Xavier Hutchinson was feeling good after delivering one of the longest plays of his rookie season only to have his impactful first down nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty last Sunday.
The questionable call spurred by contact with cornerback D.J. Reed took away a 31-yard completion for the Texans’ rookie wide receiver last Sunday during a 30-6 road loss to the New York Jets.
Recommended Videos
“Yeah, that was tough,” Hutchinson said. “Obviously, I wish it went in my favor. It was probably a no-call, but that’s not how it went. There’s a learning curve. You just learn from it and apply it for next time.”
Xavier Hutchinson was called for OPI on this play. Do you agree or disagree?
— Jeremy Branham (@JeremyBranham) December 12, 2023
(I disagree, but I'm watching Texans' film, not Jets' film) pic.twitter.com/VWoq7ByWxY
A former consensus All-American at Iowa State drafted in the sixth round, Hutchinson is displaying signs of progress in his development as his playing time has increased with injuries to wide receivers Tank Dell and Nico Collins.
Hutchinson caught two passes for 15 yards on three targets against the Jets in a heavy rainstorm. He has four runs for 44 yards this season and four catches for 58 yards on seven targets. He has played just 15 percent of the snaps (123 overall), but his playing time is on the uptick.
“It definitely was a building block,” Hutchinson said. “I feel like that was my first game really getting acclimated to everything. With that, comes a lot of ups and downs. I’m proud of myself for what I’ve built. Now, it’s time to keep moving forward and keep building.”
#Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson on his increased role @KPRC2 @IowaStateFB @BallengeeFB pic.twitter.com/sX9rx0AtJm
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 13, 2023
At 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Hutchinson, a former Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the year who finished with 254 catches for 2,929 yards and 15 touchdowns in three seasons for the Cyclones, has size and athleticism working in his favor as well as crisp route-running skills and explosiveness.
“Hutch is a really big body that moves pretty fast and fights through contact really, really well,” Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik said as the team prepares for Sunday’s road game against the Tennessee Titans.
Hutchinson, who has two first downs overall, caught 107 passes for 1,171 yards and six touchdowns last season at Iowa State.
He should play more going forward with Dell out for the season with a broken fibula. Collins is expected to miss this game with a strained calf.
The Titans have allowed the 11th-most passing yards per game and the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the wide receiver position. They’re allowing a 98.8 opposing passer rating, third-highest in the NFL.
“We have a mentality here: ‘Next man up,’” Hutchinson said. “We hate to see anybody go down. I know I’m going to be ready for it this week. I can’t wait to just capitalize.”
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com