Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins is set to be one of the centers of attention against the Jacksonville Jaguars after quarterback C.J. Stroud was ruled out with a concussion.
Collins has been a focal point of the Texans' offense, though he enters the week with 33 receptions for 414 yards and three touchdowns, ranking 43rd in the NFL in catches. The eyeball test for Collins does him numbers. Collins signed a three-year, $75 million contract extension during the offseason.
Nico Collins is expected to shine bright against the Jaguars.
With Stroud sidelined, backup quarterback Davis Mills is set to start for Houston against Jacksonville, putting even greater emphasis on Collins to guide a young offense. Head coach DeMeco Ryans openly acknowledged the need to integrate Collins into the game plan further earlier this week to the Texans media.
“Look, we’re trying to get the ball to him, it didn’t work out,” Ryans said. “Of course, we all like to see the ball go to Nico, alright, 20 times put the ball up to Nico. That’s everybody’s first thought, ‘Get the ball to Nico.’ Of course, we want to get the ball to Nico. We’ve got to do a better job of game planning and putting him in a position to get the ball more.”
Collins knows, however, that times can be challenging and sometimes, it takes a bit to build greatness. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Collins said. “When things get bad, you’ve still got to keep your hopes up, level mind, and remember your why. So, you’ve got to continue to go, man, one foot in front of the other. If things get hard, you’ve got to continue to go and be yourself.”
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