Houston Texans: Game ball goes to…Cecil Shorts III

Wide receiver Cecil Shorts III helped the Houston Texans win with his arm, legs and receiving ability as he showed his versatility in a win over the Jets


It’s one thing to be versatile, but Cecil Shorts III went above and beyond that description for the Houston Texans during their 24-17 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. The fifth year receiver lined up all over the field, including as the wildcat quarterback.

Shorts had four runs for 26 yards to go along with his two receptions for 51 yards. As if that wasn’t enough to contribute, Shorts even got into the act throwing the football as he hooked up with running back Alfred Blue on a 21 yard touchdown pass.

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In the end, he didn’t lead the team in rushing yards, as Blue had 58 yards on the ground. He wasn’t the top pas catcher as DeAndre Hopkins brought in five catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. He also didn’t have the most passing touchdowns as receiver T.J. Yates tossed two of them in the game.

What Shorts did though was provide a wrinkle that had to be accounted for, not just on Sunday, but going forward as well. He showed that someone besides Hopkins could get the ball moving, and he showed he can do so in a myriad of ways.

Now teams have to worry about the speedy receiver lining up in the backfield, next to the quarterback and of course as a receiver. That is a lot to account for when teams are already struggling to stop DeAndre Hopkins.

Don’t look now, but the 5-5 Texans are making some serious noise in the AFC.

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