HOUSTON – The lob from C.J. Stroud was on point, another perfectly-timed pass to rookie wide receiver Jaylin Noel.
Forty-four yards gained in a hurry last week. A season-long reception for Noel.
Recommended Videos
The chemistry is building between Stroud and Noel as his role and opportunities increase on a weekly basis.
“I think it takes time,” Stroud said. “I think failure is a good thing. It’s a chance to learn. Of course, you don’t want to do it on Sundays, but if it does happen you learn from it, you fix it. I think he’s super coachable. He wants to do what’s right.
“He’s in here working his tail off and at practice doing the same thing. So, I think he’s going to be a great player and he’s shown that week in and week out of getting better, learning the scheme, learning coverage and adapting to it. So, I think he’s going to be great.”
One game after catching his first NFL touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens and celebrating by imitating Ray Lewis’ trademark Squirrel dance, Noel caught a four passes for 77 yards on seven targets against the Seahawks. He had a 29-yard reception and three first downs.
Against the San Francisco 49ers, Noel caught a season-high five passes for 63 yards on six targets.
“Putting a performance like that on the field, it gives you confidence to just keep growing and being curious within your game,” Noel said. “It’s exciting, for sure. Jut getting the reps in, banking those reps and just using them as learning experiences has helped me a lot. Just gain confidence and be able to play fast.”
For Noel, the way he’s continued to grow as a player has a lot to do with his relationship with his quarterback.
Stroud has delivered the football and shown him the way to more success.
“I think the hardest part is CJ’s part, him actually putting the ball out there, he puts the ball in the perfect spot,” Noel said. “So, it’s really kudos to him being able to do what he does. It’s just on me to be in the right spot at the right time. He does the hard part in getting the ball there. So he’s been really impressive in that way.”
Noel ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at the NFL scouting combine and had a 41 1/2 inch vertical leap. He was drafted in the third round, one round after the Texans selected Jayden Higgins, his college teammate and friend.
Now, the Texans get back veteran wide receivers Nico Collins and Christian Kirk to work alongside Noel, Higgins and Xavier Hutchinson.
The receiving corps is getting deeper.
“With Nico coming back, it just gives the whole room even more confidence that you got guys across the room that can make plays,” Noel said. “And also makes it easier for Nico. Obviously, he’s gonna get a lot of the attention. So hopefully, we can get that attention off of him. And so he can get his one-on-one matchups as well.
“I feel like we’re competitive guys, so we want to be competing with the best and play at that level every Sunday or whenever we are playing. So, just our competitive edge and just our ability to push each other and hold each other accountable goes a long way in our success.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com