HOUSTON – Nico Collins was absolutely cooking the Jacksonville Jaguars, accelerating past defensive backs helpless to slow him down, let alone halt his forward progress and ascension into one of the top wide receivers in the NFL.
Collins’ gold standard is propelling him to new heights this year after his breakout season last year that earned him a three-year, $75 million maximum value contract this offseason. Collins is more than justifying the Texans’ hefty investment. He’s practically a bargain and qualifies as an extremely smart move by Texans general manager Nick Caserio as an early round of negotiations with Collins’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, locked up one of the NFL’s biggest and most talented and skilled wide receivers.
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That was all on display Sunday during a 24-20 comeback victory over the Jaguars. At 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, Collins represents a total mismatch against smaller defensive backs. None of them are big enough to match his physicality. Few can keep up with his speed and technique. He’s essentially bullying these guys.
“Nico, he’s deserving of all the praise and all the credit that he’s getting,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s one of the top receivers in the league, and he’s showing it. He doesn’t have to talk it;. He’s showing it by what he does on a game-to-game basis. He’s proving that he’s one of the best. He should be All-Pro, Pro Bowl. All those accolades should come to Nico because he’s showing it every single week.”
Collins caught 12 passes for 151 yards on 15 targets with one touchdown against Jacksonville, scoring on a red-zone crossing route as he got past Jaguars standout safety Andre Cisco. Collins and Stroud have built a special chemistry and timing.
And Collins, plagued by durability issues and a variety of lingering injuries in his first two NFL seasons, is on pace for his best season ever after last year’s breakout year. He’s up to 30 catches for 489 yards and two touchdowns through four games, leading the NFL in receiving yards. Collins surpassed DeAndre Hopkins’ franchise mark set in 2008 for the most receiving yards through four games.
If Collins continues this torrid pace, he’s projected to finish the season with 128 catches for 2,078 yards and nine touchdowns on 183 targets.
“I feel like my standard is continuing to be me, continue to emerge in the deep end, block out distractions, continue to be myself, continue to find the things that I need to work on, which is everything,” Collins said. “I feel like there’s always room for improvement on your game. My mindset, man, don’t get too comfortable. Continue to build, continue to take care of my body, continue to be available for the team and just let the rest be the rest. Let all the pieces fall into place.”
#Texans wide receiver Nico Collins @lbg_nico7 after 12 catches, 151 yards one touchdown in win over #Jaguars @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/eNeqMabJxu
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 29, 2024
Collins is a key to the Texans’ offense. He got the last word against the Chicago Bears. He continues to excel against the AFC South rival Indianapolis Colts.
Whether it’s man-to-man coverage or zone techniques, Collins is scheme-repellent.
Ever since Collins met Stroud at an organized activity last year, their relationship has grown, as has Stroud’s confidence in the former third-round draft pick from the University of Michigan
“It’s grown,” Stroud said. “I go back to when I first met Nico on the field and I told him, ‘You’re a superstar, and I’m going to make sure people know that.’I feel like ever since then, he’s had a swagger and a confidence starting from last year, and it’s just rolling now. He’s been big for us. He’s always somebody that I lean on whenever I’m just looking down or whatever, he comes up to me.
“He don’t do too much. Like, ‘Hey, you good? You know you are.’ He always gives me confidence, just like I give it to him because he’s just a heck of a player. I’m super proud of him. I was told that he was leading the franchise in four games. That’s huge, with all the great receivers we have coming through this Texans organization. So, I’m very, very happy to be a part of his journey.”
The milestone of passing Hopkins, a former All-Pro now playing for the Tennessee Titans isn’t insignificant to Collins.
Collins is up to 180 career receptions for 2,713 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“Those are the types of achievements you want to have,” Collins said. “It’s early, but it’s a great position to be in right now. For me, continue to be myself. Don’t be comfortable and continue to build.”
What’s Stroud’s scouting report on Collins as the go-to guy of a gifted receiving corps headlined by him and Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs?
