Nico Collins may have just put his name on the catch of the year list.
With the Houston Texans rolling the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 9 and holding a 41-22 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Collins delivered the kind of play that stops everybody in their tracks. On a 13-yard throw from C.J.
Stroud, the veteran wideout snatched a one-handed touchdown while a defender was draped all over him, somehow securing the ball at the goal line for six. The score pushed Houston ahead 31-9 after the PAT.
Stroud has been dealing Sunday, piling up five passing touchdowns to four different receivers, but Collins’ lone trip to the end zone might have been the most eye-catching of the bunch. One alternate look at the play showed the ball tucked cleanly into Collins’ hand under the defender, with both feet down in bounds as the ball crossed the plane.
It was Collins’ sixth touchdown of the season, and he’s done it while missing two games because of a Grade 1 hamstring strain/pull. He came into the matchup with 24 catches for 329 yards and three scores, and he remains Stroud’s top target even with plenty of pass-catching options on the roster, including Marvin Harrison Jr., Tank Dell, and others.
This angle of Nico Collins' touchdown for the Texans 👀pic.twitter.com/KUSA2FrzBB https://t.co/aVTJPf4Obw
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 8, 2026
The Texans still have work to do after dropping five of their first seven games, but the schedule opens up from here. Houston has the second-easiest slate in Weeks 10 through 18, giving the club a favorable run to close out the regular season.
In Other News...
Kamari Lassiter Gets A Big Chance To Quiet A Texans Concern
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A matchup with the Chargers offers a timely chance to change the tone. Los Angeles has been uneven on offense, and that gives Lassiter a shot to settle in, stack a stronger game and maybe even come away with a momentum-shifting takeaway. For Houston, a confident outing from Lassiter would do more than quiet a concern. It would give the Texans another piece they can trust as the defense tries to keep tightening up. [Read more 🡒]
Fairbairn Gives Texans One Advantage Chargers Really Need To Worry About
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For Houstons offensive coordinator, that reliability changes the calculus on third down. It opens the door to more aggressive play-calling, knowing drives do not have to end in touchdowns to still produce points, and that matters against a Chargers team dealing with its own offensive struggles. With both clubs trying to sort out their place in the standings, Fairbairns leg is one more thing the Texans can use to tilt the game plan in their favor. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Inactives Bring One Lineup Twist Fans Will Notice Fast
The Texans Week 9 inactive list brought one lineup wrinkle that stands out right away, with rookie tight end Marlin Klein active for the first time since Week 3. Houston will be without injured players David Montgomery and Reed Blankenship, and Braden Smith is also sitting out as a healthy scratch, leaving the game-day picture a little thinner in a few spots as the team gets set for the Chargers.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, arrives with a much cleaner availability report. The Chargers listed no surprise absences and will have all of their top starters available, which adds a little more pressure on Houston to make the most of the pieces it does have in uniform. [Read more 🡒]
