Nico Collins opened 2024 with 117 yards on six catches and a clutch late third‑down conversion to seal Houston’s win over Indy. He followed with three TDs and 450 receiving yards in four weeks before a hamstring sidelined him for five. The pace helped him earn Pro Bowl recognition; 2025 hasn’t matched that start, as a Rams setback limited him to 25 yards on five targets.

Houston’s offense struggled on early downs, with penalties and sacks hindering Collins’ involvement. Ryans said the issue was rhythm, not effort, while Caley promised accountability and a return to on‑time plays. Stroud urged trust that Collins will be fed as the Texans look to Monday night vs Tampa Bay to rebound.

Ryans laid out a blunt plan after Week 1, stressing that Texans penalties and a sluggish tempo derail their new-look offense. He pegged presnap infractions as the hard stops, insisting the team can control those mistakes with better technique and formation discipline as they prepare for Monday Night Football vs. Tampa Bay.

C.J. Stroud acknowledged the issues, pointing to practice tempo and late-paced checks at the line as culprits. With Nick Caley's scheme, Houston must speed up, run cleaner pre- and post-snap sequences, and leverage improved tempo to turn yardage into points against TB.