<
        >

          Texans' Ryans used TD celebrations as motivation for more points

          • DJ Bien-AimeOct 20, 2025, 06:00 AM ET
            Close
              DJ Bien-Aime covers the Houston Texans for ESPN. He joined ESPN in July of 2022 after covering the New York Jets for the New York Daily News. He's a former athlete who finished his college career at Louisville. You can catch DJ on ESPN Radio on his show "Talkin' Texans."
            Follow on X

          HOUSTON -- When rookie wideout Jaylin Noel scored his first touchdown in the Houston Texans' 44-10 road win over the Baltimore Ravens, Noel did what he was told to do: Celebrate.

          "I've been on the offensive guys a lot for the past couple weeks about making sure they have some celebrations ready for the end zone," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "It's just a psychological thing to me. If you're thinking about celebrations, then you'll get in the end zone."

          Noel had been thinking about how he would celebrate his first NFL touchdown, but he didn't expect it to lead to a scuffle.

          So, why did it?

          Well, Noel's celebration happened to mimic Hall of Fame linebacker and Ravens great Ray Lewis' famous "squirrel dance," and Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander took exception and tried to rip away the rookie's memento as the two wrestled on the ground for the ball before they were separated.

          "When Jaire tried to pull the ball away, I wasn't even thinking about it," Noel told ESPN. "I was just excited to go celebrate with my coaches and teammates. That's why you see me run immediately. I'm like, 'Aw whatever.' I didn't care what he had to do."

          Noel's touchdown and celebration were among the finishing touches of a 70-10 offensive outburst in the Texans' two-game win streak against the Tennessee Titans and Ravens heading into their Week 6 bye.

          If you rewind to the Wednesday when the Texans were 0-3 and preparing for the winless Titans heading into Week 4, that's when Ryans deployed his celebratory tactic. Houston was averaging a league-low 12.7 points per game after three weeks -- a direct byproduct of a disappointing start for an offense featuring multiple former Pro Bowlers in quarterback C.J. Stroud, wideout Nico Collins and running back Nick Chubb.

          The Texans were coming off a 17-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars that was crammed with offensive woes and three turnovers. It was their third straight game with less than 300 total yards.

          Some head coaches in a team meeting following an 0-3 start might have unleashed a frantic battle cry -- demanding results from the offense to prevent the season from slipping away. But Ryans' demeanor was the opposite, and so was his request.

          "It's a fun game to play, as stressful as it may be, as hard as it may be, you got to be able to enjoy it as well," Ryans told ESPN. "And I want to have a joyful team that enjoys those big moments and games."

          THE TEXANS' SCORING average for the season jumped up to 21.6 points per game (22nd) heading into Week 7, and Ryans & Co. are hoping the celebrating continues as they travel west to face the Seattle Seahawks (4-2) on "Monday Night Football" (10 p.m. ET, ESPN).

          "[There's] nothing better than scoring, getting in the end zone -- especially when you haven't done it a lot," Ryans said. "Getting in there is an exciting moment, and I wanted guys to really relish that and be proud of that moment."

          Since Ryans' speech, the focus has been on executing. But there's an added element in the Texans' preparation.

          "It's cool man, I think we need a couple more in our back pocket," Stroud said. "Execution breeds energy and all that cool fun stuff. No one celebrates if you're not doing good."

          So, where do the ideas for celebration come from anyway?

          Third-year wideout Xavier Hutchinson gets his inspiration from TikTok and music videos on YouTube from rappers like Lil Uzi Vert, but when he scored his first career touchdown against the Ravens, he chose to do a salsa celebration that was inspired by former New York Giants wideout Victor Cruz.

          Noel didn't have a touchdown celebration in mind until the night before the game. So, with his opponent in mind, he looked up Lewis' dance on YouTube.

          Texans general manager Nick Caserio playfully suggested on an appearance on Sports Radio 610 that Noel might not have known who the iconic linebacker was because he was born in 2002 and Lewis' career began in 1996.

          "I knew who Ray Lewis was," Noel told ESPN with a laugh. "I knew what his dance was. Saying that I didn't know who Ray was, what the squirrel dance was -- Ray Lewis is the GOAT linebacker. There was no disrespect. Yeah, it's more of just paying homage to him. I mean, obviously it was in his stadium, so it was probably a little iffy.

          "Positive energy is contagious. If your teammates see you out there having fun, then it makes them like, 'Hey, I want to get in the end zone. I want to be able to provide a spark to my team.'"

          NOT EVERYONE CELEBRATED, though. Well, at least not to the standard of those who did the homework. Take for example second-round rookie wideout Jayden Higgins, who caught a 24-yard touchdown pass against the Titans to put Houston up 19-0.

          Higgins did a "simple" celebration, but he immediately heard it from his teammates when he returned to the sideline.

          "Jayden let us down," Hutchinson told ESPN with a laugh. "We get it. It's his first touchdown. He was excited. He was probably thinking too much. [We talked to him] immediately on the sideline."

          Ryans even pointed it out during Monday's team meeting. Higgins' reasoning for the short celebration was that he hasn't scored enough to have an over-the-top celebration.

          "I just gave a kiss to God, just wanted to give all the thanks to Him," Higgins told ESPN. "Then I just wanted to celebrate with my teammates. I feel like definitely once I start getting more touchdowns consistently, then I feel like my mind will start running with more ideas."

          Touchdowns might be hard to come by on Monday, as the Seahawks entered Week 7 ranked sixth in scoring defense with 19 points allowed per game. But if one of the wide receivers gets into the end zone, expect the Texans to have some tricks up their sleeves.

          "I know the receivers will have one very soon all together," Hutchinson told ESPN. "I can tell you that."