Texans vs. Bengals: What to know about Houston’s chances for a win without Nico Collins

The Houston Texans, who opened the season with a 36-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills, host the Cincinnati Bengals at noon Sunday at Reliant Stadium.

Here’s what you need to know as Houston tries to even its record:

When the Texans have the ball…

Nico Collins will not play Sunday because of a hamstring injury. That means Houston will be without its most explosive weapon – a player who can make things happen when needed.

He had seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown last week, including a 25-yard catch from C.J. Stroud up the right sideline, just short of the end zone – a catch that probably only he could make.

But the Texans won’t have that option and will need to figure out how to generate explosive plays without him.

The Texans certainly have options.

PREDICTIONS: How Chronicle staff sees Sunday’s game

Kayshon Boutte is a deep-play threat, and although he had only two targets last week, this might be the game to run more plays for him. Jaylin Noel is another option. He had two explosive plays in last week’s game, mostly out of the slot. Then there’s Dalton Schultz, one of Stroud’s safety blankets when things get rough. He had just four catches for 35 yards last week.

But the strategy the Texans may use is their running game. David Montgomery and Woody Marks both proved they can generate explosive plays on the ground, with several runs of 10 yards or more.

Some of the more successful runs came out of the pistol formation, in which the quarterback lines up four yards behind the center and the running back lines up three yards behind him. It’s a new wrinkle in Nick Caley’s offense, and it worked well. Six of the Texans’ rush attempts came out of the pistol formation for 33 yards, including Montgomery’s 18-yard touchdown run.

The Texans ranked 10th in total yards after Week 1 – eighth in passing yards and 13th in rushing yards – while scoring the eighth-most points.

The key to the Texans winning, though, will be their ability to take care of the football.

The Bengals’ defense forced four fumbles last week, turning them into 24 points. Three of those fumbles were lost by quarterback Baker Mayfield, making it extremely important for Stroud to protect the football. Stroud lost two fumbles against the Bills.

The Bengals were among the worst defenses in the NFL in 2025. But their offseason additions of defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, edge rusher Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and safety Bryan Cook have made them a dangerous defense.

When the Bengals have the ball…

Joe Burrow remains one of the best quarterbacks in the league. As Danielle Hunter told me in the locker room, he’s like a coach on the field. He’ll change the play at the line of scrimmage and call out the defense like Philip Rivers. It’s something the Texans must prepare for.

Burrow was 25 of 35 for 254 yards, one touchdown and one interception last week. And that was without connecting with his star receiver, Ja’Marr Chase.

Chase is a matchup nightmare. He can line up anywhere, and three years ago, he did most of his damage against the Texans from the slot.

The Texans have the personnel to stop him. The defensive players in the locker room this week said last week’s loss wasn’t because of a lack of effort. They knew the calls the Bills were going to make.

It was more about being in the right position and taking advantage of their opportunities. Houston did not do that. Safety Reed Blankenship could have had an interception in the second quarter, but he whiffed on the play, leaving D.J. Moore wide open for a 43-yard touchdown.

Cornerback Kamari Lassiter dropped what could have been a game-winning interception in the end zone.

The Texans lost the turnover battle 0-2, which was the reason they lost.

It’ll start with stopping the run. If the Texans don’t, it’ll be another long day. Chase Brown had 56 yards and a touchdown last week. You might expect a lot of play-action passes from Burrow, similar to what the Bills did.

The Texans must be on their A-game, or they could start the season 0-2 a

Prediction

I think the Bengals are in a good position to defeat the Texans. The Texans will try to run the ball, but the Bengals run defense is stout. That will lead to some third-and-longs, and without Nico Collins, the Texans will struggle.

The Bengals will do just enough to be the Texans.

Score: Bengals 24, Texans 20

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This article originally published at Texans vs. Bengals: What to know about Houston’s chances for a win without Nico Collins.

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