How Texas star wide receiver Nico Collins is on his way to a speedy recovery from a hamstring injury

HOUSTON – Nico Collins is literally recovering well in his comeback from a strained hamstring.

Collins has reached a speed of 20 miles per hour since the injury and has quickly regained his flexibility, strength and mobility, according to league sources, after he was injured catching a touchdown pass against the Buffalo Bills and was placed on injured reserve placed.

“It’s all very encouraging,” said a source. “Nico is doing well.”

Collins, who was initially optimistic he could return in a few weeks before an MRI exam revealed enough damage to the leg that it was diagnosed as a three- to four-week injury, has been forced to play four weeks, according to league sources out for weeks. he could be designated for return under NFL rules. He injured the middle part of his right hamstring.

Collins has been sidelined for the past two games against the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots and is set to return for a high-profile Sunday night game on Nov. 10 against the Detroit Lions at NRG Stadium. Collins must miss Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts and a road game against the New York Jets on Thursday night before he is eligible to return to practice. If all goes well and there are no setbacks, the former third-round draft pick out of the University of Michigan should be able to play against the Lions.

Without Collins, the passing game has suffered. That included a career-low 86 yards, 55 net yards, 10 of 21 passing and no touchdowns for Pro Bowl quarterback CJ Stroud during a 24-22 road loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field last Sunday. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs led the team with five catches but only 23 yards, while Xavier Hutchinson was the only other wide receiver to catch a pass as Tank Dell went 0 for 4 on his targets with one missed potential touchdown pass. Against New England, Stroud passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns with one interception on long completions of 26, 20 and 20 yards, while Diggs finished with six receptions for 77 yards and one score and Dell had a touchdown catch among his seven receptions.

Collins led the NFL with 567 receiving yards before the injury. Without him, the focus of the offense has shifted to running back Joe Mixon as he has reached the century mark in consecutive games.

Collins is a unique wide receiver who stands out above defensive backs with his superior size. His speed as a long strider eats up real estate as he regularly creates separation in the secondary. His polished routes, healthy hands and ability to take the football to the next level by rising above shorter competitors are all in the elite category.

One of the most dominant and productive threats in the field has been missed in one Texans passing match headlined by him and Stroud when their connection was interrupted.

Without Collins, a 6-foot-4, 222-pound speedster who has run the 40 yards in 4.44 seconds, the Texans have struggled to replace his production. Collins caught 32 passes before his injury and was on pace to collect 109 catches for 1,928 yards and 10 touchdowns before injuring his right hamstring while catching a 67-yard touchdown pass in a win over the Bills, his leg locking up during a long time. touchdown catch.

“Too bad we won’t have Nico, great player and best receiver in the league,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said at the time of the injury. “He will be back sometime this season. Chance for other guys to go the extra mile and make the most of their opportunities, that’s what the competition is all about. A lot of guys who have stepped in when other guys were out have made names for themselves and played some big games in the league, so we’re looking for the same for whoever it may be.

“Whatever we call, whatever plays we have designed for this particular week, it’s about us operating efficiently as an offense. It’s never about one player and Nico, of course he made a lot of big plays for us and we will miss his explosive plays that he made on the field. I keep saying this: who’s next? Who will take it a step higher? Who’s going to make those plays? We’ll see.”

Life without Collins is difficult. There isn’t a receiver like him on the roster who has his rare combination of size, speed and other attributes. Diggs is a veteran pass-catcher who hasn’t been much of an outfielder in recent years and hasn’t been asked to do so in his current role. However, it is extremely reliable.

Diggs has caught a team-high 42 passes for 415 yards and three touchdowns, setting a season pace of 102 receptions, 1,008 yards and seven touchdowns. He was more of a short to medium threat.

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More has fallen on the shoulders of Diggs, and Stroud without Collins, who signed a three-year, $75 million contract extension during the offseason before emerging as the most productive receiver in the season through the first five weeks of the season the game.

Dell is the third-leading receiver behind Diggs and Collins with 20 catches for 194 yards and one score while his productivity is down from his dynamic rookie season. Tight end Dalton Schultz has been sporadically involved in the passing game with 19 catches for 171 yards and no touchdowns. Hutchinson has four catches for 45 yards. And running backs Dare Ogunbowale (15 catches, 155 yards, one touchdown, a game-winner) and Mixon (10 catches, 83 yards, one touchdown) also contributed.

“With Nico out, everyone has to step up, including myself, to pick up the slack where Nico isn’t playing,” Stroud said. “We absolutely have to hold each other accountable and just be better at that. (Diggs) will certainly be at the forefront of that.”

The bulk of the scoring went to Collins through five games for the Texans, as he was thrown 45 times. Diggs has 55 targets for the team.

“We don’t lack depth at all,” Diggs said. “We have a lot of guys who can play at a high level. You just hate to see that, but as a team you have to move forward. And there can be no drop-off. He’s a great receiver now. It’s hard to match the talent he has, but if we do our job at a high level, I think we can still be successful offensively.”

It was a tall order for the receiving corps to replace him.

“Losing someone like Nico is very hard,” Stroud said. “Everyone understands that we will miss him. I think they can. Definitely just a next-man-up mentality. You have to be able to win football games without him for a while.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.