Against the Cincinnati Bengals, it was evident that Houston struggled to consistently move the ball, with the Texans’ wide receiver room looking extremely thin. That problem could become even more significant if Collins is unable to play against Indianapolis. Which appears to be increasingly likely for the Texans after Collins missed Wednesday’s practice, and was nowhere to be seen for the media availability portion of the day.
The Texans would like Collins to avoid joining the likes of Tank Dell, who has been designated to return from injured reserve, and Jayden Higgins, who is out for the season, as key pieces of Houston’s receiving corps who have dealt with significant availability issues. Higgins, who caught 41 passes for 525 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie, was placed on injured reserve with a torn ACL earlier this season.
Without Collins, the Texans could once again be forced to rely on a receiving core that has already experienced significant turnover through the first two weeks of the season. For Indianapolis, that creates an opportunity for its secondary to play more aggressively and shutdown the players Houston has available.
However, for the Colts that may be easier said than done. As assuming that the absence of Collins will solve their defensive problems would be malpractice.
Granted, Both Jackson and Mahomes had their top receiving options available when they faced the Colts. Indianapolis was therefore dealing with offenses that had their quarterbacks and primary weapons. But that does not mean that the Colts should somehow take how their defense faired against the Chiefs in primetime, and their detrimental performance against the Ravens week 1; and somehow turn it into a moral victory.
Additionally, If Collins is unable to play, Houston will be entering Sunday’s game in a significantly different situation. Stroud could be without several of the receivers who were expected to play major roles in his offense this season. That does not guarantee the Colts’ defense will suddenly turn things around, but it does give Indianapolis a different matchup than the one it faced against Baltimore and Kansas City.
The Colts have quite noticeably shown that they struggle against elite quarterbacks when opposing offenses are operating at full power. But now Indianapolis is getting an opportunity to take advantage of a Houston offense that could be entering the matchup without some of it’s most important weapons.
But that opportunity starts with the Colts defensive line. The Colts must generate pressure on Stroud to prevent Houston establishing a consistent rhythm early. The same rhythm that has completely shut down the Colts the past five meetings between the two AFC South rivals. Without a reliable downfield target, capable of creating explosive plays, Houston will have a more difficult time extending drives and recovering from negative plays.
This is where Indianapolis has to be disciplined, the Colts cannot afford to enter the game expecting Houston’s offense to struggle just because of the Nico Collins injury. The Indianapolis Colts offense has already given up too many explosive plays through the first two weeks.
If the Texans are able to create opportunities with the players they have available, the same problems that hurt the Colts against Baltimore and Kansas City will become a constant once more. The advantage is there, now, the Colts have to find a way to finish the fight.
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