In what was arguably one of their most convincing offensive performances of the season, the Houston Texans punched their ticket to the Divisional Round on Saturday night with a 20-point blowout win over the Chargers.
Reeling in seven catches for 122 yards and a touchdown, fourth-year wide receiver Nico Collins was the standout, providing the under siege C.J. Stroud with a reliable bailout option during another tough night in the pocket.
As a result, Collins passed DeAndre Hopkins for the most receiving yards in a Texans playoff game after Hopkins, a former first-round pick, caught for 118 yards in Houston’s Divisional Round loss to the Chiefs back in 2020.
In need of an offensive spark, Collins scored the first touchdown of the game (and the playoffs) against the Chargers on a 13-yard slant route in the second quarter, helping put the Texans ahead 7-6.
When healthy, the 25-year-old has proven Houston’s most valuable weapon on offense, finishing with over 100 receiving yards three times on his way to a second consecutive 1,000-yard season.
Collins missed five games, three of which the Texans lost between weeks 6 and 10. With Stefon Diggs out for the year and Tank Dell also placed on injured reserve right before Christmas, the former Michigan standout has filled the void nicely as Stroud’s go-to No. 1 option behind an offensive line that has given up the fourth-most sacks in the league.
Where Collins ranks among the league’s best wide receivers is up for debate, but after catching for close to 100 yards last year in the win over the Browns, another solid playoff outing has him edging very close to the Top 10.
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