Texans WR Nico Collins makes the catch of the preseason vs. Rams

Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton recently predicted big things for Davis Mills and Nico Collins. That came true against the Rams.

“I expect that between Davis [Mills] and Nico [Collins] and the time that they’ll put in out here on the practice field, that there should be a high level of trust between the two. And we should be able to feature Nico in situations where it’s man coverage, where he can use his body, his size, his God-given ability to make plays.”

That’s what Houston Texans offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said lats Tuesday about the connection between quarterback Davis Mills and receiver Nico Collins. The Texans selected Mills with the 67th overall pick in the third round of the 2021 draft, and Mills surprised a lot of people by looking like a potential franchise quarterback for a franchise very much in need of one. Collins also came to Houston in the third round of the 2021 draft, with the 89th overall pick.

At the end of the first half of Friday night’s game between the Texans and the Los Angeles Rams, Mills and Collins made Hamilton look positively psychic. Mills put this ball up for Collins, and with one second left in the second quarter, Collins made an unreal 18-yard touchdown catch over Rams rookie cornerback Derion Kendrick.

At 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, Collins has the size and strength to embarrass just about any defender, and this play may bode well for Houston’s 2022 passing game — as their offensive coordinator predicted.