands following the play.

Jaylin Noel hits the Ray Lewis squirrel dance and the Ravens do NOT appear to be amused pic.twitter.com/ySDRGAguaD
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 5, 2025

For Noel, the dance was one that he caught a glimpse of the night before, and even a move that coach DeMeco Ryans motivated him behind the scenes.

"I actually watched it last night!" Noel said of his first touchdown celebration. "Coach [DeMeco Ryans] was saying we need something if we get into the end zone. So, I watched that last night, and I was able to do it today."

After the game, Alexander would give his own perspective on the celebration.

“I saw him celebrating in the Flock — in The Bank end zone. I didn’t appreciate that while I was on the field," Alexander said in the Ravens' locker room. "Then I saw him toss the ball to the ball boy, and then he tried to get it back, and I was just like, ‘Nah, you ain’t getting the ball back.’ And they got mad.”

Now with the win in the rearview mirror, Noel and the Texans' offensive successes roll into the bye week with two-straight wins to bank on, and catch a breath of fresh air for a weekend before taking the road again to face the Seattle Seahawks.

For Noel, he sees a perfect opportunity to get building to get better moving forward.

"It's great for us to take this momentum," Noel said. "You see the defense getting takeaways, and the offense being able to move the ball continuously, and not hurting ourselves on first and second-down. It was a great job to build momentum and go into the bye week, and build off of it."

Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (14) runs with the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Through the past two weeks, each of Noel, second-round rookie receiver Jayden Higgins, and fourth-round rookie running back Woody Marks has all gotten on the board for their first career touchdowns.

Slowly but surely this season, this rookie class is beginning to show its value as a strong collection of first-year talents.

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