NFL

Texans pay homage to Ray Lewis, Victor Cruz after encouragement from DeMeco Ryans

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.

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Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins, center, celebrates his touchdown with his teammates against the Baltimore Ravens. Rafael Suanes/Imagn Images

“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

Nico Collins increases the @HoustonTexans’ lead ??

HOUvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+ pic.twitter.com/gXMDiT2pDa

— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025

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.”