Noah Brown's first season with the Houston Texans is over.
The Texans have Brown On injured listBrown signed a one-year contract with Houston after six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys.
Brown injured his shoulder during the first quarter of Houston's 45-14 wild-card round win over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday at NRG Stadium and did not return.
During the opening series, quarterback CJ Stroud made contact with Brown on a third-down, nine-yard play to secure a first down, but Brown collided with two Cleveland defenders, leading to a punt by Cameron Johnston.
Houston Texans wide receiver Noah Brown (85) makes a catch during the second half of a game against the Cleveland Browns at NRG Stadium.
Thomas Schaer – USA TODAY Sports
Brown lay on the ground for a moment before returning to the sideline and entering the medical tent for further evaluation.
Brown was limited in practice leading up to Houston's playoff game due to a back injury he suffered in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans. He did not play in Week 18's playoff-clinching game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Brown had 33 catches for 567 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games, with his best game coming in Week 9 against the Bengals, when he caught seven passes for 172 yards.
With Brown out for the rest of the postseason, the Texans will be forced to use John Metchie and rookie Xavier Hutchinson as the No. 3 receivers, and Houston could field a double tight end lineup with Dalton Schultz and Brevin Jordan opposite Nico Collins and Robert Woods.
Jordan had a 76-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against the Browns, the longest in Texans playoff history. Metchie caught three passes for 44 yards, including a 27-yard gain on a Collins 15-yard touchdown. Schultz scored on a 37-yard pass from Stroud just before halftime.
Stroud became just the fourth rookie in postseason history, joining Sammy Baugh, Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy, to throw for at least 200 yards and three touchdowns in a playoff game. The leading candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Stroud completed 16 of 21 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns.
Stroud became the first rookie quarterback to win a playoff game since Mark Sanchez in 2009, and the youngest passer to win a postseason game since Michael Vick (22) in 2002.
“It's been a tough year, but I'm just thankful to God that I have one more week to hang in there with my teammates,” Stroud said. “It's a dream come true.”
The Texans await Monday's playoff results to determine their divisional trip, and if the Pittsburgh Steelers pull off an upset, Houston would travel to Kansas City to face the Chiefs.
If the Buffalo Bills win, the Texans will travel to Baltimore to face the top-seeded Ravens.
