Following a their win over the Los Angeles Chargers, the New England Patriots are in the AFC Divisional Round, putting them on collision course with the Houston Texans on Sunday. The Patriots even signed former Texans pass rusher Darrell Taylor before the clash, highlighting how head coach Mike Vrabel is already hard at work trying to get an advantage over the upcoming foe.
Looking at the Texans' offense, things have been up and down for them. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers last round, Houston's offense struggled with consistency and turnovers. After playing well against the Chargers, this will be something important for interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr to take advantage of to put the Pats in a more advantageous positions.
Fortunately, New England may have caught a break with Houston's offense, as one star player's availability for the game is now in question.
Patriots Must Be Loving Texans' Latest Nico Collins Injury Concern
During the Texans' Wednesday practice, Nico Collins wasn't seen participating per the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Alexander. In the Wild Card game against the Steelers, Collins left the game in the third quarter after landing on his head, ultimately being carted to the locker room. Collins would be ruled out with a concussion.
All players must pass the NFL's concussion protocol before being able to return to action, even practice. It's challenging for players to miss practice early in the week with a concussion and return in time for the game, so it seems unlikely that Collins will be healthy for the Divisional Round.
This is also the second concussion this season for Collins, who suffered one back in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks, before returning in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos. As much as the Texans would love to win this game, protecting their star WR's health might be more important.
Should Collins miss the game, preparing for the Texans offense would be easier as they would be without their top offensive player. Something for Patriots fans to monitor is the health of star cornerback Christian Gonzalez. If Collins is somehow active but the Patriots are without Gonzalez, then it could be a long day for the Patriots' defense.
On the other hand, Gonzalez playing but Collins being out would be huge for the Patriots.
Even with Collins out, the defense needs to be ready to play since the worst thing a team can do is expect to win no matter the effort level. For the Patriots to continue to win in the playoffs, the defense will need to continue this level of play.