AUGUST 17, 2022 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
NICO COLLINS #12 - WIDE RECEIVER - HOUSTON TEXANS
909 YDS •
60 REC •
6 TD
909 YDS
60 REC
6 TD
Why Nico Collins And Davis Mills Could Be Texans X-Factor In 2022 Nico Collins and Davis Mills’ chemistry could be a difference-maker for the Texans’ passing attack this fall.
Not targeted Saturday Collins was not targeted in Saturday's 17-13 preseason win over the Saints.
Impact Collins had a chance to serve as the No. 1 wide receiver with the Texans' first-team offense, as veteran Brandin Cooks didn't suit up for the preseason opener, but the former ultimately played sparingly as Houston opened the contest with back-to-back three and outs. Collins figures to see additional run with the starters when the Texans travel to Los Angeles for another preseason tilt against the Rams on Friday.
AUGUST 14, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Defense X-Factors, Pep's changes & how's Nico Collins? | Dear Drew Drew Dougherty answered a few fan questions about the Texans offense, Jalen Pitre, Nico Collins and more.
AUGUST 9, 2022 • HOUSTONTEXANS.COM
Texans Second-Year WR Nico Collins Continues to Impress Houston Texans Nico Collins’ performance through the first week of training camp practice has showcased his continuous growth.
AUGUST 4, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Texans Training Camp Day 4 Observations: Nico Collins Makes Case For WR No. 1 Nico Collins’ play against defensive back Steven Nelson highlights Day 4 of training camp practice for the Houston Texans.
AUGUST 2, 2022 • SACBEE.COM
Podcast: Can Texans Nico Collins Take Helm As Wide Receiver 1? Houston Texans Nico Collins’ performance through the first three days of training camp has left some wondering if he could take the role as...
AUGUST 2, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
How Good Can Texans WR Nico Collins Be? Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills has voiced his confidence in second-year wide receiver Nico Collins, saying: “I don’t think there’s m...
AUGUST 2, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Works on route running Collins is working on route running to make sure his body mechanics look the same regardless of the route he's running, Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Impact The Texans hope Collins can take a big leap during his second season after finishing a distant second to Brandin Cooks in his rookie 2021 season. In addition to disguising his routes better, Collins worked extensively during the offseason with quarterback Davis Mills in an effort to develop chemistry. The duo hooked up on a couple of throws during the second practice of camp Saturday, indicating the time put in during the offseason is working. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver could become a significant red-zone target for Houston, which ranked 27th in the NFL last year, scoring a touchdown on just 51.3 percent of its red-zone trips.
JULY 31, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Shows progress in OTAs Texans quarterback Davis Mills mentioned Collins as a player that stood out during organized team activities, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com reports. The quarterback made note of Collin...
Impact Although the Texans are expected to lean on the running game in 2022, their pass catchers are considered the offense's strength, led by Brandin Cooks and Collins. Brooks Kubena of the Houston Chronicle reported the second-year wideout looked much stronger within his 6-foot-4 frame. He spent a portion of the offseason working with Mills and other members of the offense in Atlanta, per Deepi Sidhu of the Texans' official site. The goal of the workouts was for young receivers like Collins and tight end Brevin Jordan to work on timing and chemistry with Mills. "It's going to be important that Nico and Brevin and some of the other young pass receiving guys that we have work together with our quarterback to develop more of a sense of continuity and that level of trust that we are going to need to be able to play fast and anticipate our throws and attack our opponents with rhythm and timing in our passing game," offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton said. Collins had 33 catches for 446 yards and one touchdown in 2021.
JUNE 28, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Texans WR Brandin Cooks talks about Davis Mills, Nico Collins' growth on Sports Radio 610 Houston Texans WR Brandin Cooks talked about the maturation of rookies QB Davis Mills and WR Nico Collins on @sportsradio610.
JANUARY 10, 2022 • USATODAY.COM
Works as deep threat Collins recorded three receptions on eight targets for 67 yards in Sunday's 28-25 loss to the Titans.
Impact Collins stepped into an expanded role due to the absence of Chris Conley (knee) and an early departure for Brandin Cooks (knee). He wasn't particularly efficient in terms of his catch rate, though he still managed 8.4 yards per target. Each of Collins' receptions was impressive, as he showed the ability to beat the Titans' secondary deep over the middle, deep down the sideline and also in contested situations. Though his rookie season didn't end with gaudy totals, Collins ended the season having recorded multiple receptions in each of his last five games. With Conley and Danny Amendola set to hit free agency, Collins could be in for a second-year jump in production.
JANUARY 10, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Gains 35 yards in loss Collins had two receptions (five targets) for 35 yards in Sunday's 23-7 loss to San Francisco.
Impact Brandin Cooks drew the majority of Davis Mills' attention, leaving scraps for Collins and the rest of the Texans' thin receiving corps. The 2021 third-round pick remained second in the wide receiver pecking order, finishing third in targets behind Cooks (11) and Rex Burkhead (six). Collins doesn't receive enough volume in this offense to warrant attention from fantasy managers heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Titans.
JANUARY 3, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Nico Collins breaks through for his first career TD ' Daily Brew Houston Texans Rookie WR Nico Collins scored his first career touchdown Sunday in the win over the Chargers.
DECEMBER 27, 2021 • HOUSTONTEXANS.COM
State NFL roundup: Nico Collins scores his first TD On the 16th Sunday of the NFL's 2021 season, 27 players from Alabama high schools and colleges (excluding Alabama and Auburn) got on the fie...
DECEMBER 27, 2021 • AL.COM
Reaches end zone Collins recorded three receptions on four targets for 33 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 41-29 win over the Chargers.
