HOUSTON – Texans starting defensive tackle Maliek Collins and starting wide receiver Nico Collins are officially questionable on the injury report.
They are both not slated to play on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium, according to multiple sources, after neither player practiced all week.
Recommended Videos
Both players’ injuries are not regarded as long-term setbacks.
Maliek Collins has a chest injury. Nico Collins has a groin injury. Both players attended practice all week but didn’t participate. Both are getting healthier and haven’t experienced any setbacks in their respective recoveries.
Wide receiver Brandin Cooks was added to the injury report with a wrist injury and is also listed as questionable. He participated fully. At this point, Cooks is expected to play Sunday.
Phillip Dorsett is set to have a major role in Nico Collins’ absence. The former Indianapolis Colts first-round draft pick from Miami caught a touchdown pass against the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday.
“Phillip has been working hard throughout the offseason, training camp, into the season, it hasn’t changed,” offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said. “He understands that he has a great opportunity to show that he is an every-down player. It was important for our offense for him to make that play down in the red zone, and we expect that he’ll be able to make more plays.”
Texans rookie offensive guard Kenyon Green left the game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder-pectoral injury and was cleared after undergoing a magnetic resonance imaging exam Monday, according to a league source.
The first-round draft from Texas A&M is questionable on the injury report but is expected to play.
Starting defensive end Rasheem Green was added to the injury report with a knee injury and was listed as limited and questionable.
Offensive guard A.J. Cann didn’t practice all week due to an illness and is questionable. If he can’t play, the Texans would start Justin McCray. McCray is also questionable on the injury report with a hand injury, but participated fully and is expected to play.
The Texans signed former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Tyron Johnson, who practiced with them for the first time Wednesday.
Not having Nico Collins represents a blow to the Texans’ offense, though. He has 18 catches for 305 yards, averaging 16.9 yards per reception.
“Nico’s position of course, he has become more and more of what we are doing offensively,” Texans coach Lovie Smith said. “That production has been important for some of the growth we’ve made offensively.”
Signed to a two-year, $17 million contract this offseason, Collins got hurt on a sack of Carr by defensive end Rasheem Green.
Collins, 27, has 11 tackles, two for losses and two quarterback hits this season.
Collins recorded 29 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks, nine tackles for losses and seven quarterback hits last season.
Without Collins, the Texans were more vulnerable in run defense as Raiders running back Josh Jacobs piled up 143 rushing yards with three second-half touchdowns.
“For Maliek, he’s our three-technique,” Smith said. “Everything starts up front at the defensive line. The engine of the defensive line is the three-technique position. Playing without him, I think he only had 10 plays, it hurt us a lot. You can trace some of the problems we had to a player like that not being out there.”
Aaron Wilson is a contributor to KPRC 2 and click2houston.com
