During their fourth win of the season, the Houston Texans suffered a major loss. Wide receiver Nico Collins suffered a hamstring injury on a 67-yard touchdown pass and was unable to return to the game.
Afterward, it was said the injury wasn't serious but he is "week-to-week," meaning there's no guarantee that he will be on the field in Week 6. If the Texans have to take the field without him, head coach DeMeco Ryans knows there's no way to replace his production.
Aaron Wilson shared a clip from Ryans' press conference where he stated that Collins is the best receiver in the NFL right now and everyone just has to step up their game in his absence.
#Texans coach DeMeco Ryans on linebacker Henry To'oTo'o @HenryTootoo1 improvement and delivering one of his best performances Sunday @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/01RG7kk6op
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 7, 2024
Ryans is correct that Collins is the top wideout in the NFL right now. Even with the early exit on Sunday, he's still No. 1 in the league with 567 yards through the air. That has him on pace for more than 1,900 yards which would make his three-year, $72 million extension look like a steal.
With Collins sidelined, the offense struggled. His play put them up 14-3 and they scored just nine points after he left. Six of those were on field goals of 50 yards or more.
Stefon Diggs is the one who will be asked to pick up the slack but the veteran doesn't stretch the field the way Collins can. Instead, it will be Tank Dell who needs to take on that role. As the head coach says, it will be multiple players rising to the challenge to help the offense get through any missed time for Collins.