Impact Collins saw an increased role in the absence of Brandin Cooks (illness), though Davis Mills spread targets evenly around to all of his receiving options. Collins did take advantage of the looks he received, highlighted by a 13-yard touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter that put Houston up by two scores. It was the first trip to the end zone of his career, though he figures to revert back to a supplemental role assuming Cooks is back for a Week 17 matchup against San Francisco.
DECEMBER 27, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Davis Mills says Texans' intent was to burn clock, not score despite TD pass to WR Nico Collins Houston Texans QB Davis Mills says the offense was trying to actually melt clock on the drive that led to WR Nico Collins’ touchdown.
DECEMBER 26, 2021 • USATODAY.COM
Heightened role likely in Week 16 Texans offensive coordinator Tim Kelly said Thursday that Collins will likely assume a more prominent role in the Houston passing attack Sunday against the Chargers while Brandin C...
Impact Cooks wasn't able to clear the NFL's COVID-19 return-to-play protocols in advance of the Week 16 contest, while Danny Amendola (knee) was activated from injured reserve but will be inactive Sunday. That leaves Houston with few established options at receiver heading into the game, with Collins presumably the top candidate to serve as the Texans' de facto No. 1 receiver. Collins demonstrated a rapport with Davis Mills in the Week 14 loss to Seattle (five receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown), but the rookie wideout dropped down to four targets in the Week 15 win over the Jaguars while the Texans leaned more heavily on the ground game. Assuming the favored Chargers are able to sit on a lead for most of the day, the Texans will be forced into catchup mode, potentially making Collins a sneaky play in fantasy playoff matchups.
DECEMBER 26, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Downturn in involvement Collins secured two of four targets for 14 yards in the Texans' 30-16 win over the Jaguars on Sunday.
Impact Just a week after logging a career-high 10 targets against the Seahawks, Collins saw a significant downturn in involvement Sunday. The rookie's yardage tally was his third lowest of the season as far as games in which he'd recorded at least one catch. Despite the disappointing performance, Collins' talent and speed could well allow him to quickly recapture his rhythm with fellow first-year battery mate Davis Mills during a Week 16 home matchup against the Chargers.
DECEMBER 20, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Double-digit targets in loss Collins caught five of 10 targets for 69 yards in Sunday's 33-13 loss to Seattle.
Impact Collins enjoyed season highs in catches, targets and yards in the Week 14 loss. What's significant for the rookie wideout is that the Texans turned over the controls of the offense to rookie quarterback Davis Mills. Houston is in full-on evaluation mode, which includes establishing a potential 2022 collaboration of Mills and Collins -- the duo combined for the team's longest play, a 30-yard deep ball that set up a touchdown on the Texans' first drive of the game. Only Brandin Cooks had more targets (11) than Collins, who had seven more than Phillip Dorsett and eight more than Chris Conley.
DECEMBER 13, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Logs full practice Thursday Collins (thigh) practiced fully Thursday.
Impact Dealing with an injury to a fourth different body part this season, Collins has followed up Wednesday's capped session with every rep one day later. He's thus ready to take on a Seahawks defense Sunday that has allowed just 7.2 yards per target (sixth fewest in the NFL) and seven touchdowns (third least) to wide receivers in 2021.
DECEMBER 10, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Limited by thigh injury Collins practiced in a limited capacity Wednesday due to a thigh injury.
Impact Collins has spent time on injured reserve this season due to a shoulder injury and also had practice limitations due to foot and hip issues. Despite it all, he's played in seven straight games, logging 16 catches (on 26 targets) for 189 yards and no touchdowns during that stretch. Assuming he puts the current health concern behind him, Collins will continue to operate behind Brandin Cooks and alongside Chris Conley at wide receiver.
DECEMBER 9, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
No impact in Week 13 loss Collins did not catch his lone target in Sunday's 31-0 loss to the Colts.
Impact For the first time this season, Collins failed to register a reception, but he continues to play a prominent role as the No. 2 wideout. The rookie had averaged a little more than four targets per game over the previous six contests. He'll remain as the second wideout over the final weeks of the season, as the franchise looks to set him up for 2022. In the present, however, Collins doesn't bring much value. The product of Michigan has just 18 catches over nine games and has yet to score. The problem is the team, which ranks last in total offense and next-to-last in passing offense.
DECEMBER 6, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Two catches in Week 12 Collins (hip) caught two of five targets for 28 yards in Sunday's 21-14 loss to the Jets.
Impact Collins has topped the 50-yard mark only once, and the rookie third-round pick is still searching for his first career touchdown. He'll continue to play a starting role in Houston's low-octane passing attack in Week 13 against the Colts.
NOVEMBER 28, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Good to go Sunday Collins (hip) is active for Sunday's game against the Jets.
Impact Collins' availability for Week 12 looked to be in peril after he was added to the injury report Friday with a hip issue that rendered him questionable for the contest, but the Texans are evidently confident enough in his health to have him suit up Sunday. Since returning Week 6 from a three-game stint on injured reserve, Collins has had a regular role in three-receiver sets for the Texans, playing no fewer than 57 percent of the offensive snaps in any of his five appearances. The solid role has yet to translate into major fantasy production, however, as Collins has put together a 14-161-0 receiving line on 20 targets during that stretch.
NOVEMBER 28, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
Added to injury report Collins is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Jets after logging a limited practice Friday due to a hip issue.
Impact Given that Collins caught just one of two targets for nine yards in last week's win over Tennessee, he profiles as a speculative Week 12 fantasy lineup option, more so now that he was added to the Texans' injury report Friday. In any case, those hoping that Collins can bounce back this weekend will gain clarity on his availability prior to the first wave of games Sunday, with Houston kicking off at 1:00 ET.
NOVEMBER 26, 2021 • ROTOWIRE
