Drake Maye's 1st NFL Start Just Got Easier After Texans Injury News
By Cem Yolbulan
The New England Patriots made the highly-anticipated move and benched Jacoby Brissett this week. Prized rookie Drake Maye will get his first career start against the 4-1 Houston Texans.
There is a widespread consensus that it will be an uphill battle for Maye. The Texans are a very good team on both ends of the field and will make things difficult for the No. 3 overall pick.
It turns out, things will be slightly easier for Maye in his NFL debut. According to Ian Rapoport, the Texans placed star receiver Nico Collins on the Injured Reserve list, signaling that he will miss at least the next four games.
NFL News: Texans WR Nico Collins Lands on Injured Reserve
The #Texans have placed WR Nico Collins, the NFL's leading receiver on Injured Reserve. He's out four games.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 9, 2024
Collins is currently the NFL leader in receiving yards with 567. He picked up where he left off last season when he recorded 80 catches, 1,297 yards, and eight touchdowns in 15 games. As a result, the Texans lead the league in passing yards per game and top-five in total yards.
Even without Collins, Houston has plenty of offensive weapons. Stefon Diggs, Tank Dell, and Xavier Hutchinson will start as wideouts while Dalton Schultz will continue to get the nod as TE1.
A big challenge awaits Maye as he tries to keep up with the explosive Texans offense. Oddsmakers don't give him much of a chance. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Patriots are 7-point home underdogs and are given +250 odds to win outright.
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