Collins (concussion) wasn't spotted at practice Thursday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
Collins, who sustained a concussion during this past Monday's wild-card win over the Steelers, also didn't practice Wednesday and his continued absence a day later clouds his status for Sunday's divisional-round game against the Patriots. Friday's final injury report will reveal whether the Texans' top wideout has a chance to play this weekend, but if Collins ends up being unavailable versus New England, Jayden Higgins, Christian Kirk and Xavier Hutchinson would be in line to pace Houston's WR corps, with Jaylin Noel also in the mix.
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Texans' Nico Collins: No practice Wednesday
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Collins (concussion) isn't practicing Wednesday, DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN.com reports.
While attempting to corral a C.J. Stroud pass in the third quarter of Monday's wild-card win at Pittsburgh, Collins wasn't able to brace himself as his helmet went directly into the turf. He remained on the field for a spell and then was carted from the sideline to the locker room, after which he was diagnosed with a concussion. With a short week to prepare for Sunday's divisional-round game in New England, Collins may be hard-pressed to gain clearance from the protocol for head injuries to be able to play this weekend, but he at least has chances Thursday and Friday for on-field work before then.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Shaken up against Pittsburgh
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Collins is questionable to return to Monday's wild-card game against the Steelers due to a head injury.
Collins has had a couple of hard collisions during the game, and he most recently hit his head directly off the turf on an incomplete pass late in the third quarter. He struggled to get off the field and was carted to the locker room to be evaluated for a concussion, so his return looks to be highly questionable. Collins recorded three receptions for 21 yards prior to his exit.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Ready for playoffs
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Collins, who was inactive for this past Sunday's regular-season finale against the Colts, isn't listed on the Texans' injury report ahead of Monday night's playoff opener against the Steelers.
Collins and veteran RB Nick Chubb were rested in the Texans' Week 18 win, with an eye toward keeping the duo fresh for the team's upcoming postseason run. With Collins currently not managing any injury concerns, he's set to reclaim his role as Houston's top wideout Monday on the heels of recording a 71-1,117-6 line (on 120 targets) in 15 regular-season contests.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Inefficient outing Sunday
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Collins had four receptions on nine targets for 59 yards in Sunday's 23-21 win over the Raiders.
Collins finished as Houston's leading receiver on a team-high nine targets, but his production was muted by his worst catch rate (44 percent) since Week 10. The star wideout failed to take advantage of a soft matchup against the Raiders in a contest that wound up being much closer than many had anticipated. Collins had been on a three-game heater (12-304-2) prior to Sunday's pedestrian results, so fantasy managers in the thick of the playoff schedule are hoping for a bounce-back effort against the Chargers on Saturday.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Hauls in two TDs against Cards
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Collins caught three of four targets for 85 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday's 40-20 win over Arizona.
The Texans' top wideout turned C.J. Stroud's first pass of the day into a 57-yard touchdown, setting the tone for the rout, and Collins then scored Houston's last TD with a four-yard grab in the fourth quarter. It was his first multi-score performance of the season, but he's been locked in since missing a Week 8 clash with the Niners due to a concussion. Over the last seven games, Collins has racked up a 38-662-3 line on 61 targets while also adding a score on the ground. Collins will look to keep rolling in Week 16 against the Raiders.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Third 100-yard performance
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Collins recorded four receptions on eight targets for 121 yards in Sunday's 20-10 win over the Chiefs.
Collins was the only Texans pass catcher to make a significant impact in a defensive showdown. He was unsurprisingly C.J. Stroud's favorite target, and he did the majority of his damage on long catches of 53 and 46 yards in the first half. After an inconsistent start to the season, Collins now has at least 75 receiving yards in five of his last six games and has topped 100 yards in three contests on the campaign.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Just under 100 yards in win
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Collins brought in five of 10 targets for 98 yards in the Texans' 20-16 win over the Colts on Sunday. He also rushed once for a seven-yard touchdown.
Collins finished as the Texans' leader in receiving yards and targets on the afternoon, logging his sixth double-digit target tally of the season while coming just short of what would have been his third 100-yard effort. He also added the first rushing touchdown of his career on a seven-yard run early in the fourth quarter that snapped a 13-13 tie. The veteran wideout has at least 75 receiving yards in four of his last five games. with three of those performances featuring 90-plus-yard efforts. Collins should be in line for another expansive role in a Week 14 road showdown against the Chiefs next Sunday night.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Sees more time in slot
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Collins' enhanced production over the last two weeks is partially due to being deployed more often in the slot, Sam Warren of the Houston Chronicle reports. He's accumulated 16 catches on 25 targets for 228 yards and a touchdown during a two-game winning streak.
Collins has been a key factor in the Texans getting to .500 for the season. A coaching decision to scheme him to get more open appears to have worked. During the two-game streak, he's been targeted seven times from the slot, more than he had in his first seven games combined, and those targets have led to success. Collins caught a pivotal fourth-quarter pass for 22 yards in the Week 10 win over Jacksonville and had three catches for 31 yards from the slot, including a touchdown, in a Week 11 win over Tennessee. Collins and the Texans will be challenged to repeat that success this week in a Thursday night game against the Bills, who rank second in the NFL with 169.7 passing yards allowed per game.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Turns in full practice
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Collins (ankle) was a full participant in Tuesday's practice.
