Nico Collins Doubles Down on Confidence in Texans' C.J. Stroud

The Houston Texans' offense has begun to find its groove through their past two victories on the year.

They've won by a combined margin of 60 points in Week 4 and 5 against the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, have kept the offense balanced and efficient through the air and on the ground, and perhaps most importantly, have seen a strong showcase from quarterback C.J. Stroud after a rocky start to the year.

Through the past two games, Stroud has averaged a 139.2 passer rating, logging 477 yards with six touchdowns and zero picks on eye-popping 81.8% completion percentage.

CJ Stroud in his last two games

🎯 45/55
🎯 478 yards
🎯 6 TDs
🎯 0 Turnover Worthy Plays https://t.co/wDeCNXUSpT pic.twitter.com/6O4KvsJXd3
— PFF (@PFF) October 5, 2025

Needless to say, those are some numbers that jump off the page for the Texans' signal caller, even showing signs of his Rookie of the Year self from two seasons ago.

And following those pair of impressive performances, Stroud's favorite target in Nico Collins made sure to hand the Texans' quarterback his due credit heading into Week 7.

"He's doing good. 7's been doing what 7 does. Calm, collected, in the pocket, making the right reads, and not forcing anything," Collins said. "That's what you want as a quarterback. Making the right reads, taking care of the ball, and controlling the offense. That's what he's done."

Everyone in the building knows the year didn't start off how anyone anticipated. The offense was sluggish, Stroud and his protection weren’t quite up to par, and Houston fell to an 0-3 record because of it.

But in the mind of Collins, he welcomes that adversity throughout the year–– knowing that with the right tweaks made from a bumpy first three weeks, this group has the talent to be a competitive one.

"We did start off not ideal as an offense in the beginning, but I feel like that's the point of the season," Collins said. "That's why we come out to practice every day to get better on the things we need to get better on. Continue to get better every day, man."

Oct 5, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) runs for a touchdown past Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins (2) during the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

"It's a marathon. It's a long season. We've got another opportunity, great opportunity, to go on the road again. Seattle's a great defense, great team over there, great franchise... We'll be ready. No doubt about that."

So far on Collins' behalf, he's stood his ground as the most important supporting piece Stroud has in his offensive arsenal. He's collected 22 catches, 312 yards, and three touchdowns to lead all of Houston's pass-catchers in each category.

But this week vs. the Seattle Seahawks will act as a major test for the offense, and the Texans as a whole. Mike Macdonald's defensive unit isn't one that should be overlooked, and their other side of the field led by Sam Darnold and Jaxon Smith-Njigba won't exactly be easy to stop either.

Time will tell if the Texans can elevate to win number three on the year. Collins, though, is confident in what he's seen from his quarterback so far, and for what's to come following the bye.

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