Noah Brown's Huge Game Helps Houston Texans Survive vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud could not have had an impressive day without the contributions from wide receiver Noah Brown.

The Houston Texans are above .500 for the first time since 2019. They improved their record to 5-4 Sunday afternoon following a 30-27 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, who came into Paycor Stadium riding a four-game winning streak. 

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud had another prominent performance, completing 59.0 percent of his passes for 356 yards and a touchdown. But Stroud could not have had an impressive day without the contributions from wide receiver Noah Brown. 

Brown finished the game with a career day of 172 yards on seven catches. His play became even more relevant due to the absence of Nico Collins, who missed his first game of the season due to a calf injury. 

Brown's play against the Bengals marked his second consecutive game of catching for over 150 yards. In the Texans' comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brown finished with 153 yards in the win.

"Everyone believed we could win," Ryans said. "Everyone put in the work to help us win this game. We had guys like C.J. and Noah, guys stepping up to make big plays."

Texans wide receiver Noah Brown (85) runs with the ball against Cincinnati Bengals safety Dax Hill (23) in the first half at Paycor Stadium / Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The performances Brown put together are a testament to the long journey he has had en route to becoming a vital option in Houston's passing game. 

Brown had to wait until the seventh round before hearing his name called during the 2017 NFL Draft. The Dallas Cowboys made Brown the No. 239 pick, and though it took a while, he would eventually establish himself as a productive wide receiver.

His best year came during the 2022 season when he finished with a career-high 555 yards on three catches with three touchdowns. 

Brown's on-field contributions helped the Cowboys finish the regular season 12-5 while advancing to the divisional round. He became an essential option in the Cowboys' passing attack due to the injury-plagued season to Michael Gallup.  

When Brown signed with the Texans as a free agent in March, the 27-year-old wideout was hoping to replicate his production from the previous season. 

After recovering from a hamstring injury, Brown has recorded 439 yards on 21 receptions with the Texans. He is one of the many reasons why Ryans left Cincinnati "excited" with the team's second consecutive win.