Texans' Slow Start Cements This Player's Need for a Bigger Role

The Houston Texans simply looked out of sorts in Week 2's 6-20 loss vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.

Even though the Texans had some eye-catching stats with over 350 passing yards, it wouldn't be a day without consistent struggles running the ball, a lack of urgency in the red zone, and really, just lacking a source of explosive playmaking.

And truly, a lot of that does come as a result of the Texans missing No. 1 wide receiver Nico Collins. He was out of the mix with a hamstring injury he suffered in last week's practice, and thus left this passing attack a whole lot more depleted than they're used to.

However, the absence of Collins–– and the lack of potency their offense showed altogether–– was really an indictment on the Texans' wide receiver room. And overall, might've proven that one particular player, that being Jaylin Noel, is more than worthy of an increased share of opportunities in the coming weeks:

Jaylin Noel's Lack of Opportunities in Texans' Passing Game

Noel, upon entering his second season with the Texans, had many looking towards a potential year-two breakout after wrapping up a productive, yet limited rookie campaign.

He was primarily featured in a special teams role throughout 2025, utilizing his speed and explosive ability, yet was searching for more looks to go his way in the passing game, perhaps as more of a weapon geared towards the slot.

However, after now stretching two games into the year, Noel's usage––especially in this game against Cincinnati as the Texans' offense was left extremely shorthanded––hasn't shifted a whole lot from where it ended up in his rookie season.

Sep 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel (13) reacts during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Noel's been on the field for about 45% of the Texans' offensive snaps, and has collected three catches for 84 yards for an impressive 26.0 yards per reception.

That number leads the way for the Texans’ pass-catchers by far, showing that while in a small sample size, his explosive ability is something that can be very beneficial for an offensive attack that has really been lacking such a presence on that side of the ball.

But rather than expanding the opportunities Noel has seen, the Texans have kept him behind the likes of Xavier Hutchinson and Kayshon Boutte in the receiver room for targets; a trend that only persisted while Houston was without Collins against Cincinnati, where he caught one catch for 31 yards on five targets.

This past Sunday, it was Dalton Schultz who led the way for targets in the Texans offense to haul in 12 receptions for 140 yards, while the receiving unit saw nobody with more than three catches and 40 yards.

It's a group that needs a facelift early in the season, and Noel is a perfect in-house candidate to make that happen.

What DeMeco Ryans Said About Jaylin Noel's Usage

After the Texans' Week 2 loss, head coach DeMeco Ryans was asked about the limited usage of Noel entering the season, and what the second-year wideout could do to get on the field a little bit more.

And while Ryan’s did note that, of course, everyone has things to work on moving forward, Noel has done a good job of taking advantage of the opportunities he has gotten offensively and on special teams, which could lead to increased reps moving forward.

"We all have a lot to work on. Coaches, players, we all have a lot to work on. It's not good enough. It's easy to sit back and kind of nitpick what went wrong. J-Noel got one big explosive on the [31-yard] pass, did another good job on the jet sweep. J-Noel has done a great job," Ryans said on Monday.

"He improved in the punt return area; did a really good job of being decisive as a punt returner. So, I thought J-Noel took a huge step this past week, and he got better for our football team. He put us in a position to have opportunities to go score. As we continue to build off of what he's shown, we'll see how that role continues to thrive."

As Collins gets back healthy and into the lineup in the weeks ahead, it'll be tougher for Noel to find the same hefty share of opportunities he could've gotten his way this past weekend as Houston was depleted against the Bengals.

But based on that sample size against Cincinnati, the Texans also showcased how much work this offense needs to put in for a better result than last year; both in the run and in the pass.

Thanks to Noel's explosive playmaking ability though, and as someone who can work well after the catch, he makes a compelling case to be someone who can step up as another reliable set of hands to lean on in the weeks ahead, and should only see his usage on an upward trend from the one catch he landed in Week 2.

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