The Houston Texans dispatched the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card for the right to face the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round. However, the NFL took more interest in one particular play involving Texans wide receiver Jaylin Noel from last week.
Noel was on the right side of the NFL’s decision.
In fact, he was the one who pointed out the infraction, which otherwise went unnoticed by the officials during the game.
Texans’ Jaylin Noel Helps Bring Attention to Missed Infraction
GettyJaylin Noel #14 of the Houston Texans reacts after a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens.
Noel, the No. 79 overall pick of the 2025 draft by the Texans, returned a kick in the first quarter of Houston’s eventual win over the Steelers in the Wild Card. However, Noel called out questionable hand placement by Steelers Pro Bowl gunner Ben Skowronek.
Skowronek’s move made the rounds on social media, too.
According to the NFL’s Gameday Accountability portal on January 17, Skowronek received a $9,500 fine for “unsportsmanlike conduct,” with the league only specifying the reason as “other.”
“This what we teaching on the Steelers??” Noel said in a post on X after the Texans’ eventual 30-6 victory on the road against Pittsburgh in the AFC Wild Card Round. “Wonder what his wife think about this…”
Skowronek got off relatively lightly.
Per the NFL’s Fines & Appeals hub, the league can dock players up to $14,491 for first-time offenses and as much as $20,288 on second offenses.
Amounts and occurrences are at the league’s discretion. As this instance showed, they will also dock players over infractions that went uncalled in-game. The Texans were fortunate to avoid drawing the NFL’s ire in that regard.
Noel had 81 combined return yards but did not catch his lone target in the Texans’ offense.
Jaylin Noel Could Have Bigger Offensive Role
GettyJaylin Noel #14 of the Houston Texans celebrates a touchdown pass against the Baltimore Ravens.
Noel’s role in the Texans’ offense is something to monitor in the Divisional Round against the Patriots. The rookie is inarguably the Texans’ most explosive receiving threat, especially with Tank Dell still sidelined while recovering from a knee injury.
Moreover, the Texans will be without their top option, Nico Collins, who is in concussion protocol, suffering the injury against the Steelers.
The Texans are expected to have veteran offseason free agent pick-up Braxton Berrios active.
However, Berrios could make more sense replacing Noel in the return game while the speedy youngster takes on a larger role in the Texans’ offense, catching passes from quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Noel caught 26 passes for 292 yards and 2 touchdowns on 35 targets, giving him the fourth-most-efficient player among Texans with double-digit looks.
League Overlooks Play Involving Nick Chubb
GettyNick Chubb #21 of the Houston Texans runs the ball against the Carolina Panthers.
While the NFL punished Skowronek over the play involving Noel, they overlooked another that included Texans running back Nick Chubb.
During the fourth quarter, Chubb took a handoff that gained 6 yards. Steelers linebacker Nate Herbig tackled Chubb. He also grabbed the Texans’ tailback’s facemask, though, drawing a 15-yard penalty as a result.
That drive ended with a rushing score by Woody Marks.
Facemask penalties are on the list of fineable offenses. So, the lack of a fine for Herbig on Chubb but one for Skoronek on Noel underscores the NFL’s use of discretion in these cases.
NFL Delivers Costly Punishment Over Texans Player After Comments