Tag: Houston Texans Nico Collins

Texans ready for return of WR Nico Collins for season’s second half

Nico Collins is back for the first time in five games for the Houston Texans.

The Houston Texans are eight quarters and counting without a touchdown in the second half.

That should change with the return or Nico Collins.

The Texans will have their leading man back on the sidelines for the first time since Week 5 in Monday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Collins isn’t looking to ease his way back in, either.
There’s reasons to believe that No. 12 will be the No. 1 talking point of the Tuesday morning talk show circuits.

“In order to pick back up, I got to ball out when the ball touches my hands,” Collins said earlier this week. “When the ball is in the air, I have to do something with it.”

It’s a tale of two halves for Houston this season. With Collins in the lineup, the Texans sit at 4-1. With him out, they’re 2-3. They’ve also been outscored 74-39 in the second half since Week 6.

It’s also affected C.J. Stroud’s stat line. Before Collins’ injury, the Texans were sixth in total offense (376.6 yards per game) and fourth in passing. Stroud ranked third in passing yards (1,385), tied for 10th in touchdowns (seven) and 10th in QBR (66.2).

Over the past five games, the Texans rank 24th in total offense (299 yards per game) and 16th in scoring (20 points per contest). Stroud currently ranks 13th in passing (2,371) and 22nd in QBR (54.7).

“I am very excited to have my guy back,” Stroud said. “I am just happy for him to be back with the team, be a part of the locker room again. They are in solitude, when players are injured, they are on their own. So I am glad he is just able to be around the guys again and be able to do the sport that he loves to play.”

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said earlier this week that Stroud needs to “cut it loose” on Monday night. That should be easier with the return of his No. 1 receiver.

Prior to the injury, Collins led the NFL with 567 receiving yards and ranked third in receptions with 32. By missing five games, his 113.4 yards per contest remains among the league’s best.

“Getting Nico back is always very great for all of us,” Ryans said. “Nico’s been one of our best players when he was healthy, so it’s great to have him back, great to have his presence and the energy that he brings and also the playmaking ability that he brings.”

Collins and Stroud’s connection could be the x-factor down the stretch for Houston before the bye week. After traveling to Arlington, the Texans return home for an AFC South showdown against the Tennessee Titans. After that, they hit the road to take on the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars.

With three wins, the Texans would be back at 9-3 in the hunt for a top-three seed in the AFC, but everything starts with a win on Monday.

Everything ends with Collins crossing the goal line for the first time in a month.

“I feel like myself,” Collins said. “I’m feeling good.”

Texans get terrible news on WR Nico Collins’ hamstring injury

The news keeps getting worse for the Houston Texans surrounding Nico Collins’ hamstring injury.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Nico Collins’ All-Pro season has come to a halt.

The Houston Texans are placing the fourth-year receiver on the injured reserve with a hamstring injury, according to the team’s latest transaction list.

Collins will be out at least through Week 9 following the team’s road trip to New York. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rappaport, the hope is Collins will be back sooner rather than later.

During Monday’s press conference, Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Collins was “in good spirits” after leaving Sunday’s victory over the Buffalo Bills in the first quarter.

When asked about a timeline, Ryans said the NFL’s leading receiver would be “week to week.”

“Of course, with the hamstring, it takes a couple weeks for hamstrings, so we’ll evaluate that on a week-to-week basis to see when we can get him back,” Ryans said.

Collins suffered the injury on his 67-yard touchdown catch from C.J. Stroud during the first quarter after helping Houston secure a 14-3. He did not return to the game.

The loss of Collins is substantial to Houston’s passing game, even without his record-setting success. Three of Stroud’s seven touchdowns have come to Collins. In Sunday’s win without Collins, Houston managed to score just nine points.

“Nico has been the best receiver in the NFL this year,” Ryans said. “So, do you replace him? No. Everybody just steps up and whatever role you’re asked to do, just step up and play your role the proper way.

“There is one Nico, he’s done a great job of that. Now, whoever is next, when your number is called, make the plays that you are supposed to make.”

The Texans should feel content with their receiving corps, especially with the arrival of Stefon Diggs. He’s stepped up twice against both the Bills and Vikings, leading the Texans in receptions and receiving yards.

Houston also needs second-year receiver Tank Dell to step up in place of Collins. After finishing second in receiving yards for the Texans last year as a rookie, Dell’s been off to a slow start, totaling 13 catches for 137 yards.

“[I] definitely hope Nico is okay and we can get him back as soon as possible, but I definitely know that we have a lot of depth in that room,” Stroud said.