Houston estimated Collins as a limited participant for Monday's walk-through session, but the wideout has cleared up any concern about his availability for Thursday's game against the Bills. For the third straight week, Collins will be on the receiving end of throws from quarterback Davis Mills, who will make another start while C.J. Stroud remains in the concussion protocol.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Limited by ankle issue
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Collins was limited at Monday's walkthrough due to an ankle injury.
Collins previously dealt with a knee issue and a concussion this season, so this is a new concern for the fifth-year pro ahead of Thursday's game against the Bills. Meanwhile, C.J. Stroud (concussion) was a DNP on Monday, and Davis Mills seems poised for another start under center in Week 12. Working with Mills the past two contests, Collins put together a 16-228-1 line on 25 targets.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Paces pass catchers in win
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Collins brought in nine of 10 targets for 92 yards and a touchdown in the Texans' 16-13 win over the Titans on Sunday.
Collins flashed strong chemistry with Davis Mills, setting the pace for the Texans in receptions, receiving yards and targets. The talented wideout also was on the receiving end of Mills' only touchdown pass of the day, recording a three-yard grab just past the halfway point of the third quarter. C.J. Stroud (concussion) may have a difficult time clearing protocol in time for Thursday night's Week 12 matchup against the Bills, and that could potentially be a positive development for Collins considering he's posted a combined 16-228-1 line on 25 targets with Mills as the full-time starter in the last two games.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Full practice after clearing protocol
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Collins (concussion) practiced fully Thursday.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston previously relayed that Collins -- who didn't play Week 8 -- had cleared the NFL's concussion protocol, with the wideout himself noting Thursday that he's "feeling great" and is "ready to play" Sunday against the Broncos. In addition to Collins being poised to return to action, Christian Kirk (hamstring) also practiced fully Thursday, which paves the way for the Texans to have their top two WRs both available in the same game for the first time since Week 5.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Clears concussion protocol
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Collins, who has been cleared under mandatory concussion protocol, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, said Thursday that he's "feeling great" and is "ready to play" Sunday against the Broncos.
Collins was inactive Week 8, and he was deemed a limited practice participant Wednesday, as was fellow WR Christian Kirk (hamstring). Thursday's injury report is slated to indicate whether, in addition to clearing concussion protocol, Collins was listed as a full practice participant.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Progressing toward being cleared
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Coach DeMeco Ryans noted that Collins, who practiced Wednesday, is technically still in concussion protocol but is expected to be cleared in the next few days, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
It remains to be seen if Collins will be listed as a limited or full participant in Wednesday's session, but the wideout is nonetheless trending toward a return to action Sunday against the Broncos. Also back at practice Wednesday for the Texans was fellow WR Christian Kirk (hamstring), who last saw game action in Week 5.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Returns to practice
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Collins (concussion) returned to practice Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Christian Kirk (hamstring) is also back at practice after he and Collins missed the Week 8 win over San Francisco. Wilson suggests that Collins is trending toward a return for Sunday's matchup with Denver.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Ruled out with concussion
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Collins was ruled out for the rest of Monday's game at Seattle due to a concussion.
Collins hit his head hard on the turf on a contested catch attempt early in the fourth quarter. He was evaluated in the medical tent before walking to the locker room for further evaluation. Collins now will face a short week to pass the league's protocols ahead of a Week 8 matchup against San Francisco.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Being evaluated for concussion
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Collins is questionable to return to Monday's game against Seattle due to a head injury.
Collins went up for a contested catch early in the fourth quarter and hit his head hard off the turf. He was briefly evaluated in the medical tent before being escorted to the locker room with trainers.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Finds end zone in blowout win
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Collins recorded four receptions on five targets for 52 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 44-10 win over the Ravens.
It was a solid day for Collins, highlighted by long gains of 24 and 14 yards as well as a 10-yard touchdown. However, he finished third on the team in receiving yards and was out-targeted by Dalton Schultz. That was likely affected by game script -- C.J. Stroud attempted only 10 passes in the second half and was benched for most of the fourth quarter -- but Collins has now seen six or fewer targets and recorded under 55 receiving yards in three of five games this season. His three touchdowns have covered up some of that lack of volume, but Collins hasn't put up the big reception or target totals expected entering the season.
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Texans' Nico Collins: Posts 79 yards against Titans
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Collins recorded four receptions on six targets for 79 yards in Sunday's 26-0 win over the Titans.
Collins didn't dominate targets in his typical fashion Sunday, as four pass catchers logged between four and six targets. He still easily paced the Texans in yardage thanks to long gains of 37 and 22 yards to account for the majority of his production. Even with an underachieving Houston offense, Collins has found a way to be productive early this season by scoring a touchdown or topping 75 receiving yards in each of his last three games.
