Texans Address Inability to Get WR Nico Collins the Ball in Bucs Loss

Missed opportunities are often the hallmark of a one-point defeat, and so it came to pass on Monday Night Football, as the Houston Texans fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-19. Nothing summed up the absurdity of the Texans repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot more graphically than the failure to get the ball into the end zone early in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback C.J. Stroud and the Texans' offense had four attempts from inside the 10-yard line, but still came away scoreless, yet another stark failure which clearly irked head coach DeMeco Ryans post-game, especially as it related to Nico Collins.

"We didn't have any space. We didn't move anybody off the line of scrimmage, which is what I saw," Ryans said. "So, getting hit in the backfield and went to try to throw the ball, thought we had some match-ups. I thought we had the opportunity to hit Nico in the corner there, but the ball was out of bounds."

The Texans' issues with health and consistency of performance upfront aren't just causing them to flame out in the red zone; it's also leading to slight misfires from Stroud, as we saw on his missed pass to Collins.

In truth, Stroud was pressured and harassed frequently by the Bucs' defense all night long; the inability to establish rhythm and timing in the passing game is as head-scratching as it is frustrating.

"You can make a bunch of excuses, but we're just not getting it done at the end of the day, that's all that matters," Stroud said post-game.

Offensive Coordinator Watch

Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley stands on the field before the game against the Carolina Panthers. — Aug 16, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Nick Caley stands on the field before the game against the Carolina Panthers at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The pressure on Texans' embattled first-year offensive coordinator Nick Caley will only grow after this debilitating defeat and the winless start to the new campaign. Caley's chronic failure to get the ball to Collins more than once in the first half will be a bone of contention over the coming days.

Collins has six receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown through two games. The onus is on Caley and Stroud to figure out how to get their top pass-catcher more involved in the game.

Stroud Striving to Impart Confidence

Some skeptics might suggest that Stroud's sophomore regression is now spilling over into Year 3, but the Texans' quarterback is trying to keep his teammates from reaching for the panic button.

"Everybody's going to talk crazy and say we suck and we're this and that," Stroud declared. "But at the end of the day, we've got to stay together and... be honest and have hard conversations. But I think right now, we need more confidence as an offense, just confidently playing better together. I think that's a big thing."

In the build-up this past week, the Texans were constantly reminded about the off-script capabilities of Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. While it certainly won't be the last time the fiercely competitive Mayfield pulls a rabbit out of his hat, the prior warnings may have fallen on deaf ears when it mattered most.

Houston's inability to stop Mayfield from converting a 4th-&-10 deep in his own territory, on what turned out to be the final knockout drive, was ultimately game-defining. In Ryan's estimation, it was only one piece to the puzzle of the Texans' collapse.

"We didn't make the plays we needed to make and that's the summation of this game," Ryans said.

Better execution in the most crucial moments would have delivered a different result on Monday night, but the mission to get up off the canvas has become urgent. Stroud and company have a golden opportunity to get back on track with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans next up on the docket, and that could be a huge boon if the Texans can play it effectively.