Despite C.J. Stroud's tough playoff exit, Nico Collins delivered a powerful message of encouragement, reminding his quarterback of his true potential and leadership.
The Houston Texans saw their 2025 season end with a rough road performance against the New England Patriots in the Divisional round of the postseason. It was the same way the two seasons prior ended, which were seen as successes. This time around, Houston would have liked to get over that hump and finally advance to the AFC Championship Game, but that didn't happen in part to a horrendous performance from the offensive side of the ball.
Houston lost 28-16 to the Patriots, who will represent the AFC in Super Bowl LX. This marks the second season in a row the Texans have fallen to the eventual AFC Champion, which is nothing to scoff at. The Texans were in the game with the Patriots for most of the contest, but turnovers and offensive inefficiency made it hard to win.
The weather conditions in the game were difficult to play in, but that does not excuse the offense's complete sloppiness. Quarterback C.J. Stroud played what was probably the worst game of his career as he threw four interceptions and completed well under 50 percent of his passes. It was a rough way to end his third season in the league, especially in what could be seen as a contract year.
Stroud was out there in New England without his top offensive weapon in wide receiver Nico Collins. The star wideout suffered a concussion during the Wild Card round against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he did not have enough time to clear the league's concussion protocol.
Despite not being out there for his team's last game, Collins had a message for Stroud after the tough performance, which he shared during a media scrum with Aaron Wilson, "Yeah, no doubt man, just keep your head up. You know what I'm saying? It's not the way we want to end; our goal was to go to the Super Bowl. You know, things happen. Just keep being you, brother, don't let this one game define who you are. We all know who you are. Keep being a star, keep being the leader you are, keep being the light in the room. Dude is a baller man."
Stroud is going to have a long offseason, as the end of the 2025 campaign will likely stick with him. He should have a chip on his shoulder heading into 2026, but he will have plenty of opportunities to make up for his poor postseason performance.