Texans’ Nico Collins shows mobility, confidence, primed for Cowboys game: ‘I’m happy, I feel like myself’

HOUSTON – Texans star wide receiver Nico Collins practiced for the second day in a row Friday afternoon and displayed mobility and confidence as he’s primed to make his return Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys.

During his first comments since returning to practice after missing the past five games with a pulled hamstring, Collins emphasized his readiness for this game and acknowledged how difficult an experience it was for him to be sidelined for a prolonged amount of time.

“I’m happy, blessed, I’m feeling good just to be back on the football field with my teammates,” Collins said inside the Texans’ locker room. “There’s no better feeling. I’m happy just to continue to play the game that I love. It’s tough. You don’t want to miss no games.

“It’s a long season, it’s a marathon. You have to take care of your body. Missing time, it hurts. You want to be out there with your brothers making plays. It’s a mental thing. You take care of your mental, but you have to take care of your body.”

And, now, Collins resumes his WR1 role now for the 6-4 Texans as they try to break a two-game losing streak.

After Collins was activated from designated for return from injured reserve and, ultimately, held out of a game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday night in a judgment call despite being healthy enough to play and having passed a regimen of hamstring tests and running at top speed, reaching 20 miles per hour and faster, in training sessions, he’s set to play football again.

“For sure,” Collins said when asked if he’s 100 percent. “I feel like myself. I feel like that’s a great progression. Just stacking days, I feel like I’ve been attacking the rehab. That’s all you can do. That’s what I’ve been doing. I’m feeling great.

“I would say this week or whenever during the process to go out there and do what I do with my routes, testing I had to do with the training staff. I feel like that was the main part, so I’m finishing those sessions with no bad feelings.”

Tall and fast at 6-foot-4, 222 pounds with 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash, Collins provides a game-changing element to the Texans’ offense.

Before he pulled his hamstring against the Buffalo Bills on a touchdown catch five weeks ago, Collins was the NFL receiving yardage leader.

His plan is to pick up right where he left off, creating separation, making big plays and catching touchdown passes.

“Yeah, I want to,” Collins said. “I feel like I want to take advantage of opportunities when the ball comes your way. I feel like we’re going out there and having fun. Being out there with your brothers is the best feeling to have, making plays, first downs and touchdowns, and having that enjoyment. That’s what I’m excited about. It was hard, I ain’t going to lie. It was hard on my mental.”

For a 6-4 Texans squad that leads the AFC South despite a two-game losing streak and has lost three of the past four games, Collins can be a huge difference-maker.

“Getting Nico back is always very great for all of us,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “Nico’s been one of our best players when he was healthy, so it’s great to have him back, great to have his presence and the energy that he brings and also the playmaking ability that he brings. Happy to have him back and really proud of him for the work he’s put in to get himself back.”

The Texans’ passing game has been stagnant for weeks and the team was outscored 19-0 in the second half of a 26-23 collapse of a loss against the Lions at NRG Stadium.

“It is huge,” Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud said. “I am very excited to have my guy back. I am just happy for him to be back with the team, be a part of the locker room again. They are in solitude, when players are injured, they are on their own. So I am glad he is just able to be around the guys again and be able to do the sport that he loves to play. He brings a seriousness, an intent, a discipline, a mindset that we ask for from everybody.

“I believe he has that personality where he wants the hard coverage guy, he wants the hard routes to run, he wants to make the hard plays. When he gets the ball, he is dangerous. He is able to turn good into great. He runs guys over, he does all these things. DeMeco definitely loves that. He is the guy built for it, body-wise. He turns the whole team up, from the defense, to me, to Tank [Dell], he gets everybody juiced up to play hard and I definitely feel like we have been missing that. It is great to have him back.”

Ryans emphasized that there were no issues with Collins’ hamstring as far as any re-injury. Collins participated on a limited basis last Friday and was

“No setback with Nico,” Ryans said. “That was just a game-time decision.”

Collins echoed that sentiment. He didn’t love that decision, though.

“It hurt,” Collins said. “It was a game-time decision. Talked it up with the coaches, and it was only right for the team. Made the right decision. We’ll see how it is this week. I want to play this week. So, we’ll see, day by day.”

Standout cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. returned to practice Friday after missing one day with a hip injury listed on the injury report. It wasn’t regarded as serious and he is set to play Monday night.

