Houston Texans: Nico Collins Likely Out Against Detroit Lions

The return of Nico Collins couldn’t come at a better time for the Houston Texans. The team is coming off a tough loss to the New York Jets and preparing to play perhaps their toughest opponent of the season, the Detroit Lions. The Texans no longer have Stefon Diggs to rely on either, which makes them much less potent on offense. While he is needed most right now, it’s more than likely that Nico Collins will not play in this game.

Nico Collins’ Status As Of Week 10

Despite the appearance that he won’t play, there are actually some good signs for Nico Collins’ status for Week 10. The upcoming game against the Lions would be the first one that Nico Collins is eligible to play in after his four weeks on injured reserve. According to Texans Writer Aaron Wilson, he also passed all his tests on his hamstring, which means physically he is ready to go.

All that being said, however, he still has not practiced this week. That leaves only Friday as the one day he would have to condition himself for the game against the Detroit Lions. When asked about his status, Coach DeMeco Ryans simply said “we’ll see where he ends up.“ As to why Collins hasn’t practiced yet, it’s either because he doesn’t feel ready to go, or the organization wants to give Collins a full week of practice before putting him back on the field.

Should Collins Play Against the Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions game will undoubtedly be the toughest on the Houston Texans’ schedule. Naturally, the team would want their best player on the field for the battle. C.J. Stroud has also struggled without Collins, only completing 11 of his 30 passes for 191 yards with Tank Dell being his only reliable target. All those points lay out why Collins should try to play if he is healthy, but the Houston Texans might still want to sit him for the game. First of all, the Lions have a very physical defense, so if Collins doesn’t feel 100% he might not want to risk re-injury.

Second of all, it’s unclear how much time Collins would need (if any) to be reacquainted with the offense. Collins should know the playbook well enough by now, but he might need some reps with Stroud before they can reignite that chemistry those two usually have. If they aren’t going to be in sync, it might not be worth playing Collins at all.

The third and final reason why they might not want to play Collins is that it’s going to be an uphill battle. The Lions are fresh off of beating the Minnesota Vikings and are looking like one of the best teams in football. Considering that, the Houston Texans might be losing no matter who they start. Therefore, it might be wise to sit Collins for now, and if they meet Detroit again in the Superbowl, they can play when they are healthier.