The Houston Texans are headed to the AFC Divisional Round, but let’s be honest - they didn’t exactly cruise there in style. Their 30-6 dismantling of the Pittsburgh Steelers was dominant on the scoreboard, but under the hood, there’s plenty for head coach DeMeco Ryans and his staff to clean up before they face the New England Patriots.
Let’s start with the biggest blow: Nico Collins is officially out. The Texans’ top wide receiver, who put together a breakout season with 71 catches for 1,117 yards and six touchdowns, won’t suit up after suffering a concussion last week.
Collins took a brutal shot to the head and was carted off the field, and now Houston heads into Foxborough without its most dynamic pass-catcher. That’s not just a loss - it’s a gut punch to an offense that’s leaned heavily on Collins’ ability to stretch the field and make contested catches.
And then there’s CJ Stroud. The rookie quarterback has been one of the most exciting stories of the season, but his performance against Pittsburgh was a mixed bag - and that’s putting it kindly.
Sure, he threw for 250 yards and a touchdown while completing 65.6% of his passes. But he also fumbled five times.
That’s not a typo. Five.
To Stroud’s credit, he owned it after the game. “We had some problems with the snap, me catching them,” he said.
“Got to find a way to catch ’em and take care of the ball.” That kind of accountability is what you want to hear from your franchise quarterback, but the Texans can’t afford a repeat performance against a Patriots team that thrives on turnovers - especially with snow in the forecast.
Bad weather, a hostile environment, and a Belichick-coached defense? That’s a recipe that usually favors New England.
Still, despite the concerns, there’s belief in this Texans squad. On NFL Live, a panel featuring Ryan Clark and Marcus Spears all picked Houston to knock off the Patriots and reach the AFC Championship Game for the first time in franchise history. It’s a bold call, but not without merit.
Houston’s defense, led by Ryans, was the real star against Pittsburgh. They swarmed the Steelers from the opening snap, forcing mistakes, creating pressure, and giving their offense short fields to work with. That unit is going to have to carry the load again this week - especially if Stroud struggles to protect the ball or if the offense sputters without Collins.
There’s a saying in football: “Win ugly, survive and advance.” That’s exactly what the Texans did last week. Now, with a trip to the AFC title game on the line, they’ll need to clean up the turnovers, lean on their defense, and hope Stroud can bounce back from a shaky playoff debut.
Because if he does - if he plays like the version of himself we saw for most of the regular season - the Texans might just keep this Cinderella run going.