It brings me no pleasure to have to take on the role of bearer of bad news, but at least this bit of bad news shouldn't come as a huge shock to any Houston Texans fans who have been following the news closely ever since the conclusion of Monday's Wild Card win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With each passing day, as Pro Bowl wideout Nico Collins remained in concussion protocol after suffering a head injury that was so bad it required he be carted back to the locker room, it seemed less and less likely that Houston's leading receiver would be able to play in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs, but on Friday afternoon it was confirmed that Collins will indeed be out for Sunday's matchup with the New England Patriots.
Collins remains in concussion protocol as of Friday afternoon, and under NFL guidelines governing head injuries, he would need to have his symptoms stop in order to return to practice, and at that point, he would need to remain symptom-free through two practices and pass a baseline neurological exam to be medically cleared to play.
This means that if the Texans were to upset the Patriots on Sunday afternoon, there's a chance that Collins would be able to return for the AFC Championship Game with an extra week to get himself out of concussion protocol. And not that any two concussions are alike, but when Collins suffered a concussion earlier this season, he was forced to miss just one week of action.
Without Nico Collins in the picture, a Texans offense that had it's share of issues throughout the season even when Collins was able to suit up will have face an uphill battle as they attempt to go where no other team in Houston Texans franchise history has gone before... the AFC Championship Game.
And aside from relying on a middle-of-the-pack rushing attack and the best defense in the National Football League, Houston will be leaning on a committee of pass-catchers that hopes it can make up for the loss of their leader.
“Obviously, Nico is a big part of what we do, and it’s a big loss with him going down, but we’re a senior group,” veteran Texans wide receiver Christian Kirk said this week, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston. “We’re one unit, and any of us at any moment can step up and be able to fill the void and make plays when they’re needed to happen My number was called, and glad that I was able to step up in those moments.”