After the Houston Texans dispatched of the San Francisco 49ers in a must-win Week 8 showdown, CJ Stroud made it clear that even though the Texans did so without the services of Nico Collins, the 5th-year wideout who has back to back 1,000 yard seasons is an invaluable piece of Houston's offensive attack.
"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."
Fortunately for the Texans, it's looking like they won't need to wait too long before Stroud gets the opportunity to find new ways to get him the rock. After missing one game in concussion protocol, it's trending in the direction where Collins will be back on the field this Sunday when the Denver Broncos come to town.
"DeMeco Ryans said 'we'll see how he progresses this week' when asked about Nico Collins' status in concussion protocol," Texans reporter Aaron Wilson noted on X. "Collins, per source, is doing well and trending toward return at this point."
Unproven Texans pass-catchers step up in Nico Collins' absence
If the Houston Texans did miss Nico Collins this past Sunday afternoon, they sure had a funny way of showing it on the field, because in Collins' absence, CJ Stroud had one of the best games of his young career, completing over 75 percent of his passes and topping the 300 yard mark for the first time in over a calendar year. It's a result that speaks to the underrated depth of Houston's wide receivers room.
“A lot of young guys stepped up and made plays: [Jaylin] Noel, [Jayden] Higgins, [Jared] Wayne stepped up, all of our receivers,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after the game. “All those guys showed up, not just in the passing game. The way we ran the football, the receivers have to block. So, they did a great job of that as well."
“We’ve got a lot of dogs in the room,” Xavier Hutchinson added. “We’ve got a lot of players who want the ball and who can do something with the ball. I felt like that was a great time for us to step up and show up and that’s exactly what we did.”
Xavier Hutchinson was one of those guys who wanted the ball, and against San Francisco, he showed he can do something with it when he gets the chance. In the 26-15 win, Hutchinson was Houston's leading receiver, setting peronsal bests for receptions (5) and yards (69) in a single game in his three-year NFL career.
What may have benefited the Texans the most was that even with a full week of preparation where there was an understanding that the team would be without its top receiver, there was never a request for any of the team's pass-catchers to raise their game to the level of Nico Collins.
“Whoever is up, whoever is out there, we expect our guys to execute, do what they’re supposed to do and play to the best of their ability," Ryans explained. "We never asked anyone to go be Nico Collins or someone you’re not. Play to the best of your ability and we’ll be just fine.”
The Texans were more than 'just fine' on Sunday afternoon... they were dominant, and with Nico Collins likely back this Sunday, there's reason for hope that this is just the beginning of a dominant, season-saving run.