The Indianapolis Colts face what could be a season-defining game in Week 3 against division rival the Houston Texans. A win keeps Indianapolis alive in the AFC South race, while a loss could be detrimental to their playoff hopes. Those hopes might be higher with Houston ruling wide receiver Nico Collins out due to a hamstring injury.
All eyes are on the Colts’ defense who, over two weeks, has conceded more points than any other unit in the league. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo’s group has to step up if Indianapolis wants to earn its first win of the year.
Fortunately, Lou Anarumo’s job just got a lot easier after Houston ruled out star Collins for this Sunday’s game. Losing Collins is a big blow to the Texans’ offense and a lifeline for the Indianapolis defense.
Indianapolis Colts will not have to worry about Nico Collins in Week 3
On Friday, Houston officially announced that Collins will miss his second straight game as he recovers from a Grade 1 hamstring strain suffered in training. Collins did not practice all week, so it wasn’t a surprise when he was formally ruled out.
Given Collins’ sketchy injury history, it’s likely that Houston will be patient with his return. He’s missed 19 NFL games since being drafted in 2021 and has yet to play a full regular season.
When healthy, Collins — a two-time Pro Bowler — is one of the best wide receivers in the league. Last season, he ranked in the top 10 in both receiving yards and yards per catch.
Collins has been the Colts’ bogeyman in recent years, producing huge numbers whenever he plays Indianapolis. In his last 4 meetings with the Colts, Collins averaged nearly 7 receptions and 140 yards per game. While Collins is no stranger to monster games, he seems to play even better than usual against Indianapolis.
Anarumo and the Colts can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that they won’t have to deal with Collins on Sunday. The Indianapolis secondary has had a tough couple of weeks. Multiple wideouts — Zay Flowers, Rashee Rice, and Tyquan Thornton — have all burned them. Collins could have done just as much damage, if not more.
Without Collins on the field, the Houston offense has struggled. In Week 1, Collins caught 7 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown, leading the Texans to a 31-point win. Then, with Collins absent, Houston was held to just 6 points the next week against Cincinnati.
The loss of their top offensive weapon hurts an already thin Houston wide receiver group. 2025 second-round pick Jayden Higgins was a prime breakout candidate before tearing his ACL in August. And dynamic deep threat Tank Dell is still recovering from a devastating knee injury he suffered nearly 2 years ago.
Even with all of Houston’s injury issues, the Colts’ defense cannot afford to underestimate the Texans. Every single Indianapolis defensive back not named Sauce Gardner has been exposed in the first 2 weeks. Regardless of who’s running routes, Houston QB C.J. Stroud is more than good enough to punish bad coverage.
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