I am apologizing in advance to longtime Houston Texan fans. I am about to invoke a name whose mere mention probably plunges you into a Pavlovian depression, and I promise this article will have a pleasant ending for you, but here goes — T.Y. Hilton.
No opposing player took the Houston Texans to the woodshed more times than Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton, whose career stats against the Texans — 103 catches, 1,820 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns in 20 games — are damn near Jerry Rice-level. Adding insult to injury was the fact that Hilton, a four time Pro bowler, ACTED like he owned the Texans, highlighted by his wearing a clown mask to a 2018 playoff game, in response to Texans CB Johnathan Joseph calking Hilton a clown during the week prior.
So why am I bringing up this man’s name? Why am I doing this to all of you? Well, I am doing it because the Texans may have found their version of Hilton to torment the Colts, and his name is Nico Collins. Collins was drafted by the Texans in 2021, and in his first two seasons, in three games against the Colts, he didn’t do much, tallying just six catches for 70 yards.
That’s not Collins’ fault. Rice himself would have a hard time putting up numbers in offenses coordinated by Tim Kelly and Pep Hamilton. 2023 was the dawning of a new day, with a new head coach (DeMeco Ryans), a new OC (Bobby Slowik), and most importantly, the drafting of C.J. Stroud. With those moves, the transformation of Collins from “nondescript third round pick” to “Hilton 2.0” was underway.
Since Stroud arrived on the scene, all Nico Collins has done, in three games against the Colts, is pile up 22 catches for 458 yards and two touchdowns catches, vastly superseding the per game averages of Hilton across the board. Granted, Collins’ sample size is much smaller, but I’m optimistic that more huge days lie ahead for Collins.
Further contextualizing Collins’ recent domination of the Colts, understand that it’s not just the sheer number that Collins amassed in these three games, but it’s also the nature of the catches, both aesthetically and in terms of how meaningful they all were to the outcome of the games, and in the case of Week 18 last year, a playoff clincher for the Texans, the entire season.
In particular, the second and third games of this three game stretch, Collins’ performance and penchant for the big moment has been particularly remarkable. In Week 18 last season, Collins’ 9 catches for 195 yards were highlighted by these plays:
75 yard touchdown on the Texans’ first offensive snap of the game
29 yard catch and run where he ruined the manhood of Colts DB Jaylon Jones
Now let’s look at Sunday’s game, in which Collins had 6 catches for 117 yards. Here we go:
55 yard catch in between two defenders, setting up a TD
19 yard catch on crucial 3rd and 14 on a TD drive
12 yard catch on 3rd and 11 in final moments to help seal the game
On a team that also includes some serious dynamic qualities in its other wide receivers, Stefon Diggs and Tan Dell, specifically, the star still appears to be the same breakout player from 2023. It’s Nico Collins’ world, especially when the Colts are living in it.
Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
