The Houston Texans got hit with a reality check in their Week 7 loss vs. the New York Giants, as they would end up falling short in an overtime defeat, 21-27 that now sinks them to a 2-5 record on the year heading into the bye.
However, it seems the Texans were also hit with a key injury in their wide receiver room in the midst of their Week 7 loss, according to head coach DeMeco Ryans.
And that injury was to none other than second-year wide receiver Jaylin Noel, who ended up leaving in the middle of Sunday's contest against the Giants before inevitably being unable to return.
What DeMeco Ryans Said About Jaylin Noel's Injury
Per DeMeco Ryans' post-game press conference following Houston's loss vs. the Giants, the Texans' head coach revealed that Noel had suffered a turf toe injury against New York.
"Jaylin Noel had a turf toe injury. He's still being evaluated," Ryans said on Sunday.
Obviously, there's not a ton of information that we can gather from Ryans' post-game comments when it comes to Noel's status moving forward. However, a turf toe injury––depending on the exact severity––is one that can lead to some missed time for any player in the league.
Noel finished the game against the Giants with just two receptions for a loss of three yards. According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, Noel was also reportedly in a walking boot following the Texans' loss.
The good news for the Texans is that they'll be heading right into their bye week following the events of their Week 7 loss. Which means, for Noel, he'll have an extra week of rest to bank on before he'll be tasked with suiting up for Houston's next game.
However, even with that extra time off, there's a chance that Noel could be due to miss some time for the Texans moving forward–– which would undoubtably be a big loss to Houston's offense knowing how strong of a start to the season the second-year wideout has had through seven weeks.
Through the start of the Texans' season, Noel has put together a total of 19 receptions for 331 yards and two receptions, really becoming one of the team's most noteworthy playmakers in the passing game, even with the immense depth that's come to surround him in the wide receiver room.
His ability as a downfield playmaker, someone who can excel after the catch, and even as a kick returner has shown up big in his second year pro. Yet, depending on just how bad his new turf toe injury might be, there's a chance the Texans will be forced to push ahead without him for a few games moving forward.
If Noel is due to miss any time for the Texans' offense, C.J. Stroud will be forced to lean on some other playmakers in this wide receiver room that does have the depth to support a solid offense, even without the second-year talent.
Keep an eye on the obvious candidates of Nico Collins and Marvin Harrison Jr. to likely see more responsibilities in the Texans' offense in the weeks ahead.
Yet, you can also expect guys like Kayshon Boutte, Xavier Hutchinson, and Tank Dell to step up and provide the playmaking this offense could desperately utilize without one of their more potent names at the position group altogether.
We'll likely know more on Noel's long-term status a bit better once we get to next week's practice leading up to the Texans' Week 9 battle vs. the Los Angeles Chargers. However, certainly brace for the possibility that this offense could be without Noel for some stretch of time, depending on how bad the toe injury is truly deemed to be.
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