Throughout the first half of the Houston Texans’ season, Nico Collins’ numbers have been a bit more up and down compared to his previous two years in the mix.
When placed next to the stats of his latest 2024 campaign, Collins is averaging fewer yards per game, lower yards per target, a lower catch percentage, and is on pace to barely surpass 1,000 receiving yards for what would be a third-straight season.
Like the Houston offense as a collective, Collins’ season has been turbulent, but even with the lack of consistency within his targets or numbers compared to what he’s used to, the Texans’ star wideout is keeping composed through the motions of the season.
“Yeah, man, just continue to get open. Continue to run the right routes, and continue to show that you’re out there getting open, and just let the ball come to you, you know?” Collins said ahead of facing the Tennessee Titans, via Will Kunkel.
“Sometimes it might get a little frustrating, but I feel like once you get frustrated, everything else is go downhill, you know?”
Instead of getting the stats to his name, Collins has one clear focus. That’s to win the game, and whether those opportunities to make plays come or not, that mindset doesn’t shift.
“So, and it’s a team sport. Not about me. It’s not about yards. Not my targets, man. I just want to win,” Collins said. “And at the end of the day take care of your business, take care of the details. You know, targets gonna come, plays gonna come. So for me, man, I just want to win. That’s my biggest goal.”
Collins has still remained established as the Texans’ top wideout in the offense through the first half of the year, and someone that, when he’s getting the right looks, can be a potent weapon in the receiving game as he’s been since breaking onto the scene in Houston.
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) pulls down a pass over Tennessee Titans cornerback Chidobe Awuzie (13) during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
He proved that last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars, putting together a season high in yards (136) and targets (15), thanks to the pass-heavy offensive attack led by Davis Mills.
For Collins, finding those looks to come his way didn’t come from any major changes on his behalf. He simply remained ready for the occasion and delivered when the Texans needed it most.
“ It was just… It’s normal day. a normal game, man. They was out there just, trying in the right opportunity to give me the ball,” Collins said. “But, yeah, I ain’t know I had 15 targets. It didn’t feel like it, to be honest with you, but, you know, I just made most of my opportunity.”
Now, Collins will need to sustain that type of workload and production for this Texans offense to keep breathing in a critical second-half stretch of the season.
This coming weekend against the Tennessee Titans, that task will be led by Mills for a second straight week as C.J. Stroud still moves through the concussion protocol. However, the Texans backup proved to be more than capable of getting Collins the necessary targets in last week’s win over Jacksonville.
If that trend continues in Tennessee, that could be the driving factor for the Texans to finally lift up to a .500 record for the first time this season.
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