Texans’ Nico Collins says he’ll play towards Cowboys

HOUSTON — Nico Collins says he’ll be again on the sphere for the Houston Texans once they tackle the Dallas Cowboys on “Monday Evening Soccer.”

“Hell yeah, I am taking part in this week,” he informed ESPN on Friday.

The star receiver missed the Texans’ previous 5 video games after he suffered a hamstring damage in a 23-20 win over the Buffalo Payments in Week 5. He got here off injured reserve and practiced final Friday forward of Houston’s matchup towards the Detroit Lions however did not play.

He was restricted in observe Thursday after which upgraded to a full participant Friday this week.

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“Simply going on the market, being with my brothers,” Collins informed ESPN. “There isn’t any higher feeling than that. Simply joyful to be feeling good and joyful to have the ability to have the chance to play this week and simply proceed to select again up the place I left off.”

The return of Collins could not come at a greater time for the Texans.

Via the primary 5 weeks, he led the NFL in receiving yards (567), and quarterback C.J. Stroud benefitted from his presence, rating third in passing yards (1,385), tied for tenth in touchdowns (seven) and tenth in QBR (66.2).

However since Collins’ damage, Stroud’s manufacturing has tailed off. He ranks seventeenth in yards (986), tied for nineteenth in touchdowns (5) and twenty fifth in QBR (41.3).

Stroud additionally misplaced his No. 2 goal in former All-Professional wideout Stefon Diggs, who suffered a season-ending knee damage in a 23-20 Week 8 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

With Collins again, one of many NFL’s most prolific duos can enhance a struggling offense that’s averaging simply 8.1 factors within the second halves of video games this season (tied for twenty seventh in NFL). The Stroud-Collins connection produced a 133.3 passer ranking, which ranked sixth amongst duos with no less than 30 targets.

“It’s big. I’m very excited to have my man again,” Stroud mentioned. “I’m simply joyful for him to be again with the workforce, be part of the locker room once more. They’re in solitude, when gamers are injured, they’re on their very own. So, I’m glad he’s simply in a position to be across the guys once more and be capable to do the game that he likes to play.”

The Texans’ passing assault faces a Cowboys protection that has allowed 210 passing yards per sport (seventeenth in NFL), 15 touchdowns (tenth) and a passer ranking of 105.1 (second highest).

With Collins again, coach DeMeco Ryans mentioned he’s excited to see what that does for an offense that averaged 24.4 factors (thirteenth) and 299 yards per sport (24) in his absence.

“Getting Nico again is all the time very nice for all of us,” Ryans mentioned. “Nico’s been one among our greatest gamers when he was wholesome, so it is nice to have him again, nice to have his presence and the power that he brings and likewise the playmaking means that he brings. Completely happy to have him again and actually happy with him for the work he is put in to get himself again.”