(SportsRadio 610) - Before a groin injury took him out of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders, second-year wide receiver Nico Collins was having a breakout year for the Texans.
The third-round pick out of Michigan is one of the league leaders in yards per reception (16.94), ranking fourth among players with at least 15 catches.
His 305 receiving yards this year ranks fourth among second-year pass catchers. Collins had a career-high 82 receiving yards in the week four loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, where he also had a 58-yard reception, the longest of his career.
Even some of the advanced numbers show Collins’ development in year two. He ranks sixth in yards before catch per reception, which indicates he’s one of the more prominent deep threats six games into the season.
But you can also hear how coaches and teammates talk about Collins, especially in his expected absence for a short period of time with this groin injury. He didn’t practice Wednesday and the mood around NRG Stadium was that he would miss some time.
“It’s tough. I feel for Nico (Collins),” Texans quarterback Davis Mills said Wednesday. “He’s been playing extremely well. To go down, hopefully he’ll be back soon. I think kind of replacing him by committee. We’re going to have guys moving around and have a lot of guys making plays. We’re going to ask a lot from all of our receivers to fill that role, but I think the guys are ready to step up in that position.
“Not even just receivers. We are able to use tight ends in the different personnel packages to fill the gaps we need from losing Nico. I’m excited for it. I think a lot of guys are ready to step up and make plays.”
One of the receivers Mills will rely on is Phillip Dorsett, who hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter of Sunday’s loss to the Raiders.
Dorsett, a first-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts in 2015 who’s bounced around the league in recent years, also acknowledged Collins’ importance.
"Everybody knows that it’s going to take a collaborative effort. It’s not just one guy that has to step up,” Dorsett said Tuesday of the team reaction to Collins’ injury. “We all have to step up. We all know Nico (Collins) was a big part of this offense. We’ve got to continue to just go and try to fill that void.
"I don’t feel like just one person can do it. We’ve all got to do it because as the end of the day, our record says that we’re not very good, and we’ve just got to keep improving. Not just one person but everybody."
Related
The question going into the season was whether Collins could be the complimentary piece to veteran Brandin Cooks, who’s been Houston’s top receiver the past two seasons. But now, there is a legitimate case for Collins as the Texans’ No. 1 option.
Collins has the most receiving yards (305), despite 10 fewer catches (18) than Cooks (28). That’s on top of the fact Cooks is at the center of trade speculation and his days in Houston could be numbered.
Related
Related
Still, Collins’ individual impact is front and center. Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel said Wednesday he believes Collins is one of the best run-blocking receivers in the league.
Texans head coach Lovie Smith flat out acknowledged they aren’t as good offensively without Collins.
“We see who Nico (Collins) is becoming,” Smith said Wednesday. “A go-to guy, making plays, big target since preseason on. We’re not as good as football with Nico not being able to play for us. Hopefully, we can get him back sooner than later.”
It would be nice. Even with Collins, only five teams have fewer passing yards than the Texans. They also rank 27th in pass DVOA, which measures efficiency, according to Football Outsiders.
Brandon Scott is the editor for SportsRadio610.com. Follow him on Twitter @brandonkscott. Reach him directly via email: brandon.scott@audacy.com.
Follow SportsRadio 610 on social media:
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube