NFL’s leading receiver Nico Collins put on IR by Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are 4-1 and leading the the AFC South by two games heading into Week 6, but took a big injury hit in their game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. Nico Collins has been placed on the injured reserve after suffering a hamstring injury on a touchdown play in the first half.

NFL’s top WR sidelined

Now the Texans will be without the leading receiver in the league for at least four week as he recovers from the injury that kept him out the last two quarters of the Texans narrow win over the Bills. Collins seemed to pull up at the end of his 67 yard touchdown catch from CJ Stroud to put he Texans up 14-3 in the first quarter.

While they have been far from dominant in any of their games this year, CJ Stroud and the Texans are 4-1 and have the league’s top passing offense passing for 272.4 yards a game. A large part because is attributed to Nico Collins who has 567 yards receiving after his long TD catch that eventually knocked him out of the game.

On Monday, Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said he would be on a “week-to-week” basis depending on the progression of his star WR’s hamstring. Now that Collins has been ruled out for four weeks, the Texans are going to have to find offense from their other guys.

Mixon likely to sit Week 6

Losing the top WR in the NFL hurts, but the Texans have stacked their roster from top to bottom, and have prepared themselves for this situation. Tank Dell was Stroud’s favorite target last year before he broke his fibula in December. They brought in Stefon Diggs from Buffalo over the offseason to strengthen that corps of receivers, and now DeMeco Ryans knows his guys have to step up.

“Nico has been the best receiver in the NFL this year. So, do you replace him? No, everybody just steps up and whatever role you’re asked to do, just step up and play your role the proper way,” Ryans said. “Nobody has to be Nico. There is one Nico, he’s done a great job of that. Now, whoever is next, when your number is called, make the plays that you are supposed to make.”

This is not the first time the Texans have had to deal with injury problems this year. Their running back Joe Mixon has been sideline since Week 2 when he suffered an ankle injury against the Bears. There were thought’s that the RB, who went for 159 yards and a TD in his Texans debut, would be back this week against the New England Patriots, but it appears he will have to sit out another week.