The Houston Texans enter Sunday’s road game against the Indianapolis Colts searching for answers without Nico Collins, whose hamstring injury has again limited the offense’s margin for error. Collins did not practice Wednesday or Thursday, making him unlikely to suit up for the 1 p.m. ET CBS kickoff as the 0-2 Texans face the winless Colts.
Key takeaways
- Houston has averaged 16 points across its past three games without Collins, including a playoff loss to New England.
- C.J. Stroud threw for 353 yards against Cincinnati last week, but the Texans lost 20-6 and did not score a touchdown.
- Jayden Higgins is expected to miss the season, leaving Houston without its top two wide receivers.
- The Colts have used man coverage on 50% of third-and-7-or-longer snaps, the third-highest rate in the NFL.
- Houston’s red-zone touchdown rate falls from an NFL-low 46% since last season to 15% in the three games Collins has missed.
Houston needs receivers and running game to respond
Head coach DeMeco Ryans acknowledged the challenge created by losing a Pro Bowl receiver who changes how opponents defend the Texans. But Ryans said the rest of the offense must take responsibility for making up the production.
“Nico is among the league’s elite receivers, and everybody recognizes that,” Ryans said. “Other players have to fill the space created by his absence. Every player is paid to make plays, and we have to get that done. We miss his explosiveness because defenses have to account for it.”
Collins caught seven passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in Houston’s season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills. Without him, Houston has not found a consistent wideout capable of taking over a game. In the three contests Collins has missed because of injury, no Texans receiver has reached 70 yards.
The closest came when Xavier Hutchinson had 69 yards against the San Francisco 49ers in 2025. Jaylin Noel posted 63 receiving yards in that same game, while Higgins had 59 against the Patriots before an injury expected to end his season.
Houston acquired Kayshon Boutte in a pre-season trade after losing Higgins, but Boutte and Hutchinson each led the wide receiver group with only 37 yards against Cincinnati. Tight end Dalton Schultz supplied most of the production, catching 12 passes for 140 yards.
The Texans particularly struggled when Cincinnati played man coverage. Stroud completed eight of 20 passes for 102 yards against man looks in Week 2, a concern heading into Indianapolis. The Colts have frequently turned to man coverage in long-yardage situations, using it on half of their defensive snaps on third-and-7 or longer.
An improved rushing attack could help Houston avoid those obvious passing downs. The Texans are averaging 3.7 yards per carry, a mark better than only nine NFL teams, and their inability to stay ahead of the chains contributed heavily to last week’s offensive problems.
Third downs and red-zone production remain central issues
Houston converted five of 17 third-down opportunities against the Bengals. Stroud faced third-and-7 or more on 12 of his 16 dropbacks in those situations and produced only two first downs.
Stroud said the outside receivers must do a better job winning their individual matchups, while noting that Hutchinson, Noel, Jared Wayne and Boutte showed positive moments once the offense began using more motion.
“We have to be better on the outside and win,” Stroud said. “When the offense got into a rhythm and we started moving people around, I thought Hutchinson, Noel, Wayne and Boutte all did some good things. At times you may think a call should go your way, but we cannot depend on that.”
The gap in Stroud’s production with and without Collins is substantial. Since the Texans selected Stroud second overall in 2023, he has posted a 91 QBR when throwing to Collins, with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. His QBR drops to 45 when targeting other receivers, with 48 touchdowns against 25 interceptions.
Stroud has averaged 294 passing yards over the three games Collins missed, recording three touchdowns and five interceptions. Four of those interceptions came in the playoff defeat to New England. Houston’s 38-30 victory over Indianapolis in last season’s Week 18 finale does not fit that injury sample, as Collins rested and Stroud and other starters sat out the second half.
The red zone may be Houston’s biggest concern. The Texans have converted only 46% of red-zone trips into touchdowns since the beginning of last season, the lowest percentage in the league and well below the NFL average of 58%. In the three games without Collins, that number has fallen to 15%.
Still, Stroud believes Houston can make a step forward in Indianapolis.
“It should be much better,” Stroud said. “Nico’s impact is always obvious when he is available, and it is difficult without him. But we had a strong practice, and the goal is to carry that execution into Sunday.”
