Jonathan Gannon said after Sunday's game he'd need to look at the tape to judge exactly how rookie defensive lineman Walter Nolen III played against the Texans, but Nolen certainly played enough to keep Gannon busy.
The first-round pick returned from a two-game absence because of a knee injury to play 41 snaps, the most of his brief career, with his 61 percent playing time the highest he has achieved. Nolen batted down a pass, drew a holding penalty, and -- after further review by NFL statisticians -- was credited with the lone sack of the day on Texans QB C.J. Stroud.
(Linebacker Akeem Davis-Gaither, who played all 67 snaps, originally was given the sack but Nolen had tripped up Stroud before ADG finished it off.)
With Cody Simon leaving with a knee injury early in the game, inside linebacker Owen Pappoe played a career-high 49 snaps. Rookie outside linebacker Jordan Burch played 32 snaps, his highest total since Week 5, and with all the secondary injuries, cornerback Darren Hall played a season-high 42 snaps.
On the offensive line, rookie Josh Fryar (38 snaps) and Demontrey Jacobs (37) rotated at left tackle as well as "muscle tight end." Rookie offensive lineman Hayden Conner played three snaps, the first work of his career.
At running back, Bam Knight got hurt on his first snap, but Emari Demercado, in his return from a three-game absence, played just seven offensive snaps. Michael Carter played 53 of 66 offensive snaps at the position, although Corey Kiner did make his NFL debut with five snaps (and two carries for 11 yards.)
