The Houston Texans may have to match up with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday without wide receiver Nico Collins.
The Houston Texans head into Week 2 with the hope of getting into the win column as they take on the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday afternoon.
While the Texans do have their eyes set on an improved performance, they may have to do so without wide receiver Nico Collins, who could possibly miss Sunday's game.
Collins may potentially be out on Sunday because he injured his hamstring during Wednesday's practice, and per Adam Schefter, Collins did talk to doctors, and they don't believe it to be serious, however, he is still in jeopardy of missing Sunday's game.
Following a tough loss, this is definitely not something the Texans were hoping to hear, but the fact that it is not deemed to be serious is at least some good news, looking at the bigger picture.
While the injury may not be serious, the Texans really need someone to step up for Collins in Week 2, as Collins was a dominant force for Houston against the Buffalo Bills.
In Week 1 against the Bills, Collins totaled seven receptions for 75 yards and one touchdown on 10 targets and was clearly the top option for Texans quarterback CJ Stroud. So moving forward at least for this week, Stroud may need to find a new top option.
In terms of who could step up at wide receiver, there are a variety of players including Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson, and Kayshon Boutte. Houston could also look to their tight end Dalton Schultz as a solid option in the passing game.
Looking at last week's stats, Noel had two receptions for 53 yards, Schultz tallied four catches for 35 yards, Hutchinson totaled three receptions for 32 yards, and Boutte had one reception for 21 yards.
So, after seeing the stats, it does appear that Stroud did a decent job of distributing the ball across the board, but this week does need to find a number one option if Collins is out.
Heading into Week 2, Stroud and the Texans offense do have a tough task as they take on what seems to be a much improved Bengals defense, with the number one priority being to take care of the ball as Cincinnati forced four turnovers in their Week 1 win.
So, as the Week progresses, it will be interesting to see whether or not Collins is in a position to play on Sunday, and if he is not, it will also be worth watching which pass catchers can step up and be reliable options for Stroud.