“Honestly, I look for that for everybody, but Nico is somebody who’s quick on his feet,” Stroud said. “It’s kind of crazy because we worked on that from last year, just trying to get that down. That’s where I feel like I could have elevated my game, he was there traveling down the field, and, really, it’s just offense. Nico is at the forefront of that. He’s eating off of scrimmage drills and whatnot. I think a lot of the other guys are getting open, too, and they’ll be able to eat off that as well.”
That’s why Stroud counts on Collins so heavily. He simply scans the field and finds Collins. Even if he’s covered, he’s basically open because of his size and ability to jump and high-point the football. And Collins’ sideline, toe-tap skills are off the charts. Stroud passed for a season-high 345 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions against the Jaguars.
“It’s simple, Nico is open,” Ryans said. “That’s why the connection is strong. Nico, he’s open, but he’s also so competitive at the catch point. He’s a strong, physical, fast, and big receiver. That’s an easy target for C.J. and Nico has showed up every time that we needed him.”
On ad-lip, off-script scramble plays, Collins and Stroud combined for 102 yards, per Next Gen Stats.
Collins’ 26-yard catch set in motion Stroud’s game-winning touchdown pass to running back Dare Ogunbowale to complete the comeback in the final minute.
“Since I first got here, Nico has definitely improved, and he’s put the work in,” Ryans saiid. “That’s the thing that people don’t see. I wish everybody could come to see how he works throughout the week. So, it’s no surprise to me with what Nico has done because you watch him work throughout the week, he’s one of the hardest workers on our team, shows up every single day ready to work, and he’s doing it in practice, and it shows up in the game.”
#Texans Pro Bowl quarterback C.J. Stroud @CJ7STROUD after engineering 24-20 comeback win with 345 yards two touchdowns no interceptions and game winning score @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/k294uOPlQU
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 29, 2024
Collins feels like every football belongs to him. He’s going to compete every time.
“Whenever the ball is in the air, just go get it,” he said. “It’s yours. You’ve got to be aggressive at the catch point, aggressive hands, and I just go get it. That’s my mindset every time. Your opportunity comes, you just never know when the next one is going to come. Whenever the ball comes your way, just go get it.”
Collins is averaging 16.3 yards per catch. Twenty-five of his catches have gone for first downs, many of them key completions.
“I would just say he’s grown a lot, but I just think he needs an opportunity,” Stroud said. “I think Nico’s been great since he’s been born. I told you when I met his dad two weeks ago when we played the Bears, he looked just like his Pops, and his Pops looked like he could play. He looks young to this day. I definitely know Nico will be great for a long time.”
How Collins continues to stand out as a clutch contributor whose ability to tightrope the sideline to convert key first downs stamps him as one of the top all-around wide receivers in the game.
Collins is making high degree of difficulty plays appear routine. Well, at least they are for him.
For Collins, it’s about maximizing the moment. He caught a career-high 80 passes for 1,297 yards and eight touchdowns in a breakthrough season last year.
“They believe in me, man,” Collins said. “It means a lot.”
And the off-script plays are becoming increasingly more commonplace in the potent passing connection between Collins and Stroud.
“We work on those every day as an offense,” Collins said. “Off-schedule, that’s how we start practice. Just ‘boom,’ scramble drill. Okay, ‘Boom, find the open space.’ I feel like it’s just what we do. We out here hoopin.’
“Extend a play like that, scrambling to the right, getting the ball and making a play. I feel like he’s special. It’s just two guys out there making plays. We have a drill that we do at practice, it does help those things. Trying to be two dynamic players.”
The chemistry between Collins and Stroud is on point.
“Me and Nico, we’ve always had a good relationship and always read each other well on the field,” Stroud said. “I think, even now, we’ll take the next steps. We’re trying to spread it around. We have so many dynamic players. It’s a good problem to have.”
Collins is ultra-reliable. There isn’t a play on the field he can’t make.
“Nico Collins is all-world,” Diggs said.
Stroud’s 55-yard pass to Collins against the Colts had a completion probability of 16.6%, Stroud’s most improbable completion of his NFL career, according to NextGen Stats analytics.
“I feel like every ball in the air is mine,” Collins said. “That’s the mindset you have to have, regardless. Get my route, look up, ball in the air. Two people right there, it’s time to make a play.”
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Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.