Before leaving Sunday’s game, Collins led the league with  567 yards. He already broke DeAndre Hopkins’ 2018 record for the most receiving yards to begin a season in Texans’ history and was on pace to become the sixth player since 2000 to record 125-plus receiving yards and a touchdown in three consecutive home games.

Collins was also on pace for 2,000 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns.

As a corresponding move, the Texans signed tight end Teagan Quitoriano to the 53-man roster. Quitoriano was previously on the Bears practice squad after being cut after training camp.

Texans Wire will continue to update you with more information surrounding the plan in Collins’ absence.

Is Texans WR Nico Collins the favorite to win Offensive Player of the Year?

Houston Texans star receiver Nico Collins might find himself in the hunt for more hardware in 2024.

Nico Collins is currently the terrorizing defensive backs on Sunday afternoons as the NFL’s leading receiver. The gap between him and New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers doesn’t even create a conversation. 

But is Collins the top offensive name entering October? According to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, he’s in the running. 

The fourth-year Houston Texans’ target was named third in the Offensive Player of the Year list, trailing Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry. Barnwell sees Collins as a constant security blanket for C.J. Stroud, often factoring in wins more than the quarterback. 

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“Collins has separated from the rest of Houston’s receivers and from everyone else in football. He’s being targeted at the league’s 22nd-highest rate, but what he’s doing with those targets is remarkable,” Barwell wrote. “He is 10 targets behind Nabers for the most of any receiver, but he tops the Giants wideout and everyone else by more than 100 receiving yards. He has four more first downs than anybody else, and the only wideouts converting targets into first downs at a higher rate are Chris Godwin and Chris Olave.”

Through four games, Collins leads all receivers with 489 yards and 30 catches. His yardage also marks the best start of a Texans receiver in franchise history, surpassing DeAndre Hopkins in 2018. 

Barnwell also mentioned that while Nabers remains the top target in volume, it’s moments that separate Collins as the top threat on the outside. 

“He’s also been at his best in key situations, leading the NFL in yards per route run on third down,” Barnwell wrote. “In an offense in which C.J. Stroud is spoiled with options, Collins is the guy the star quarterback invariably looks for when he needs a conversion.” 

Collins will have an opportunity to better his odds as the No. 1 offensive threat when the Texans play host to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday at noon CT. 

Nico Collins has become Texans’ version of T.Y. Hilton against rival Colts

Nico Collins has given the Indianapolis Colts a taste of their own medicine with his performance on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Death, taxes and Nico Collins going off against the Indianapolis Colts.

That seems to be the norm these days for the fourth-year Houston Texans receiver after another 100-yard outing Sunday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“Nico might not like them or something,” receiver Tank Dell said Monday following a 29-27 win over the AFC South rival. “I don’t know. Nico’s got something against them.

“He just makes plays all over the field.”

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Collins, the Texans’ go-to target in 2023, has established himself as one of the top emerging talents after posting career numbers en route to a division title. But something is different when No. 12 straps up to play Indianapolis in a divisional matchup.

Back in the day, Houston was pulverized in showdowns against the Colts because of T.Y. Hilton. Regardless of Andrew Luck’s status, No. 13 was the lucky charm on offense, totaling double-digit catches and over 100 receiving yards per outing.

Collins has returned the favor. Over his last three games, the 6-foot-4 nightmare of the Colts’ nation has caught 22 passes for 458 yards & two touchdowns.

On Sunday, he led Houston with seven catches for 117 yards, including a critical reception on third-and-11 during the Texans’ final drive.

“Nico Collins has no flaws in his game,” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said following Wednesday’s practice. “And he’s a great teammate. He loves his teammates and he’s just somebody I love to work with every day. And I’m really proud of him, I tell him that all the time.”

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Stroud isn’t wrong. After missing 10 games his first two seasons, Collins put together a flawless third year with career-highs in catches (80), receiving yards (1,297) and touchdowns (8).

In Week 18’s win over Indianapolis, Collins caught nine passes for 195 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown on Houston’s first offensive play. His 458 yards mark a record for a Texans player against one team over a three-game period.

Earlier this offseason, he was rewarded a three-year, $72.75 million extension.

“Every dollar that we’re paying him, he deserves every single cent,” Stroud said. “So, I’m very excited to be a part of his career and see what he’s going to do in the future.”

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Collins turns 50/50 balls into 70/30 catches that lean in his favor. Plays like the 55-yard reception in the second quarter against double coverage have become second nature and a common theme to the former Michigan star’s game.

Stroud knows Collins can be that security blanket downfield in critical moments. He could be that Sunday evening when Houston takes on the Chicago Bears on primetime at NRG Stadium.