HOUSTON – Nico Collins he literally bounces back quickly in his comeback from a hamstring strain.

Collins has reached 20 miles per hour in practice since the injury and quickly regained his flexibility, strength and mobility, according to league sources, after he was injured catching a touchdown pass against the Buffalo Bills and was placed in reserve for the injured.

He experienced no setbacks in his recovery.

“It’s all very encouraging,” a source said. “Nico is doing well.”

Collins, who was initially optimistic he could return within weeks before an MRI revealed enough leg damage that it was diagnosed as a three-to-four-week injury, per league sources. is out mandatory four weeks before. he can be designated for return under NFL rules. The middle part of the right hamstring was injured.

Collins has been sidelined for the past two games against the Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots and is on track to return for a high-profile game Sunday night Nov. 10 against the Detroit Lions at NRG Stadium. Collins must miss Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts and a Thursday night road game against the New York Jets before he is eligible to return to practice. If all goes well with no setbacks, the former third-round draft pick out of the University of Michigan should be able to play against the Lions.

Without Collins, the passing game suffered. That included a career-low 86 yards, 55 rushing yards, 10-of-21 passing and no touchdowns for Pro Bowl quarterback CJ Stroud during a 24-22 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field last Sunday . Wide receiver Stefon Diggs led the team with five catches, but for just 23 yards, while Xavier Hutchinson was the only other wide receiver to catch a pass, while Tank Dell went 0-for-4 on targets with a potential dropped touchdown pass. Against New England, Stroud passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns with an interception on completions of 26, 20 and 20 yards, Diggs finished with six receptions for 77 yards and a score, and Dell had a touchdown catch among his seven receptions.

Collins led the NFL with 567 receiving yards before the injury. Without him, the focus of the offense shifted to quarterback Joe Mixon as he hit the century mark in back-to-back games.

Collins is a unique receiver who towers over opposing defensive backs with his superior size. His speed as a long passer eats up real estate as he regularly creates separation in the secondary. His refined routes, sound hands and ability to set up the football by towering over shorter competitors are all in the elite category.

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One of the most dominant and productive downfield threats in the game was missed in a Texans passing game was headlined by him and Stroud as their connection was broken.

Without Collins, a 6-foot-4, 222-pound speedster who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.44 seconds, the Texans struggled to replace his production. Collins caught 32 passes before the injury and was on pace to record 109 catches for 1,928 yards and 10 touchdowns before injuring his right hamstring while catching a 67-yard touchdown pass in a win against the Bills when his leg locked up for a long stretch. touch grip.

“It’s a shame we won’t have Nico, great player, best receiver in the league,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said at the time of the injury. “He will be back at some point this season. The opportunity for other guys to step up and make the most of their opportunity, that’s what the league is about. A lot of guys who have stepped in when other guys are gone have made a name for themselves and made some big league plays, so we’re looking for the same thing for whoever it is.

“Whatever we call, whatever plays we design for this week, it’s about us being efficient as an offense. It’s never about one player and Nico, of course, made a lot of big plays for us and we’re going to miss his explosive plays on the field. I keep saying this: Who’s next? Who will step up? Who will make those pieces? We’ll see.”

Life without Collins is difficult. There is no other receiver like him on the roster that has his rare combination of size and speed and other traits. Diggs is a consummate pass-catcher who hasn’t been as much of an outfielder in recent years or been asked to in his current role. He is, however, ultra reliable.

Diggs caught a team-high 42 passes for 415 yards and three touchdowns, setting a season-high 102 receptions, 1,008 yards and seven touchdowns. He was more of a short to intermediate threat.

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More fell on the shoulders of Diggs and Stroud without Collins, who signed a three-year, $75 million contract extension in the offseason before becoming the game’s most productive receiver through the first five weeks of the season .

Dell is the third receiver behind Diggs and Collins with 20 catches for 194 yards and a score, with his productivity down from his dynamic rookie season. Tight end Dalton Schultz was involved sporadically in the passing game, with 19 catches for 171 yards and no touchdowns. Hutchinson has four catches for 45 yards. And running backs Dare Ogunbowale (15 catches, 155 yards, one touchdown, one game-winner) and Mixon (10 catches, 83 yards, one touchdown) also contributed.

“Without Nico out, everyone has to step up, myself included, to be able to relax where Nico isn’t playing,” Stroud said. “We definitely need to hold each other accountable and be better at it. (Diggs) is definitely going to be at the top of that.”

Most of the targets went to Collins through five games for the Texans as he was thrown 45 times. Diggs is up to 55 targets.

“We don’t lack depth at all,” Diggs said. “We have a lot of guys who can play at a high level. You just hate to see it, but as a team you have to move forward. And there can be no going down. That’s one heck of a receiver now. It’s hard to match the talent that he has, but if we come in and do our job at a high level, I think we can still be successful as an offense.”

It was a tall order for the receiving corps to replace.

“Losing someone like Nico is very hard,” Stroud said. “Everyone understands that we will miss him. I think I can. Certainly only the next man in mentality. You have to be able to win football games without him for a little while.”

Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 click2houston.com.