The Houston Texans' offense has struggled through the first two weeks, and it’s already clear that mistakes have been made on offense. Scoring only 28 points over the first two weeks, Houston owns the lowest-scoring offense in the NFL, and many are wondering why the coaching staff hasn't made a drastic move to help turn things around, including more playing time for rookie receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
The Texans selected the former Iowa State teammates in the second and third rounds of April’s draft, and both looked like they were on the way to key roles during training camp. Much to the fan base's dismay, the duo has caught just four passes for 67 yards over the first two games.
Mercifully, there appears to be a solution on the horizon and it could see the rookie duo get some action in the wake of Justin Watson’s latest injury.
Justin Watson’s Injury Opens the Door for Texans Rookies Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, Watson is out indefinitely after dealing with a calf/Achilles injury. Wilson noted that Watson didn’t tear anything as part of the injury, but his status could open the door for Higgins or Noel to have a bigger role moving forward.
Higgins was the 34th overall pick in April’s draft and showed plenty of playmaking ability with the Cyclones. While he projects more as an outside receiver, he spent some time in the slot at Iowa State while catching 87 passes for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns last fall. His production has also translated into his limited action over the first two games with the Texans, averaging 2.31 yards per route run, according to Pro Football Focus.
Noel hasn’t had as much success with 0.30 yards per route run in the first two weeks, but it’s come with limited opportunities. Noel’s role is more similar to Watson, who has played 79.4% of his snaps in the slot thus far, but the rookie was much more productive in college with 80 catches for 1,194 yards and eight touchdowns last fall.
College stats don’t always indicate success in the NFL, but the Texans’ offensive results show they should try something different. In addition to being the league’s lowest-scoring offense, Houston ranks 28th with 333 passing yards and 18th with 5.2 yards per play this season. Nico Collins is the Texans’ leading receiver with six catches for 77 yards, as the rest of the group has been hard to spot, with Xavier Hutchinson (four catches, 59 yards) being the only player with more receptions than Higgins.
Watson’s injury opens the door for something to happen, but it could be the return of Kirk and fellow veteran Braxton Berrios, who head coach DeMeco Ryans said were “progressing very well” and could play in Week 3. But the Texans took Higgins and Noel for a chance to jump-start their offense.
After two weeks, that car stalled on the side of the road, but putting the two rookies in could be enough to rectify an early mistake.