Texans likely to be without Collins, Clowney and Ingram against Colts
The short version
- Nico Collins hurt his hamstring in practice Sept. 16 and missed Houston's Week 2 loss to Cincinnati
- Collins, Ed Ingram (groin) and Jadeveon Clowney (groin) did not practice Wednesday or Thursday and are not expected to play in Week 3
- Dalton Schultz caught 12 passes for 140 yards, but the Texans lost to the Bengals 20-6 with Stroud posting a 74.3 passer rating
- Houston lost Jayden Higgins to an ACL tear in training camp and traded for Kayshon Boutte before Week 1
- Both the Texans and Colts are 0-2 heading into Sunday's matchup
Nico Collins, Jadeveon Clowney and Ed Ingram have missed every practice rep this week and are not expected to suit up when winless Houston visits Indianapolis in Week 3.
The Houston Texans appear set to be without three key starters when they visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Wide receiver Nico Collins, guard Ed Ingram and edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney are all expected to sit out the Week 3 matchup, according to reports from Aaron C. Wilson of KPRC 2 and Jonathan M. Alexander of the Houston Chronicle.
Collins injured his hamstring during a practice session on Sept. 16 and missed Houston's game against the Cincinnati Bengals as a result. Wilson reported from Thursday's practice that Collins and Ingram are not expected to play against Indianapolis, while Alexander later reported that Clowney is in line to miss his second consecutive game as well.
The Texans' injury report as of Friday morning offers little encouragement. Collins (hamstring), Ingram (groin) and Clowney (groin) did not practice in any capacity on either Wednesday or Thursday. With only walk-throughs scheduled for Friday, all three are likely to remain sidelined and be listed as inactive on the final injury report.
The complete lack of practice participation this week also raises the possibility that the absences could extend past Week 3. Houston faces the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, and the team's medical staff would presumably want to see Collins, Clowney and Ingram log multiple limited practice sessions before clearing any of them to return.
Collins' absence is a significant blow to a receiving corps already hit hard by injury. Jayden Higgins tore his ACL in training camp, ending a season in which Houston had anticipated he would develop into a complementary 1B option behind Collins as the 1A target.
The Texans acquired Kayshon Boutte in a trade before Week 1 hoping he could help fill the void. He managed just one 21-yard catch on two targets in the season opener against Buffalo while Collins was on the field, and in Week 2 against Cincinnati without Collins he tied for fifth on the team with five targets and ranked second with 37 receiving yards.
Tight end Dalton Schultz did the heavy lifting against the Bengals with 12 catches for 140 yards on 14 targets, but the offense struggled overall. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 314 net yards on 60 dropbacks, averaging 6.3 yards per attempt with a 74.3 passer rating in a 20-6 loss. The run game provided no relief, as David Montgomery and Woody Marks combined for 18 yards on 14 carries.
With both the Texans and Colts entering the game at 0-2, Houston's defense may need to carry the load on Sunday if the offense remains shorthanded.
The Texans and Colts kick off Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 PM EDT at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The game airs on CBS.
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