Not practicing again: cornerback Kamari Lassiter (concussion) and Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (high-ankle sprain).

Lassiter and Anderson are considered likely to be out for Monday night.

The plan for Anderson is to have him remain on the active roster. Recovery from injury suffered against the New York Jets is going well, per league sources, and the hope is to get him back out there next few weeks with the priority being the stretch run of the season in December

Defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (foot) didn’t practice Thursday as well as defensive end Denico Autry (rest day).

Several players were limited as running back Dameon Pierce (groin) returned to practice after missing two games, linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (knee), offensive tackle Blake Fisher (concussion), linebacker Jake Hansen (ankle) and offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil (knee). Tunsil missed some snaps Sunday against the Lions due to a recurring ankle injury. He had his knee drained during the offseason in a minor arthroscopic procedure.

The Texans’ top options opposite Stingley are Ka’dar Hollman and Jeff Okudah. Okudah is trending toward being activated from injured reserve-designated for return after missing the first half of the season with quadriceps and hip injuries. Okudah participated fully.

Texans linebacker Christian Harris, on injured reserve after aggravating slow-healing calf injury during training camp, is making progress in his recovery. Return outlook, per sources, is trending toward after bye week.

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 C.J. Stroud during a 24-22 road loss to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Stroud completed just 11 of 31 passes, a career-low percentage, in a loss to the New York Jets. He had two interceptions and one touchdown pass against the Lions.

Without Collins, the focal point of the offense has shifted to running back Joe Mixon as he hit the century mark in four consecutive games with at least one touchdown per contest before being stonewalled by the Lions and averaging 1.8 yards per carry.

Collins is a unique wide receiver, towering over opposing 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, sound hands and ability to high point the football by elevating over shorter competitors are all in the elite category.

RELATED: Texans placing wide receiver Nico Collins on injured reserve, to miss minimum of four games: Source

One of the most dominant and productive downfield threats in the game has been missed in a Texans passing game headlined by him and Stroud as their connection was interrupted.

Without Collins, the Texans have struggled to replace his production. Collins caught 32 passes before his injury and was on pace to pile up 109 catches for 1,928 yards and 10 touchdowns prior to injuring his right hamstring while catching a 67-yard touchdown pass in a win over the Bills as his leg seized up during a long touchdown catch.

“Obviously, he’s been missing some time and obviously he’s going to work his way back in there and I think he’s going to be a great addition for what we do,” Mixon said. “I think that it makes things a lot easier for everybody on the offense. He brings that juice and competitive edge, and I think that’s what we need, man. We’re going to need everybody down the stretch going forward, and it’s a great thing for Nico to be back.”

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Life without Collins has been difficult. There is no receiver like him on the roster that has his rare combination of size and speed and other traits. And the Texans lost Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs to a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

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

The Texans have arrived at something of a crossroads in their season. They need standouts like Collins to turn things around after dropping to 6-4 after a 5-1 start to the season when he was in the lineup.

“It’s time to separate, if you really want to get there, you can’t keep doing that, the teams only get better, playoff teams, championship teams,” Collins said. “If you want to get there, you have to turn it up a notch. We got to buy in, lock into it, go out there Monday and be us.”

• ‘True playmaker’ Nico Collins squares off against Colts after dominant performance in pivotal game last season

Read more on the Texans:

• How ‘dynamic’ Texans RB Joe Mixon joined Arian Foster, Jim Brown, Emmitt Smith in statistical benchmarks in epic season
• Source: Texans signing guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. to practice squad
• Texans designate corner Jeff Okudah, defensive end Jerry Hughes for return from injured reserve
• Source: Texans worked out linemen La’el Collins, Tremayne Anchrum Jr, Ike Boettger, Jerome Carvin, DB Jason Taylor
• Texans rookie Jamal Hill honored by official proclamation in Georgia hometown
• Texans’ Kenyon Green dislocated left shoulder, to be placed on IR, Kendrick Green steps in, Will Anderson Jr. ankle hurt
• ‘I know I have to step up, I know I have shoes to fill,’ Texans’ Tank Dell in spotlight after Stefon Diggs’ torn ACL
• Texans Pro Bowl defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is the AFC Defensive Player of the Month
• ‘I’m just trying to be that light as much as I can,’ Texans nickel Jalen Pitre nabs first interception since rookie year

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