A lot of the ingredients for the Houston Texans offense to get back on track were on the table on Sunday afternoon. Most notably, an opponent -- the San Francisco 49ers -- who hasn't been able to get after the passer all season long meant that third-year Texans quarterback CJ Stroud would have more time to throw than he's been accustomed to dating back to last year.
But one ingredient was noticeably absent on Sunday... Pro Bowl wide receiver Nico Collins, who had back to back 1,000 yard seasons in 2023 and 2024, but has gotten off to a sluggish start in 2025. Due to a concussion he suffered in this past Monday's loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Collins wasn't on the field today, but still, Stroud and the Texans offense shined on their way to a 26-15 win over the Niners.
Stroud, who hadn't thrown for over 300 yards in a regular season game in over one full calendar year, topped the 300-yard mark against San Francisco's banged up defense, connecting with nine different Texans pass-catchers on the afternoon. But despite the success, Stroud took some time post-game to remind everyone of Nico Collins' place in the hierarchy of Houston's offense once he's able to return to the field.
"You can't replace Nico Collins. He's a top-five guy in his league. I think he's one of best," Stroud said post-game, according to Jared Koch of Sports Illustrated. "Even when he comes back, we got to find new ways to get him the rock. So, I mean, that's my job, to give it to him, and when he comes back his force will be felt."
Collins has been a force each of the last two years, but this year, the 26-year-old wideout has failed to make the kind of splash many expected he would in his first year in Nick Caley's offense. Perhaps growing pains could be to blame here. The Texans are still only seven regular season games into Caley's tenure, and there are kinks that still need to be worked out.
But Houston would be better for it if Stroud 'forced' the ball to Collins a little bit more once the big-bodied wide out returns from concussion protocol.
For all we know, that could be next Sunday, when the Denver Broncos come to town. Denver leads the NFL in sacks this season, so Houston's rebuilt offensive line will have its hands full, and Stroud may be under pressure for long stretches of the game. Having an outlet like Collins, in addition to some of the newcomers and youngsters like Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Xavier Hutchinson who stepped up in a big way against San Francisco, will be key to Houston getting back .500.