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Texans’ Jaylin Noel reveals why he did Ray Lewis dance that enraged Ravens
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- Texans’ Jaylin Noel reveals why he did Ray Lewis dance that enraged Ravens
The post Texans' Jaylin Noel reveals why he did Ray Lewis dance that enraged Ravens appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Houston Texans finally unleashed a well-rounded offensive effort this season, annihilating the Baltimore Ravens in a 44-10 road victory on Sunday afternoon. Quarterback C.J. Stroud enjoyed a successful outing for a second straight game, building noticeable rapport with a wide receiver room that had produced more questions than answers going into this Week 5 matchup. Watching Jaylin Noel score was particularly encouraging for fans. His celebration caused quite a stir with the opposition, however.
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Following his first career touchdown, the rookie wide receiver mimicked a Hall of Fame linebacker and Ravens legend. He performed Ray Lewis ' signature squirrel dance, angering Baltimore cornerback Jaire Alexander and the fans inside M&T Bank Stadium. What was Noel's motivation? The third-round draft pick out of Iowa State was told to get creative , and he just so happened to stumble on this piece of Ravens lore.
"I actually watched it last night," Noel said after the win, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston. "{Head coach DeMeco Ryans } was saying we need something if we get into the end zone, so I watched that last night and I was able to do it today."
The 2024 First-Team All-Big 12 selection was just 10 years old when Lewis retired after spending his entire 17-season NFL career with Baltimore, so his lack of familiarity with the squirrel dance is more reasonable than people may think. Even so, he knew what he was doing.
The young Texans WR set out to put on a show
Since Houston was leading 41-10 after Noel's four-yard TD, rubbing salt into the Ravens' wounds, and those of their fans, is not exactly peak sportsmanship. Moreover, it is not like he has been torching defenses this year — five receptions for 22 yards and one touchdown through five games. But Jaylin Noel clearly wanted to put an exclamation point on his first-ever NFL score.
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One can hear the gratitude in his voice, as he makes a mark for his new team. Stroud and company are counting on him to be an important component of their passing attack this season.
If the 23-year-old can build on this moment, he will quickly become a fan favorite in Houston. Heck, he might already be there after the Ray Lewis dance. Noel is certainly no friend to Baltimore, however. Jaire Alexander attempted to take the ball away from the rook following the celebratory taunt, determined to salvage his team's pride in front of the home crowd.
Both the Texans (2-3) and Ravens (1-4) have more pressing matters to deal with moving forward, as they both find themselves in sub-.500 holes through a month-plus of NFL action. Noel will have a chance to rile up another fan base when Houston visits the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 20.
Related: What Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said about 1st win in Baltimore in franchise history
Related: Ravens tie 2 franchise-worst marks in Texans debacle
