HOUSTON — Amid injuries and illnesses, the Houston Texans’ wide receiver corps could be extremely thin during their Week 13 match against the 6-6 Indianapolis Colts.
Two of the Texans’ top receivers are questionable for Sunday’s AFC South showdown at NRG Stadium, including Houston’s top wideout Brandin Cooks. The 28-year-old veteran was one of five Texans battling a non-COVID illness that led to the franchise hosting a virtual practice via Zoom on Wednesday.
Although he has missed the first two days of in-person practices, Cooks continued to prepare against the Colts with starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
“Obviously, I want him to feel better — it is never fun or a good thing when someone is sick,” Taylor said following practice on Thursday. “I’ve called him just about every other hour to make sure he is alright. We have talked about a few things to make sure we are on the same game plan. We are trusting that he will be ready to be out there with us on Sunday.”
Taylor said he called Cooks so much over the previous few days that his top target could be getting tired of speaking over the phone.
With 704 receiving yards on the season, Cooks is currently leading the Texans for most reception yardage through the first 11 games. Houston’s second-leading receiver Chris Conley — who has caught 233 yards on the year — is also questionable due to an illness. Both Cooks and Conley returned to practice on Friday.
With Danny Amendola on injured reserve following arthroscopic knee surgery on Tuesday, the game against the Colts is staging to be a significant opportunity for rookies Nico Collins and Brevin Jordan to prove their worth as reliable threats in Houston’s passing game for the near future.
“My confidence is getting better,” Collins said. “I feel like I am getting more confident in my game — understanding the game and the speed of it. I still feel there is room for me to work on my game, work on the things I feel I need to improve on most. I feel like I need to study defenses more — anything I feel I can up my game on. There is always room for improvement.”
Leading up to the Texans’ 21-14 loss to the New York Jets, Taylor spoke on the chemistry and growth he has seen from both Collins and Jordan.
“We just have to continue talking on the field, talking through film, getting extra work after practice and making sure we see it the same way,” Taylor said. “Those two guys, Nico and Brevin, have tremendous talent and we’re going to need them to keep playing at a high level for our success moving forward.”
Collins is entering Sunday’s game as the Texans’ third-leading receiver with 228 reception yards. Jordan is second for most receiving touchdowns with three.